THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER   GARDEN 

AND    HOME    GROUNDS 


First  Edition,  November  1883. 
Second      ,,        February  1889. 
Third         ,,        May  1893. 
Fourth      „       June  1895. 
Fifth          ,,       June  1896. 

Reprinted,  February  1897. 
Sixth  Edition,  May  1898. 

Reprinted,  November  1898. 
Seventh  Edition,  May  1899. 
Eighth  ,,        June  1900. 

Reprinted,  December  1900. 
,,  May  1901. 

,,          June  1902. 
,,          /««£  1903. 
Ninth  Edition,  1905. 
Tenth        ,,      1906. 

Reprinted,  March  1907. 
Eleventh  Edition,  1909. 

Reprinted,  January  1911. 
Twelfth  Edition,  1913. 

Reprinted,  May  1914. 
Thirteenth  Edition,  1921. 


THE-ENGLISH  FLOWER  GARDEN 

AND  HOME  GROUNDS.  Design  and 
Arrangement  followed  by  a  Description 
of  the  Plants,  Shrubs  and  Trees  for  the 
Open-air  Garden  and  their  Culture,  by 
W.  ROBINSON,  Author  of  "The  Wild 

*i 

Garden/'  Illustrated  with  many  Engrav- 
ings on  Wood.  Thirteenth  Edition. 


"Laying  out  grounds,  as  it  is  called,  may  be  considered  as  a  liberal  art,  in  some 
sort  like  poetry  and  painting  ;  and  its  object,  like  that  of  all  the  liberal  arts,  is,  or  ought 
to  be,  to  move  the  affections  under  the  control  of  good  sense.  If  this  be  so  when  we 
are  merely  putting  together  words  or  colours,  how  much  more  ought  the  feeling  to 
prevail  when  we  are  in  the  midst  of  the  realities  of  things  ;  of  the  beauty  and  harmony, 
of  the  joy  and  happiness  of  living  creatures  ;  of  men  and  children,  of  birds  and  beasts, 
of  hill  and  streams,  and  trees  and  flowers,  with  the  changes  of  night  and  day,  evening 
and  morning,  summer  and  winter,  and  all  their  unwearied  actions  and  energies." — 
WORDSWORTH. 


New  York 
Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  597-599  Fifth  Avenue 

mcmxxi 


YfV 


PREFACE    TO    NEW    EDITION. 

THIS  book  is  the  muster  of  various  once  forlorn  hopes  and 
skirmishing  parties  now  united  with  better  arms  and  larger  aims, 
and  its  beginnings  may  have  an  interest  for  others.  I  came  to 
London  just  when  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's  garden  at 
Kensington  was  being  laid  out,  a  series  of  elaborate  patterns 
set  at  different  levels,  and  the  Crystal  Palace,  in  its  glory,  was 
described  by  the  Press  of  the  day  to  be  the  most  wonderful 
instance  of  modern  gardening  —  water-temples,  water-paths,  vast 
stone  basins  and  all  the  theatrical  gardening  of  Versailles  re- 
produced in  Surrey. 

There  was  little  or  no  reason  admitted  into  garden  design  : 
the  same  poor  imitation  of  the  Italian  garden  being  set  down  in 
all  sorts  of  positions.  If  the  place  did  not  suit  the  style,  the 
ground  had  to  be  bolstered  up  in  some  way  so  that  the  plan 
might  be  carried  out — a  costly  way  to  get  an  often  ridiculous 
result.  The  great  writers  of  the  past  had  laughed  the  carpenter's 
rule  out  of  the  parks  of  England,  and  pictures  arose  where  they 
were  once  impossible  ;  but  the  ugliness  of  the  garden  about  the 
house  was  assumed  to  be  an  essential  part  of  the  thing  itself, 
removing  that  for  ever  from  the  sympathies  of  artistic  people. 

The  flower  garden  planting  was  made  up  of  a  few  kinds  of 
flowers  which  people  were  proud  to  put  out  in  thousands  and  tens 
of  thousands,  and  with  these,  patterns,  more  or  less  elaborate,  were 
carried  out  in  every  garden  save  the  very  poorest  cottage  garden. 
It  was  not  easy  to  get  away  from  all  this  false  and  hideous  "  art/' 
but  I  was  then  in  the  Botanic  Gardens,  Regent's  Park,  where  there 
was  at  that  time  a  small  garden  of  British  plants,  which  had  to  be 
kept  up,  and  this  led  me  into  the  varied  country  round  London, 
from  the  orchid-flecked  meadows  of  Bucks  to  the  tumbled  down 
undercliffs  on  the  Essex  coast,  untroubled  by  the  plough  ;  and  so 
I  began  to  get  an  idea  (which  should  be  taught  to  every  boy  at 
school)  that  there  was  (for  gardens  even)  much  beauty  in  our 
native  flowers  and  trees,  and  then  came  the  thought  that  if  there 
was  so  much  in  our  own  island  flora,  what  might  we  not  look  for 

V 

440570 


vi  PREFACE   TO   NEW  EDITION. 

from   the   hills  and  valleys  of  the   countries   of  the  northern  and 
temperate  world  ? 

From  thoughts  of  this  kind,  if  I  turned  to  actual  things,  I 
saw  the  liower  gardener  meanly  trying  to  rival  the  tile  or  wall- 
paper men,  and  throwing  aside  with  contempt  all  the  lovely  things 
that  through  their  height  or  form  did  not  conform  to  this  idea  (so 
stupid  as  to  life),  and  this,  too,  the  rule,  not  only  in  the  villa 
garden,  but  in  our  great  public  and  private  gardens.  There  was, 
happily,  always  the  beauty  of  the  woods  and  lanes  and  the  lovely 
cottage  gardens  in  the  country  round  London,  and  here  and  there, 
though  rare,  a  quiet  garden  with  things  as  the  great  mother  made 
them  and  grouped  them.  And  so  I  began  to  see  clearly  that  the 
common  way  was  a  great  error  and  the  greatest  obstacle  to  true 
gardening  or  artistic  effects  of  any  kind  in  the  flower  garden  or 
home  landscape,  and  then  made  up  my  mind  to  fight  the  thing 
out  in  any  way  open  to  me. 

The  English  Flower  Garden  consists  of  two  parts :  the  first 
dealing  with  the  question  of  design — the  aim  being  to  make  the 
garden  a  reflex  of  the  beauty  of  the  great  garden  of  the  world 
itself,  and  to  prove  that  the  true  way  to  happiest  design  is  not  to 
have  any  stereotyped  style  for  all  flower  gardens,  but  that  the  best 
kind  of  garden  should  arise  out  of  its  site  and  conditions  as  happily 
as  a  primrose  out  of  a  cool  bank. 

The  second  part  includes  most  of  the  trees  and  plants,  hardy 
and  half-hardy,  for  our  flower  gardens  and  pleasure  grounds,  and 
it  is  illustrated  with  a  view  to  show  the  beauty  of  the  things 
spoken  of,  as  few  know  the  many  shrubs  and  trees  worth  a  place 
in  our  open-air  gardens,  and  it  is  of  little  use  to  discuss  arrange- 
ment if  the  beauty  of  the  flowers  is  hidden  from  us.  No  stereotyped 
garden  of  half  a  dozen  kinds  of  plants  will  satisfy  any  one  who 
knows  that  many  beautiful  aspects  of  vegetation  are  possible  in  a 
garden  in  spring,  summer,  and  autumn. 

English  names  are  given  where  possible — as   it  is  best  to  speak 

of  things  growing  about  our   doors   in    our   own    tongue,  and    the 

practice  of  using  in  conversation  long  Latin  names, 

English  names,    a  growth   of  our  own  century,  has  done  infinite 

harm    to  gardening  in  shutting   out    people  who 

have  a  heart  for  a  garden,  but  none  for  the  Latin  of  the  gardener. 

There  is    no    more  need  to  speak  of  the  plants  in  our  gardens  by 


PREFACE    TO    NEW   EDITION.  vi 

their  Latin  names  than  to  speak  of  the  dove  or -the  rabbit  by  Latin 
names,  and  where  we  introduce  plants  that  have  no  good  English 
names  we  must  make  them  as  well  as  we  may.  Old  English  books 
like  Gerard  were  rich  in  English  names,  and  we  should  follow  their 
ways  and  be  ashamed  to  use  for  things  in  the  garden  a  strange 
tongue.  Every  plant  grown  in  gardens  should  have  an  English  name, 
among  the  many  reasons  for  this  being  the  frequent  changes  that 
Latin  names  undergo  in  the  breaking  down  of  the  characters  which 
are  supposed  to  separate  genera.  For  instance,  Azalea  and  Rhodo- 
dendron are  now  one  genus.  Such  changes  are  even  more  trouble- 
some when  they  occur  in  less  well-known  plants ;  and  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  plants  of  our  gardens,  the  Irish  Heath  (Dabcecia, 
now  Boretta),  will  not  be  found  now  by  its  hitherto  recorded  name 
in  the  London  Catalogue  of  British  Plants.  But  if  we  have  a  good 
English  name,  these  ceaseless  botanical  changes  are  of  less  conse- 
quence. It  is  impossible  for  gardeners  and  nurserymen  to  keep  up 
with  such  changes,  not  always  indeed  accepted  even  by  botanists 
themselves. 

One  of  the  first  things  the  lover  of  flower  gardening  should  do 
is   to   get  a  clear  idea  of  the  distinction    between   gardening  and 

botany.       Gardening    is    an     inexhaustible    art ; 

Gardening  and     botany  is  a  world  science,  and  the  great  mistake 

Botany.  js  to  consider  gardening  from  the  point  of  view 

of  the  botanist.  To  the  botanist  every  plant, 
weed  or  poisonous  herb  is  of  equal  value,  which  is  right  from  his 
point  of  view,  but  the  gardener  must  be  very  careful  not  to  take 
that  view.  Numbers  of  plants  which  have  lately  come  to  us  from 
China  are  useless  for  the  garden,  though,  along  with  them,  there 
are  beautiful  garden  plants.  The  old  botanic  gardens  of  Europe 
were  often  planned  as  though  the  garden  were  a  sort  of  book,  and 
we  see  the  results  of  this  in  many  gardens  abroad.  It  is  neither 
artistic  nor  natural.  Where  garden  space  is  often  limited  and  labour 
scarce,  the  garden  should  only  be  given  to  plants  of  garden  value. 
It  is  impossible  to  get  the  world's  flora  represented  in  it,  and  a 
garden  made  by  a  collector  is  rarely  beautiful.  Colour,  stature 
and  form  should  come  before  any  botanical  consideration.  Even 
beautiful  plants  like  the  Clematis,  Honeysuckle,  etc.,  may  be  found 
after  trial  to  be,  many  of  them,  not  worthy  of  a  place  in  the  garden 
compared  with  others.  The  gardener  is  very  much  indebted  to 


viii  PREFACE    TO    NEW   EDITION. 

the  botanist  for  his  own  work,  that  is  the  naming  of  plants,  and 
also  for  discovering  new  species  of  plants.  Botany  teaches  us  the 
native  habitats  of  some  of  our  most  beautiful  garden  plants,  also 
about  the  flora  of  many  countries,  and  can  teach  us  many  lessons 
which  can  be  learnt  with  great  pleasure,  but  there  cannot  be 
any  proper  system  of  teaching  young  men  gardening  unless  they 
are  taught  the  plants  of  their  own  country.  When  it  comes  to 
design  and  landscape  gardening  one  may  learn  more  in  some  of 
the  back  valleys  of  the  Tyrol  and  parts  of  Switzerland  than  from  any 
book,  though  books  on  the  flora  of  countries  like  our  own  as  to 
climate  may  tell  us  what  we  want  to  know  about  the  habitats  of  the 
plants  and  trees  we  wish  to  know. 

"  Lumping "  is   a  term  sometimes    used    for  botanists    throwing 
things  together   that   are  distinct   in  life  or  cultivation.     Botanists 
often  work  in  herbaria  so  that   things  come  to- 
Changing  names,   gether  that  in  cultivation  in  the  living  state  are 
really   different.     An  example  of  this  is   placing 
the    Austrian   and   Corsican    pines    under   one   species,   whereas  in 
Nature  and  in  cultivation    they   are   clearly   distinct    in    form    and 
stature.     In  botanical  books  we  frequently  find  changes   of  genera 
made   often   without   much    reason.     This   shows   the   need   for  an 
English  name.     Not  only  is  it  difficult  to  follow  the  changes  in  Latin 
names   in    many   cases,   but   these   names   are   also   very  ugly  and 
awkward,  as,  for  exam  pie,  pseudo-stuga  applied  to  one  of  the  greatest 
of  trees. 

Botanical  books  are  often  empty  as  regards  the  garden  value  of 
plants.  Great  works,  like  those  of  Don  and  Miller,  afford  us  no 
guidance  for  the  garden  value.  The  objection  does  not  apply  to 
the  floras  of  countries  which  may  be  rich  in  plants  and  trees  of  value. 

So  many  things  are  coming  from  strange  countries  to  our  gardens 

that  one  is  often  led  to  plant  shrubs  that  have  but  little  chance  of 

doing  well.     I  thought  myself  very  careful  not  to 

Ware  failures,     plant  what  I  did  not  know  to  be  quite  hardy,  and 

so  came  my  mistakes  with  even  hardy  plants  that 

did    not   flower  well.     The    Rose   of  Sharon,  which  is  beautiful  in 

France   and   also   in   our  country,   I  planted  a  large  group  of.     It 

grew  well  for  many  years,  but  never   flowered,  and  seeing  it  was 

hopeless,  I  gave  it  to  a  friend  in  the  Thames  Valley,  where  it  grew 


PREFACE  TO  NEW  EDITION. 


and  flowered  well.  In  the  southern  part  of  Sussex  it  flowers  admir- 
ably. Edwardsias,  too,  I  felt  sure  of.  They  grew  well  but  gave  me 
no  flower.  The  Winter's  Bark,  of  the  Straits  of  Magellan,  grew  and 
flowered  well  for  a  few  years  and  then  was  suddenly  cut  to  the 
ground  by  a  hard  frost.  Clianthus,  which  does  very  well  near  the 
coast-line  of  Ireland  and  the  West  Country,  died  after  trials,  and 
several  Mutisias,  too,  which  Mr  Beamish,  in  Cork,  grows  so  well, 
and  no  doubt  many  others  in  Devonshire,  died  without  much  loss 
of  time.  The  graceful  Garrya,  an  evergreen  of  California,  lived  well 
for  a  few  years,  but  there  came  a  hard  winter,  and  no  funereal  sight 
was  more  sad  than  my  Garrya. 

What  is  the  good  of  risking  such  things  when  there  are  many 
plants  of  N.  America  and  other  lands  which  are  really  hardy  ?  It 
is  not  only  the  difference  between  Aberdeen  and  Worthing  one 
has  to  think  of;  it  is  the  much  wider  one  of  things  in  the  same 
county.  Some  plants  that  failed  with  me  do  perfectly  well  below 
the  hills.  The  soil  is  a  thing  to  be  reckoned  with,  and  no  doubt 
my  soil  on  a  cool  hill  was  against  the  Rose  of  Sharon,  which,  perhaps, 
a  hundred  miles  further  north,  on  a  free  soil,  would  be  quite  happy. 

It  is  well  to  note  that  such  considerations  do  not  apply  to  the 
Midland  counties  or  to  any  one  county  only,  because  in  Devon  or 
Cornwall  a  thing  which  for  many  years  has  done  well  may  be  cut 
down  by  a  hard  frost.  The  safe  way  is  to  look  around  carefully  one's 
district  and  study  results.  Precious  years  and  much  good  soil  may 
be  lost  by  planting  things  much  too  delicate  for  our  air  and  soil. 

The  present  Edition  has  the  advantage  of  the  herbaceous  plants 
having  been  carefully  revised  by  Mr  E.  M.  Jenkins,  who  is  more 
conversant  with  these  plants  than  any  other  man  of  our  time. 


"  Another  thing,  also  much  too  commonly  seen,  is  an  aberration  of 
the  human  mind,  which  otherwise  I  should  have  been  ashamed  to 
warn  you  of.  It  is  technically  called  carpet  gardening.  Need  I 
explain  it  further  ?  I  had  rather  not,  for  when  I  think  of  it,  even 
when  I  am  quite  alone,  I  blush  zvith  shame  at  the  thought"- 
W.  Morris,  Hopes  and  Fears  for  A  rt. 


CONTENTS. 

PART    I. 

CHAP.  PAGE 

I.— ART    IN     RELATION    TO     FLOWER    GARDENING    AND    GARDEN 

DESIGN          ........  3 

II. — GARDEN  DESIGN  AND  RECENT  WRITINGS  UPON  IT  .  .10 

III.— DESIGN  AND  POSITION  ;  AGAINST  STYLES,  USELESS  STONEWORK, 
AND  STEREOTYPED  PLANS;  TIME'S  EFFECT  ON  GARDEN 
DESIGN;  ARCHITECTURE  AND  FLOWER  GARDENS;  DESIGN 
NOT  FORMAL  ONLY;  USE  IN  THE  GARDEN  OF  BUILDERS' 
AND  OTHER  DEGRADED  FORMS  OF  THE  PLASTIC  ART  .  2O 

IV. — BORDERS  OF  HARDY  FLOWERS          .....         25 

V. — THE  RESERVE  AND  CUT  FLOWER  GARDENS  ...  .36 

VI.— HARDY   BULBOUS  FLOWERS    .  .  .  .  .  .41 

VII. — ANNUAL  AND  BIENNIAL  PLANTS       .  .  •         .  .  .         52 

VIII.— FLOWERING  SHRUBS  AND  TREES  AND  THEIR  ARTISTIC  USE       .        59 

IX.— CLIMBERS  AND  THEIR  ARTISTIC  USE  ....         69 

X.— ALPINE  FLOWER,  ROCK,  AND  WALL  GARDENS        ...         84 
XI.— THE  WILD  GARDEN       .......        95 

XII.— SPRING  GARDENS  .  .  .  .  .  .       105 

THE  SUMMER  GARDEN  BEAUTIFUL. 

XIII.— THE  NEW  ROSE  GARDEN        .            .            .            .  .  .117 

XIV. — CARNATION,  LILY,  IRIS,  AND  THE  NOBLER  SUMMER  FLOWERS    .       128 

XV.— PLANTS  IN  VASES  AND  TUBS  IN  THE  OPEN  AIR    .  .  .       132 

XVI.— BEAUTY  OF  FORM  IN  THE  FLOWER  GARDEN         .  .  .140 

XVII. — THE  FLOWER  GARDEN  IN  AUTUMN  .            .            .  .  .152 

XVIII. —THE  FLOWER  GARDEN  IN  WINTER  .                        .  .  .158 

XIX.— WATER  GARDENS         .           .           .           .           .  .  .       166 

XX.— THE  BOG  GARDEN        .....  .       177 

XXL— THE  HARDY  FERN  GARDEN  .  .    •        .'  .  .184 

XXII. — COLOUR  IN  THE  FLOWER  GARDEN     .....       190 

xi 


CONTENTS. 


CHAP. 

XXIII.— FRAGRANCE       ...... 

XXIV.— SIMPLER  FLOWER  GARDEN  PLANS  AND  THE  RELATION  OF  THE 
FLOWER  GARDEN  TO  THE  HOUSE  .... 

XXV.— WALKS  AND  EDGINGS  ....... 

XXVI.— THE  FLOWER  GARDEN  IN  THE  HOUSE       .... 

XXVII.— EVERGREEN  TREES  AND  SHRUBS     ..... 

XXVIII.— CLIPPING  EVERGREEN  AND  OTHER  TREES  .... 

XXIX. --LAWNS  AND  PLAYGROUNDS  ...... 

XXX.— GARDEN   HOUSES,    BRIDGES,  GATES,  SEATS,  AND  FENCES 
XXXI.— THE  ORCHARD  BEAUTIFUL    ...... 

XXXII. — LABOURS      FOR     GOOD     OR     EVIL;     DRAINING;     ROTATION; 
MONOTONY  ;  GLASS  ;  MOVING  EARTH        .... 

XXXIII.— MY  FLOWER  GARDEN 

XXXIV.— DESIGN  IN  PLANTING  ...... 

XXXV.— TREES  AND  SHRUBS  FOR  WET  GROUND     .... 

XXXVI. — THE  ARCHITECT  IN  THE  GARDEN    . 
XXXVII.— TOPIARIAN  FOLLIES    ..... 

XXXVIII. — EXTRAVAGANT  FLOWER  GARDENING  IN  THE  LONDON  PARKS  . 

PART   II. 

CONTAINING  THE  FLOWERS,  TREES,  FLOWERING  SHRUBS,  EVERGREENS, 
AND  HARDY  FERNS  FOR  THE  OPEN  -  AIR  FLOWER  GARDEN  IN  THE 
BRITISH  ISLES,  WITH  THEIR  CULTIVATION  AND  THE  POSITIONS  MOST 
SUITABLE  FOR  THEM  IN  GARDENS  .  .  .  .  .  .321 

INDEX   TO    PARTS   I.    AND    II.  .  .  ...       788 


THE 

ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN 

PART    I 

ART  IN  THE  GARDEN.  GARDEN  DESIGN  AND  RECENT 
WRITINGS  UPON  IT.  DESIGN  AND  PLANS  IN  RELATION 
TO  THE  HOUSE  AND  HOME  LANDSCAPE.  ARTISTIC  USE 
OF  THE  GREAT  GROUPS  OF  PLANTS  FOR  THE  OPEN  AIR 
GARDENS  IN  THE  BRITISH  ISLES.  ALPINE,  ROCK  AND 
BORDER  PLANTS,  CLIMBERS,  ANNUALS  AND  BIENNIALS, 
FLOWERING  TREES,  SHRUBS,  AND  EVERGREENS;  WATER 
AND  BOG  PLANTS,  HARDY  FERNS,  FINE- LEAVED,  HARDY 
PLANTS,  ROSES,  SPRING,  SUMMER,  AUTUMN  AND  WINTER 
GARDENS,  HARDY  BULBS;  ORCHARD  BEAUTIFUL.  THE 
WILD  GARDEN,  COLOUR  AND  FRAGRANCE.  LABOURS  FOR 
GOOD  OR  EVIL.  LAWNS  AND  PLEASURE  GROUNDS. 


THE 

ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN    , 

CHAPTER    I. 

ART   IN   RELATION   TO  FLOWER-GARDENING   AND   GARDEN  DESIGN. 

THERE  is  no  reason  why  we  should  not  have  true  art  in  the  garden, 
but  much  why  we  should  have  it,  and  no  reason  why  a  garden 
should  be  ugly,  bare,  or  conventional.  The  word  "  art "  being  used 
in  its  highest  sense  here,  it  may  perhaps  be  well  to  justify  its  use, 
and  as  good  a  definition  of  the  word  as  any  perhaps  is  "  power  to 
see  and  give  form  to  beautiful  things,"  which  we  see  shown  in 
some  of  its  finest  forms  in  Greek  sculpture  and  in  the  works  of  the 
great  masters  of  painting. 

But  art  is  of  many  kinds,   and  owing  to  the  loose,  "  critical " 
talk  of  the  day,  it  is  not  easy  to  see  that  true  art  is  based  on  clear- 
eyed  study   of  and  love   for  Nature,  rather  than 
True  and  false      invention  and  the  bringing  of  the  "  personality  " 
"  art."  of  the  artist  into  the  work,  of  which  we  hear  so 

much.  The  work  of  the  artist  is  always  marked  by 
its  fidelity  to  Nature,  and  proof  of  this  may  be  seen  in  the  greatest 
art  galleries  now  open  to  all,  so  that  there  is  little  to  hide  evidence  as 
to  what  is  said  here  about  art  in  its  highest  expression.  But  as  a 
number  of  people  write  much  about  art  in  the  magazines  and  papers, 
while  blind  as  bats  to  its  simple  law,  there  is  infinite  confusion  in 
many  minds  about  it,  and  we  may  read  essay  after  essay  about  art 
without  being  brought  a  bit  nearer  to  the  simple  truth,  but  on  the 
other  hand  get  the  false  idea  that  it  is  not  by  observing,  but  by 
inventing  and  supplementing,  that  good  work  is  done.  The  strong 
man  must  be  there,  but  his  work  is  to  see  the  whole  beauty  of 
the  subject,  and  to  help  us  to  see  it,  not  to  distort  it  in  any  way 
for  the  sake  of  making  it  "  original."  This  is  often  a  way  to  popu- 
larity, but  in  the  end  it  means  bad  work.  It  may  be  the  fashion  for 
a  season,  owing  to  some  one  quality  :  but  it  is  soon  found  out,  and 

3 


S|«  "Cc  *"  c«\    ccc          THE.  ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


we  have  to  return  to  the  great  masters  of  all  ages,  who  are  always 
distinguished  for  truth  to  Nature,  and  who  show  their  strength  by 
getting  nearer  to  her. 

The  actual  beauty  of  a  thing  in  all  its  fulness  and   subtlety  is 

almost  the  whole  of  the  question,  but  the  critics  of  the  day  will  not 

take  the  trouble  to  see  this,  and  write  essays  on 

"  Realism "  and    art    in    which    many  long    words    occur,    but   in 

"  Idealism."  which  we  do  not  once  meet  with  the  word  truth. 
"  Realism  "  and  "  idealism  "  are  words  freely  used 
and  bad  pictures  are  shown  us  as  examples  of  "  realism,"  which 
leave  out  all  the  refinement,  subtlety,  truth  of  tone,  and  perhaps 
even  the  very  light  and  shade  in  which  all  the  real  things  we  see 
are  set. 

There  are  men  so  blind  to  the  beauty  of  the  things  set  before 
their  eyes  in  sky,  sea,  or  earth,  that  they  would  seek  to  idealise 
the  eyes  of  a  beautiful  child  or  the  clouds  of  heaven  ;  while  all  who 
see  natural  beauty  in  landscape  know  that  no  imagining  can  come 
near  to  the  beauty  of  things  seen,  art  being  often  powerless  to 
seize  their  full  beauty,  and  the  artist  has  often  to  let  the  brush  fall  in 
despair.  There  are  more  pictures  round  the  year  in  many  a  parish 
in  England  than  all  the  landscape  painters  of  Europe  could  paint  in 
a  century.  Only  a  little,  indeed,  of  the  beauty  that  concerns  us  most 
—that  of  the  landscape — can  be  seized  for  us  except  by  the  very 
greatest  masters.  Of  things  visible — flower,  tree,  landscape,  skyr 
or  sea — to  see  the  full  and  every  varied  beauty  is  to  be  saved  for 
ever  from  any  will-o'-the-wisp  of  the  imaginary. 

But  many  people  do  not  judge  pictures  by  Nature,  but  by 
pictures,  and  therefore  they  miss  her  subtleties  and  delicate  realities 
on  which  all  true  work  depends.  Some  sneer  at  those  who  "  copy 
Nature,"  but  the  answer  to  such  critics  is  for  ever  there  in  the  work 
of  the  great  men,  be  they  Greeks,  Dutchmen,  Italians,  French,  or 
English. 

It  is  part  of  the  work  of  the  artist  to  select  beautiful  or  memorable 
things,  not  the  first  that  come  in  his  way.  The  Venus  of  Milo  is 
from  a  noble  type  of  woman — not  a  mean  Greek.  The  horses 
of  the  Parthenon  show  the  best  of  Eastern  breed,  full  of  life  and 
beauty.  Great  landscape  painters  like  Crome,  Corot,  and  Turner 
seek  not  things  only  because  they  are  natural,  but  also  beautiful  ; 
selecting  views  and  waiting  for  the  light  that  suits  the  chosen  subject 
best,  they  give  us  pictures,  working  always  from  faithful  study  of 
Nature  and  from  stores  of  knowledge  gathered  from  her,  and  that, 
too,  is  the  only  true  path  for  the  gardener. 

Why  say  so  much  here  about  art?  Because  when  we  see  the 
meaning  of  true  "  art "  we  cannot  endure  what  is  ugly  and  false  in  art, 


Town     Garden,  The  Broadway,  Worcestershire.     A.  Parsons,  R.A. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


and  we  cannot  have  the  foregrounds  of  beautiful  English  scenery- 
daubed  with  flower  gardens  like  coloured  advertisements.  Many 
see  the  right  way  from  their  own  sense  being  true,  but  others  may 
wish  for  proof  of  what  is  urged  here  as  to  the  true  source  of  lasting 
work  in  art  in  the  work  of  the  great  artists  of  all  time.  And  we  may 
be  as  true  artists  in  the  garden  and  home  landscape  as  anywhere  else, 

There  is  no  good  picture  which  does  not  image  for  us  the  beauty 
of  natural  things,  and  why  not  begin  with  these  and  be  artists  in 
their  growth  and  grouping  ? — for  one  reason  among  others  that  we 
are  privileged  to  have  the  living  things  about  us,  and  not  merely 
representations  of  them. 

So  far  we  have  spoken  of  the  work  of  the  true  artist,  which  is 

always  marked  by  respect  for   Nature  and   by  keen   study  of  her^ 

But  apart  from  this  we  have  a  great  many  men 

The  true  artist,    who  do  what  is  called  "  decorative  "  work,  useful, 

but  still  not  art  in   the  sense  of  delight  in,   and 

study  of,  things  as  they  are — the  whole  class  of  decorators,  who- 

make   our  carpets,  tiles,  curtains,  and   who  adapt   conventional  or 

geometric  forms  mostly  to  flat  surfaces.     Skill  in  this  way  may  be 

considerable    without    any   attention   whatever    being  paid    to   the 

greater  art  that  is  concerned  with  life  in  all  its  fulness. 

This  it  is  well  to  see  clearly;  as  for  the  flower  gardener  it  matters 
much  on  which  side  he  stands.  Unhappily,  our  gardeners  for  ages 
have  suffered  at  the  hands  of  the  decorative  artist,  when  applying  his 
''designs"  to  the  garden,  and  designs  which  may  be  quite  right  on  a 
surface  like  a  carpet  or  panel  have  been  applied  a  thousand  times  to 
the  surface  of  the  reluctant  earth.  It  is  this  adapting  of  absurd 
"  knots  "  and  patterns  from  old  books  to  any  surface  where  a  flower 
garden  has  to  be  made  that  leads  to  bad  and  frivolous  design- 
wrong  in  plan  and  hopeless  for  the  life  of  plants.  It  is  so  easy  for 
any  one  asked  for  a  plan  to  furnish  one  of  this  sort  without  the 
slightest  knowledge  of  the  life  of  a  garden. 

For    ages     the    flower    garden  has    been    marred     by    absurd- 
ities   of  this   kind   of  work   as   regards    plan,   though   the   flowers 
were   in  simple  and  natural   ways.      But  in  our 
Carpet  bedding,     own  time  the  same  "  decorative "  idea  has  come 
to  be  carried  out  in  the   planting  of  the  flowers 
under   the   name   of  "  bedding   out,"  "  carpet   bedding,"  or  "  mosaic 
culture."     In    this    the    beautiful    forms  of    flowers    are    degraded 
to   crude   colour  without   reference  to  the  natural  forms  or  beauty 
of  the   plants,  clipping  being   freely   done  to   get  the  carpets  level. 
When  these  tracery  gardens  were  made,  often  by  people  without 
any    knowledge   of  the   plants  of  a   garden,    they   were   found   to 
be  difficult  to  plant ;    hence   attempts  to  do  without  the  gardener 


.8  '   THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


altogether,  and  get  colour  by  the  use  of  broken  brick,  white  sand,  and 
painted  stone.  All  such  work  is  wrong  and  degrading  to  art,  and 
in  its  extreme  expressions  is  ridiculous. 

As  I  use  the  word  "artistic"  in  a  book  on  the  flower  garden, 

it  may  be  well  to  say  that  as  it  is  used   it  means  right  and  true 

in  relation  to  all  the  conditions  of  the  case,  and 

The  word          the  necessary  limitations  of  our  art  and  all  other 

"artistic."         human  arts.     A  lovely  Greek  coin,  a  bit  of  canvas 

painted  by  Corot  with  the  morning  light  on  it,  a 

block  of  stone  hewn  into  the  shape  of  the  dying  gladiator,  the  white 

mountain  rocks  built  into  a  Parthenon — these  are  all  examples  of 

human   art,  every  one  of  which  can  be  only  fairly  judged  in  due 

regard  to  what  is  possible  in  the  material  of  each.     Often  a  garden 

may  be  wrong  in  various  ways,  as  shown  by  the  starveling  pines  in 

front  of  many  a  house — ugly  in  form  and  not  in  harmony  with  our 

native  or  best  garden   vegetation ;    mountain  trees  set  out   on  dry 

plains  ;  so  that  the  word  inartistic  may  help  us  to   describe  many 

errors.     And  again,  if  we  are  happy  enough  to  find  a  garden  so  true 

and  right  in  its  results  as  to  form  a  picture  that  an  artist  would  be 

charmed  to  study,  we  may  call  it  an  artistic  garden,  as  a  short  way 

of  saying  that  it  is  about  as  good  as  it  may  be,  taking  everything  into 

account. 

There  are  few  pictures  of  gardens,  because  the  garden  beautiful  is 

rare.    Gardens  around  country  houses,  instead  of  forming,  as   they 

might,   graceful    foregrounds   to   the   good   land- 

L  ndsc  scape  views,  disfigure  all,  and  drive  the  artist  away 

painting  and       *n   despair.     Yet   there   may  be   real   pictures   in 

gardens.  gardens ;   it  is  not  a  mere  question  of  patterns  of 

a  very  poor  sort,   but    one    of  light   and    shade, 

beauty  of  form,  and    colour.     In  times   when   gardens   were   made 

by    men   who   did  not   know    one   tree   from    another,   the    matter 

was  settled  by  the  shears — it  was  a  question  of  green  walls  only. 

Now  we  are  beginning  to  see  that  there  is  a  wholly  different  and 

higher  order  of  beauty  to  be  found  in  gardens,  and  we  are  at  the 

beginning  of  a  period  when  we  may  hope  to  get  much  more  pleasure 

and  instruction  out  of  this  art  than  ever  before. 

We  have  seen  in  Bond  Street  a  variety  of  picture  exhibitions 
devoted  to  gardens,  generally  of  the  trifling  stippled  water-colour 
order.  The  painters  of  these  pictures,  for  the  most  part  ten-minute 
sketches,  have  one  main  idea — that  the  only  garden  worth  picturing  is 
the  shorn  one,  and  pictures  of  such  places  are  repeated  time  after 
time ;  a  clipped  line  of  Arbor-vitae,  with  a  stuffed  peacock  by 
the  side  of  it,  is  considered  good  enough  for  a  garden  picture.  Work 
of  this  kind,  which  is  almost  mechanical,  is  so  much  easier  than  the 


ART  IN  RELATION  TO  FLOWER-GARDENING  AND  GARDEN  DESIGN,     g 

drawing  of  a  garden  with  the  elements  of  varied  beauty  in  it.  In 
the  work  of  Alfred  Parsons  and  a  few  others  we  see  the  beginning  of 
things  of  beauty  in  the  painting  of  gardens,  but  it  is  for  us  gardeners 
to  commence  by  first  being  artists  ourselves,  and  opening  our  eyes  to 
see  the  ugly  things  about  us. 

Artists  of  real  power  would  paint  gardens  and  home  landscapes  if 
there  were  real  pictures  to  draw ;  but  generally  they  are  so  rare  that 
the  work  does  not  come  into  the  artist's  view  at  all.  Through  all 
the  rage  of  the  "  bedding-out "  fever,  it  was  impossible  for  an  artist 
to  paint  in  a  garden  like  those  which  disfigured  the  land  from  Blair 
Athol  to  Kew.  It  is  difficult  to  imagine  Corot  sitting  down  to  paint 
the  Grande  Trianon,  or  the  terrace  patterns  at  Versailles,  though  a 
poor  hamlet  in  the  North  of  France,  with  a  few  willows  near, 
gave  him  a  lovely  picture.  Once,  when  trying  to  persuade  Mr  Mark 
Fisher,  the  landscape  painter,  to  come  into  a  district  remarkable 
for  its  natural  beauty,  he  replied  :  "  There  are  too  many  gentlemen's 
places  there  to  suit  my  work,"  a  reference  to  the  hardness  and 
ugliness  of  the  effects  around  most  country  seats,  owing  to  the 
iron-bound  pudding-clumps  of  trees,  railings,  capricious  clippings  and 
shearings,  bad  colours,  and  absence  of  fine  and  true  form. 


CHAPTER    II. 

GARDEN    DESIGN   AND   RECENT   WRITINGS   UPON    IT. 

OF  all  the  things  made  by  man  for  his  pleasure  a  flower  garden  has 
the  least  business  to  be  ugly,  barren,  or  stereotyped,  because  in  it  we 
may  have  the  fairest  of  the  earth's  children  in  a  living,  ever-changeful 
state,  and  not,  as  in  other  arts,  mere  representations  of  them.  And 
yet  we  find  in  nearly  every  country  place,  pattern  plans,  conventional 
design,  and  the  garden  robbed  of  all  life  and  grace  by  setting  out 
flowers  in  geometric  ways.  A  recent  writer  on  garden  design  tells  us 
that  the  gardener's  knowledge  is  of  no  account,  and  that  gardens — 

should  never  have  been  allowed  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  gardener  or  out  of 
those  of  the  architect ;  that  it  is  an  architectural  matter,  and  should  have  been 
schemed  at  the  same  time  and  by  the  same  hand  as  the  house  itself. 

The  chief  error  he  makes  is  in  saying  that  people,  whom  he 
calls  "  landscapists,"  destroyed  all  the  formal  gardens  in  England, 
and  that   they  had   their  ruthless  way  until   his 
Formal  gardens    coming.     An  extravagant  statement,  as  must  be 
made  in  our          clear  to  any  one  who  takes  the   trouble  to  look 
own  day.  into  the  thing  itself,  which  many  of  these  writers 

will  not  do  or  regard  the  elementary  facts  of 
what  they  write  about.  Many  of  the  most  formal  gardens  in 
England  have  been  made  within  the  past  century,  when  this  writer 
says  all  his  ideal  gardens  were  cleared  away,  e.g.,  the  Crystal  Palace, 
the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's  at  Kensington,  and  Witley  Court, 
Castle  Howard,  Mentmore,  Drayton,  Crewe  Hall.  During  the 
whole  of  that  period  there  was  hardly  a  country  seat  laid  out  that 
was  not  marred  by  the  idea  of  a  garden  as  a  conventional  and 
patterned  thing.  With  Castle  Howards,  Trenthams,  and  Chatsworths 
staring  at  him,  it  is  ludicrous  to  see  a  young  architect  weeping  over 
their  loss.  Even  if  there  is  no  money  to  waste  in  gigantic  water- 
squirts,  the  idea  of  the  terrace  is  still  carried  out  often  in  level  plains. 
There  are  hundreds  of  such  gardens  about  the  country,  and  the 
ugliest  gardens  ever  made  in  England  have  been  made  in  Victorian 
days. 


10 


GARDEN    DESIGN    AND    RECENT    WRITINGS  UPON  IT.  ir 

It  cannot  be  too  clearly  remembered  that  geometrical  gardens  of 
a  deplorable  type  are  things  of  our  own  time,  and  it  is  only 
in  our  own  time  the  common  idea  that  there  is  only  one  way  of 
making  a  garden  was  spread.  Hence,  in  all  the  newer  houses  we 
see  the  stereotyped  garden  often  made  in  spite  of  all  the  needs  of  the 
ground,  whereas  in  really  old  times  it  was  not  so.  Berkeley  is  not 
the  same  as  Sutton,  and  Sutton  is  quite  different  from  Haddon. 

Moreover,  on  top  of  all  this  formality  of  design  of  our  own  day 
were  grafted  the  most  formal  and  inartistic  ways  of  arranging  flowers 
that  ever  came  into  the  head  of  man,  ways  that 
Patterns  of          were    happily    unknown   to   the    Italians    or    the 
flowers  and         makers   of  the    earliest   terraced   gardens.      The 
carpet-beds^       true    Italian    garcJens   were   often    beautiful   with 
own  time.  trees    in   their   natural    forms,   as   in    the    Giusti 

gardens  at  Verona  ;  but  "bedding  out,"  or  marshall- 
ing the  flowers  in  geometrical  patterns,  is  a  thing  of  our  own 
precious  time,  and  "  carpet "  gardening  is  simply  a  further  remove 
in  ugliness.  The  painted  gravel  gardens  of  Nesfield  and  Barry 
and  other  broken-brick  gardeners  were  also  an  attempt  to  get  rid 
of  the  flowers  and  get  rigid  patterns  instead.  Part  of  the  garden 
architect's  scheme  was  to  forbid  the  growth  of  plants  on  walls,  as  at 
Shrtibland,  where,  for  many  years,  there  were  strict  orders  that  the 
walls  were  not  to  have  a  flower  or  a  creeper  of  any  kind  upon  them. 
As  these  pattern  gardens  were  made  by  persons  often  ignorant  of 
gardening,  and  if  planted  in  any  human  way  with  flowers  would  all 
"  go  to  pieces,"  hence  the  idea  of  setting  them  out  as  they  appeared 
on  the  drawing-board,  some  of  the  beds  not  more  than  a  foot  in 
diameter,  blue  and  yellow  paints  being  used  where  the  broken  brick 
and  stone  did  not  give  the  desired  colour ! 

Side  by  side  with  the  adoption  in  most  large  and  show  places  of 

the   patterned   garden,   both    in   design   and    planting,   disappeared 

almost  everywhere  the  old   English  garden,  that 

Loss  of  old  is,  one  with  a  variety  of  form  of  shrub  and  flower 

garden  ways.        and  even  low  trees  ;   so  that   now   we   only   find 

this  kind   of  garden  here  and  there  in  Cornwall, 

Ireland,  and  Scotland,  and  on  the  outskirts  of  country  towns.     All 

true  plant  form  was  banished  because  it  did  not  fit  into  the  bad 

carpet  pattern !     I  am  only  speaking  of  what  every  one  must  know 

who  cares  the  least  about   the   subject,   and  of  what   can    be   seen 

to-day  in  all  the  public  gardens  round  London  and   Paris.     Even 

Kew,  with  the  vast  improvement  of  late  years,  has  not  emancipated 

itself  from    this  way  of  flower-planting,  as  we   see   there,  in   front 

of  the    palm-house,   purple   beet  marshalled   in    patterns.     But   we 

shall  never  see  beautiful  flower  gardens  again  until    natural   ways 


12  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

of  grouping  flowers  and  variety  of  true  form  come  back  to  us  in  the 
flower  garden. 

After  the  central  error  above  shown  there  comes  a  common  one 

of  these  writers,  of  supposing  that  those  who  seek  natural  form  and 

beauty   in    the   garden   and   home   landscape  are 

The  Wild  Garden   opposed    to   the  necessary  level  and  even  formal 

does  not  take         spaces    about    a    house.       I     wrote    the    "  Wild 

the  place  of  the      Garden  "  to  save,  not  to  destroy,  the  flower  garden  ; 

Flower  Garden.      to  show  that  we  could  have  alj  the  joy  Of  spring 

in  orchard,  meadow,  or  wood,  lawn  or  grove,  and 
so  save  the  true  flower  garden  near  the  house  from  being  torn  up  twice 
a  year  to  effect  what  is  called  spring  and  summer  "  bedding."  The 
idea  could  be  made  clear  to  a  child,  and  it  is  carried  out  in  many 
places  easy  to  see.  Yet  there  is  hardly  a  cobbler  who  rushes  from 
his  last  to  write  a  book  on  garden  design  who  does  not  think  that  I 
want  to  bring  the  wilderness  in  at  the  windows,  I  who  have  given  all 
my  days  to  save  the  flower  garden  from  the  ridiculous.  A  young  lady 
who  has  been  reading  one  of  these  bad  books,  seeing  the  square  beds 
in  my  little  south  garden,  says  :  "  Oh  !  why, you  have  a  formal  garden ! " 
It  is  a  small  square  embraced  by  walls,  and  I  could  not  have  used 
any  other  form  to  get  the  best  use  of  the  space.  They  are  just  the 
kind  of  beds  made  in  like  spaces  by  the  gardeners  of  Nebuchadnezzar, 
judging  by  what  evidence  remains  to  us.  And  he  no  more  than  I 
mistook  stones  for  bushes  or  bad  carpets  for  flowers,  but  enjoyed  vine 
and  fig  and  flower  as  Heaven  sent  them. 

The  real  flower  garden  near  the  house  is  for  the  ceaseless  care  and 
culture  of  many  and  diverse  things  often  tender  and  in  need  of  pro- 
tection in  varied  soils,  staking,  cleaning,  trials  of  novelties,  study  of 
colour  effects,  sowings  and  plantings  at  all  seasons.  The  wild 
garden,  on  the  other  hand,  is  for  things  that  take  care  of  themselves 
in  the  soil  of  the  place,  things  which  will  endure  for  generations  if 
we  suit  the  plants  to  the  soil,  like  Narcissus  on  a  rich  orchard 
bottom,  or  blue  Anemone  in  a  grove  on  the  limestone  soil  as 
in  much  of  Ireland.  This  garden  is  a  precious  aid  to  the  other, 
inasmuch  as  it  allows  of  our  letting  the  flower  garden  do  its  best 
work  because  relieved  of  the  intolerable  need  of  the  bedding  system 
in  digging  up  the  garden  twice  a  year. 

Very  often  now  terms  of  gardening  are  misapplied,  confusing  the 

mind  of  the  student,  and  the  air  is  full  of  a  new  term,  the  "formal" 

garden.    For  ages  gardens  of  simple  form  have  been 

Misuse  of  terms,    common  without  any  one  calling  them  "  formal " 

until  our  own  time  of  too  many  words  confusing 

thoughts.     Seeing  an  announcement  that  there  was  a  paper  in  the 

Studio  on  the  "  Formal  Garden  in  Scotland,"  I  looked  in  it,  seeking 


GARDEN    DESIGN   AND    RECENT    WRITINGS    UPON  IT.  15 

light,  and  found  only  plans  of  the  usual  approaches  necessary  for 
a  country  house,  for  kitchen,  hall  door,  or  carriage-way.  And  we 
gardeners  of  another  sort  do  not  get  in  like  the  bats  through  the 
roof,  but  have  also  ways,  usually  level,  to  our  doors,  but  we  do  not 
call  them  "  formal  gardens."  There  are  gardens  to  which  the  term 
"  formal "  might  with  some  reason  be  applied.  Here  are  a  few  words 
about  such  by  one  Percy  Bysshe  Shelley,  whose  clear  eyes  saw  beauty 
if  there  was  any  to  be  seen  in  earth  or  sky  : 

We  saw  the  palace  and  gardens  of  Versailles  full  of  statues,  vases,  fountains, 
and  colonnades.  In  all  that  belongs  essentially  to  a  garden  they  are  extraordinarily 
deficient. 

A  few  more  by  Victor  Hugo  : 

There  fountains  gush  from  the  petrified  gods,  only  to  stagnate  ;  trees  are  forced 
to  submit  to  the  grotesque  caprices  of  the  shears  and  line.  Natural  beauty  is 
everywhere  contradicted,  inverted,  upset,  destroyed. 

And  Robert  Southey  tells  us  of  one 

where  the  walks  were  sometimes  of  lighter  or  darker  gravel,  red  or  yellow  sand,, 
and,  when  such  materials  were  at  hand,  pulverised  coal  and  shells.  The  garden 
itself  was  a  scroll-work  cut  very  narrow,  and  the  interstices  filled  with  sand  of 
different  colours  to  imitate  embroidery. 

It  is  only  where  the  plants  of  a  garden  are  rigidly  set  out  in 
geometrical  design,  as  in  carpet-gardening  and  bedding-out,  that  the 
term  "  formal  "  is  rightly  applied. 

We  live  in  a  time  when  men  write  about  garden  design  unmeaning 
words  or  absolute  nonsense ;  these,  as  any  one  may  see,  are  men 
who  have  had  no  actual  contact  with  the  work.  They  think  garden 
design  is  a  question  that  can  be  settled  on  a  drawing-board,  and  have 
not  the  least  idea  that  in  any  true  sense  the  art  is  not  possible 
without  knowledge  of  many  beautiful  living  things,  and  that  the  right 
planting  of  a  country  place  is  of  far  greater  importance  than  the 
ground-plan  about  the  house. 

In  many  books  on  garden  design  the  authors  misuse  words  and 
confuse  ideas.  Many,  not  satisfied  with  the  good  word,  "  landscape 
gardener,"  used  by  Loudon,  Repton,  and  many  other  men,  call 
themselves  "  landscape  architects  " — a  stupid  term  of  French  origin 
implying  the  union  of  two  distinct  studies,  one  dealing  with  varied  life 
in  a  thousand  different  kinds  and  the  natural  beauty  of  the  earth,  and 
the  other  with  stones  and  bricks  and  their  putting  together.  The 
training  for  either  of  these  arts  is  wide  apart  from  the  training 
demanded  for  the  other,  and  the  earnest  practice  of  one  leaves  no 
time,  even  if  there  were  the  genius,  for  the  other. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


The  term  landscape  planting  is  often  scoffed  at  by  these  writers, 

yet  it  is  a  good  one  with  a  clear  meaning,  which  is  the  grouping  and 

growth  of  trees  in   natural  forms  as  opposed  to 

Landscape         the  universal  aligning,  clipping,  and  shearing  of 

gardening.        the   Dutch  ;    the  natural    incidence   of  light   and 

shade  and  breadth  as  the  true  guide  in  all  artistic 

planting.     The  term  landscape  gardening  is  a  true  and,  in  the  fullest 

sense,  a  good  English  one,  with  a  clear  and  even  beautiful  meaning, 

namely,  the  study  of  the  forms  of  the  earth,  and  frank  acceptance 

of  them  as  the  best  of  all   for  purposes  of  beauty  or  use  of  planter 

or  gardener,  save  where  the  surface  is  so  steep  that  one  must  alter 

it  to  work  upon  it. 

We  accept  the  varied  slopes  of  the  river  bank  and  the  path  of  the 
river  as  not  only  better  than  those  of  a  Dutch  canal,  but  a  hundred 
times  better  ;  and  not  only  for  their  beauty,  but  for  the  story  they  tell 
of  the  earth  herself  in  ages  past.  We  gratefully  take  the  lessons  of 
Nature  in  her  most  beautiful  aspects  of  vegetation  as  to  breadth, 
airy  spaces,  massing  and  grouping  of  the  woods  that  fringe  the 
valleys  or  garland  the  mountain  rocks  as  better  beyond  all  that 
words  can  express  than  anything  men  can  invent  or  ever  have 
invented. 

We  love  and  prefer  the  divinely-settled  form  of  the  tree  or  shrub 
or  flower  beyond  any  possible  expression  of  man's  misguided  efforts 
with  shears,  such  as  we  see  illustrated  in  old  Dutch  books  where 
every  living  thing  is  clipped  to  conform  to  an  idea  of  "  design  "  that 
arose  in  the  minds  of  men  to  whom  all  trees  were  green  things  to  be 
cut  into  ugly  walls.  We  repudiate  as  false  and  ridiculous  the  common 
idea  of  the  pattern-monger's  book,  that  these  aspirations  of  ours  are 
in  any  way  "  styles,"  the  inventions  of  certain  men,  because  we  know 
that  they  are  based  on  eternal  truths  of  Nature,  free  as  the  clouds  to 
any  one  who  climbs  the  hills  and  has  eyes  to  see. 

The  fact  that  ignorant  men  who  have  never  had  the  chance  of 

learning  these  lessons,  make  pudding-like  clumps  in  a  vain  attempt 

to  diversify  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  other 

The  true  test         foolish  things,  does  not  in  the  least  turn  us  aside 

of  a  flower  from  following  the  true  and  only  ways  to  get  the 

garden.  best  expression  possible  of  beauty  from  any  given 

morsel   of  the  earth's   surface  we  have  to  plant. 

We   sympathise  with  the  landscape-painter's  work  as  reflecting   for 

us,  though  often  in  a  faint  degree,  the  wondrously  varied  beauty  of 

the  earth,  and  in  the  case  of  the  great  master-painters  full  of  truth 

and   beauty.     We   hold   that   the   only  true   test   of  our   efforts   in 

planting   or  gardening   is   the   picture.     Do  we   frighten   the  artist 

away,  or  do  we  bring  him  to  see  a  garden  so  free  from  ugly  patterns 


GARDEN  DESIGN  AND  RECENT  WRITINGS  UPON  IT.  15 

and  ugly  colours  that,  seen  in  a  beautiful  light,  it  would  be  worth 
painting  ?  There  is  not,  and  there  never  can  be,  any  other  true  test. 

Even  if  our  aim  be  right,  the  direction,  as  it  is  in  other  matters, 
may  be  vitiated  by  stupidity,  as  in  gardens  where  false  lines  and  curves 
abound,  as  in  the  Champs  Elysee  in  Paris.  It  is  quite  right  to  see  the 
faults  of  this  and  to  laugh  at  them  ;  but  how  about  those  who  plant 
in  true  and  artistic  ways?  In  the  case  we  mention  there  is  ceaseless 
and  inartistic  and  vain  throwing  up  of  the  ground,  and  sharp  and  ugly 
slopes,  which  are  often  against  the  cultivation  of  the  things  planted. 

The  rejection  of  clipped  forms  and  book  patterns  of  trees  set  out 
like  lamp-posts,  costly  walls  where  none  are  wanted,  and  of  all  the 
too  facile  labours  of  the  drawing-board  "artist"  in  gardens,  first 
affected  in  England  in  what  we  call  pleasure-ground  and  park,  is  set 
down  by  these  writers  on  garden  design  as  the  wicked  invention  of 
certain  men.  No  account  has  been  taken  of  the  eternally  beautiful 
lessons  of  Nature  or  even  the  simple  facts  which  should  be  known  to 
all  who  write  about  such  things.  Thus  in  "  The  Art  and  Craft  of 
Garden  Making  "  we  read  : 

So  far  as  the  roads  were  concerned  Brown  built  up  a  theory  that,  as  Nature 
abhorred  a  straight  line,  it  was  necessary  to  make  roads  curl  about.  Serpentine 
lines  are  said  to  be  the  lines  of  Nature,  and  therefore  beyond  question  the  only 
proper  lines. 

But  nothing  is  said  of  the  fact  that  in  making  paths  or  roads  in 

diversified  country  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  follow  the  line  of 

easiest   gradation,  and    this   cannot   always  be   a 

Facts  of  natural     straight  line  and  is  indeed,  often  a  beautiful  bent 

beauty  the  source  , .          T 

of  good  design.  line>  In  many  cages  we  are  not  twenty  paces  from 
the  level  space  around  a  house  before  we  have  to 
think  of  the  lie  of  the  ground  in  making  walks,  roads,  or  paths.  We 
are  soon  face  to  face  with  the  fact  that  the  worst  thing  we  can  attempt 
is  a  straight  line.  If  any  one  for  any  reason  persists  in  the  attempt 
the  result  is  ugliness,  and,  in  the  case  of  drives,  danger.  Ages  before 
Brown  was  born  the  roads  of  England  often  followed  beautiful  lines, 
and  it  would  be  just  as  true  to  attribute  to  "  Brownites  "  the  invention 
of  the  forms  of  trees,  hills,  or  clouds  themselves  as  to  say  that  they  in- 
vented the  waved  line  for  path  or  drive.  The  statement  is  of  a  piece 
with  the  other,  that  the  natural  and  picturesque  view  of  garden  design 
and  planting  is  the  mischievous  invention  of  certain  men,  and  not  the 
outcome  of  the  most  precious  of  all  gifts,  of  Nature  herself,  and  of  the 
actual  facts  of  tree  and  landscape  beauty.  All  who  have  seen  the 
pictures  by  the  roadsides  of  many  parts  of  Britain  and  the  paths  over 
the  hills,  and,  still  more  so,  those  who  have  to  form  roads  or  walks  in 
diversified  country,  will  best  know  how  absurd  such  statements  are. 


16  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

The  very  statement  that  there  is  but  one  way  of  making  a  garden, 

is  its  own  refutation  ;   as  with  this  formula  before  us  what  becomes 

of  the  wondrous  variety  of  the  earth  and  its  forms, 

Variety  the  true    and  of  the  advantages  and  needs  of  change  that 

source  of  beauty  soil,  site,  climate,  air,  and  view  give  us — plains, 

in  gardens.  river   vaneyS)   0\^    beach   levels,   mountains    and 

gentle   hills,  chalk  downs  and  rich  loamy  fields, 

forest  and  open  country? 

What  is  the  use  of  Essex  going  into  Dorset  merely  to  see  the 
same  thing  done  in  the  home  landscape  or  the  garden  ?  But  if 
Essex  were  to  study  his  own  ground  and  do  the  best  he  could  from 
his  own  knowledge  of  the  spot,  his  neighbour  might  be  glad  to  see 
his  garden.  We  have  too  much  of  the  stereotyped  style  already ; 
in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  we  can  tell  beforehand  what  we  are  going  to 
see  in  a  country  place  in  the  way  of  conventional  garden  design  and 
planting ;  and  clearly  that  is  not  art  in  any  right  sense  of  the  word 
and  never  can  be. 

As  we  go  about  our  country  the  most  depressing  sign  for  all 
garden  lovers  (and  this  often  in  districts  of  great  natural  beauty)  is 
the  stereotyped  gardens,  probably  made  by  the  "  young  man  in  the 
drawing-office."  There  is  a  harmful  belief  in  the  virtue  of  paper 
plans  which  is  misleading  and  only  suits  the  wants  of  professionalism 
in  its  worst  form,  and  prevents  the  study  of  the  ground  itself,  which 
is  the  only  right  way  to  get  the  best  result. 

To  the  good  gardener  all  kinds  of  design  are  good  if  not  against 

the  site,  soil,  climate,  or  labours  of  his  garden — a  very  important 

point  the  last.     We  frequently  see  beds  a  foot  in 

Any  way  good      diameter  and  many  other  frivolities  of  paper  plans 

that  best  suits       which  prevent  the  labours  of  a  garden  being  done 

the  site.  wjth    economy   or    simplicity.       In   many   places- 

where  these  tracery  gardens  are  carried  out,  they 

are   soon    seen  to  be  so   absurd   that   the   owners  quietly   turf   the 

spot    over,   and    hence   we   see  only    grass   where    there   ought   to 

be   a   real   flower   garden.     The  good  gardener   is   happy  adorning 

old  walls  or   necessary  terraces,  as  at  Haddon,  as  he   knows  walls 

are  good  friends  in  every  way  both  as  backgrounds  and   shelters; 

but  he  is  as  happy  in  a  lawn  garden,  in  a  rich  valley  soil,  or  on  the 

banks  of  a  river,  or  on  those  gentle  hill-slopes  that  ask  for  no  terraces, 

or  in  the  hundreds  of  gardens  in  and  near  towns  and  cities  of  Europe 

that  are  enclosed  by  walls  and  where  there  is  no  room  for  landscape 

effect  (many  of  them  distinctly  beautiful  too,  as  in  Mr  Fox's  garden 

at  Falmouth) ;  as  much  at  home  in  a  border-castle  garden  as  in  the 

lovely  Penjerrick,  like  a  glimpse  of  a  valley  in  some  Pacific  isle,  or 

Mount  Usher,  cooled  by  mountain  streams. 


iS  '  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

The  architect  writer  turns  on  the  waterworks  as  his  chief  solace  : 

But  of  all  the  fascinating  sources  of  effect  in  garden-making  the  most 
fascinating  are  waterworks.  An  expensive  luxury  as  a  rule,  but  they  well  repay 
the  expense. 

Well,  there  is  some  evidence  of  the  sort  of  design  these  afford  ; 

some  instances  terrible  in  their  ugliness  (one  hideous  at  Bayreuth). 

And  with  all  the  care  that  a  rich  State  may  take 

Waterworks         of  them,  can  we  say  that  the  effect  at  Versailles  is 

garden  design,      artistic  or  delightful?     Water  tumbling  into  the 

blazing  streets  of  Roman  cities  and  nobly  designed 

fountains  supplying  the  people  with  water  was  right ;  but  in  our  cool 

land  artificial  fountains  are  very  different  in  effect,  and  often  hideous 

extravagance.    Of  their  ugliness  there  is  evidence  in  nearly  every  city 

in  Europe,  including  our  own  Trafalgar  Square,  and  that  fine  work  at 

the  head  of  the  Serpentine.     We  have  also  our  Crystal  Palace  and 

Chatsworth,  designed  as  they  might  be  by  a  theatrical   super  who 

had    suddenly    inherited    a    millionaire's    fortune.     So    far    as    our 

island    countries    go,   nothing  asks    for   more  care   and    modest   art 

than    the    introduction    into    the    garden    or    home    landscape    of 

artificial  water.     Happily  our    countries  are  rich  in    the   charms  of 

natural  water— too  often  neglected  in  its  planting. 

Among  the  great  peoples  of  old,  so  far  as  known  to  our  human 
story,  was  one  supreme  in  art,  from  buildings  chiselled  as  delicately 
as   the   petals   of  the  wild   rose,  to   the  smallest 
Hollow  talk  of     coins  in  their  pockets,  and  bits  of  baked  clay  in 
the  day  about      their   graves,  and    this  is  clear   to  all  men   from 
art.  what   remains   of  their   work   gathered  from  the 

mud  and  dust  of  ages.  And  from  that  time  of 
deathless  beauty  in  art  comes  the  voice  of  one  who  saw  this  lovely 
art  in  its  fulness :  The  greatest  and  fairest  things  are  done  by 
Nature  and  the  lesser  by  Art  (Plato).  There  is  not  a  garden  in 
Britain,  free  from  convention  and  carpet  gardening,  from  the 
cottage  gardens  nestling  beneath  the  Surrey  hills  to  those  fair  and 
varied  gardens  in  Cornwall,  which  does  not  tell  the  same  story  to 
all  who  have  eyes  to  see  and  hearts  to  care  for  the  thing  itself, 
and  not  merely  for  incoherent  talk  about  it.  The  only  sad  thing 
is  that  such  words  must  be  said  again  and  again  ;  but  we  live  in 
a  time  of  much  printed  fog  about  artistic  things— the  "  New  Art " 
and  the  "  New  Esthetic  "  ;  "  Evolution,"  which  explains  how  every- 
thing comes  from  nothing  and  goes  back  again  to  worse  than 
nothing ;  the  sliding  bog  of  "  realism  and  idealism "  in  which  the 
phrase-monger  may  dance  around  and  say  the  same  false  thing  ten 
times  over  ;  and,  last  and  least  of  all  among  these  imbecilities,  the 


GARDEN   DESIGN    AND    RECENT    WRITINGS    UPON  IT.  19 

teaching  that  to  form  a  garden  one  had  better  know  nothing  of 
the  things  that  should  grow  in  it,  from  the  Cedar  of  Lebanon  to 
the  violets  of  the  mountain  rocks. 

This  teaching  is  as  false  as  any  spoken  or  written  thing  can 
be ;  there  is  an  absolute  difference  between  the  living  gardens  and 
conventional  designs  dealing  with  dead  matter,  be  it  brick  or  stone, 
glass,  iron,  or  carpets.  There  is  a  difference  in  kind,  and  while 
any  pupil  in  an  architect's  office  will  get  out  a  drawing  for  the 
kind  of  garden  we  may  see  everywhere,  the  garden  beautiful  does 
not  arise  in  that  way.  I  would  much  rather  trust  the  first  simple 
person,  who  knew  his  ground  and  loved  his  work,  to  get  a  beautiful 
result  than  any  of  those  artificers.  We  have  proof  in  the  gardens 
of  English  people  abroad  that  were  freed  from  the  too  facile  plans 
of  the  "office";  far  more  beautiful  gardens  arise,  as  in  the  Isle  of 
Madeira,  where  every  garden  differs  from  its  neighbour,  and  all  are 
beautiful.  So  it  is  in  a  less  degree  in  our  own  island,  where  the 
more  we  get  out  of  the  range  of  any  one  conventional  idea  for 
the  garden  the  more  beauty  and  happy  incident  we  see. 


CHAPTER   III. 

DESIGN  AND  POSITION— AGAINST  STYLES,  USELESS  STONEWORK, 
AND  STEREOTYPED  PLANS — TIME'S  EFFECT  ON  GARDEN  DE- 
SIGN— ARCHITECTURE  AND  FLOWER  GARDENS — DESIGN  NOT 
FORMAL  ONLY — USE  IN  THE  GARDEN  OF  BUILDERS'  AND 
OTHER  DEGRADED  FORMS  OF  THE  PLASTIC  ART. 

THE  first  thing  is  to  get  a  clear  idea  of  the  hollowness  of  much 
of  the  talk  about  "  styles."  In  books  about  laying  out  gardens  there 
are  many  dissertations  on  styles,  the  authors  going  even  to  China 
and  to  Mexico  for  illustrations.  What  is  the  result  to  anybody  who 
looks  from  words  to  things  ?  That  there  are  two  styles :  the  one 
strait-laced,  mechanical,  with  much  wall  and  stone,  with  fountains 
and  sculpture ;  the  other  the  natural,  which,  once  free  of  the  house, 
accepts  the  ground  lines  of  the  earth  herself  as  the  best,  and  gets 
plant  beauty  from  the  flowers  and  trees  arranged  in  picturesque 
ways. 

There  are  positions  where  stonework  is  necessary  ;  but  the  beauti- 
ful terrace  gardens  are  those  that  are  built  where  the  nature  of  the 
ground  required  them.  There  is  nothing  more  melancholy  than  the 
walls,  fountain  basins,  clipped  trees,  and  long  canals  of  places  like  the 
Crystal  Palace,  not  only  because  they  fail  to  satisfy  trie  desire  for 
beauty,  but  because  they  tell  of  wasted  effort,  and  riches  worse  than 
lost.  There  are,  from  Versailles  to  Caserta,  a  great  many  ugly 
gardens  in  Europe,  but  at  Sydenham  we  have  the  greatest  modern 
example  of  the  waste  of  enormous  means  in  making  hideous  a 
fine  piece  of  ground.  As  Versailles  has  numerous  tall  fountains,  the 
best  way  of  glorifying  ourselves  was  to  make  some  taller  ones  at 
Sydenham  !  Instead  of  confining  the  terrace  gardening  to  the  upper 
terrace,  by  far  the  greater  portion  of  the  ground  was  devoted  to  a 
stony  extravagance  of  design,  and  nearly  in  the  centre  were  placed 
the  vast  and  ugly  fountain  basins.  The  contrivances  to  enable  the 
water  to  go  downstairs,  the  temples,  statues  and  dead  walls,  were 
praised  by  the  papers  as  the  marvellous  work  of  a  genius. 

Many  whose  lawns  were,  or  might  readily  have  been  made,  the 
most  beautiful  of  gardens,  have  spoiled  them  for  sham  terraced 

20 


22  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

gardens,  and  there  is  a  modern  castle  in  Scotland  where  the  embank- 
ments are  piled  one  above  another,  till  the  whole  looks  as  if  Uncle 
Toby  with  an  army  of  Corporal  Trims  had  been  carrying  out  his 
grandest  scheme  in  fortification.  The  rude  stone  wall  of  the  hill 
husbandman,  supporting  a  narrow  slip  of  soil  for  olive-trees  or  vines, 
became  in  the  garden  of  the  wealthy  Roman  a  well-built  one ;  but 
it  must  be  remembered  that,  even  where  the  wall  is  necessary,  the 
beauty  of  the  true  Italian  garden  depends  on  the  life  of  trees  and 
flowers  more  than  on  the  plan  of  the  garden. 

Terraced   gardens   allowing   of  much   building  (apart   from    the 

house)   have   been    in    favour   with   architects   who   have   designed 

gardens.     The  designer,  too  often  led  by  custom, 

Terraced  gardens,    falls   in    with   the    notion   that    every   house,   no 

matter  what  its    position,   should    be   fortified  by 

terraces,  and  he  busies  himself  in  forming  them  even  on  level  ground, 

and    large  sums  are  spent  on  fountains,  vases,  statues,  balustrades, 

useless  walls,  and  stucco  work  out  of  place. 

Elaborate  terraced  gardens  in  the  wrong  place  often  prevent  the 
formation  of  beautiful  lawns,  though  a  good  lawn  is  the  happiest  thing 
in  a  garden.  For  many  years  past  there  has  been  so  much  cutting 
up,  geometry  and  stonework,  that  it  is  rare  to  find  a  good  lawn,  and 
many  a  site  so  cut  up  would  be  vastly  improved  if  changed  into  a 
large,  nobly  fringed  lawn. 

A  style  of  garden  "  design "  that  for  a  long  time  has  had  an 
injurious  effect  on  many  places  is  the  "railway  embankment"  phase  ; 
there  we  see  a  series  of  sharply  graded  grass  slopes  like  well- 
smoothed  railway  embankments — often  several  sharp  banks,  one 
below  the  other,  without  a  protecting  wall  at  the  top,  and  obtruding 
their  sharp  green  angles  on  various  points  of  view,  and  this  perhaps 
in  the  face  of  a  beautiful  landscape. 

A  beautiful  house  in  a  fair  landscape  is  the  most  delightful 
scene  of  the  cultivated  earth,  all  the  more  so  if  there  be  an  artistic 
garden.  The  union  between  the  house  beautiful  and  the  ground 
near  it  is  worthy  of  more  thought,  and  the  best  way  of  effecting  that 
union  artistically  should  interest  men  more  and  more  as  our  cities 
grow  larger  and  the  landscape  shrinks  back  from  them. 

After  we  have  settled  the  essential  approaches  and  levels  around 
a  house,  the  natural  form  or  lines  of  the  earth  itself  are  in  nearly  all 
cases  the  best  to  follow,  and  it  is  often  well  to  face  any  labour  to  get 
the  ground  back  into  its  natural  grade  where  it  is  disfigured  by  ugly 
or  needless  banks,  lines,  or  angles.  In  the  true  Italian  garden  on  the 
hills  we  have  to  alter  the  natural  line  of  the  earth,  or  "  terrace  it," 
because  we  cannot  otherwise  cultivate  the  ground  or  stand  at  ease 
upon  it,  and  ii)  such  ground  the  formal  is  right,  as  the  lawn  is  in  a 


24  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

garden  in  the  Thames  valley.  But  the  lawn  is  the  heart  of  the  true 
English  garden,  and  as  essential  to  it  as  the  terrace  to  the  gardens  on  the 
steep  hills. 

We  may  get  every  charm  of  a  garden  and  every  use  of  a  country 
place  without  sacrificing  the  picturesque  or  the  beautiful.  There  is  no 
reason,  either  in  the  working  or  design  of  gardens,  why  there  should 
be  a  false  line  in  them  ;  every  charm  of  the  flower  garden  may  be 
secured  by  avoiding  the  knots  and  scrolls  which  subordinate  all  the 
plants  and  flowers  of  a  garden,  all  its  joy  and  life,  to  a  conventional 
design.  The  true  way  is  the  opposite.  With  only  the  simplest  plans 
to  ensure  good  working,  we  should  see  the  flowers  and  feel  the 
beauty  of  plant  forms,  and  secure  every  scrap  of  turf  wanted  for 
play  or  lawn,  and  for  every  enjoyment  of  a  garden. 

Time's   effect    on   gardens    is   one   of  the    main   considerations. 

Fortress-town    and  castle  moat  are  now  without  further  use,  \vhere 

in    old   days  gardens   were   set   within  the   walls. 

Time  and  gardens.    To  keep  all  that  remains  of  such  gardens  should 

be   our    first    care — never   to   imitate    them    now. 

Many  are  far  more  beautiful  than  the  modern  gardens,  which  have 

been  kept  bare  of  plants  or  flower  life.     At  one  time  it  was  rash  to 

make  a  garden  away  from  protecting  walls  ;  but  when  the  danger 

from  civil  war  was  past,  then  arose  the  often  beautiful   Elizabethan 

house,  free  from  all  moat  or  trace  of  war. 

In  those  days  the  extension  of  the  decorative  work  of  the  house 
into  the  garden  had  some  novelty  to  carry  it  off,  while  the  kinds  of 
evergreens  were  very  much  fewer  than  now.  Hence  if  the  old 
gardeners  wanted  an  evergreen  hedge  or  bush  of  a  certain  height, 
they  clipped  a  Yew  tree  to  the  form  and  size  they  wanted.  Notwith- 
standing this,  we  have  no  evidence  that  anything  like  the  flat 
monotony  often  seen  in  our  own  time  existed  then.  To-day  the 
ever-growing  city,  pushing  its  hard  face  over  our  once  beautiful  land, 
should  make  us  wish  more  and  more  to  keep  such  beauty  of  the  earth 
as  may  be  still  possible  to  us. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

BORDERS  OF   HARDY   FLOWERS. 

WE  now  come  to  the  flowers  that  are  worthy  of  a  place  in  gardens, 
and  to  consider  ways  of  arranging  them.  Their  number  and  variety 
being  almost  without  limit,  the  question  is,  how  the  garden  lover  is 
to  enjoy  as  many  of  these  treasures  as  his  conditions  allow  of.  As 
during  all  time  a  simple  border  has  been  the  first  expression  of 
flower  gardening,  and  as  there  is  no  arrangement  of  flowers  more 
graceful,  varied,  or  capable  of  giving  more  delight,  and  none  so  easily 
adapted  to  almost  every  kind  of  garden,  some  ideas  of  the  various 
kinds  of  borders  of  hardy  flowers  mainly  deserve  our  first 
consideration. 

The  difference  in  cost  of  growing  hardy  flowers  or  tender  should 

be  thought  of.     The  sacrifice  of  flower  gardens  to  plants  that  perish 

every   year    has    often  left    them  poor   of  all   the 

Cost  and  nobler  plants.     We  must   take  into  account   the 

endurance.         hothouses,  the  propagation  of  plants  by  thousands 

at  certain  seasons,  the  planting  out  at  the  busiest 

and  fairest  time  of  the  year — in  June,  the  digging  up  and  storing  in 

autumn,  the  care  in  the  winter. 

There  are  a  number  of  plants  which,  given  thorough  preparation 
at  first,  it  would  be  wise  to  leave  alone  for  some  years  at  a  time — as, 
for  example,  groups  or  beds  of  the  various  Tritomas,  Irises,  Lilies,, 
either  grouped  with  others  or  in  families.  When  all  these  exhaust 
the  ground  or  become  too  crowded,  by  all  means  move  them  and 
replant,  but  this  is  a  very  different  thing  from  moving  all  the  plants 
in  the  flower  garden  twice  a  year. 

It  would  be  better  every  way  if,  so  far  as  the  flower  garden  is 
concerned,  gardeners  were  to  see  what  could  be  done  unaided  by 
the  hothouse;  but  meanwhile  the  wise  man  will  reduce  the  expense 
of  glass,  labour,  fire,  repairs,  paint,  pipes,  and  boilers. 

The  true  way  to  make  gardens  yield  a  return  of  beauty  for  the 
labour   and  skill  given  them  is  the  permanent  one.      Choose  some 
beautiful  class  of  plants  and  select  a  place  that  will 
The  true  way.      suit  them,  even  as  to  their  effect  in  the  garden  land- 
scape.   Let  the  beds  be  planted  as  permanently  and 
25 


THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 


as  well  as  possible,  so  that  there  will  remain  little  to  do  for 
years. 

One  of  the  best  reforms  will  be  to  avoid  the  conventional  pattern 
plans,  and  adopt  simple  beds  and  borders,  in  positions  suited  to 
the  plants  they  are  to  grow.  These  can  best  be 
Pattern  plans.  filled  permanently  because  the  planter  is  free  to 
deal  with  them  in  a  bolder  way  than  if  he  has 
to  consider  their  relation  to  a  number  of  small  beds.  In  this  way, 
also,  the  delight  of  flowers  is  much  more  keenly  felt  as  one  sees 
them  relieved,  sees  them  at  different  times,  and  to  more  advantage 
than  the  flowers  stereotyped  under  the  window.  Roses  grouped 
well  together,  and  not  trained  as  standards,  would  lend  themselves 
admirably  to  culture  with  other  things,  for  example,  Tea  Roses  with 
Carnations.  Then  there  are  many  groups  made  by  the  aid  of  the 
finer  perennials  themselves,  by  choosing  things  that  would  go  well 
together,  such  as  the  Delphiniums  and  Phloxes.  Other  plants,  such 
as  Yuccas,  of  which  there  are  now  various  beautiful  kinds,  are  often 
best  by  themselves  ;  and  noble  groups  they  form,  whether  in  flower 
or  not.  The  kinds  of  Yucca  that  flower  very  freely,  such  as  Y. 
recurva  and  Y.  flaccida,  lend  themselves  to  grouping  with  Flame 
Flowers  (Tritoma)  and  the  bolder  autumn  plants. 

There  is  no  beauty  among  tender  plants  to  be  compared  with 
that  of  Irises,  Lilies,  Delphiniums,  Evening  Primroses,  Pseonies, 
Carnations,  Narcissi,  and  are  we  to  put  aside  or  into  the  background 
all  this  glorious  beauty  for  the  sake  of  a  few  things  that  merely 
give  us  flat  colour?  No  one  who  knows  even  to  a  slight  extent  what 
the  plants  of  the  northern  and  temperate  world  are,  can  admit  that 
this  sort  of  gardening  should  have  the  first  place.  There  is  nothing 
among  tender  plants  to  equal  Windflowers  in  many  kinds,  flowering 
in  spring,  summer,  and  autumn  ;  Torch  Lilies,  superb  in  autumn  ; 
Columbines  ;  Hairbells  ;  Delphiniums  ;  Day  Lilies  ;  Everlasting 
Peas  ;  Evening  Primroses  ;  Paeonies  ;  Phloxes  ;  Ranunculus,  double 
and  single,  and  the  many  fine  species;  all  the  noble  autumn- 
blooming,  Daisy-like  flowers;  "plumy  Spiraeas;  Globe  Flowers;  Lilies, 
in  noble  variety  ;  Polyanthus  ;  Primroses  ;  Auriculas  ;  Wallflowers  ; 
Meadow  Saffrons  ;  Crocuses,  of  the  spring  and  autumn  ;  Scillas  ; 
Snowflakes  ;  Grape  Hyacinths;  Narcissi,  in  lovely  variety;  Tulips, 
the  old  florists'  kinds,  and  many  wild  species  ;  Carnations  and 
Pinks;  Cornflowers;  Foxgloves;  Stocks;  Starworts  ;  great  Scarlet 
and  other  Poppies  ;  Christmas  Roses,  Forget-me-nots  ;  Pansies 
and  many  of  the  rock  plants  of  the  mountains  of  Europe  —  from 
the  Alps  to  the  hills  of  Greece,  cushioned  with  Aubrietia,  and 
sky-blue  Windflowers  —  all  hardy  as  the  Docks  by  the  frozen 
brooks. 


28  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

A  frequent    way   in    which    people   attempt    to   cultivate  hardy 

flowers  is  in  what  is  called  the  "  mixed  border,"  often  made  on  the 

edge  of  a  shrubbery,  the  roots  of  which  leave  little 

Flower  borders      f°°d  or  even  light  for  the  flowers.     The   face  of 

fringing  shrub-    a  shrubbery   should    be   broken    and    varied  ;    the 

beries.  shrubs  should  not  form  a  hard  line,  but  here  and 

there  they  should  come  full  to  the  edge  and  finish 

it.     The  variety  of  positions  and  places  afforded  by  the  front  of  a 

shrubbery  so  arranged  is  tempting,  but  it   is  generally  best  to  use 

plants   which    do   not    depend    for  their   beauty   on   high    culture— 

which,  in  fact,  fight  their  way  near  shrubs — and  there  are  a  great 

many  of  them,  such  as  the  evergreen  Candytufts,  the  large-leaved 

Rockfoils,  Acanthus,  Day  Lilies,  Solomon's  Seal,  Starworts,  Leopard's 

Banes,  Moon  Daisies,  and  hardy  native  Ferns. 

A  scattered,  dotty  mixed  border  along  the  face  of  a  shrubbery 
gives  a  poor  effect,  but  a  good  one  may  be  secured  by  grouping 
the  plants  in  the  open  spaces  between  the  shrubs,  making  a  careful 
selection  of  plants,  each  occupying  a  bold  space.  The  presence  of 
tree  and  shrub  life  is  a  great  advantage  to  those  who  know  how  to 
use  it.  Here  is  a  group  of  shrubs  over  which  we  can  throw  a 
delicate  veil  of  some  pretty  creeper  that  would  look  stiff  and 
wretched  against  a  wall ;  there  a  shady  recess  beneath  a  flowering 
tree  :  instead  of  planting  it  up  with  shrubs  in  the  common  way, 
cover  the  ground  with  Woodruff,  which  will  form  a  pretty  carpet 
and  flower  very  early  in  the  year,  and  through  the  Woodruff  a  few 
British  Ferns  ;  in  front  of  this  use  only  low  plants,  and  we  shall 
thus  get  a  pretty  little  vista,  with  shade  and  a  pleasant  relief.  Next 
we  come  to  a  bare  patch  on  the  margin.  Cover  it  with  a  strong 
evergreen  Candytuft,  and  let  this  form  the  edge.  Then  allow  a  group 
of  Japan  Quince  to  come  right  into  the  grass  edge  and  break  the 
margin  ;  then  a  large  group  of  broad-leaved  Rockfoil,  receding  under 
the  near  bushes  and  trees ;  and  so  proceed  making  groups  and 
colonies,  considering  every  aid  from  shrub  or  tree,  and  never  using 
a  plant  of  which  we  do  not  know  and  enjoy  the  effect. 

This  plan  is  capable  of  much  variety,  whether  we  are  dealing 
with  an  established  and  grown  shrubbery,  or  a  choice  plantation  of 
flowering  Evergreens.  In  the  last  case,  owing  to  the  soil  and  the 
neat  habit  of  the  bushes,  we  have  excellent  conditions  in  which 
good  culture  is  possible.  One  can  have  the  finest  things  among 
them  if  the  bushes  are  not  jammed  together.  The  ordinary  way 
of  planting  shrubs  is  such  that  they  grow  together,  and  then  it  is 
not  possible  to  have  flowers  between  them,  nor  to  see  the  true  form 
of  the  bushes,  which  are  lost  in  one  solid  leafy  mass.  In  growing 
fine  things — Lilies  or  Cardinal  Flowers,  or  tall  Evening  Primroses 


BORDERS   OF   HARDY   FLOWERS.  29 

—  among  open  bushes  we  may  form  a  delightful  garden,  we  secure 
sufficient  space  for  the  bushes  to  show  their  forms,  and  we  get  light 
and  shade  among  them.  In  such  plantations  one  might  have  in  the 
back  parts  "  secret "  colonies  of  lovely  things  which  it  might  not  be 
well  to  show  in  the  front  of  the  border,  or  which  required  shade  and 
shelter  that  the  front  did  not  afford. 

It   is   not  only  in  the   flower  garden   where  we  may  have  much 

beauty  of  flower,  but  away  from  it  there  are  many  places  better  fitted 

for  growing  the  more  beautiful  things  which  do 

Borders  by  grass     not    require   continual  attention.     Unhappily,  the 

walks  in   shade     common  way  of  planting  shrubberies  has  robbed 

or  sun.  many  grass  walks  of  all  charm.     The  great  trees, 

which  take  care  of  themselves,  are  often  fine,  but 

the  common   mixed   plantation  of  Evergreens   means  death   to  the 

variety  and  beauty  of  flower  we  may  have  by  grass  walks  in  sun  or 

shade.     The   shrubs  are   frequently    planted   in   mixtures,  in  which 

the  most   free-growing  are   so    thickly   set  as    soon    to   cover   the 

whole   ground,   Cherry    Laurel,   Portugal    Laurel,    Privet,   and  such 

common  things  frequently  killing  all  the  choicer  shrubs  and  forming 

dark  heavy  walls  of  leaves.     Some  of  these  Evergreens,  being  very 

hungry  things,  overrun  the  ground,  rob  the  trees,  and  frequently,  as 

in  the  case  of  the  Portugal  Laurels,  give  a  dark  monotonous  effect 

while  keeping  the  walks  wet,  airless,  and  lifeleTss. 

Light  and  shade  and  the  charm  of  colour  are  impossible  in  such 

cases  with  these  heavy,  dank  Evergreens,  often  cut  back,  but  once  one 

is  free  of  their  slavery  what  delightful  places  there 

Light  and  shade,    are  for  growing  all  hardy  flowers  in  broad  masses, 

from    the   handsome    Oriental    Hellebores    of  the 

early  spring  to  the  delicate  lavenders  of  the  Starworts  in   October. 

Not  only  hardy  flowers,  but  graceful  climbers  like  the  wild  Clematis, 

and    lovely   corners   of  light   and   shade  may   be    made   instead  of 

the   walls   of  sombre    Evergreens.     If  we   want  the   ground   green 

with  dwarf  plants,  we  have  no  end  of  delightful  plants  at  hand  in 

the  Ivies  and  Evergreens  like  Cotoneaster. 

In   many  situations  near  houses,  and  especially  old  houses,  there 

are  delightful  openings  for  a  beautiful  kind  of  flower  border.     The 

stone  forms    fine  background,  and   there   are  no 

Flower  borders       thieving    tree    roots.      Here   we   have    conditions 

against  walls  and  exactly  opposite  to  those  in  the  shrubbery  ;  here 

houses.  We   can   have  the  best  soil,  and    keep   it  for   our 

favourites ;     we    can    have    Delphiniums,    Lilies, 

Paeonies,  Irises,  and   all  choice  plants  well  grown.     Walls  may  be 

adorned  with  climbers  of  graceful  growth,  climbing  Rose,  Wistaria, 

Vine,  or  Clematis,  which  will  help  out  our  beautiful  mixed  border. 


30  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

Those  must  to  some  extent  be  trained,  although  they  may  be  allowed  a 
certain  degree  of  abandoned  grace  even  on  a  wall.  In  this  kind  of 
border  we  have,  as  a  rule,  no  background  of  shrubs,  and  therefore  we 
must  get  the  choicest  variety  of  plant  life  into  the  border  itself  and  we 
must  try  to  have  a  constant  succession  of  interest.  In  winter  this  kind 
of  border  may  have  a  bare  look  when  seen  from  the  windows,  but  the 
variety  of  good  hardy  plants  is  so  great,  that  we  can  make  it  almost 
evergreen  by  using  evergreen  rock-plants.  Where  walls  are  broken 
with  pillars,  a  still  better  effect  may  be  obtained  by  training  Vines 
and  Wistaria  along  the  top  and  over  the  pillars  or  the  buttresses. 


Border  against  wall  at  Sidbury  Manor. 

We  have  here  a  frequent  kind  of  mixed  border  often  badly  made, 

but  which  may  be  excellent.     A  good  plan  is  to  secure  from  about 

eight  to  ten  feet  of  rich  soil  on  each  side  of  the 

Flower  borders  in  walk,  and  cut  the  borders  off  from  the  main  garden 

the  fruit  garden,     by  a  trellis  of  some  kind  from  seven  feet  to  nine 

feet  high.      This  trellis  may  be  of  strong  iron  wire, 

or,   better   still,   of  simple  rough   oak   branches,  on   which  we  may 

grow    Climbing   Roses  and   Clematis  and   all   the   choicer  climbers. 

Moreover,  we  can  grow  them  in  their  natural  grace  along  the  wires 

or  rough  branches,  or  up  and  across  a  rough  wooden  trellis,  Rose  and 

Jasmine  showing  their  grace  uncontrolled.     We  fix  the  main  branches 

to  the  supports,  and  leave  the  rest  to  the  winds,  and  form   a  fine 

type  of  flower  border  in  this  way,  as  we  have  the  graceful  climbing 

plants  in  contrast  with  the  flowers  in  the  border. 

Mixed  borders  may  be  made  in  various  ways  ;  but  it  may  be  well 

to  bear   in   mind    the  following  points  :    Select   only  good   plants  ; 

throw  away  weedy  kinds,  there  is  no  scarcity  of 

Mixed  borders,     the  best.     See  good  collections.     Put,  at  first,  rare 

kinds  in  lines  across  four-feet  nursery  beds,  so  that 


BORDERS   OF   HARDY   FLOWERS. 


a  stock  of  plants  may  be  at  hand.  Make  the  choicest  borders  where 
they  cannot  be  robbed  by  the  roots  of  trees ;  see  that  the  ground 
is  good  and  rich,  and  that  it  is  at  least  two  and  a  half  feet  deep, 


Flower  border  against  house. 

so  deep  that,  in  a  dry  season,  the  roots  can  seek  their  supplies 
far  below  the  surface.  Plant  in  naturally  disposed  groups,  never 
repeating  the  same  plant  along  the  border  at  intervals,  as  is  so 
often  done  with  favourites.  Do  not  graduate  the  plants  in  height 
from  the  front  to  the  back,  as  is  generally  done,  but  sometimes 


32  THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 

let  a  bold  plant  come  to  the  edge ;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  let  a 
little  carpet  of  a  dwarf  plant  pass  in  here  and  there  to  the  back, 
so  as  to  give  a  varied  instead  of  a  monotonous  surface.  Have 
no  patience  with  bare  ground,  and  cover  the  border  with  dwarf 
plants  ;  do  not  put  them  along  the  front  of  the  border  only.  Let 
Hepaticas  and  double  and  other  Primroses,  and  Rockfoils,  and 
Golden  Moneywort  and  Stonecrops,  and  Forget-me-nots,  and 
dwarf  Phloxes,  and  many  similar  plants  cover  the  ground  among 
the  tall  plants  betimes,  at  the  back  as  well  as  the  front.  Let 
the  little  ground  plants  form  broad  patches  and  colonies  by 


Border  of  hardy  flowers  on  open  margin  of  lawn.     (Newton  Don,  Kelso.) 

themselves  occasionally,  and  let  them  pass  into  and  under  other 
plants. 

Thoroughly  prepared  at  first,  the  border  might  remain  for  years 
without  any  digging  in  the  usual  sense.  When  a  plant  is  old  and 
rather 'too  thick,  never  hesitate  to  replant  it  on  a  wet  day  in  the 
middle  of  August  any  more  than  in  the  middle  of  winter.  Take 
it  up  and  put  a  fresh  bold  group  in  fresh  ground ;  the  young 
plants  will  have  plenty  of  roots  by  the  winter,  and  in  the  following 
spring  will  flower  much  stronger  than  if  they  had  been  trans: 
planted  in  spring  or  in  winter.  Do  not  pay  much  attention  to 
labelling ;  if  a  plant  is  not  worth  knowing,  it  is  not  worth  growing  ; 
let  each  good  thing  be  so  bold  and  so  well  grown  as  to  make  its 
presence  felt. 

The  plants  of  the  older  kind  of  mixed   border   were,  like   the 


BORDERS   OF  HARDY   FLOWERS.  33 

grasses  of  the  meadows  of  the  northern  world,  stricken  to  the  earth 

by  winter,  and    the   border   was    not   nearly    so    pretty    then  as  the 

withered  grass  of  the  plain  or  copse.     But   since 

Evergreen  borders  the  revival  of  interest  in  hardy  and  Alpine  flowers 

of  hardy  flowers,    and  the  many    introductions  of  recent  years,  we 

have  a  great  number  of  beautiful  plants  that  are 

evergreen  in  winter  and  that  enable  us  to  make  evergreen  borders. 

The  great  white  blanket  that  covers  the  north  and  many  mountain 

ranges  in  winter  protects  also  for  months  many  Alpine  plants  which 

do  not  lose  their  leaves  in   winter,  such    as  Rockfoils,   Stonecrops, 

Primroses,  Gentians,   and   Christmas   Roses.     The  most   delicate  of 

Alpine  plants  suffer,  when  exposed  to  our  winter,  from  excitement  of 

growth,  to  which  they  are  not  subject  in  their  own  home,  but  many 

others    do   not   mind   our   winters    much,   and    it  is    easy  by   good 

choice   of  plants  to    make   excellent   borders  wholly  or   in  greater 

part  evergreen. 

These  are  not  only  good  as  evergreens,  but  they  are  delightful  in 
colour,  many  being  beautiful  in  flower  in  spring,  and  having  also  the 
charm  of  assuming  their  most  refreshing  green  just  when  other  plants 
are  dying  in  autumn.  Along  with  these  rock  and  herbaceous  plants 
we  may  group  a  great  many  dwarf  shrubs  that  come  almost  between 
the  true  shrub  and  the  Alpine  flower — little  woody  evergreen 
creeping  things  like  the  dwarf  Partridge  Berry,  Canadian  Cornel, 
hardy  Heaths,  and  Sand  Myrtles,  often  good  in  colour  when  grouped. 
Among  these  various  plants  we  have  plenty  for  evergreen  borders, 
and  this  is  important,  as,  while  many  might  object  to  the  bare  earth 
of  the  ordinary  border  of  herbaceous  plants  near  the  house  or  in  other 
favourite  spots,  it  is  different  with  borders  of  evergreen  plants,  which 
may  be  charming  and  natural  in  effect  throughout  the  year. 

Of  garden  pictures,  there  are  few  prettier  than  Crocus,  Snowdrops, 
or  Scilla  coming  through  the  green,  moss-like  carpets  in  these  ever- 
green borders,  far  prettier  to  those  who  love  quiet  and  natural  colour 
than  more  showy  effects.  Often  narrow  evergreen  borders  are  the 
best  things  that  can  be  placed  at  the  foot  of  important  walls,  as 
the  way  of  allowing  grass  to  go  right  up  to  the  walls  is  a  foolish 
one,  and  often  leads  to  injury  to  the  wall  trees.  A  narrow  border 
cut  off  by  a  natural  stone  edging  from  the  grass  or  walk,  is  best: 
even  a  border  of  this  size  may  have  many  lovely  things,  from  early 
Cyclamen  to  the  best  Meadow  Saffrons  in  the  autumn.  Besides  the 
flowers  already  named,  we  have  Violets,  Periwinkles,  Carnations, 
Pinks,  Barrenworts,  charming  in  foliage,  purple  Rock  Cresses, 
Omphalodes,  Iris,  Acanthus,  Indian  and  otjier  Strawberries,  House- 
leeks,  Thymes,  Forget-me-nots,  Sandworts,  Gentianella,  Lavender, 
Rosemary,  hardy  Rock  Roses,  and  many  native  and  other  hardy 

C 


BORDERS   OF   HARDY   FLOWERS. 


35 


evergreen  Ferns  in  all  their  fine  variety  ;  Bamboos,  Ruscus  and  Dwarf 
Savin,  these  are  an  essential  aid  in  the  making  of  evergreen  borders. 

Many  years  of  trial  with  the  best  wooden  trellising  disclosed  to 

me  its  defects  as  to  endurance,  even  the  best  wooden  trellising  oak 

perishing  on  the  ground  or  being  blown  over  in 

Trellising  to        storms.     The  same  objection  applies  to  Chestnut 

endure.  or  any  native  zuood.     The  result  of  various  trials  for 

many  years  was  to  compel  the  use  of  an  iron  base 

for  our  trellis  at  the  back  of  mixed  borders,  and  so  cut  off  the  oak 

used  from  the  wet  ground.     We  used  the  ordinary  iron  fence  in  the 

first  instance,  adding  a  foot  or  so  to  the  height  by  means  of  an  iron 

attachment.      This  was  painted  oak  colour  and  fitted  with  upright 

heart  of  oak.      The  battens  do  not  touch  the  ground  and  project  a 

little  above  the  top  iron  rail.     The  effect  is   very  good.     The  best 

plants  for  it  we  found  to  be  Clematis,  Roses  of  the  nobler  climbing 

type,  like  Bouquet  d'Or,  the  Japanese  and  other  Vines.     The  height 

of  the  finished  trellis  is  5  foot  oak  battens  in  seasoned  oak  ij  by  f 

inches.     For  backgrounds,  so  essential  to  the  good  mixed  border,  this 

manner  of  trellising  is  the  best. 

HARDY  BORDER  FLOWERS  FOR  BRITISH  GARDENS. 

From  this  list  all  families  not  quite  hardy  in  Britain  are  ex- 
cluded, for  whatever  we  may  do  with  flower-beds,  mixed  borders  should 
be  mainly  of  hardy  plants,  and  we  ought  to  be  able  to  plant  or  refresh 
them  at  any  time  through  the  autumn  or  winter  months.  Well- 
planned  mixed  borders,  covered  as  they  mostly  should  be  with  rock 
plants  forming  green  carpets,  should  have  few  gaps  in  early  summer, 
but  where  these  occur  they  may  be  filled  up  with  half-hardy  plants 
as  the  stock  of  plants  may  permit,  or  with  good  annuals. 


Acanthus 
Achillea 

Campanula 
Carnations 

Fuchsia 
Funkia 

Lythrum 
Malope 

Ranunculus 
Rhodanthe 

Acis 

Catananche 

Gaillardia 

Malva 

Rockets 

Aconitum 

Centaurea 

Galtonia 

Meconopsis 

Rudbeckia 

Adonis 

Cheiranthus 

Geranium 

Megasea 

Salvia 

Agapanlhus 

Chelone 

Geum 

Mimulus 

Saponaria 

Agrostemma 
Alstroemeria  in  var. 

Chrysanthemum 
Convallaria 

Gypsophila 
Helenium 

Mirabilis 
Monarda 

Saxifraga 
Scabiosa 

Alysum 

Convolvulus 

Helianthemum 

Montbretia 

Sedum 

Amaryllis 

Coreopsis 

Helianthus 

Myosotis 

Spiraea 

Amberboa 

Corydalis 

Helichrysum 

N  arcissus 

Statice 

Anemone 

Cyclamen 

Helleborus 

(Enothera 

Stocks 

Anthericum 

Cypripedium 

Hepatica 

Omphalodes 

Sweet  Pea 

Antirrhinum 

Delphinium 

Hesperis 

Onosma 

Sweet  William 

Arabis 
Arenaria 

Dianthus 
Dielytra 

Hollyhock 
Iberis 

Ornithogalum 
Orobus 

Symphytum 
Thymus 

Argemone 

Digitalis 

Iris 

Paeonia 

Tigridia 

Armeria 

Dodecatheon 

Kniphofia 

Pancratium 

Tradescantia 

Arnebia 

Doronicum 

Lathyrus 

Pansy 

Trillium 

Aster 

Echinops 

Lavatera 

Papaver 

Trollius 

Aubrietia 

Epimedium 

Lavendula 

Pentstemon 

Tropaeolum 

Rartonia 

Eremurus 

Leucojum 

Phlomis 

Tulipa 

Bocconia 

Erigeron 

Lilium 

Phlox 

Veratrum 

Brodiaea  in  var. 

Erodium 

Linaria 

Plumbago 

Verbascum 

Calendula 

Eryngium 

Linum 

Polemonium 

Veronica 

Calliopsis 

Erythronium 

Lobelia 

Potentilla 

Viola 

Calochortus 

Eschscholtzia 

Lupinus 

Primula 

Wallflower 

Caltha  in  var. 

Fritillaria 

Lychnis 

Pyrethrum 

Zephyranthes 
Zinnia 

English  Iris. 

CHAPTER   V. 

THE   RESERVE   AND   CUT-FLOWER  GARDENS. 

NOTHING  is  worse  in  gardening  than  the  way  in  which  plants  of 
all  kinds  are  huddled  together  without  regard  to  fitness  for  associa- 
tion in  stature,  in  time  of  blooming,  or  in  needs  of  culture.  The 
common  scene  of  confusion  is  the  shrubbery  border,  into  which 
Carnations,  annuals,  Alpine  flowers,  and  rampant  herbs  are  often 
thrown,  to  dwindle  and  perish.  There  is  no  shrubbery  border  that 
could  not  be  made  beautiful  by  carpeting  it  with  wood  and  copse 
plants  of  the  northern  world  in  broad  groups,  but  many  of  our  favourite 
flowers  are  not  wood  plants,  and  many — for  example,  Carnations — 
cannot  maintain  the  struggle  against  the  bushes  and  trees.  Hardy 
plants  should  be  divided  into  two  broad  series  at  least — those  which 
thrive  in  and  near  woody  growth,  and  those  which  must  perish  there. 
Solomon's  Seal  and  the  blue  Apennine  Anemone  are  types  of  plants 
that  one  may  grow  in  any  shady  place  :  Carnation,  Pink,  Auricula 
are  among  the  flowers  which  must  have  good  soil  and  be  kept  away 
from  tree  roots, 

One  good  plan  that  all  can  follow  is  the  growing  of  certain 
plants  without  heed  to  their  place  in  any  design,  but  not  in  any  kind 
of  "  mixed  border  "  or  in  other  mixed  arrangements.  Many  hardy 
flowers  are  worthy  of  special  culture,  and  good  results  cannot  often  be 
got  without  it,  whether  we  grow  Carnations,  Pinks,  Pansies,  Phloxes, 
Lilies,  Stocks,  double  Wallflowers,  Cloves,  or  scarlet  Lobelias.  Even  a 
choice  annual,  such  as  Rhodanthe,  or  a  beautiful  grass,  it  is  not  easy  to 
succeed  with  unless  it  has  a  fair  chance,  away  from  the  crowding  of 
the  mixed  border.  This  special  culture  of  favourite  flowers  may  be 
best  carried  out  in  a  plot  of  ground  set  aside  for  beds  of  the  choicer 
flowers,  in  a  piece  of  ground  in  or  near  the  kitchen  garden  or  any 
other  open  position,  sheltered,  but  not  shaded.  With  the  aid  of 

36 


THE   RESERVE   AND    CUT-FLOWER   GARDENS.  37 

such  a  division  of  the  garden,  the  cultivation  of  many  fine  hardy 
plants  becomes  a  pleasure.  When  any  plant  gets  tired  of  its  bed,  it 
is  easy  to  make  the  Carnation  bed  of  past  years  the  bulb  one  for 
the  next  year,  and  so  on.  It  would  be  easy  to  change  one's 
favourites  from  bed  to  bed,  so  that  deep-rooting  plants  should  follow 
surface-rooting  kinds,  and  thus  the  freshness  of  the  garden  would  be 
kept  up.  If  any  edging  is  used,  it  should  be  of  natural  stone  sunk  in 
the  earth,  but  the  abolition  of  all  edgings,  beyond  one  or  two  main 
lines,  would  tend  to  simplify  the  work.  Such  a  plot  is  excellent  for 
giving  cut  flowers  in  quantity,  and  is  also  a  great  aid  as  a  nursery, 
while  it  would  also  be  a  help  to  exchanges  with  friends  or  neigh- 
bours, in  the  generous  way  of  all  true  gardeners.  The  space  occupied 
by  it  will  depend  upon  the  size  and  wants  of  the  place ;  but,  wher- 
ever the  room  can  be  spared,  an  eighth  of  an  acre  might  be  devoted 
to  the  culture  in  simple  beds  of  favourite  flowers. 

Among  the  fair  flowers  which    in    this  way  may  be  cultivated, 
each   separately  and  well,  are    the   old    Clove    Carnations  —  white, 
crimson,  and  scarlet,  as  well  as  many  other  kinds  ; 
What  to  grow      tall  Phloxes,   so  fair   in    country   gardens   in   the 
in  the  reserve      autumn  ;    scarlet    Lobelias,    splendid    in    colour  ; 
garden.  Pinks  of  many  kinds;  Persian  and  Turban  Ran- 

unculus ;  bright  old  garden  Anemones,  and  the 
finer  species  of  Anemone ;  Lilies,  and  as  many  as  possible  of  the 
splendid  kinds  introduced  into  our  gardens  within  the  past  dozen 
years  from  California  and  Japan;  Delphiniums;  double  Rockets; 
Irises,  English,  Spanish,  Japanese,  and  German  ;  Pansies  in  great 
variety  ;  Tiger  Flowers  ;  the  Columbine,  including  the  lovely  blue 
Columbine  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  ;  Pyrethrums,  Chinese  Pinks, 
Scabious,  Sweet  Williams;  Stocks  of  many  kinds;  Wallflowers, 
double  and  single  ;  the  annual  Phloxes  ;  China  Asters,  the  Sweet 
Sultan,  in  two  or  three  forms ;  showy  Chrysanthemums ;  Grasses 
for  cutting  in  winter ;  Grape  Hyacinths  ;  rare  Narcissus  ;  Meadow 
Saffrons  ;  Lilies  of  the  Valley ;  Crocuses,  the  autumnal  as  well  as 
the  vernal  kinds ;  Dahlias,  cactus  and  single  ;  Pseonies  ;  Primroses, 
double  and  single ;  Pentstemons  ;  Polyanthus ;  Oxlips ;  Tulips, 
many  early  and  late  kinds ;  sweet  Violets ;  American  Cowslips ; 
Gladioli ;  Christmas  Roses ;  and,  lastly,  Everlasting  Flowers,  which 
may  be  grown  with  the  pretty  Grasses,  and,  like  them,  be  gathered 
for  the  house  in  winter. 

In  these  special  plots  for  hardy  flowers  are  included  the  various 
hardy  florists'  flowers.  The  term  "  florists'  flowers  "  was  once  applied 
to  flowers  supposed  to  be  popular  with  amateurs  and  florists,  but  it  had 
never. any  clear  meaning.  A  Rose  is  a  florist's  flower  ;  but  it  is  more — 
it  is  everybody's  flower,  and  we  call  it  a  Rose,  having  no  use  for 


38  THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 

any  other  term.  The  reserve  garden  is  a  good  place  to  grow  flowers 
for  cutting  for  the  house.  A  supply  equal  to  that  of  a  dozen  plant 
houses  can  be  got  from  an  open  square  in  the  kitchen  garden  or  any 
piece  of  good  ground.  For  eight  months  there  is  a  procession  of 
open-air  flowers,  which  can  easily  be  grown  in  sufficient  quantity  to 
allow  the  cutting  of  plenty  for  every  want.  A  bed  or  a  few  lines  of 
each  favourite  in  a  plot  of  good  soil  would  give  a  great  number  of 
flowers,  and  these,  aided  by  the  Roses  and  other  bush  and  tree 
flowers  about  the  garden,  would  yield  all  the  flowers  that  a  large 
house  would  require,  and  many  besides  for  hospitals  and  for  those 
who  have  no  gardens.  Flowers  grown  for  cutting  should  be  care- 
fully selected  as  regards  odour,  form,  and  colour. 

We  have  had  evidence  of  the  good  way  in  which  inter-cropping 

suits  plants  in  nursery  beds,  and  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  the 

presence    in    rich   ground    of   two    plants   wholly 

Double  cropping     different  in  their  nature  is  a  good  plan.     A  collec- 

of  beds.  tion  of  Narcissi,  with  lines  between  of  Delphiniums 

and   hardy   Fuchsias,  that  is  to  say,  two  lines  of 

each  in  a  4-foot  bed,  will  thrive.     The  same  is  true  of  other  hardy 

spring  bulbs,  which   may  be  alternated  with  the  choicer  perennials 

that  bloom  in  autumn  ;  and  this  way  is  a  good  one  for  people  who 

live  in  their  gardens  chiefly  in  spring  and  autumn,  as  it  secures  two 

distinct  seasons  of  bloom  in  the  same  ground.     This  applies  to  store 

beds  as  distinct  from  the  regular  flower  garden,  though  some  kind 

of  inter-cropping  would  give  an  excellent  result  in  the  flower  garden 

also ;  as,  for  instance,  if  we  have  beds  of  Roses,  we  might  have  them 

carpeted  with  early  bulbs,  and  be  none  the  worse  for  it,  and  so  also 

with  Paeonies  and  many  other  flowers.     It  wants  some  care  to  find 

out  which  go  best  together ;  but,  given  that,  all  is  easy  enough. 

Apart  from  the  reserve  garden,  with  its  flowers  in  close  masses,  we 

may  have  gardens  of  a  favourite  flower  and  its  forms,  for  the  purpose 

of  studying  a  family  or  adding  to  it  by  collecting 

Gardens  of  One     or  cross-breeding.     Such   gardens  now   and   then 

Flower.  owe  their  existence  to  the  difficulty  of  cultivating 

a  flower,  as   was  the  case  of  a  charming  garden 

of  the  lovely  forms  of  our  native  Primrose  formed  by  a  friend  of  mine, 

who  thus  describes  it : — 

No  flower  better  deserves  a  garden  to  itself  than  the  Primrose. 

It  is  so  old  a  favourite,  and  has  been  cultivated  into  so  many  forms, 

that    any    one    determined    to   have  a    Primrose 

A  Primrose        garden  may  choose  the  kind  he  likes  best,  and  set 

garden.  to  work  accordingly.     There  are  the  single-stalked 

Primroses,  the  earliest  of  all,  flowering  from  the 

middle  of  March  onwards,  while  some  may  be  had  in  bloom  as  soon 


• 

«8fe'4H-  '• / 


40  THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 

as  the  end  of  February.  They  range  in  colour  from  pure  white  to 
deep  primrose,  and  from  palest  pinky-lilac  through  strong  red-purples 
to  a  colour  nearly  approaching  blue,  and  there  are  also  rich  reds  of 
many  shades.  There  is  not  as  yet  any  Primrose  of  a  true  pink  colour, 
nor,  though  the  type  colour  is  yellow,  are  there  as  yet  any  strong 
yellows  of  the  orange  class.  There  are  also  double  Primroses  in 
nearly  all  the  same  colourings.  The  Polyanthus  with  its  neat  trusses 
of  small  flowers,  though  beautiful  in  the  hand  and  indispensable  in 
the  good  garden  of  hardy  flowers,  is  not  a  plant  for  the  Primrose 
garden,  as  it  makes  no  show  in  the  mass.  The  grand  Primroses 
for  garden  effect  are  the  large  bunch-flowered  kinds,  white,  yellow, 
and  orange-coloured,  red,  crimson,  and  rich  brown  ;  of  infinite  variety 
in  form,  texture,  habit,  and  colouring,  easy  to  raise  to  any  amount 
by  seed,  as  also  by  division  of  the  older  plants.  A  Primrose  garden 
(part  of  which  is  here  illustrated),  that  for  some  years  has  been 
an  ever-increasing  source  of  pleasure  and  interest  to  its  owners, 
was  formed  a  few  years  ago  by  making  an  opening  about  70 
yards  long,  and  varying  from  10  to  15  yards  wide,  through  a 
wild  copse  of  young  Birch  trees.  The  natural  soil  was  very  poor 
and  sandy,  so  it  was  prepared  by  a  thorough  trenching  and  a 
liberal  addition  of  loam  and  manure,  which  has  to  be  renewed  every 
year.  No  formal  walks  are  made,  but  one  main  track  is  trodden 
down  about  2  feet  wide  near  the  middle  of  the  space,  dividing  into 
two  here  and  there,  where  a  broader  clearing  makes  it  desirable 
to  have  two  paths  in  the  width.  The  older  divided  plants  are  put 
into  groups  of  a  colour  together  from  twenty  to  fifty  of  a  sort. 
The  groups  of  seedlings  are  of  necessity  more  various,  though 
they  are  more  or  less  true  to  the  parent  colour,  so  that  a  patch  of  a 
hundred  seedlings — from  yellow,  for  instance — will  give  a  general 
effect  of  yellow  throughout  the  group.  The  whites  and  yellows  are 
kept  at  one  end  of  the  garden,  and  the  reds  at  the  other  ;  the  deepest 
yellows  next  to  the  reds.  Seen  from  a  little  distance,  the  yellow  and 
white  part  of  the  Primrose  garden  looks  like  a  river  of  silver  and  gold 
flowing  through  the  copse.  The  white  stems  of  the  Birches  and  the 
tender  green  of  their  young  leaves  help  to  form  a  pretty  picture, 
which  is  at  its  best  when  the  whole  is  illuminated  by  the  evening 
sunlight. 

Some  of  the  Plants  for  Reserve  Garden  and  for  cutting  Flowers. 


Carnations 
Phloxes 
Scarlet  Lobelias 

Pyrethrum 
Schizostylis 
Chinese  Pinks 

Grasses,  the  more 
graceful  kinds 
Zinnias 

Campanula 
Chrysanthemums 
Meadow  Saffrons 

Polyanthus 
Oxlips 
Tulips 

Pinks 

Scabious 

Sweet  Sultan 

Roses 

Violets 

Double  Rockets 

Blue  Cornflower 

Ranunculus 

Crinum 

American  Cowslips 

Iris 

Sweet  Williams 

Anemone 

Crocus 

Gaillardia 

Pans»es 

Stocks 

Lilies 

Dahlia 

Gladiolus 

Alstroemeria 
Tigridia 

Wallflowers 
Grape  Hyacinths 

Delphiniums 
Narcissus 

Pzeonies 
Pentstemon 

Everlastings 
Christmas  Roses 

Columbines 

China  Asters 

Primroses 

Lenten  Roses 

CHAPTER   VI.     . 

HARDY   BULBOUS   FLOWERS. 

AT  no  distant  time  lists  of  these  things  were  mostly  looked  at  for 
the  sake  of  getting  a  few  bulbs  to  force,  but  that  day  is  past,  at  least 
for  all  who  now  see  the  great  part  which  hardy  bulbous  and  tuberous 
plants  must  take  in  the  outdoor  gardens  of  the  future.  Since  those 
days  the  hills  of  California  and  of  Japan  alone  have  given  us  a  noble 
Lily  garden,  and  the  plants  of  this  order  in  cultivation  now  form  a 
lovely  host.  We  are  not  nearly  so  likely  to  want  novelties  as  know- 
ledge of  how  to  make  effective  use  of  the  nobler  plants,  such  as  the 
Narcissus,  the  glory  of  the  spring,  as  the  Lily  is  of  the  summer 
garden. 

We  may  indeed  be  often  tempted  with  Zephyr  flowers,  and  Ixias 
and  other  plants,  beautiful  in  warmer  countries  than  ours,  but  delicate 
here,  and  only  living  with  us  as  the  result  of  care ;  but  there  are 
so  many  lovely  things  from  the  mountains  and  plains  of  the  northern 
world,  as  hardy  as  the  wild  Hyacinths  of  British  woods,  that  our 
search  will  be  more  for  the  nobler  materials  and  how  to  make  artistic 
use  of  them  than  in  quest  of  novelty. 

Who  of  those  who  remember  the  Orange  and  White  Lilies  of  all 
English  and  Irish  gardens  would  have  looked  for  the  splendid  Lilies 
that  have  come  to  us  within  less  than  a  genera- 
Lilies,  tion  ?  For  size,  and  form,  and  lovely  colour  they 
surpass  all  we  had  ever  dreamt  of  even  among 
tropical  flowers.  The  variety  is  great,  but  the  main  thing  for  all 
who  care  for  them  is  how  to  possess  their  beauty  with  the  least 
amount  of  care  ;  and,  happily,  the  question  has  been  solved  for  many 
handsome  kinds  by  planting  them  in  the  peat  beds  that  were  made 
at  first  wholly  in  the  interest  of  the  American  shrubs,  as  some  of 
the  finest  Lilies  thrive  admirably  in  these.  Nor  need  we  neglect 
the  mixed  borders  because  we  have  new  ways  for  our  Lilies,  as  several 

41 


42  THE  ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 

of  the  European  Lilies  thrive  in  ordinary  borders.  They  may  be 
naturalised  too,  or  some  of  them,  in  deep  moist  peat  bottoms ;  for 
example,  the  American  swamp  Lily  (L.  superbum).  Lilies  are  so 
varied  in  their  nature  and  stature  that  they  may  adorn  almost  any 
aspect  in  sun  or  shade.  The  new  and  rare  among  them  will  have 
special  beds  or  borders,  and  we  have  men  who  will  have  Lily  Gardens. 
And  as  these  lovely  flowers  tumble  into  our  lap  from  the  woods  and 
hills  of  Western  China,  Japan,  and  California,  untouched  by  man 
until  he  found  them  made  to  his  hand  a  few  years  ago,  it  was  reason- 
able to  suppose  that  some  of  them  would  take  care  of  themselves, 
if  trusted  in  likely  spots,  with  us.  I  put  some  of  the  Panther  Lily 
deep  in  a  leafy  hollow  in  a  Sussex  wood,  just  to  see  if  it  would 
survive  in  such  conditions.  Whether  owing  to  a  series  of  cold  wet 
seasons  and  the  want  of  the  glorious  sun  of  the  hills  in  Nevada 
County,  California,  where  I  found  it,  I  know  not,  but  after  the  first 
season  it  did  not  come  up.  I  thought  no  more  of  it,  but  a  friend 
going  into  the  same  wood  some  years  afterwards  found  a  colony  of  it 
in  bloom. 

Next  to  the  Lily  in  value  as  an  outdoor  flower  is  the  Narcissus, 
though  when  we  know  the  Iris  better  it  may  find  a  high  place.  But 
the  wondrous  development  of  the  garden  forms  of 
Narcissus.  Narcissus  during  recent  years,  and  their  fitness  for 
our  climate,  give  it  great  value.  Mountain  plants 
in  origin,  for  the  most  part  they  are  as  hardy  as  rushes,  and  those 
few  southern  forms  that  will  only  live  in  dry  banks  and  at  the  foot  of 
warm  walls  need  not  concern  us  who  look  for  pictures  of  Narcissus  in 
the  open  air.  We  have  not  to  ask  where  the  Narcissus  will  grow, 
as  there  are  few  places  they  will  not  grow  in  with  the  usual  garden 
culture,  and  in  some  cool,  loamy  soils  they  take  kindly  to  the  turf. 
Hence  it  is  easy  on  many  soils  to  have  a  garden  of  these  flowers, 
grouped  and  massed,  set  in  turf,  and  giving  us  many  flowers  for  the 
house  as  well  as  pictures  in  lawn  and  meadow.  These  precious  early 
flowers  will  also  have  their  place  in  the  garden  for  cut  flowers  or  the 
nursery  bed,  where  the  many  new  forms  of  Narcissus  may  take  their 
place  until  plentiful.  The  true  hardiness  of  the  flower  allows  of  its 
being  enjoyed  in  all  parts  of  these  scattered  islands.  In  planting 
Narcissus  in  the  wild  garden  the  mistake  is  in  planting  all  over  the 
surface  without  relief.  I  have  made  the  mistake  myself  and  have 
regretted  it.  When  they  cover  the  ground  like  tiles  on  a  roof,  they 
are  not  nearly  as  effective  as  in  simple  groups.  The  practice  of 
the  Trade  of  offering  mixed  kinds  is  attractive  but  quite  wrong. 
Much  the  best  way  is  to  use  mixtures  rarely  and  always  to  have 
distinct  plants. 

The  Iris  is  one  of  the  oldest  of  our  garden  flowers,  in  many  forms 


Group  of  Giant  Indian  Lilies  in  half-shady  place  (Surrey). 


44  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

too,  but,  like  the  Lily,  it  has  come  to  us  in  greater  novelty  and  beauty 
of  recent  years,  and  as  districts    in   Central   Asia  and   Asia  Minor 

are  opened  to   collectors,  we  must  have  our  Iris 
Iris.  gardens  too.     And  what  so  fair  as  an  Iris  garden  ? 

They  are  the  Orchids  of  the  north,  many  of  them 
as  hardy  as  reeds,  and  with  more  richness  of  colour  than  Orchids. 
The  old  Irises  of  our  gardens  are  usually  of  the  Germanica  class ; 
there  is  much  variety  among  these  groups,  and  they  are  very  hardy 
and  precious,  and  excellent  for  the  adornment  of  gardens  and  even 
walls  and  thatched  roofs,  as  we  see  in  France,  the  Iris  of  this  great 
group  having  a  valuable  power  of  thriving  on  such  surfaces  as  well 
as  on  good  soil. 

There  is  a  group  of  waterside  and  water-loving  Iris,  much  less  seen 
in  our  gardens  than  the  above,  and  some  of  them  not  yet  come  to  us, 
but  of  great  value.  They  are  allied  to  the  common  yellow  Iris  of  our 
watercourses,  but  are  taller  and  richer  in  colour,  the  golden  Iris 
(aurea),  Monnieri,  and  ochroleuca  being  the  best  known  so  far,  and 
very  free,  hardy,  and  beautiful  plants  they  are,  thriving,  too,  almost 
anywhere,  but  best  in  rich,  moist  soil.-  And  we  have  the  distinct  gain 
of  the  splendid  Japanese  Iris,  in  its  many  strange  forms,  the  Japanese 
surpassing  all  waterside  Irises  in  its  wide  range  of  colour,  though 
most  beautiful  perhaps  in  its  simple  forms,  white  and  purple.  This 
plant,  though  its  beauty  suggests  that  of  the  tropics,  will  grow  side 
by  side  with  our  great  water  dock  by  any  lake-side  or  even  in  a 
clay  ditch,  where  only  the  coarsest  weeds  live.  The  Siberian  Iris 
and  the  forms  near  it  are  very  graceful  beside  streams  or  ponds, 
either  in  open  or  copsy  places,  and  far  more  graceful  and  charm- 
ing in  such  positions  than  in  set  borders.  All  these  water-loving 
Irises  will  do  in  the  wild  garden  in  bold  groups  when  we  can  spare 
them. 

Then  there  are  the  brilliant  purple  and  gold  Iris  reticulata  and  its 
allies,  little  bulbous  Irises,  for  the  spring  garden,  early  and  charming 
things,  many  beautiful ;  Irises  that  flower  in  winter  and  early  spring, 
like  the  Algerian  Iris  ;  others  happy  in  Britain  on  warm  soils  and 
warm  corners,  and  some  for  the  rock  garden,  like  the  crested  Iris  ;  and 
the  many  pretty  forms  of  Iris  pumila,  of  some  of  which  edgings  were 
made  in  old  gardens.  The  foliage  of  the  evergreen  Iris  is  so  graceful 
and  usually  so  nice  in  colour  that  artistic  use  may  be  made  of  it  in 
that  way.  The  most  novel  of  all  the  groups  of  Iris,  however,  are  the 
Cushion  Irises,  which  promise  much  beauty,  but  are  as  yet  too  little 
known  for  us  to  see  how  far  that  beauty  may  be  preserved  in  our 
gardens.  The  old  Iris  Susiana  has  been  known  for  many  years,  and 
some  of  its  allies,  like  I.  Lorteti  and  the  Wolf  Iris,  seem  more  hardy 
and  not  less  beautiful. 


HARDY   BULBOUS   FLOWERS.  45 


The  old  garden  Tulip,  a  favourite  for  generations,  grown  in  the 
so-called  florist  varieties,  and  the  source  once  of  severe  mania,  is  but 

one   of  a  large  number  of  wild  Tulipa,  many  of 
Tulips.  which  have  come  to  us  of  late  years  from  Central 

Asia.  The  old  Tulips  are  the  forms  of  an  Italian 
species  (T.  Gesneriana),  and  these  varieties  are  worthy  of  all  the 
attention  they  ever  had  ;  but  the  wild  form  is  as  good  as  any  of  its 
varieties  for  splendid  effect,  and  a  selection  should  be  made  of  its 
simpler  colours,  including  a  good  white  and  yellow.  The  bedding 
Tulips,  which  are  earlier  in  blooming,  are  forms  of  T.  scabriscapa,  and 
though  useful,  are  not  nearly  so  valuable  for  their  effect  as  the  late 
tulips.  The  new  species  coming  from  Central  Asia  and  other  lands 
promise  to  be  very  valuable,  too,  for  their  effect,  though  our  climate 
may  not  suit  all  of  them,  as  it  does  the  fine  hardy  Gesneriana.  The 
colour  of  these  Tulips  is  too  fine  to  be  missed,  and,  as  the  bloom  is  too 
short-lived  to  give  beds  to  them,  the  best  way  is  to  plant  them  in 
borders :  when  scarce,  in  the  nursery,  when  plentiful,  in  the  wild 
garden.  I  put  some  in  new  hedgerow  banks  a  few  years  ago,  and 
also  the  Wood  Tulip  in  a  meadow  regularly  mown,  and  now  have  a 
splendid  bloom  every  spring.  As  wild  Tulips  abound  in  the  south 
of  Europe  travellers  might  often  get  many  roots  which  could  be 
tried  in  this  and  other  ways.  Some  of  the  bedding  Tulips  have 
very  ugly  slaty  colours,  and  there  is  much  waste  in  planting  them. 
The  Dutch  bulb  raisers  care  more  for  variety  than  beauty  of  colour, 
but  the  aim  in  our  gardens  should  be  to  get  more  of  the  fine  simple 
colours,  and  the  wild  kinds  planted  so  far  as  we  may  in  effective  ways; 
a  few  trials  in  that  way  will  show  that  it  is  a  much  more  effective 
one  than  setting  out  the  plants  in  tile  or  other  patterns.  The  later 
these  wild  Tulips  come  into  bloom  the  better,  as  it  brings  their 
nobler  colour  in  when  the  harsh  changes  of  the  spring  are  nearly 
over,  and  in  the  north  they  will  come  in  with  the  early  summer  days. 
These  ideas  of  the  more  picturesque  planting  of  the  hardier  Tulips 
need  not  take  from  the  lover  of  the  old  florist  kinds  his  Tulip  garden, 
which  was  very  charming  with  its  long  beds  of  good  soil,  and  at  its 
best  in  some  sheltered — hedged  in  or  walled — garden. 

If  the  Crocus  has  any  fault  it  is  courage  in  coming  so  early  that 
it  has  to  face  every  trouble  of  the  spring,  and  green  winters  induce  it 

to  open  too  early.     Yet  what  promise  it  brings  us 
Crocus.  of  the  many-blossomed  spring   in    border  and  in 

lawn  ;  for,  in  addition  to  the  old  and  good  way  in 
garden  borders,  the  Crocus,  at  least  all  the  forms  and  series  and  the 
hardy  and  vigorous  European  kinds,  is  easily  naturalised  in  lawns 
or  meadow  turf,  and  others  even  under  Beech  trees,  as  in  Crowsley 
Park.  As  regards  this  question,  it  should  be  remembered  that  the 


46  THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

Crocus  is  wild  in  rich  meadow  grass  in  various  parts  of  England,  at 
Nottingham  and  in  Essex.  The  autumnal  kinds  may  be  naturalised 
too,  but  they  ask  perhaps  for  a  warmer  soil  than  the  vernal  kinds. 
Recent  years  have  brought  us  many  new  Crocuses.  The  effect  of  the 
old  kinds  is  not  surpassed,  but  their  beauty  may  be  more  fully  shown 
than  in  lines  and  dots  by  scattering  them  in  natural-looking  groups 
in  grassy  places  among  trees  or  in  the  open  turf. 

The  old  Snowdrop  gives  as  good  an  effect  as  any  other,  but  the 

many  new  varieties  give  the  Snowdrop  more  value.     Whether  these 

new  forms  are  species  or  varieties  matters  little  ; 

Snowdrop  and      their  value  as  garden  plants  is  the  only  question 

Snowflake.  that  concerns  flower  gardeners.     Who  would  have 

thought  a  few  years  ago  that  our  Snowdrop  was 


Narcissus  princeps. 

only  one  of  a  large  number  taking  care  of  themselves  in  the  mountains 
o  .  .  .a  Minor  and  other  regions  ?  Others  are  coming,  and  when 
these  increase  in  our  gardens  we  shall  have  fresh  aids  to  make  our 
spring  gardens  more  beautiful.  As  these  new  kinds  are  mostly  plants 
from  cool  regions,  they  will  probably  be  easily  naturalised  in  many 
soils.  The  Snowflake  must  not  be  forgotten — few  spring  flowers 
are  more  free  than  the  vernal  and  late  Snowflakes. 

The   lovely   early  group  of  plants  allied  to  our  Wood  Hyacinth — 

Scilla,  Chionodoxa  and  Hyacinthus  (the  more  tiny  and  dwarf  wild 

species  are  referred  to  here  under  this  last  name) 

Scillas  and         — as^    f°r  some  thought  as  to   their  artistic  use. 

their  allies.        The  Scillas  are  well  known,  but  the  newer  forms  of 

Chionodoxa    give    an  unlooked-for   loveliness    of 

blue  very  early  in  the  spring,   and  show  a  pretty  variety  in   their 


HARDY   BULBOUS   FLOWERS. 


47 


delicate  colours  ;  and  yet  there  is  no  more  lovely  thing  among  them 
than  the  Taurian  Scilla.  It  is  so  early  and  so  deep  a  blue  that 
one  may  get  rich  effects  with  it  very  early.  The  more  tiny  and 
select  of  all  these  plants  are  Alpine,  delightful  for  rock-gardens,  and 
all  the  more  so  if  we  can  use  them  in  visible  groups. 

Apart  from    the   true   Lilies   there    are  certain    plants    to  which 
the  name  is  also  given  betimes,  such  as  the  Torch  Lily  (Kniphofia), 

the  Day  Lily  (Hemerocallis),  the  Peruvian  Lily 
Day,  African  and  (Alstroemeria),  the  African  Lily  (Agapanthus), 
Cape  Lilies.  the  Belladonna  Lily  (Amaryllis),  the  Cape  Lily 

(Crinum),  the  Plantain  Lily  (Funkia),  the  Wood 
Lily  (Trillium),  the  Mariposa  Lily  (Calochortus),  besides  other 
Lilies  that  do  not  come  under  our  present  heading,  or  which  do 
not  ask  for  thought  as  regards  their  effective  use. 

The  Torch  Lilies  are  brilliant  in  colour,  and  have  been  added 
to  of  recent  years,  but  severe  winters  have  thinned  them,  and  they 
will  always  be  best  in  dry  soils  and  in  sunny  positions,  protected 
in  winter.  They  are  best  kept  apart  from  flowers  more  refined  in 
colour,  such  as  the  Tea  Rose.  The  Day  Lilies  are  a  really  hardy 
race,  and  most  of  them  will  grow  anywhere.  With  their  fine  leaves 
and  showy,  well-formed  flowers,  they  may  be  used  with  good  effect 
in  various  ways.  The  Belladonna  Lily  can  be  grown  in  no  more 
effective  way  than  the  old  one  of  planting  it  under  south  walls. 
The  Cape  Lilies  have  increased  of  late  years  from  hybrids  and 
otherwise,  and  are  worth  attention  in  deep  soil  in  warm  corners 
near  walls  that  protect  them  from  the  north.  The  African  Lily  is 
most  important  for  its  unrivalled  blue,  and  there  is  a  hardy  kind, 
Moreanus.  It  is  one  of  the  plants  for  which  the  expense  of  tubs  or 
large  pots  is  worth  indulging  in,  and  there  are  new  and  handsome 
kinds,  which  make  the  culture  more  interesting.  The  Wood  Lilies  are 
valuable  because  they  give  us  effects  both  distinct  and  beautiful  in 
peat  borders  or  bog  gardens.  Shade  is  not  essential,  though  we  think 
the  best  effects  are  attained  in  half-shady  spots.  The  Mariposa  Lilies 
are  beautiful,  but  they  come  from  one  of  the  best  climates  in  the  world, 
and  one  can  hardly  hope  that  they  will  thrive  in  our  climate  without 
special  care.  Yet  such  charming  flowers  will  always  have  a  place 
in  curious  gardens,  where  they  will  thrive  in  frames  and  warm  corners. 
The  Poppy  Anemone  has  been  a  welcome  flower  in  our  gardens 
for  hundreds  of  years,  and  it  should  never  be  forgotten,  save  in  cold 

soils  where  it  perishes.  Many  now  grow  it  well 
Anemone  and  from  seed,  but  the  old  way  of  planting  the  tubers 
Ranunculus.  of  favourite  kinds  and  colours  should  be  carried 

out  in  the  flower  garden  in  Rose  beds  or  in  any 
beds  to  spare.  The  Scarlet  Anemone  and  its  varieties  is  also 


48  THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER   GARDEN. 

precious;  the  Star  Anemone,  so  charming  in  Italy  and  Greece  in 
spring,  is  rarely  seen  happy  in  our  gardens,  which  are  too  cold  for 
it,  no  doubt,  so  it  may  well  be  left  out  in  favour  of  the  hardier  sorts. 
Valuable  as  the  brightest  Anemones  are,  the  old  Turban  and 
Persian  Ranunculus  and  other  forms  were  once  a  great  charm  of  the 
flower  garden,  and  should  not  be  forgotten  in  warm  soils,  where  they 
thrive,  but  they  perish  in  severe  winters,  and  require  some  care. 

The   old   Dog's-tooth  Violet   of  the   mountains   of  Europe   has 

been  joined    in    our  gardens    of  recent   years    by  a    number  of  its 

American     relations,    graceful     plants     for     peat 

Various  bulbs,  borders,  but  as  yet  not  so  valuable  as  the  European 
kind  in  its  various  forms,  which  are  among  the 
prettiest  early  spring  flowers.  They  are,  moreover,  true  wild 
garden  plants,  which  thrive  in  turf,  coming  up  every  year  even 
more  faithfully  than  Crocus  or  Snowdrop.  The  Snake's-head,  too 
(Fritillaria),  is  a  charming  wild  garden  plant,  thriving  in  grass  in  rich 
or  wet  meadows  ;  where  not  native  it  may  well  be  introduced.  The 
new  yellow  Fritillaries  give  a  greater  interest  to  this  group  of  plants, 
some  of  which  are  fitted  for  the  wild  garden,  but  we  never  could  see 
the  charms  of  the  Crown  Imperials,  with  their  offensive  odour.  The 
Stars  of  Bethlehem  (Ornithogalum)  thrive  in  grass,  and  are  pretty 
in  it.  Unfortunately,  the  handsome  Arabian  kind  is  not  hardy.  The 
Montbretias  are  plants  of  somewhat  recent  appearance  in  our  gardens, 
and  they  have  a  vigour  and  hardiness  we  do  not  look  for  in  Cape 
plants,  and  a  tenacious  way  of  growing  and  increasing  even  in  cold, 
poor  soil,  and  are,  therefore,  valuable  where  we  wish  to  have  close 
tufts  of  graceful  leaves  and  gay  blossoms  below  flowering  shrubs 
not  set  too  closely  on  the  ground.  Grape  Hyacinths  (Muscari)  are 
often  very  pretty,  and  nearly  always  hardy.  I  use  them  freely  in 
grass,  where  their  blue  is  very  pretty  in  spring.  The  choicer  newer 
kinds  will  find  a  place  in  the  nursery  beds  or  rock-garden  till  more 
plentiful. 

Among  the  new  plants  we  have  one  of  fine  distinction  in  the 
Giant  Asphodel  (Eremurus),  plants  of  noble  port  and  vigour, 

which,  best  grouped  among  shrubs,  hold  their  full 
Giant  Asphodel.      r, 

effect. 

The  old  tiger  flowers  (Tigridia)  should  not  be  forgotten,  especially 
on  limestone  or  other  warm  soils,  where  they  are  most  at  home. 
There  are  several  new  kinds,  which  make  the  family  of  more  value. 
Plants  that  give  much  pleasure  from  their  good  colours  are  the 
Triteleia  and  Brodiaea.  Some  new  and  pretty  effects  will  be  given 
by  the  best  of  these  as  soon  as  plentiful. 

So  noble  a  plant  as  the  Gladiolus  should  not,  perhaps,  have  been 
left  to  the  end,  but  the  fact  that  the  finest  class  are  only  half  hardy, 


HARDY   BULBOUS   FLOWERS.  49 

and  require  care,  makes  them  less  important  in  our  country  than 
Lilies  and  Narcissi,  that  give  so  much  beauty  with  little  or  no  care. 
The  years  pass  so  swiftly,  and  are  so  full  of  cares,  that  things 
demanding  two  important  attentions  yearly  —  i.e.,  taking  up  and 
planting — must  take  a  minor  place,  except  in  the  case  of  growers 
who  make  a  special  care  of  them.  Generally  our  climate  is  against 
the  older  Gladioli,  and  disease  very  often  comes  with  any  large 
attempt  to  grow  them. 

The  special  or   reserve  garden  includes  beds  for  hardy  bulbs — 
a  very  good  way  of  growing  them,  and  for  supplying  flowers  for  the 

house.     A  curious  habit  of  the  flowers  of  bulbs  is 

Hardy  bulbs  for    that,  cut  from  the   plants  when  just  opening  and 

cut  flowers.        put  into  water,  they  get  larger  than  they  would 

if  left  on  the  plants  out  of  doors,  and  this  should 
lead    us   to   encourage   many  lovely   flowers    among    hardy    bulbs 


Bed  of  Italian  Narcissus. 

that  are  among  the  best  for  our  rooms.  Hitherto  the  bane 
of  the  gardener  has  been  cutting  flowers  for  the  house ;  but 
if  cutting  prolongs  his  bloom,  strengthens  His  plants,  and  gives 
all  who  care  for  his  flowers  a  fuller  enjoyment  of  them,  we 
may  secure  his  powerful  aid.  Consider  what  one  may  escape 
in  storms,  frosts,  and  other  dangers  if  a  flower,  cut  just  on 
arriving  at  maturity,  lasts  longer  indoors  than  out,  and  actually,  as 
in  the  case  of  the  Narcissus,  gets  larger !  Narcissi,  through  their 
hardiness  and  drooping  heads,  endure  our  climate  better  than  any 
other  flowers,  and  yet  severe  storms  will  beat  them  about  and  destroy 

D 


50  THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 

flowers  that  might  have  lived  for  days  in  the  house.  Large  showy 
flowers  like  Tulips,  suffer  with  every  heavy  shower.  Anything  which 
makes  it  easier  to  have  flowers  in  the  house  is  a  real  gain  ;  their 
exquisite  forms  are  best  seen,  and  tell  their  story  best  when 
brought  near  to  the  eye.  A  flower  of  our  yellow  wood  Tulip 
opening  and  closing,  and  showing  its  changing  form  in  a  room,, 
gives  ideas  of  beauty  which  cannot  be  gleaned  by  glancing  at  a  bed 
of  bulbs. 

One  of  the  most  marked  improvements  is  the  planting  of  hand- 
some bulbs  in  masses  of  Rhododendrons  and    like  bushes.     These 

beds,  as  usually  planted,  are  interesting  only  when 

Hardy  bulbs       in  flower,  and  not  always  then,  owing  to  the  flat 

among  shrubs,     surface  into  which  the  shrubs  are  pressed  ;  Lilies,. 

therefore,  and  the  finer  bulbs  may  with  great 
advantage  be  placed  among  the  shrubs.  In  many  cases  where  this 
plan  has  been  carried  out,  it  has  almost  changed  the  entire  aspects 
of  gardens,  and  given  various  beautiful  types  of  life  instead  of  only 
one,  and  many  fine  rare  bulbs  find  a  home  in  such  beds,  which 
should  be  sacred  from  the  spade.  In  placing  choice,  peat-loving 
shrubs,  give  the  bushes  room  to  fully  attain  their  natural  forms,  and 
plant  the  interspaces  with  finer  bulbs.  Light  and  shade,  relief  and 
grace,  are  among  the  merits  of  this  mode  of  planting.  Beds  of  the 
smaller  shrubs  will  do  admirably  for  the  smaller  and  more  delicate 
bulbs,  the  shelter  of  low  shrubs  being  an  advantage  to  many  little 
bulbs  whose  leaves  are  apt  to  suffer  from  cold  winds.  In  this  way 
we  get  relief,  variety,  and  longer  bloom,  and  the  shrubs  show 
their  forms  better  when  they  have  free  play  of  light  and  air  about 
them. 

Bold  beds  of  Lilies  and  the  taller  bulbs    are  admirable  for   the 
lawn,  and  for  quiet  corners  of  the  pleasure-ground.     The  showy  beds 

of  bulbs  which  are  to  be  seen  in  public  and  other 

Bulbs  in  beds      gardens,  and  which    come  so  largely  into  spring 

on  turf.  gardens,  are  familiar  to  all.     The  beds  suggested 

here  are  of  a  higher  and  more  permanent  nature,, 
and  are  intended  to  be  placed  where  they  will  be  let  alone.  At 
Moulton  Grange  some  years  ago  I  saw  on  the  turf  in  a  quiet  corner 
a  bed  of  Tiger.  Lilies  which  had  no  other  flowers  near  to  mar  its 
beauty.  It  was  a  large  oval  bed,  and  the  colour  of  the  finely  grown 
Lilies  was  brilliant  and  effective  seen  through  the  trees  and  glades. 
In  point  of  colour  alone,  nothing  could  be  better  ;  the  mass  of  bloom 
was  profuse,  and  the  plants,  about  6  feet  high,  told  well  in  the  garden 
landscape.  Among  the  most  lovely  beds  are  those  of  the  nobler 
Lilies,  while  Iris,  and*  many  beautiful  Day  Lily,  Paeony,  Gladiolus, 
and  Cape  Hyacinth  may  be  grouped  with  them  or  near  them.  It 


HARDY   BULBOUS   FLOWERS. 


may  be  as  well  to  note  that  what  is  meant  here  is  not  wild  garden- 
ing with  bulbs,  but  very  good  cultivation  of  them,  and  surfacing  and 
edging  the  beds  with  spring  flowers. 


Some  Hardy  Bulbous  and  Tuberous  Plants  for  British  Flower  Gardens. 


Acis 

Agapanthus 

Allium 

Alstrcemeria 

Amaryllis 

Anemone 

Anthericum 

Arum 

Calla 


Calochortus 

Chionodoxa 

Colchicum 

Convallaria 

Crocus 

Cyclamen 

Erythronium 

Fritillaria 

Galanthus 


Gladiolus 

Galtonia 

Hyacinthus 

Iris 

Ixiolirion 

Leucojum 

Lilium 

Montbretia 

Muscari 


Narcissus 

Orchis 

Ornithogalum 

Oxalis 

Paeon  ia 

Pancratium 

Puschkinia 

Ranunculus 

Schizostylis 


Scilla   _ 

Sparaxis 

Sternbergia 

Tigridia 

Trillium 

Triteleia 

Tritonia 

Tropseolum 

Tulipa 


CHAPTER  VII. 

ANNUAL  AND   BIENNIAL   PLANTS. 

WHATEVER  we  may  do  with  perennials,  shrubs,  or  hardy  bulbs,  the 
plants  in  this  class  must  ever  be  of  great  value  to  the  flower  gardener; 
and  among  the  most  pleasant  memories  of  flower  garden  things  are  often 
those  of  annual  or  biennial  plants  such  as  tall  and  splendid  Stocks  in  a 
farmhouse  garden  on  a  chalky  soil,  seen  on  a  bright  day  in  early  spring  ; 
Wallflowers  in  London  market  gardens  and  in  cottage  gardens,  when 
not  cut  down  by  cruel  winters  ;  Snapdragons  on  old  garden  walls,  and 
bright  Marigolds  everywhere;  Hollyhock  lines,  Sweet  Pea  hedges,  and 
Mignonette  carpets  ;  Evening  Primrose,  Poppies,  Sweet  Scabious,  and 
Sweet  Williams.  However  rich  a  garden  may  be  in  hardy  flowers  or 
bedding  plants,  it  is  wise  in  our  climate  to  depend  much  on  annual 
flowers. 

Like  most  other  plants,  they  enjoy  fresh  ground,  and  where  they 
are  grown  in  borders  by  themselves  it  is  easy  to  enrich  the  ground, 
and  make  it  fitted  for  them,  easier  than  when  grown  among 
perennials,  Roses,  and  the  like.  With  this  precaution  the  culture 
is  very  simple. 

52 


ANNUAL  AND  BIENNIAL  PLANTS.  53 

In  wet  seasons  and  in  wet  northern  districts  annuals  surprise 
us  by  their  vigour  and  beauty.  In  warmer  counties  the  defect  of  the 
heat  may  in  the  case  of  the  hardy  kinds  be  met  by  autumn  sowing  in 
good  rich  ground.  The  autumn  sowings  are  the  best.  The  plants 
not  only  flower  much  sooner,  but,  where  the  soil  and  climate  suit 
them,  they  are  stronger  and  more  beautiful. 

Concerning  crowding,  "  Salmoniceps "  writes:  —  "1  have  just 
measured  a  plant  to-day  (October  4)  of  Nemophila  insignis,  sown 
more  than  a  year  ago.  It  has  been  in  flower  since  May,  and  measures 
now  4  feet  by  3  feet  10  inches.  It  would  take  a  long  time  to  count 
the  blossoms,  although  they  are  not  so  large  as  the  earlier  ones.  The 
plant  grows  in  a  new  and  rich  border.  According  to  the  ordinary 
way  of  sowing  annuals,  this  single  plant  occupies  the  space  which  is 
usually  allotted  to  a  whole  packet  of  seed." 

In  nature,  annuals  are  usually  autumn-sown  and  gather  strength 
in  the  winter.  In  growing  a  number  of  annuals  from  various  countries 
we  must  remember  that  our  winters  can  be  faced  by  the  hardy 
ones  only,  such  as  the  Sweet  Pea,  Cornflower,  Silene,  Nemophila, 
Viscaria,  Limnanthes,  Larkspur,  Poppy,  and  Scabious.  Annuals  are 
best  in  masses  or  groups. 

Among    annual    flowers    we    have    the    lovely    Everlastings    of 

Australia,  which  have   an  order  of  beauty  distinct  from  those  we 

see  in  gardens  into  which  annuals  do  not  enter. 

Everlastings.  Carefully  gathered,  they  may  adorn  our  houses 
during  the  winter.  The  Pimpernels,  which  with 
their  pretty  blue  flowers  were  once  made  charming  use  of  in  gardens, 
are  much  neglected.  The  Mexican  Poppy  is  a  pretty  flower  and 
quite  distinct.  Among  annuals  we  find  plants  of  fine  foliage  or 
habit,  such  as  the  Hemp,  Castor  Oil  Tree  and  Mallows,  Maize 
and  other  grasses,  Cotton  and  Blessed  Thistles.  The  annual 
Chrysanthemums  of  Southern  Europe  and  Northern  Africa,  and 
indeed  of  our  own  fields,  are  strong  in  effect.  The  annual  Bindweeds 
are  pretty,  and  in  southern  gardens  may  be  used.  The  annual 
Larkspurs  are  so  little  used  in  gardens  that  it  is  only  in  seed 
farms  that  we  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  them  now  and  then  in  all 
their  beauty.  The  annual  Chinese  Pinks  are  brilliant  grown  in  sunny 
beds  and  good  soil.  Our  native  Foxglove,  seen  in  many  of  our  wood- 
lands, breaks  in  the  hands  of  the  gardener  into  varieties  well  worth 
growing,  if  not  in  the  garden,  in  shrubberies  and  in  copses  and  woods. 
It  is  a  good  plan,  when  any  ground  is  broken  up  for  fence-making  or 
rough  planting,  to  scatter  a  few  seeds  of  the  white  and  other  pretty 
kinds  and  leave  them  to  take  care  of  themselves.  There  are  many 
graceful  grasses  which  may  be  treated  as  annuals,  and  their  flowers, 
like  the  Everlasting  flowers,  be  in  bloom  through  the  winter.  The 


54  THE  ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 

night-smelling  Stocks  will  appeal  to  some,  but  are  rather  too  strong 
in  odour  for  others.  The  annual  Hibiscus  when  well  grown  are 
.-effective  plants,  and  the  same  may  be  said  of  the  Hollyhock,  for 
which  probably  the  best  way  is  to  raise  it  from  seed,  as  in  that 
way  we  can  fight  better  against  the  fungus.  The  Single 
Hollyhock  is  worthy  of  much  care  and  is  often  very  effective. 
The  Flaxes  are  very  pretty  annuals,  red  and  blue,  and  even  the 
common  cultivated  Flax  is  a  beautiful  plant.  The  beauty  of  the 
Ice  plants,  of  which  we  see  so  little  in  our  country,  is  fairly  shown 
by  the  little  annual  one.  In  our  day  quite  a  series  of  beautiful  forms 
of  Mignonette  have  come  to  add  to  the  charms  of  that  always 
welcome  plant.  The  annual  and  biennial  Evening  Primroses  are 
often  extremely  valuable  and  showy. 

The  Sweet  Scabious  are  pretty  and  varied  in  colour  and  so 
fragrant.  Of  Sweet  Peas  there  is  a  delightful  series  in  our  own 
day,  when  so  many  kinds  have  been  raised  that  one  could  easily 
make  a  garden  of  them.  No  words  can  exaggerate  their  value, 
either  in  mixed  or  separate  colours,  and  they  should  be  both 
autumn  and  spring  sown,  so  as  to  get  a  chance  of  those  fine  tall 
hedges  of  Sweet  Peas  which  come  where  we  sow  in  autumn  and 
get  the  plants  safely  through  the  winter,  and  they  are  doubly 
valuable  owing  to  the  many  beautiful  new  kinds.  Zinnia  is  extremely 
.fine  in  colour,  but  in  our  country  it  wants  warm  soils  and  the  best 
positions  in  order  to  do  well.  In  Italy,  Austria,  and  South  Germany 
it  is  much  more  beautiful  and  vigorous  than  with  us. 

Some  annual  plants,  like  the  Cornflower,  Sweet  Sultan,  Sweet 
Pea,  Scabious,  are  precious  for  cutting  for  the  house,  and  may  be 
grown  with  the  hardy  flowers  for  this  purpose  where  there  is  room 
for  it ;  others  are  good  for  trellis-work,  and  others  for  surfaces  we 
wish  to  adorn  with  pretty  climbers,  such  as  Canary  Creeper, 
Maurandya,  Adlumia,  Gourds,  Convolvulus. 

The  various  French  and  African  Marigolds,  and  the  prettier  forms 
of  the  pot  Marigold,  are  very  showy  plants,  and,  for  those  who 
love  much  colour,  are  almost  essential,  and  the  same  may  be  said 
of  the  various  annual  Calliopsis.  The  China  Aster  used  to  be 
grown  much  better  than  it  is  generally  now,  and  there  is  no  doubt, 
where  people  do  not  get  much  colour  from  other  plants,  such  as 
Roses  and  the  finer  perennials,  the  China  Aster  in  its  many  forms 
is  useful.  But  more  important  by  far  are  the  various  kinds  of 
Stock,  which  have  the  added  charm  of  fragrance,  and  which  do 
so  well  in  many  gardens  with  light  and  warm  soils  in  the  north 
and  in  Scotland.  Cosmos  are  pretty  plants  worthy  of  a  place,  and 
the  best  of  the  annual  kinds  of  Datura  are  picturesque  and  distinct. 
Chinese  Pinks  are  very  beautiful  and  charming  in  variety.  The 


White    Foxglove.     Engraved  from   a  photograph  by   H.    Hyde  of  a  self-sown   plant  in   shrubbery 

at  Gravetye  Manor. 


56  t  THE  ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 

Gaillardias,  which  are  such  poor  perennials  in  many  soils,  are  in 
some  cases  better  raised  as  annuals,  and  there  are  annual  kinds 
of  value.  The  Gilias  are  very  pretty,  varied,  and  hardy,  and  some 
very  dwarf,  forming  a  carpet  for  taller  plants. 

The  Godetias,  allied  to  the  Evening  Primroses,  are  handsome 
when  well  grown,  especially  the  white  and  simple  coloured  kinds, 
and  where  they  live  over  the  winter,  from  autumn  sowing,  they 
are  very  strong  and  handsome  the  following  year.  The  many 
varieties  of  the  annual  Ipomaea  are  graceful,  there  being  much 
charming  variety  among  the  blooms,  and  with  these  may  be  named 
the  various  kinds  of  Convolvulus  minor,  which  does  not  climb.  Lavatera 
and  Malope  are  handsome  plants  in  the  autumn  garden,  as  are  the 
Lupins,  well  grown,  and  the  new  Nemesia  from  the  Cape  is  charming, 
The  white  Tobacco  and  the  true  Tobacco  are  handsome  in  warm 
soils.  We  think  the  various  Nigellas  very  interesting,  while  every 
one  should  have  the  annual  Phloxes,  now  to  be  had  in  such  good 
colours,  and  the  Portulacas,  which  are  so  showy  on  warm  borders. 
The  Salpiglossis  is  a  beautiful  plant,  especially  where  we  take  the 
trouble  to  select  the  simpler  colours,  the  amber  coloured  one  being 
very  fine.  The  Sweet  Scabious  has  charming  varieties,  and  is  often 
very  fine  in  colour,  though  not  so  good  on  heavy  and  cool  soils. 

The  Sweet  Sultans  are  pretty,  and  useful  for  cutting  for  the 
house,  and  Love-lies-bleeding  (Amaranthus)  and  its  allies  are 
quaintly  effective.  The  Snapdragons,  which  are  often  treated  as 
annuals,  are  frequently  excellent  when  grown  in  their  simple  colours, 
the  striped  kinds  not  being  nearly  so  good  in  effect.  The  annual 
Poppies  are  essential  where  a  good  display  is  hoped  for  from 
annuals,  also  the  Mexican  and  Californian  Poppies.  Such  hand- 
some plants  as  the  varieties  of  Tropaeolum  are  also  many  of  them 
beautiful  annuals.  Among  plants  of,  perhaps,  less  importance  than 
some  of  the  preceding,  the  following  may  be  mentioned  :  Bartonia, 
Brachycome,  Calandrinia,  Cosmidium,  Nolana,  Didiscus,  Kaulfussia, 
Linum,  Lobelia,  Martynia,  Mesembryanthemum,  Nycterinia,  Platy- 
stemon,  Saponaria,  Senecio,  Stenactis,  and  Xeranthemum,  as  afford- 
ing some  good  plants  for  those  interested  in  flower  gardening  with 
annual  and  biennial  plants. 

It  is  not  every  one  who  has  the  means  to  winter  a  large  number 

of  tender  bedding  plants,  and  the  keeping  of  a  large  stock  involves 

much    work,  and    takes   up  space   that  might    be 

Half-hardy  plants    better  occupied.     But  a  garden  may  be  made  very 

as  annuals.        gay  in  summer  with  half-hardy  plants  raised  from 

seed,  and  without  keeping  a  single  plant  over  the 

winter  in  the  greenhouse.     In  seedlings  there  may  be  differences  in 

habit  and  colour,  but  this  should  be  no  objection.     There  are  a  few 


ANNUAL  AND  BIENNIAL  PLANTS.  57 

plants  which  come  from  seed  true  to  the  type  through  many  genera- 
tions, like  Verbena  venosa.  Seedling  Verbenas  make  a  handsome  bed, 
and  usually  do  much  better  so  grown  than  from  cuttings.  Balsams, 
again,  are  not  half  so  much  used  for  open-air  decoration  as  they 
deserve  to  be,  and  those  who  have  only  seen  them  starving  in  small 
pots  cannot  form  an  idea  of  their  beauty  when  planted  out  in  goodr 
open  soil,  away  from  trees  and  in  warm  soils.  Take  the  border 
Pansies  in  various  shades  of  purple,  yellow,  and  white.  Varieties  may 
be  raised  in  the  early  spring  for  planting  out  the  same  summer,  and  so- 
of  the  Verbena,  Pelargonium,  Pyrethrum,  Salvia  patens,  S.  argentea, 
Heliotrope,  and  Snapdragons,  which  should  be  sown  in  heat  in  January; 
to  the  Petunia,  Phlox  Drummondi,  Dianthus,  Indian  Pink,  Ageratum, 
and  Lobelia,  which  in  February  should  be  sown  in  pans  in  heat,  andr 
if  kept  growing,  will  be  ready  for  planting  out  in  May.  Begonias  for 
bedding  maybe  grown  from  seed  in  the  same  year,  but  are  more  effective 
if  raised  during  the  preceding  year,  selected  according  to  colour,  and 
stored  in  winter  ready  for  bedding  out  early  in  summer.  Fuchsias 
sown  in  January  flower  well  in  August.  Of  fine-leaved  plants  which 
can  be  raised  from  seed  for  use  in  the  open-air  the  same  year,  there 
are  Amaranthus,  Celosia,  Centaurea,  Cineraria,  Humea,  Canna, 
Chamaepeuce,  Nicotiana,  Ricinus,  Solanum,  and  Wigandia. 

Old  plants  of  Verbenas  and  like  plants  kept  through  the  winter 
harbour  the  eggs  of  vermin  always  ready  to  eat  up  the  collection 
if  it  is  neglected  for  a  week,  but,  starting  with  clean  houses  and 
frames,  and  with  seeds  in  early  spring,  the  gardener  makes  a  better 
fight  against  his  many  insect  enemies.  As  regards  the  plants  one 
would  like  to  raise  in  this  way,  seedsmen  should  select  and  fix  distinct 
colours  of  different  races  of  plants.  It  would  not  be  difficult  to  select 
a  bluish  or  purple  Verbena  which  one  might  count  on  as  coming 
pretty  true  from  seed.  We  have  so  much  relied  upon  cuttings  and 
old  plants  that  the  raising  of  fine  seedlings  has  seldom  had  fair 
attention.  Many  raise  seeds,  but  few  give  the  early  thinning,  the 
light,  the  sturdy  growth,  and  the  unchecked  culture  that  seedlings 
require  ;  but  now,  when  we  may  raise  not  only  the  annual  pure  and 
simple,  but  the  half-hardy  flower-garden  plants,  and  the  nobler  hardy 
plants  like  Carnations  and  Hollyhocks,  seed-raising  for  the  flower 
garden  deserves  much  attention. 

Biennial  plants  are  usually  such  as  make  their  growth  in  one  year 

and  flower  the   next,  but  the  line  between   biennial  and  annual   is 

not  a  strict  one,  because  in  their  native  countries 

Biennial  plants,     annual  plants  often  spring  up  in  one  year,  and 

flower  the  next.     In  countries  with  open  winters 

and  hot  summers,  annuals  do  so  naturally,  and  begin  to  grow  in 

the   first   rains   through   the  winter,  and    flower   strongly   the   next 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


Annuals  autumn- 
sown. 


year — these  often  being  kinds  sown  in  spring  in  gardens.  Holly- 
hocks, Foxgloves,  Chimney  Campanula,  and  Sweet  Williams  come 
under  this  head,  but  in  some  cases  early  raising  in  spring  gives  us 
a  chance  of  blooming  some  of  them  the  same  year  as  they  are 
sown.  In  any  case  it  is  better  for  simplicity's  sake  to  group  all 
annual  and  biennial  plants  together,  and  with  them  the  half-hardy 
plants  raised  from  seed  for  use  in  the  flower  garden,  as  the  work  of 
raising  all  is,  to  a  great  extent,  the  same. 

Annuals  are  a  much  greater  aid  in  the  flower  garden  than  is 
generally  acted  upon.  Often  sown  in  a  hurried  way  in  the  spring, 
they  give  a  good  effect,  it  is  true,  for  those  who 
depend  much  on  annuals  ;  but  some  of  the  very 
finest  are  best  if  sown  in  the  early  autumn,  so  that 
they  can  get  a  hold  when  there  is  still  some  warmth 
in  the  earth.  I  usually  sow  them  the  first  week  in  September,  and 
among  the  beautiful  things  that  pass  the  winter  with  safety  here 
and  flower  long  in  the  spring  are  the  Collinsias,  grandiflora  and 
bicolor,  Nemophylla  insignis  and  maculata,  the  beautiful  Phacelia 
Campanularia,  which  first  seeded  itself  in  my  garden  and  taught  me 
that  it  might  face  the  winter,  best  of  course  in  a  warm  position  and 
free  soil.  There  may  be  also  some  we  have  never  tried,  because  all 
the  European  annuals  might  certainly  be  depended  on  to  go  through 
the  winter.  Of  the  Phlox  I  am  not  so  sure  about,  but  it  is  a  hand- 
some plant  in  summer.  The  blue  Cornflower  is  much  better  and 
handsomer  autumn-sown.  And  one  may  say  generally  of  all  annuals 
that  naturally  shed  their  seeds  in  summer  and  autumn,  and  in  their 
own  country  gather  strength  during  the  winter,  that  they  are  able  to 
throw  up  a  fine  bloom  in  the  spring. 

Some  Annual  and  Biennial  Plants,  and  Half-hardy  Plants  raised  from  Seed 

for  the  Floiver  Garden. 


Acroclinium 

Adlumia 

Agathaea 

Ageratum 

Agrostemma 

Alonsoa 

Alyssum 

Amaranthus 

Amberboa 

Ammobium 

Anagallis 

Antirrhinum 

Arctotis 

Argemone 

Bartonia 

Boerkhau  sia 

Brachycome 

Caland  rinia 

Calceol  aria 

Calendula 

Calliopsis 

Campanula 

Cannabis 

Catananche 

Celosia 

Celsia 

Centaurea 

Centranthus 


Cheiranthus 

Hollyhock 

Mirabilis 

Sal  via 

China  Aster 

Iberis 

Myosotis 

Saponaria 

Chrysanthemum 

Impatiens 

Nemesia 

Scabious 

Clarkia 

lonopsidium 

Nemophila 

Schizanthus 

Clintonia 

Ipomaea 

Nicotiana 

Schizope  talon 

Convolvulus 

Ipomopsis 

Nierembergia 

Senecio 

Coreopsis 

Isotoma 

Nigella 

Silene 

Cosmidium 

Kaulfussia 

Nolana 

Solanum 

Cosmos 

Lasthenia 

Nycterinia 

Sorghum 

Datura 

Lavatera 

CEnothera 

Specularia 

Delphinium 
Dianthus 

Leptosiphon 
Leptosyne 

Onopordon 
Oxalis 

Sphenogyne 
Stenactis 

Didiscus 

Limnanthes 

Oxyura 

Stocks 

Digitalis 

Linaria 

Papaver 

Sweet  Peas 

Erysimum 

Linum 

Pelargonium 

Sweet  William 

Erythraea 

Loasa 

Pentstemon 

Tagetes 

Eschscholtzia 

Lobelia 

Petunia 

Tropaeolum 

Eucharidium 

Lophospermum 

Phacelia 

Verbascum 

Eutoca 

Lupin 

Pharbitis 

Verbena 

Gaillardia 

Maize 

Phlox 

Viola 

Gilia 

Malope 

Platystemon 

Virginia  Stock 

Glauctum 

Malva 

Podolepis 

Viscaria 

Godetia 

Martynia 

Polygonum 

Waitzia 

Gypsophila 

Maurandya 

Portulaca 

Whitlavia 

Hedysarum 

Mesembryan- 

Pyrethrum 

Zea 

Helichrysum 

themum 

R  hod  an  the 

Zeranthemum 

Heliophila 

Mignonette 

Ricinus 

Zinnia 

Hesperis 

Mimulus 

Salpiglossis 

CHAPTER   VIII. 

FLOWERING   SHRUBS   AND   TREES,   AND   THEIR   ARTISTIC   USE. 

SPRING  comes  to  us  wreathed  in  Honeysuckle,  and  summer  brings 
the  Wild  Rose  and  the  May  bloom,  and  these  are  but  messengers 
of  a  host  of  lovely  shrubs  and  low  trees  of  the  hills  and  plains  of 
northern  and  temperate  regions,  and  also  of  the  high  mountains 
of  countries  like  India,  where  there  are  vast  alpine  regions  with 
shrubs  as  hardy  as  our  own,  as  we  see  in  the  case  of  the  white 
Clematis  that  covers  many  an  English  cottage  wall  with  its  fair 
white  bloom.  If  we  think  of  the  pictures  formed  in  thousands  of 
places  in  England,  Scotland,  and  Ireland  by  the  May  alone,  we 
may  get  an  idea  of  the  precious  beauty  there  is  in  the  American, 
Asiatic,  and  European  kinds,  some  of  which  flower  later  than  our 
own  and  make  the  May  bloom  season  longer.  Nothing  is  lovelier 
among  flowering  trees  than  a  group  of  the  various  Thorns,  beautiful 
also  in  fruit,  and  the  foliage  of  some  kinds  is  finely  coloured  in 
autumn.  The  Thorns  are  but  one  branch  of,  perhaps,  the  most 

59 


60  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

important  order  of  flowering  trees,  embracing  the  Apples  (a  garden  in 
their  varied  flowers  alone) ;  Pears,  wild  and  cultivated  ;  Crabs,  pretty 
in  bloom  and  bright  in  fruit ;  Quinces,  Medlars,  Snowy  Mespilus, 
Almonds,  Double  Cherries,  Japan  Quinces,  Plums  (including  Sloe 
and  Bullace),  not  to  speak  of  a  number  of  less  important  families. 
Among  these,  the  larger  and  more  important  branches  of  this  great 
order  of  plants,  there  is  some  likeness  in  habit  and  size,  which  allows 
of  similar  use. 

The  Double  Peaches  are  among  the  most  precious  of  trees  of  this 
order,  but  for  some  reason  we  rarely  see  them  in  any  but  a  miserable 
state  in  England.  In  France  they  are  sometimes  lovely,  not  only  in 
the  flower,  but  in  the  mass  of  colour  from  healthy  growth.  It  may 
be  that  the  failure  of  the  shoots  to  ripen  in  our  cool  climate  is  owing 
to  some  weakness  through  grafting  on  a  bad  stock.  There  is  such 
a  great  and  noble  variety  among  these  trees  that  there  is  room  for 
distinct  effects.  An  excellent  point  in  favour  of  trees  like  Crabs, 
Almonds,  and  Bird  Cherries  is  that,  in  their  maturity,  they,  in  groups 
or  single  specimens,  stand  free  on  the  turf — free,  too,  from  all 
care ;  and  it  is  easy  to  see  how  important  this  is  for  all  who  care  for 
English  tree-fringed  lawns  —  a  long  way  more  beautiful  than  any 
other  kind  of  tree  garden. 

It  is  not  only  the  flowers  on  the  trees  we  have  to  think  of,  but 

of  their  use  also  in   the  house — as  cut  flowers   gathered  when  the 

buds  are  ready  to  open — gathering  the  branchlets 

Cut  flowers  for     and  long  twigs  before  the  flowers  are  quite  out 

house.  and    placing   them  in  vases  in  rooms.      In  very 

bad  weather  this  way  will  prolong  the  bloom  for 

us,  or  even   save   it  in  the  case  of  very  hard  frost,  and  in  a  cold 

spring  it  will  advance  the  bloom  a  little,  the  warmth  of  the  house 

giving  a  few  days'  gain  in   time  of  opening.     As  to  the  kinds   of 

shrubs  that  may  be  cut  for  the  house  in  this  way  there  are  many 

of  the  same  race,  from  the  Sloe  to  the  beautiful  kinds  of  Apple. 

There  is  a  good  deal  in  putting  them  into  the  right  sort  of  glass. 

The   Japanese  are   very   clever  in  fitting  the  flowers  into  vases  so 

that  each  may  show  its  form  and  beauty  best. 

While  such  trees  as  the  Almond  or  Crab  will  usually  be  in  the 
more  distant  parts  of  the  garden  picture,  the  variety  of  flowering 
shrubs  is  so  great  that  we  may  choose  from  among  them  for  the 
most  precious  of  flower  garden  beds.  Take  an  ordinary  flower 
garden  under  the  windows  of  the  house,  where  the  beds  in  winter 
are  often  as  bare  as  oilcloth.  What  beautiful  groups  of  flowering 
evergreens  we  might  plant  in  them !  Mountain  Laurels  (Kalmia), 
Japan  and  American  Andromeda,  Azaleas, choice  Evergreen  Barberries, 
alpine  Cotoneaster,  Evergreen  Daphne,  Desfontainea,  in  the  south  ; 


FLOWERING  SHRUBS  AND  TREES,  AND    THEIR  ARTISTIC  USE.      61 

the  taller  hardy  Heaths,  Escallonia,  Ledum,  alpine  and  wild  forms 
of  Rhododendron,  Sweet  Gale,  Star  bush,  and  various  Laurustinus, 
leaving  out  not  a  few  which  thrive  only  in  the  warmer  districts. 
Charming  gardens  might  be  made  of  such  bushes,  not  lumped 
together,  but  in  open  groups,  with  the  more  beautiful  American 
hardy  flowers  between  them,  such  as  the  Wood  Lily  and  Mocassin 
flower,  many  rare  Lilies,  and  beautiful  bulbous  flowers  of  all  seasons. 
The  light  and  shade  and  variety  in  such  beds  of  choice  evergreens 
and  flowers  mingled  are  charming,  and  the  plan  would  be  a  per- 
manent one  as  it  would  tend  to  abolish  the  never-ending  digging 
in  the  flower  garden.  Beds  of  flowering  shrubs  in  the  flower  garden 
are  not  always  so  well  suited  for  small  gardens  ;  but  in  bold  ones, 
now  naked  in  winter,  it  would  make  them  sightly  even  at  that 
season,  and  much  easier  to  deal  with  in  early  summer. 

Those  of  the  hybrid  sorts  are  too  much  used,  and,  as  they  are 

nearly  always  grafted,  the   common  stock  that  bears   them    in  the 

end   kills  the  plant  it  should  support,  and  so   we 

Rhododendrons,    too  often  see  the  common  pontic  kind.     Yet  there 

are    many  beautiful  things  among   these  hybrids. 

The  good  colours  are    well  worth  picking  out  from    them,  and  the 

aim  of  the  planter  should  be  to   show   the   habit  and   form  of  the 

plant.     This  does  not  mean  that  they  may  not  be  grouped  or  massed 

just  as  before,  but  openings  of  all  sizes  should  be  left  among  them 

for  light  and  shade,  and  for  handsome   herbaceous  plants  that  die 

down  in  the   winter,   thus  allowing  the  full  light   for  half  the  year 

to  evergreens. 

In  the  south  and  west  the  various  Arbutus  are  charming  for 
lawns  and  ravines,  and  for  sheltering  the  flower  garden,  as  is  also 
the  sweet  Bay  Laurel,  but  the  Common  Cherry  Laurel  and  the 
Portugal  should  not  be  planted  near  anything  precious. 

These  are,  considering  their  great  number  and  variety,   perhaps 

the  most  precious  flowering  shrubs  we  have ;  they  are  fine  in  form 

of  bush,  even  when  they  get  little  freedom,  and 

Hardy  Azaleas,     superb  in  colour,  the  foliage  in  autumn,  too,  being 

rich  in  colour  in  sunny  places.     The  Hydrangeas 

are  noble  plants  in   warm  valleys,  and  on  soils  where  they  are  not 

too  often  cut  down  by  the  winter ;  not  only  the  common  one  of  the 

markets,  which,  in   soils  where  it  turns  blue,  is  so  effective  in  the 

garden,  but  a   variety  of  good  kinds,  among  which   should  always 

be  the  oak-leaved  Hydrangea,  as  old  plants  of  it  are  so  handsome. 

As   these   are  plants  that   cannot  be  grown   everywhere,  this   is    a 

good  reason  why  they  should  be  made  much  of  where  the  climate 

suits  them.    There  are  few  garden  sights  more  interesting  than  groups 

of  Hydrangeas  well  grown  and  placed,  and  it  is  one  we  rarely  see. 


62  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

The  Brooms  have  many  effective  plants,  and  none  more  so  than, 
the  common  and  the  Spanish  Brooms,  which  should  be  massed  on 
banks,  or  where  they  will  come  into  the  picture,  and  some  of  the 
smaller  Brooms  are  excellent  for  rock  gardens.  The  Furze  in  all  its 
obtainable  forms  is  just  as  precious,  as  it  blooms  so  early,  it  will 
grow  almost  anywhere,  and  it  brightens  up  a  landscape  as  no  other 
plant  does.  We  have  only  to  place  it  in  any  rough  spots  to  enjoy  it 
without  care.  Native  shrubs  should  not  be  neglected ;  the  wild  single 
Guelder  Rose  is  as  pretty  a  shrub  as  any  from  across  the  sea,  while 
all  the  hardy  kinds  may  give  us  good  and  bold  effects  grouped  with 
or  near  such  bushes  as  Deutzias,  Weigelas,  Mock  Oranges — all  plants 
of  high  value  and  much  variety. 

From  an  artistic  point  of  view  nothing  is  better  than  groups  of 
our  hardy  Heaths  in  any  open  place  where  room  can  be  found  for 
them,  including  White  Heather  and  all  other 
Hardy  Heaths,  strong  varieties  of  heather,  as  well  as  all  other 
kinds  of  hardy  Heaths.  After  planting  they 
give  little  trouble,  and  they  are  good  in  colour  even  in  winter,. 
being  generally  happiest  out  of  the  garden  prpper,  where  any  other 
wild  plants  may  be  allowed  to  grow  among  them.  No  doubt,  the 
choicest  and  smallest  of  these  Heaths  deserve  careful  garden  culture,, 
but  for  effect  the  forms  of  our  common  Heather,  the  Cornish  and 
Irish  Heaths,  are  the  best,  and  in  bold  masses  not  primly  kept,  but, 
once  well  rooted,  allowed  to  mingle  with  any  pretty  wild  plants, 
We  might  even  assist  this  idea  by  sowing  or  planting  other  things, 
such  as  Foxgloves,  Hairbells,  or  the  small  Furze,  among  the  Heaths. 
When  Heaths  are  grown  in  this  way  their  bloom  is  charming  from 
the  first  peep  of  spring,  when  the  little  rosy  Heath  of  the  mountains 
of  central  Europe  begins  to  open,  till  the  autumn  days,  and  even 
the  mild  winter  ones,  when  the  delicately  tinted  Portuguese  Heath 
(E.  codonodes)  blooms  in  the  south  and  west  of  England. 

We  take  little  notice  of  such  minor  things  as  the  Fire-bush,  so; 
lovely  in  Cornwall,  and  pretty  also  in  other  seashore  districts,  as  it 
may  not  be  enjoyed  in  the  country  generally,  and  we  also  leave  out 
some  others,  like  the  Witch  and  Japan  Hazels,  the  Winter  Sweet,  and 
the  Allspice  bushes,  which,  though  pretty  seen  near  at  hand,  do  not 
give  us  those  definite  effects  in  the  garden  landscape  which  it  is 
well  to  seek  if  we  wish  to  get  out  of  the  fatal  jumble  of  the  common 
shrubbery.  The  Escallonias,  though  very  precious  in  seashore  gardens 
and  in  the  south  on  warm  soils,  are  apt  to  go  into  mourning  after 
hard  winters  elsewhere.  So  many  of  our  island  gardens  are  near 
the  sea  that  we  must  not  undervalue  these  shrubs,  but  a  constant 
source  of  waste  is  the  planting  of  things  not  really  hardy  in  districts 
where  they  perish  in  hard  winters,  such  as  the  Arbutus  about  London 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


and  in  the  midlands.  And,  even  where  things  seem  hardy,  some  of 
them,  like  Fuchsias,  never  give  the  charming  effects  we  get  Trom 
them  in  the  west  of  Ireland,  in  Wales,  and  in  warm  coast  gardens, 
whatever  care  we  take.  Such  facts  should  not  discourage,  because 
they  only  emphasise  the  lesson  that  the  true  way  in  a  garden  is 
for  each  to  do  what  soil  and  climate  allow  of,  and  in  that  way  we 
arrive  at  the  most  important  artistic  gain  of  all,  i.e.,  that  each  garden 
has  its  own  distinct  charms. 

A  very  lovely  group  is  the  Lilacs,  much  enriched  of  recent  years 
by  the  introduction  of  new  species  and  many  charming  varieties  of 

the  common  old   Lilac  —  lovely  plants,  worthy  of 
Lilacs.  the   finest   days  of  our  English  spring.     Few  of 

the  forms  found  in  France  seem  to  thrive  in  our 
gardens,  owing  to  grafting  on  the  Privet,  which  often,  after  a  year 
or  two's  poor  bloom,  kills  the  plant  and  begins  to  take  care  of 
itself.  How  much  evil  has  been  done  to  English  ideas  of  flower- 
ing shrubs  by  thrusting  this  Privet  everywhere  !  Lilacs,  being 
hardy  in  all  parts  of  Britain,  deserve  our  best  care,  and  should 
always  be  grouped  together  in  the  open  sun.  They  should  always 
be  bought  from  nurserymen  who  raise  them  from  layers  or  suckers 
in  the  good  old  way,  and  should  be,  once  grown  up,  always  kept 
a  little  open  and  free  by  simple  pruning,  so  that  we  may  get  hand- 
some trusses.  With  these,  too,  must  be  grouped  such  lovely  things 
as  the  Snowdrop  tree,  the  Stuartias,  and  Magnolias. 

The  Magnolias   have   recently   become   more   numerous,   and    it 
will  be  easy  soon  to  have   a  Magnolia  garden,  at  least  in  favoured 

places.     The  tree  Magnolias  should  come  among 
Magnolias.        the  taller  flowering  trees  in   the   distant  parts  of 

our  flower  grove  —  Horse  Chestnuts,  Buckeyes, 
Tulip  Trees,  Laburnums,  Catalpa,  and  Yellow  Wood.  The  Alpine 
Laburnum,  so  very  beautiful  in  bloom,  becomes  a  tall,  slender  tree 
where  not  overcrowded,  and  the  flowering  Ash  (Ornus)  must  not  be 
forgotten  among  the  taller  flowering  trees.  For  the  Paulownia,  so 
beautiful  in  France  and  Italy  in  spring,  our  climate  is  not  warm 
enough  to  secure  full  size  or  health,  save  in  the  most  favoured  places 
in  the  south. 

Some  shrubs  of  modest  charm  as  to  their  flowers  give  very  pretty 
effects  in  well-placed  groups,  such  as  the  flowering  Currant,  Tamarix, 

and    Ceanothus   on   walls.      But   none   are    more 
Wild  Roses.       charming   than   the  wild    Roses   in   summer,   the 

Sweet  Brier  being  taken  as  representing  our 
native  wild  Roses  ;  the  Glossy  Rose  (R.  lucida),  the  American 
wild  Roses  ;  the  many  flowered  Rose  (Polyantha),  and  the  Japanese 
(R.  rugosa).  These  and  others  I  have  planted  in  hedgerows  and 


FLOWERING  SHRUBS  AND  TREES,  AND  THEIR  ARTISTIC   USE.        65 

rough   fences,  and   have   never  planted  anything  that  has  given  a 
more  beautiful  return. 

The  Judas  Tree  is  neglected  in  England,  and  rarely  planted  in 
an  effective  way.  In  the  Pare  Monceau  in  Paris  there  is  a  beautiful 
grove  of  it  in  which  trees  of  various  ages  form  one  family  party, 
so  to  say,  showing  some  differences  in  colour  and  earliness.  Such 
slight  but  often  valuable  differences  arise  when  we  raise  trees  from 
seed  and  do  not  slavishly  follow  the  habit  of  grafting  one  thing  on 
another.  This  is  one  of  the  gains  of  following  a  more  natural  mode 
of  increasing  trees  than  is  usual  in  nurseries,  as  those  raised  from 
seed  have  a  chance  of  interesting  variations,  whereas  grafting  from 
the  same  identical  form  shuts  out  all  chance  of  it.  It  is  curious 
that  a  tree  so  effective  in  bloom,  and  so  distinct  in  habit  as  the 
Judas  Tree  is,  should  be  so  little  planted  with  us,  and,  when  planted, 
so  often  left  to  the  scant  mercy  of  the  shrubbery  border.  All  such 
trees  have  their  own  ways  and  wants,  and  should  not  be  j.umbled 
up  in  the  common,  crowded,  and  ignorant  way  of  planting. 

Of  Indian  Azaleas  in  the  open  air  Mr  C.  .R.  Scrase-Dickens 
writes  :  "  The  hardy  Azaleas  of  the  American  races  are  very  popular, 
but  few  know  the  value  of  the  white  Indian 
Azaleas  and  Azalea,  for  the  open  garden  in  the  south  of  England. 
flowering  shrubs.  Few  plants  give  so  little  trouble  when  once  estab- 
lished, even  though  the  late  frosts  may  now  and 
again  spoil  the  beauty  of  the  flowers.  When  planted  out  and  left 
alone  it  is  not  much  more  than  three  or  four  feet  in  height,  dense 
and  spreading.  The  engraving  shows  a  bush  over  ten  feet  across 
with  a  shadow  thrown  over  the  upper  part  by  a  tree  of  Magnolia 
which  grows  at  the  side.  It  gets  shelter  from  cold  winds  and 
from  too  fierce  a  sun  on  the  flowers.  Any  one  who  intends  to 
plant  this  Azalea  should  remember  that  it  flowers  naturally  at  a 
time  when  there  may  still  be  late  frosts  and  cold  winds  hovering 
about,  and  that  it  would  be  a  mistaken  kindness  to  choose  any 
place,  such  as  under  a  south  wall,  which  would  tend  to  make  the 
blossoms  open  earlier  in  the  season.  We  have  some  plants  under 
a  north  wall  which  do  admirably,  but  they  seem  to  like  association 
with  other  things.  The  variety  which  does  best  here  is  the  old 
typical  white.  Overgrown  plants  of  other  colours  from  the  green- 
house have  been  turned  out  sometimes,  but  they  do  not  seem  so 
happy  or  produce  so  good  an  effect." 

There  are  no  plants  so  much  neglected  as  flowering  shrubs,  and  even 
when  planted  they  are  rarely  well  grown,  owing  to  the  "  traditions  "  of 
what  is  called  the  shrubbery.  The  common  way  is  to  dig  the  shrubbery 
every  winter,  and  this  is  often  carried  out  as  a  matter  of  form 
without  giving  the  soil  any  manure,  while  much  harm  is  done  by 

E 


66 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


mutilating  the  roots  of  the  shrubs.  The  labour  and  time  wasted 
in  this  way,  if  devoted  to  the  proper  culture  of  a  portion  of  the 
ground  each  year,  would  make  our  gardens  delightful  indeed.  Many 
shrubs,  as  fair  as  any  flower  requiring  the  shelter  of  glass,  have 
been  introduced  into  this  country ;  but  for  the  most  part  they  have 
been  destroyed  by  the  muddle  "  shrubbery." 

The  idea  of  the  murderous  common  shrubbery  is  so  rooted  in 
the  popular  mind  that  it  is  almost  hopeless  to  expect  much  change 
tor  the  better.  The  true  way  is  to  depart  wholly  from  it  as  a 


Spiraea  (Belmont,  Carlow). 

mass  of  mixed  shrubs,  for  beautiful  families  should  be  grouped 
apart.  Each  family  or  plant  should  have  a  separate  place,  free 
from  the  all  -  devouring  Privet  and  Laurel,  and  each  part  of  the 
shrubbery  should  have  its  own  character,  which  may  easily  be 
given  to  it  by  grouping  instead  of  mixing,  which  ends  in  the 
starvation  of  the  choice  kinds.  The  shrubbery  itself  need  no  longer 
be  a  dark,  dreary  mass,  but  light  and  shade  may  play  in  it,  its 
varied  life  be  well  shown,  and  the  habits  and  forms  of  each  thing 
may  be  seen.  Shrubs  of  high  quality  or  rare  deserve  to  be  well 
grown.  Any  one  who  thinks  how  much  less  trouble  is  given  by 


FLOWERING  SHRUBS  AND  TREES,  AND  THEIR  ARTISTIC    USE.        67 

hardy  plants  than  by  pot  plants  will  not  begrudge  attention  to 
outdoor  things,  and  some  may  even  consider  a  garden  of  beautiful 
shrubs  as  a  conservatory  in  the  open  air,  no  kind  of  flower  gardening 
being  more  delightful  or  enduring. 

Whether  they  are  all  distinct  species  or  merely  varieties  it  matters 

little,  the  great  beauty  of  the  trees  being  undoubted,  not  only  in  their 

flowers,  but  in  their  fruits,  some  of  which  are  edible. 

Thorns  and  their      Being  natives  of  countries  colder  than  ours,  includ- 

future.  ing  much  of  Canada  and  North-Eastern  America, 

they  are  as  hardy  as  any  of  our  native  trees,  and 

well  fitted  for  planting  in  any  soil  or  position. 

Here,  there  was  a  slope  above  the  moat  cottage  too  steep  for 
plough  or  spade,  and  many  years  ago  I  planted  most  of  the  kinds  that 
were  obtainable  at  the  time,  and  while  some  did  very  well,  half  of 
them  failed  owing  to  their  being  grafted  on  the  wild  Thorn.  The 
latter  being  common  in  every  nursery,  opportunity  is  taken  to  graft 
exotic  kinds  upon  it,  with  the  result  that  the  native  kind  will  kill  the 
foreigner.  The  kinds  which  never  looked  back  were  the  forms  of  our 
native  kinds,  such  as  Paul's,  which,  "  worked  "  on  the  mother  tree,  pre- 
sented no  difficulty. 

The  important  thing  is  that  they  should  be  raised  from  seed,  the 
natural  method  of  increase,  and  as  the  shrubs  are  as  free  to  fruit  as  to 
flower,  there  should  be  no  difficulty  in  obtaining  plenty  of  seed. 

A  number  of  Thorns  have  been  tried  here  that  came  from  the 
Arnold  Arboretum,  in  Massachusetts  ;  they  were  seedling  plants,  and 
all  did  well, "the  enemy  being  the  rabbit.  Now  we  have  fewer  rabbits, 
the  Thorns  thrive. 

Apart  from  the  beauty  of  these  trees,  they  interested  me  for  their 

value  in  making  very  good  fences.     We  all  know  the  use  of  our  native 

Thorn  for  this  purpose,  and  some  of  these  foreign 

Good  fences.       kinds  might   give  a  better   fence   than  any  con- 
trivance of  barbed  wire. 

A  fault  of  the  native  Thorn  is  the  constant  labour  it  requires  to 
keep  it  in  shape,  and  some  of  the  wild  species  might  give  a  better 
fence.  This  is  important,  as  the  beauty  of  England  is  in  the  way  of 
being  lost  through  the  use  of  iron  fences.  Some  estates  are  quite  dis- 
figured for  landscape  beauty  by  the  iron  fence,  costly  and  not  so 
enduring.  The  only  fence  for  those  who  wish  to  preserve  the  beauty 
of  our  country  is  a  "  live  "  one  of  Thorn. 

The  Thorn  I  use  most  for  this  purpose  is  the  Cockspur.  It  makes 
a  very  good  fence  for  woods  where  frequent  trimming  is  not  needed, 
being  well  armed  with  spines,  and  the  leaves  turn  a  fine  brown  in 
autumn. 

In  view  of  the  great  importance  of  dwarf  effective  fences  for  our 


68 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


landscape,  it  might  be  worth  the  while  of  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society  to  make  a  trial  of  these  Thorns,  with  the  object  of  studying 
their  habits.  Some  are  fiercely  armed  with  spines,  far  more  so  than 
the  common  Thorn. 

A  wood  of  Cedars  of  Lebanon  which  I  planted  for  a  friend  some 
years  ago  was  fenced  with  iron  :  during  a  recent  visit  I  saw  the  fence 
smashed  to  pieces  by  the  stock.  Such  fences  are  not  without  danger 
to  animals,  whereas  a  good  live  fence  is  wholly  free.  No  doubt  such 
a  fence  takes  time  to  grow,  but  by  planting  seedlings  in  the  full  sun 
rapid  growth  is  made,  and  stout  Quick  might  even  be  planted  within 
the  iron  fence,  that  being  eventually  removed.  The  fairest  landscapes 
are  destroyed  if  one  has  to  look  at  them  through  an  iron  grille.  When 
I  came  to  Gravetye  I  found  much  iron  fencing,  and  I  removed  it  to 
the  woods  where  its  ugliness  could  not  be  seen,  and  it  had  a  real  use 
for  preserving  the  young  plantations  from  the  hare,  rabbit,  and  gipsies' 
horses. 

To  enjoy  their  beauty  in  a  mature  state,  the  best  places  for  these 
hardy  Thorns  are  the  fringes  of  copses  and  woods,  sandy  banks  or 
knolls  and  rocky  places,  and  they  should  be  grouped,  not  dotted 
about.  They  are  vigorous  enough  to  battle  with  weeds,  and  can  be 
trusted  to  take  care  of  themselves. 

There  is  evidence  of  their  picturesque  form,  endurance  and  beauty 
of  flower  and  fruit  in  some  of  our  parks  like  Shrubland,  and  in 
botanic  gardens  trees  raised  from  seeds  before  the  art  of  grafting  was 
used  in  too  many  ways.  The  fruit  is  so  abundant  that  its  value  for 
game  may  be  worth  a  thought,  and  the  fruit  of  some  kinds  is  known 
to  be  edible  in  South  Europe  and  in  China. 

Some  Flowering  Trees  and  Shrubs  Hardy  in  British  Gardens. 


Abelia 

Chionanthus 

Exochorda 

^Esculus 

Cladrastis 

Fabiana 

Akebia 

Clematis 

Forsytbia 

Amelanchier 

Clethra 

Fothergilla 

Amygdalus 

Colletia 

Garrya 

Andromeda 

Colutea 

Gaultheria 

Aralia 

Comptonia 

Genista 

Arbutus 

Cornus 

Gleditschia 

Arctostaphylos 
Asimina 

Corylopsis 
Cotoneaster 

Halesia 
Hamamelis 

Azalea 

Crataegus 

Hibiscus 

Azara 

Cydonia 

Hydrangea 

Berberidopsis 

Cytisus 

Hypericum 

Berberis 

Daphne 

Illicium 

Bignonia 

Desfontainea 

Indigofera 

Buddleia 

Desmodium 

Jasminum 

Calycanthus 

Deutzia 

Kalmia 

Camellia 

Edwardsia 

Kerria 

Caragana 

Embothrium 

Koelreuteria 

Catalpa 

Erica 

Laburnum 

Ceanothus 

Escallonia 

Ledum 

Cerasus 

Eucryphia 

Leiophyllum 

Cercis 

Euonymus 

Lespedeza 

Chimonanthus 

Leycesteria 
Liriodendron 

Rhodcra 
Rhodotypos 

Lonicera 

Ribes 

Lupinus 

Robinia 

Magnolia 

Rosa 

Mahonia 

Rubus 

Malus 

Sambucus 

Mespilus 
Olearia 

Sophora 
Spartium 

Ononis 

>piraea 

Ornus 

Staphylea 

Ozotbamnus 

Stauntonia 

Paulownia 

Stuartia 

Pavia 

Styrax 

Pernettya 

Syringa 

Philadelphus 

Tamarix 

Phlomis 

Ulex 

Piptanthus 

Veronica 

Prunus 

Viburnum 

Pterostyrax 

Virgilia 

Pyrus 

Weigela 

Raphiolepis 

Wistaria 

Rhododendron 

Xanthoceras 

***  Some  of  the  evergreens,  though  thriving  long  in  the  southern  and  shore 
lands,  may  perish  in  severe  winters  in  cold  inland  districts. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

CLIMBERS  AND   THEIR   ARTISTIC   USE. 

THE  splendid  'squadrons^' of  the  Pine,  with 
crests  proud  in  alpine  storm  and  massed  in 
serried  armies  along  the  northern  moun- 
tains— the  Oak  kings  of  a  thousand  winters 
in  the  forest  plain  are  lovely  gifts  of  the  earth 
mother,  but  more  precious  still  to  the  gar- 
dener are  the  most  fragile  of  all  woody  things 
that  garland  bush  and  tree  with  beautiful 
forms  and  blossoms,  like  Clematis,  Jasmine, 
and  Honeysuckle,  and  the  many  lace-workers 
of  the  woods  and  brakes.  It  is  delightful  to 
be  able  to  turn  our  often  ugly  inheritance 
from  the  builder  almost  into  gardens  by  the 
aid  of  these,  from  great  yellow  Roses  to  Ivy 
in  many  lovely  forms;  but  it  is  well  to  take 
a  wider  view  of  these  climbing  and  rambling 
bushes  and  their  places  in  the  garden  and  in 
the  pleasure  ground.  It  is  for  our  own  con- 
venience we  go  through  the  labour  of  nailing 
them  to  walls,  and  though  it  is  a  charming  and 
necessary  way  of  growing  them  it  is  well  to 
remember  that  many  climbers  may  be  grown 
in  beautiful  ways  without  such  laborious 
training.  The  tendency  to  over-pruning  of 
the  climbers  on  walls  ends  often  in  a  kind 
of  crucifixion,  and  the  more  freely  things  are  trained  the  better. 
Proof  of  this  is  in  the  handsome  masses  of  climbers  on  the  high 
walls  of  the  Trinity  College  Gardens  at  Dublin  and  in  many  private 
places  where  climbers  have  been  liberally  and  well  planted  on  walls. 
But  it  should  never  be  forgotten  that  many  of  these  plants  will 
grow  by  themselves,  like  the  Honeysuckles,  which,  while  pleasant  to 
see  on  walls,  are  not  less  so  on  banks,  or  even  on  the  level  ground. 

69 


7o  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

Pretty  fences  and  dividing  screens  may  also  be  easily  formed  by 
hardy  climbers.  The  wild  kinds  of  Clematis  are  charming,  and, 
apart  from  their  use  in  the  garden,  they  should  be  encouraged  for 
trees  and  banks. 

The  Ivy  of  our  northern  woods  has  broken  into  a  number  of 
beautiful  varieties  often  distinct  in  form  and  even  in  colour;  they 

deserve  far  more  attention  for  evergreen   bowers, 
Ivies.  evergreen  fences,  and   dividing    lines,  apart  from 

their  growth  on  walls  and  trees.  The  bush  forms 
of  these  may  make  broken  hedge-like  garlands  2  feet  to  3  feet 
high  round  little  isolated  flower  gardens,  Almost  equally  beautiful 
plants  in  form  of  leaf  are  the  Green  Briers  (Smilax).  some  of  which 
are  hardy  in  England,  but  seen  in  few  gardens,  and  rarely  treated 
in  an  artistic  way,  though  excellent  for  walls  and  rocks.  In  the 
eastern  counties  they  may  be  seen  doing  well  in  the  open  ground, 
as  in  Cambridge. 

Of  the  beauty  of  the  Jasmine  of  all  climbers  there  is  least  need 
to  speak,  yet  how  rarely  one  sees  the  old  white  Jasmine  made  good 
use  of  in  large  gardens.  It  should  be  in  bold  wreaths  or  masses 
where  it  thrives,  and  so  also  the  winter  Jasmine,  which  is  a  precious 
thing  for  our  country,  should  not  be  put  in  as  a  plant  or  two  in 
bad  conditions,  but  treated  as  a  fine  distinct  thing  in  masses  round 
cottages  and  outhouses.  The  finest  of  hardy  climbers,  the  Wistaria, 
is  much  more  frequently  and  rightly  planted  in  France  than  in  our 
gardens,  though  it  thrives  in  the  Thames  valley  as  well  as  in  the 
Seine  valley.  It  should  be,  in  addition  to  its  use  on  walls  and 
houses,  made  into  bold,  covered  ways  and  bowers  and  trained  up 
trees,  and  even  along  Oak  fences. 

It  is  not  only  that  stout  climbers  are  more  beautiful  and 
natural,  and  show  their  form  better  growing  amongst  trees,  but  it 

is  the  best  way  that  many  of  them  can  be  grown 
Climbers  on  trees,  with  safety  owing  to  their  vigour.  The  way  the 

common  Ivy  wreaths  the  trees  in  rich  woods, 
and  the  wild  Clematis  throws  ropes  up  trees  on  the  chalk  hills,  shows 
what  the  larger  hardy  climbers  do  over  trees  or  rough  or  open 
copses,  or  even  now  and  then  in  hedgerows.  Some  vigorous  climbers 
would  in  time  ascend  the  tallest  trees,  and  there  is  nothing  more 
beautiful  than  a  veil  of  Clematis  montana  running  over  a  tall  tree. 
Besides  the  well-known  climbers,  there  are  species  of  Clematis  which 
have  never  come  into  general  cultivation,  but  which  are  beautiful  for 
such  uses,  though  not  all  showy.  The  same  may  be  said  of  the 
Honeysuckles,  wild  Vines,  and  various  other  families  with  which  much 
of  the  northern  tree  and  shrub  world  is  garlanded.  Occasionally  one 
sees  a  climbing  Rose  rambling  over  a  tree,  and  perhaps  among  our 


CLIMBERS  AND  THEIR  ARTISTIC   USE. 


garden  pictures  nothing  is  more  lovely  than  such  a  Rose  when  in 
flower.  By  a  selection  of  the  hardiest  of  climbing  Roses  very 
beautiful  pictures  might  be  formed  in  our  pleasure  grounds  and 


Pergola  with  White  Japanese  Wistaria. 


plantations,  and  we  might  often  see  as  the  result  of  design  what 
is  now  mainly  an  accident,  as  a  number  of  wild  Roses  grow 
" freely"  among  trees  and  large  shrubs. 


72  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

A  home  for  these  is  often  found  on  walls,  and  in  our  country 
some  variety  of  wall  surface  is  a  great  gain  to  botanic  gardens  and 

private  gardens  like   Offington,  in  which  a  great 

Climbers  of  classic   variety    of  shrubs    from    all    countries    is   grown. 

beauty.  In    the    milder    districts    of  the   country   and    in 

favoured  spots  round  the  coast  some  of  the 
finest  exotics,  such  as  Lapageria,  and  some  greenhouse  plants  of 
great  beauty,  like  Clianthus,  which  about  London  can  only  be 
enjoyed  in  a  greenhouse,  may  be  grown  on  walls  in  the  open  air. 
Some  of  the  fine  plants  of  Chili  also  may  be  grown  on  walls  of 
various  aspects.  Abelia,  Lardizabala,  Berberidopsis  and  Rhyn- 
•chospermum  are  among  the  plants  sometimes  so  grown,  but 
there  is  no  limit  as  to  selection.  Many  who  have  visited  our 
best  gardens  will  probably  have  stored  away  in  their  memories 
some  of  the  pictures  they  have  seen  given  by  noble  wall  plants 
well  grown  in  this  way — as,  for  example,  the  New  Zealand  Edwardsia 
at  Linton,  so  fine  in  form  and  colour,  and  the  handsome  Fremontia. 
Hard  winters  settle  the  fate  of  many  beautiful  things  among  these, 
but,  happily,  some  of  the  loveliest  things  are  hardy,  like  the 
Winter  Sweet,  Bignonia,  Magnolia,  and  sometimes  the  splendid 
colour  of  the  Pomegranate  buds  is  seen  among  them. 

It  may  be  noted  here  that  among  the  unfortunate  attempts  of 
certain  architects  who  designed  gardens  to  get  rid  of  the  gardener 
and  his  troublesome  plants  were  instructions  that  no  climbers  were 
to  be  allowed  on  walls.  There  was  not  a  single  spray  of  any 
climber  allowed  to  grow  on  the  house  or  extensive  terrace  walls 
at  Shrubland,  some  years  ago,  as  if  in  a  garden  death  were  better 
than  life. 

Apart  from  the  vigorous  climbers  that  we  may  trust  in  shrub- 
beries, woods,  and  on  rough  banks,  and  which,  when  fairly  started, 

take   care   of  themselves,  there  are  fragile  things 

Fragile  climbers     which  deserve  to   be  us.ed  in    rather  a   new   way 

on  shrubs.  as    far  as   most  gardens   are   concerned,   namely, 

for  throwing  a  delicate  lacework  of  flowers  over 
the  evergreen  and  other  choice  shrubs  grown  in  our  gardens — 
Rhododendron,  Kalmia,  Andromeda,  Azalea,  and  even  taller  shrubs. 
A  group  of  Hollies  will  not  look  any  the  worse  for  wreaths  of 
fragrant  Clematis  in  autumn.  Often  stiff,  unbroken  masses  of 
Rhododendrons  and  evergreen  flowering  shrubs  will  be  more  varied 
if  delicate  flakes  of  Clematis  (white,  lavender,  or  claret-red)  or 
the  bright  arrows  of  the  Flame  Nasturtium  come  among  them 
here  and  there  in  autumn.  The  great  showy  hybrid  Clematises 
of  our  gardens  are  not  so  good  for  this  use  as  the  more 
elegant  wild  Clematises  of  North  America,  Europe,  and  North 


A  Pergola  in  the  Riviera.    (From  a  water-colour  drawing  by  Mrs  Mary  Stevens.) 


74  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

Africa,  such  as  the  Hairbell  and  others  of  the  less 
Clematis.  These  are  so  fragile  in  growth  that  many  of  them  may 
be  trusted  among  groups  of  shrubs  and  throwing  veils  over  the 
bushes  here  and  there. 

The  old  Climbers  and  Garland  Roses  were  almost  too  vigorous  for 

the  garden,  and  their  bloom  did  not  last  long  enough  to  justify  their 

getting    a   place  there ;  but  now,  with   the    great 

Climbing  Roses,    climbing   Tea    Roses   we   have    for   the   southern 

parts  of  these  islands,  we  may  count  on  a  bloom 

for  months.     We  have  in  these  Roses,  where  they  thrive  the  best, 

the    most   precious    of  all    ornaments    for    walls    of   houses,    trellis 

work,  pergolas.     In  southern  parts  of  the  country  we  even  get  fine 

results  from  these  Roses  on   the   north  side   of  walls,   where   some 

Roses  flower  better  than  on  the  south  side.     Also,  we  can  grow  them 

in  the  open  on  trellises  or  away  from  walls,  but  in  the  northern  parts 

of  the  country,  where  these  great  climbing  Tea  Roses  may  not  thrive 

so  well,  walls  come  in  to  help  us  more  and  more  by  their  shelter  and 

warmth,  and  the  encouragement  they  give  to  early  bloom. 

Apart  from  these  great  Roses  of  garden  origin,  which  will  long  be 
among  the  most  precious,  some  Wild  Roses  are  of  the  highest 
importance  in  warm  districts  and  good  soils,  particularly  the  Indian 
R.  Brunonis  and  the  many-flowered  Roses  (R.  polyantha)  of  Japan 
but  in  the  presence  of  the  need  of  so  much  wall  space  for  the  garden 
Roses  these  Wild  Roses  will  usually  be  best  in  the  shrubbery  or  some 
place  apart,  where  they  may  be  let  alone,  and  no  good  can  arise 
from  choice,  garden  ground  being  given  to  Roses  like  R.  polyantha 
which  are  even  more  vigorous  than  our  own  wild  Dog  Rose. 

In  Europe  perhaps  the  country  that  pleases  one  most  by  its 
fitness  for  Rose  culture  is  that  along  the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean, 
where  the  Banksian  and  other  more  delicate  Roses  may  be  seen 
up  trees,  forming  hedges,  and  arranging  themselves  in  other  delight- 
ful ways.  I  remember  being  very  much  struck  with  the  beauty  of  the 
single  Banksian  Rose  in  such  positions,  and  often  wondered  why  it 
was  not  secured  for  our  own  gardens,  even  though  it  might  not  grow 
so  freely  as  there. 

Going  back  some  thousands  of  years  to  the  earliest   sculptured 

remains    of  some  of  the  oldest  peoples,  we  see  evidence   that  the 

Grape  Vine  was  in  common  use,  and  it  is,  no  doubt, 

Vines  for  their       much    older    than    the    monuments    of   Assyria. 

beauty  of  form.      Among   the    Kabyle   villages   of  North   Africa    I 

passed    many   Vines    of   great    age  trailing   over 

very  old  Olive  trees  in  the  little  orchard  fields.      In  such  countries 

there    was    the    value    of  the  fruit,    but    even    in    ours,    where   the 

Grape    ripens    rarely    out    of  doors,    the    charm    of    the    plant    is 


CLIMBERS  AND  THEIR  ARTISTIC  USE.  75 

so  great  that  we  see  many  cottages  in  Surrey  and  Norfolk  set 
deep  in  Vine  leaves.  The  Grape  Vine,  however,  is  but  one  of 
a  large  family,  and,  though  we  may  not  see  in  our  country  its 
garlands  from  tree  to  tree  purple  with  fruit,  we  may  see  much  of  its 
fine  forms  of  leaf.  The  wild  Vines  are  too  vigorous  for  use  on  walls, 
though  excellent  for  banks  and  trees  and  for  any  place  outside  the 
flower  garden.  I  have  seen  them  clambering  up  forest  trees,  spread- 
ing into  masses  of  fine  foliage  on  the  ground,  and  sending  out  long 
arms  in  search  of  the  nearest  trees — strong  and  handsome  climbers, 
hardy,  vigorous,  and  soon  covering  dry  banks,  rocks,  and  trees. 

To  the  Vines  (Vitis)  have  now  been  joined  by  the  botanists 
Virginian  Creepers  (Ampelopsis),  and  between  the  two  groups  it  need 
not  be  said  what  noble  things  they  offer  for  garlanding  trees,  walls, 
bowers,  rocks,  and  banks.  It  cannot  be  said  that  we  neglect  these 
Virginian  and  Japanese  creepers,  but  'the  Vines  are  so  far  seldom  well 
used  with  us,  although  easy  of  cultivation. 

There  are  seasons  when  shaded  walks  may  be  enjoyed,  and 
numbers  of  free-growing,  climbing  plants  give  an  abundant  and 
lovely  choice  of  living  drapery  for  them,  Aristo- 
Pergolas.  lochia,  Wistaria,  Virginian  Creeper,  rambling 
Roses,  Honeysuckles,  Jasmines,  and  the  free 
Clematises  doing  well  over  such.  In  Italy  and  warm  countries  one 
often  sees  in  gardens  the  pergola — as  the  creeper-shaded  walk  is 
called — serving  the  twofold  purpose  of  supporting  Grape  Vines  and 
giving  pleasant  coolness  during  the  summer  heat.  As  a  rule,  these 
pergolas  are  rude  trellis-work  structures  of  wood,  sometimes 
supported  by  stone  posts  where  these  are  at  hand.  In  the  gardens 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Rorne,  Naples,  and  Florence  there  are 
beautiful  examples  of  the  pergola — stately  structures,  the  supports 
of  which  are  massive  columns  of  stone  covered  and  festooned 
with  Banksian  Roses,  Wistaria,  Periploca,  Clematises,  Honeysuckles, 
Passion  Flowers,  scarlet  Trumpet  Flowers,  and  other  climbers 
which  form  cool  retreats  in  the  hot  days.  But  such  pergolas 
seldom  occurred  outside  the  gardens  of  the  great  villas,  and  near 
humbler  dwellings  the  pergola  was  usually  a  simple  structure 
made  for  the  purpose  of  supporting  the  Grape  Vine,  and  nearly 
always  pretty. 

These  creeper-clad  covered  ways  should  usually  lead  to  somewhere 
and  be  over  a  frequented  walk,  and  should  not  cut  off  any  line  of  view 
nor  be  placed  near  big  trees,  especially  such  trees  as  the  Elm,  whose 
hungry  roots  would  travel  a  long  way  to  feed  upon  the  good  soil  that 
the  climbers  should  be  planted  in.  A  simple  structure  is  the  best. 
The  supports,  failing  the  Italian  way  of  making  posts  of  stone — also 
seen,  by  the  way,  in  gate-posts  in  Northern  England— should  be  Oak 


76  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

tree  stems,  about  9  inches  in  diameter,  let  into  the  ground  about  2 
feet — the  better  if  on  a  bed  of  concrete.  The  posts  must  be  connected 
and  firmly  secured  to  each  other  by  long  pieces  along  the  sides, 
while  the  top  may  be  formed  of  smaller  pieces  to  make  a  firm 
structure.  On  no  account  let  the  "  rustic  "  carpenter  begin  to  adorn 
it  with  the  fantastic  branchings  he  is  so  fond  of. 

Instead  of  trusting  to  wire  and  ugly  posts  or  the  many  artificial 
ways  for  supporting  climbers,  why  should  we  not  do  as  the  Italians 

and  people  of  South  Europe  do,  use  living  trees  to 
Trees  for  climbers,  carry  the  Vine  or  climber.  Weeping  trees  of 

graceful  leaf  and  form  might  be  used  in  this 
way  with  fine  effect.  Abroad  they  take  for  this  purpose  any  kind 
of  tree  which  happens  to  be  near  and  keep  it  within  bounds,  and 
those  who  know  our  garden  flora  may  select  trees  which,  while 
beautiful  themselves,  will  not  be  much  trouble  to  keep  in  bounds, 
like  the  weeping  Cherry,  weeping  Aspen,  some  Willows  even,  and 
any  light  leaved  weeping  tree  would  be  charming  for  its  own  sake 
as  well  as  for  what  it  might  carry.  Some  of  them  might  even  be 
beautiful  in  flower,  and  there  would  be  no  trouble  in  getting  creepers 
to  run  over  them. 

When  a  quiet  walk  leads  from  one  part  of  the  garden  to  another, 
and  that  walk  is  spanned  at    intervals   with    slender  iron    or  other 

light  arches  clothed  with  Honeysuckle,  Clematis, 

Light  arches       or  Jasmine,  it  gives  an  added  grace  to  the  walk. 

over  walks.        This   also   is  a  delightful  way    of  framing,  so  to 

say,  a  flower  border,  the  light  arches  springing 
up  from  the  line  of  the  trellis,  which  should  be  used  to  cut  off 
the  borders  from  the  kitchen  garden. 

However  rich  we  may  be  in  perennial  and  shrubby  climbers,  we 
must  not  forget  the  climbing  things  among  annual  and  like  plants 

to   help   us,   especially    for   the   smaller    class    of 
Annual  climbers,    gardens    and    those   in    which    we    depend    more 

on  annual  flowers.  Hedges  of  Sweet  Peas  there 
are  few  things  to  equal  ;  the  fragile  annual  Convolvulus  in  many 
colours  are  pretty  for  low  trellises,  the  vigorous,  herbaceous  Bind- 
weeds for  rough  places  outside  the  flower  garden.  Most  showy  of 
all  annual  climbers  are  the  many  Gourds,  which,  treated  in  a  bold 
way,  give  fine  effects  when  trained  over  outhouses,  sheds,  or  on 
strong  stakes  as  columns.  The  showy,  annual,  climbing  Tropaeolums, 
as  well  as  the  brilliant  herbaceous  kinds,  are  most  precious,  and 
Apios,  Adlumia,  Eccremocarpus,  Maurandia,  and  Cobaea  in  mild 
districts  are  among  the  plants  that  help  us  to  make  walls  into 
gardens.  Nor  must  we  forget  the  Hop,  a  vigorous,  graceful 
climber,  of  much  value  where  well  placed. 


78  THE  ENGLISH   FLOWER  GARDEN. 

ThiS'way  of  growing  fruit  trees  and  shading  walks  is  not  often 

seen,  though  few  things  would  be  prettier  or  more  useful  in  gardens  if 

fruit  trees  of  high  quality  were  chosen.     Although 

Covered  ways  of    in  our  gardens  the  shaded  walk  is  not  so  necessary 

fruit  trees.         as    it    is    in   Italy  and    Southern   France,  in    hot 

seasons  shade  is  welcome  in  Britain  ;  and,  as  in 

many  gardens  we  have  four  times  as  many   walks   as  are  needed, 

there  is  plenty  of  room  for  covering  some  of  them  with  fruit  trees 

which  would  give  us  flowers  in   spring,  fruit  in  autumn,  and    light 

shade.     The  very  substance  of  which  walks  are  made  is  often  good 

for  fruit,  and  those  who    know  the    Apricot  district  of  Oxfordshire 

and  the  neighbouring  counties  may  see  how  well    fruit  trees  do  in 

hard  walks.     It  is  not  only  in  kitchen  and  fruit  gardens  that  their 

shade  might  be  welcome,  but  in  flower  gardens  too,  if  we  ever  get 

out   of  the   common    notion    of  a  flower   garden   which    insists    on 

everything  being  seen  at  one  glance  and  the  whole  as  flat  and  hard 

as  oilcloth. 

In  some  old  gardens  there  was  a  way  of  "  plashing "  trees  over 
walks — trees   like  the   Lime,    which   grew   so  vigorously   that   they 
had  to  be   cut    back    with    an   equal   vigour,  this 
Plashed  alleys,      leading  in   the  end   to  ugliness  in    the   excessive 
mutilation    of  the  trees.     One   result   of  the  fre- 
quent  cutting   was    a    vigorous    summer   growth    of  shoots,    which 
cast  a  dense  shade  and  dripped  in   wet  weather.      The  purpose  of 
such  walks  would  be  well  fulfilled  by  training  fruit  trees  over  them, 
as  they  are  trees  which  much  more  readily  submit  to  training  and 
give  the  light  and  airy  shade  which  is  best  in  our  country.      The 
fruit  trellis,  whatever  it  is  formed  of,  need  not  be  confined  to  fruit 
trees  only,  but  here  and  there  wreaths  of  Clematis  or  other  elegant 
climbers  might  vary  the  lines. 

Those  who  live    in  sheltered    valleys   on  warm  soils,  or   among 
pleasant  hills  above  the  line  of  hard  frosts,  may  be  so  rich  in  ever- 
greens   that   they   will    keep   their   walls    for   the 
Evergreens  as      fairest   of  true  climbers.      But  in  cold,  exposed, 
climbers.          and    inland  parts  people  are  often  glad  to   have 
good  evergreens  on  walls,  even  bushes  not  natur- 
ally  climbers   in  habit,   such  as   the   choicer   evergreen    Barberries, 
Camellias  on  the  north  sides  of  walls,  Azara,  Escallonia,  Cotoneaster, 
and   evergreen  Euonymus.     The  Laurustinus,   too,  is  charming  on 
many    cottage    walls    in    winter,    and    may   escape    there  when    it 
would    suffer    in    the    open  ;    the    Myrtle    is    happy    on    walls    in 
southern   districts,    and   even   the    Poet's    Laurel    may   be    glad    of 
the   shelter    of   a    wall    in    the   north.      The   evergreen    Magnolia, 
which  in  warmer  Europe  is  a  standard  tree,  in  our  country  must 


CLIMBERS   AND    THEIR   ARTISTIC    USE.  79 

usually  be  grown  on  walls,  even  in  the  south,  and  there  is  no  finer 
picture  than  a  good  tree  of  Magnolia  on  a  house.  The  beautiful 
Ceanothus  of  the  Californian  hills  often  keep  company  with  these 
evergreens  on  walls ;  but  even  in  the  warmer  soils  of  the  home 
countries  they  are  tender,  and  their  delicate  sprays  of  flowers  are 
much  less  frequently  seen  with  us  than  in  France,  although  we 
cannot  resist  trying  them  on  sunny  walls,  and  on  chalky  and  sandy 
soils  they  have  better  chances. 

Apart  from  true  shrubs  used  as  evergreens,  so  frequently  seen  in 
Britain,  we  have  some  natural  evergreen  climbing  plants  for  walls, 
first  of  all  being  our  native  Ivy,  in  all  its  beautiful  forms,  and  of 
varied  use  for  walls,  houses,  borders,  screens,  and  even  summer-houses 
and  shelters.  How  much  better  to  make  bowers  in  the  garden  of 
Ivy,  as  a  living  roof,  than  of  rotten  timber,  straw,  or  heath!  If  we 
make  a  strong  and  enduring  framework,  and  then  plant  the  Ivy  well, 
we  soon  get  a  living  roof,  which,  with  little  care,  will  last  for  many 
years  and  always  look  well. 

Before  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society,  and  under  its  auspices, 

Mr  Jackman  gave  a  lecture  on  "  Fallacies  as  to  the  Clematis,"  in 

which  he  supported  the  practice  of  grafting  the 

Loss  of  the       Clematis,  which  has   already  cleared  the  gardens 

Clematis  in       of  Europe  of  the  most  beautiful  of  the  climbers 

gardens.          Of  the  northern  world.     In  that  lecture  there  was 

no   word   said  as  to  the  Clematises  of  Japan  and 

China  on  their  natural  roots,  either  in  nature  or  cultivation. 

In  clearing  up  this  question,  the  first  thing  to  do  is  to  state  a  few 
facts  about  which  there  can  be  no  dispute  among  any  who  are  in- 
terested. The  first  is  the  extraordinary  beauty  of  the  plants.  No 
conservatory  or  greenhouse  in  Europe  shelters  any  plant  so  graceful 
in  habit  or  so  fine  in  colour  of  flowers.  Added  to  this  is  the  precious 
quality  of  hardiness  and  power  to  resist  the  rainstorms  of  our  isles. 
I  have  grown  every  obtainable  kind  in  various  positions,  and  never 
lost  a  plant  from  cold.  When  day  after  day  in  July  my  Roses  became 
bags  of  ugly  mould,  and  even  native  plants  were  sickened  by  the  rain 
day  and  night,  the  large  Clematises,  on  their  natural  roots,  suffered 
not  the  slightest  injury  from  the  storms. 

The  next  fact,  of  which  there  can  be  no  doubt,  is  that  the  gardens 

of  Britain  and  of  France  have  been  robbed  of  the  most  beautiful  race 

of  climbers  of  the  northern  world.     Large  gardens, 

The  loss.          with  every  advantage  of  site,  soil,  and  air,  are  quite 

bare  of  them.     It  is  not  only  in  our  country  this 

loss  has  arisen  through  mistaken  ways  of  increasing  the  plants.     It  is 

so  everywhere  in  France,  where  we  may  see  in  the  great  nurseries  at 

Orleans  and  Angers  masses  of  the  finest  Clematises  huddled  together 


80  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

in  pots,  but  never  a  plant  on  its  natural  roots.  If  one  asks  any 
question  as  to  the  diseases  of  the  plants,  only  guesses  are  given.  The 
loss  to  the  trade  is  great.  To  suppose  that  clever  propagators  could 
not  increase  these  hardy  climbers  in  the  natural  way  is  absurd.  The 
final  test  of  the  practice  is  not  in  the  nursery,  but  in  the  grounds  of 
the  buyers  of  the  plants.  Any  practice  of  increase  which  drives  plants 
out  of  general  cultivation  is  a  loss  to  the  trade  as  well  as  to  the 
planter.  From  experiments  carried  on  for  many  years  here  I  have 
proved  that  the  cause  of  the  loss  is  the  unnatural  practice  of  grafting 
these  plants. 

After  the  grafting,  a  mistake  is  made  in  setting  the  plants  out 

fully  exposed  to  the  sun.     The  nature  of  the  Clematis  in  the  wild 

state  is  to  run  over  bushes  and  copses,  as  one  may 

Grafting  not  the    see  on   the  shores  of  Northern  Africa.     So  if  we 

only  cause.         plant  beneath  a  bush  a  little  shade  is  afforded,  and 

though  the  growth  is  not  so  free  as  when  the  plants 

are  set  apart,  the  life  of  the  plant  is  longer  and  the  effect  is  more 

beautiful.     Lastly,  more  dangerous  than  eelworms  and  fungi  are  slugs, 

which  bark  the  fragile  stems  as  far  up  as  they  can  get,  and  that  means 

the  death  of  the  shoot  in  summer,  but  not  the  death  of  the  plant  if  on 

its  own  roots.     Lawn-mower,  hoe,  or  rake  may  smash  the  delicate 

stems  if  the  plants  are  set  out  singly,  especially  if  grafted,  as   the 

union  of  the  choice  variety  and  the  wild  stock  used  is  often  fragile, 

whereas  the  plant  on  its  natural  roots  never  is.     On  hot,  sunny  days 

partial  loss  occurs  by  shoots  dying  off,  but  when  on  its  own  roots  we 

do  not  lose  the  plant. 

The  rest  is  the  story  of  my  planting  and  success  here  by  following 
a  completely  different  way  from  the  common  one.  It  at  first  struck 
me  that  the  grafting  of  plants  of  different  species 
The  test.  was  not  always  justified  in  results.  In  the  nursery 
practice  the  rule  is  to  work  the  Clematis  of  Japan 
on  the  toughest  and  most  vigorous  climber  of  our  chalk  hills — a 
wholly  different  plant  and  from  a  different  country — and,  therefore, 
there  might  be  a  cause  of  death  through  the  sap  arising  at  different 
times  in  the  two  plants  in  the  spring  of  the  year.  The  next  thing  was 
to  test  the  matter  by  planting — not  an  easy  matter,  as  in  every 
nursery  there  were  only  the  grafted  plants,  and,  like  so  many  others, 
I  lost  many.  At  the  same  time,  there  was  evidence  in  many  places 
that  the  Indian  Mountain  Clematis  and  other  wild  kinds,  which  are 
grown  on  their  natural  roots,  are  vigorous  climbers.  The  stool  ground 
in  which  the  old  nurserymen  layered  their  plants  was  done  away  with 
in  favour  of  the  new  way  of  buying  stocks  by  the  thousand  with  no 
thought  as  to  the  result  to  the  planter. 

In  only  one  nursery  in  France — that  of  the  late  Ferdinand  Jamin, 


CLIMBERS  AND  THEIR  ARTISTIC   USE.  81 

of  Bourg-la-Reine,  Seine,  a  much-trusted  French  nurseryman— did  I 
find  the  stools  of  Clematis,  the  little  plants  simply  layered  into  pots 
set  around  the  old  plants  in  the  open  air.  I  had  many  of  these,  and 
never  failed  with  them. 

At  home  I  often  bought  batches  of  plants  of  the  best  kinds  from 
nurseries  of  good  repute.  On  examination  they  were  all  found  to  be 
grafted  on  C.  Vitalba  of  the  Wiltshire  and  Surrey  hills.  The  roots  of 
every  plant  were  washed  out,  and  the  dark  roots  of  the  native  kind, 
an  ugly  mass,  with  above  it  a  few  roots  of  the  true  plants  striving  to 
make  way,  were  found.  The  latter  were  carefully  saved  for  planting, 
and  the  former,  with  the  stock,  cut  off  and  thrown  away. 

I  have  planted  the  very  finest  kinds  in  every  sort  of  position,  some 

in  the  hedgerow,  round  an  orchard,  in  open  ground,  and  in  close  shade 

of  trees  and  shrubs,  and  in  spite  of  the  surgical 

Ungrafted  plants   operation  of  cutting  off  the  stock  described  above, 

in  every  sort  of    have   had   success  in  all.     With  the  plants   from 

position.  cuttings,  layers,  or  seedlings  there  is  no  risk.     Is 

there  any  sound  reason  for  grafting  a  plant  so  easy 

to  raise  from  layers  as  the  Clematis  ?     There  is  none,  either  as  to 

tenderness  or  difficulty  of  increase. 

M.  F.  Morel,  who  condemns  the  use  of  our  common  wild  kind,  uses 

as  a  stock  C.  Viticella,  which  I  think  is  not  the  best  way  ;  the  union 

arising  is  too  fragile.       I    have  had  many   plants 

Grafting  on        from  M.  Morel,  and  hope  to  have  many  more,  but  I 

Viticella.          have  lost  some  grafted  plants,  whereas  I  never  lost 

one  of  the  layered  plants. 

In  dense  planting  among  shrubs  any  malady  is  seen  but  rarely. 
Many  of  my  plants  have  borne  hundreds  of  flowers  for  years,  and  are, 
even  now,  in  perfect  health.  As  to  Mr  Jackman's  repeated  statement 
that  the  scion  absorbs  the  stock  or  gets  rid  of  it,  any  one  who  buys  a 
batch  from  a  nursery  and  takes  the  trouble  to  examine  the  roots  will 
find  the  two  sets  of  roots  in  action. 

Every  season  I  buy  batches  of  plants,  and  the  first  thing  I  do  is 
to  take  them  to  a  tank  and  wash  out  the  roots ;  the  "  wig  "  of  the 
native  stock  is  always  there. 

It  was  thought  that  calcareous  soil  was  a  need,  no  doubt  arising 
from  the  fact  that  our  native  species  abounds  on  the  chalk  hills,  but 
for   the  Japanese   Clematis  chalk   is  not  needed. 
Soil.  The  plants  may  grow  in  calcareous  soil,  but  so  they 

do  in  sandy  loam.  If  anything  is  helpful  in  plant- 
ing a  Clematis  it  is  plenty  of  sharp  sand.  We  never  give  either 
mulch  or  special  fertiliser— none  is  needed. 

Having  proved  beyond  a  doubt  the  vigour  and  beauty  of  naturally- 
grown  plants,  my  next  step  was  to  bring  them  into  the  flower 

F 


82  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

garden — their  right  place,  though  from  gardens  they  are  generally 
excluded.      So   they   were   planted    on    tripods,    pergola,  wall,   and 

Oak    fence    as     a     background     to     the     mixed 

The  Clematis  in      border,   and    on    almost   every    surface    at    hand. 

the  flower  garden.    And    all    these    places    they    adorn    from    early 

summer  to  mid-autumn. 

In  only  one  nursery  in  Surrey  have  I  recently  found  some  Clem- 
atis not  grafted,  and  was  glad  to  find  the  plants  without  a  vestige  of 

the  ugly  black  wig  of  the  roots  of  the  wild  kind. 
Increase.          The  best  way  in  the  nursery  of  the  future  is  to 

layer  the  plant  in  the  stock  ground,  pegging  down 
the  shoots  "in  little  pots  set  around  the  mother  plant.  I  am  writing 
to  my  friend  Morel,  who  has  raised  a  number  of  distinct  and  lovely 
forms,  to  beg  him  to  increase  his  plants  in  this  way,  which  gets  rid  of 
the  fog  of  guessings  about  the  supposed  disease  of  plants  that  only 
ask  to  be  allowed  to  grow  on  their  own  roots. 

Miss  Willmott  tells  me  she  raises  Clematis  easily  from  cuttings. 
From  seed  of  the  nobler  kinds  it  is  well  to  raise  varieties  of  merit, 
though  the  seed  is  slow  to  germinate.  The  wild  species  come  freely 
from  seed.  I  sowed  the  Virgin's  Bower  (C.  Viticella)  out  of  hand 
when  forming  a  new  live  fence  around  an  orchard,  and  there  it 
has  been  ever  since,  throwing  a  lace-work  of  delicate  form  and 
flowers  over  the  fence.  (The  author,  in  Gardeners'  Chronicle, 
26th  October  1918.) 

There  is  no  more  need  to  graft  a  Clematis  than  to  graft  a  Rasp- 
berry. It  is  a  short-sighted  practice  which  has  driven  the  loveliest 
of  all  hardy  climbers  from  the  gardens  of  Europe.  On  the  contrary, 
both  as  to  root  and  branch,  they  are  among  the  most  vigorous  of 
hardy  climbers.  In  the  loss  of  Rhododendrons  by  thousands  on  the 
ponticum  type  on  which  they  were  grafted,  the  planter  has  the 
satisfaction  of  seeing  the  bloom  of  his  favourite  for  a  few  years  before 
it  gives  up  the  ghost.  In  the  Clematis  even  this  poor  satisfaction  is 
denied  him,  and  in  large  gardens,  with  every  advantage  of  soil  and 
climate,  they  are  often  unseen. 

There  is  scarcely  any  limit  to  the  different  uses  that  plants 
of  a  climbing  or  rambling  habit  may  be  put  to,  for  many  of  them 

are  extremely  beautiful  when  employed  for  the 
Some  climbing  draping  of  arbours,  pergolas,  or  even  living  trees, 
and  wall  plants,  while  for  hiding  unsightly  fences  or  clothing 

sloping  banks,  the  more  vigorous  kinds  are  well 
adapted.  For  draping  buildings  or  furnishing  walls  there  is  a  great 
variety  of  plants,  either  quite  hardy  or  sufficiently  tender  to  need 
the  protection  of  a  wall  in  order  to  pass  through  an  ordinary  winter 
without  much  injury.  The  majority  of  those  enumerated  below  are 


CLIMBERS  AND  THEIR  ARTISTIC  USE. 


hardy  enough    to  succeed  as   wall  plants  in    any  part  of  England, 
while  a  few  are  adapted  only  for  particularly  mild  districts. 


Those  plants  marked  with  an  asterisk  are  either  half-hardy  or  require  some 
.slight  protection  in  cold  districts  or  special  care  in  some  cases. 


Abelia 

Abutilon 

Actinidia 

Adlumia 

Akebia 

*  Aloysia 
Apios 

Aristolochia 
Azara 

*  Berberidopsis 
Berberis 
Bignonia 
Buddleia 
•Calystegia 
Camellia 

*  Carpentaria 
Ceanothus 


Celastrus 

Chimonanthus 

Choisya 

Clematis 

Clianthus 

Cocculus 

Convolvulus 

Cotoneaster 

Crataegus 

Cydonia 

Desfontainea 

Eccremocarpus 

Edwardsia 

*  Embothrium 

Escallonia 

Eucryphia 

Euonymus 


Exochorda 

Lycium 

Exogonum 

Magnolia 

Forsythia 

*  Mandevilla 

Fremontia 

Maurandya 

Fuchsia 
Garrya 

Menispermum 
*  Mitraria 

Grevillea 

Muhlenbeckia 

Hedera 

Myrtus 

Illicium 

Paliurus 

Indigofera 

*  Passiflora 

Jasminum 

Periploca 

Kerria 

Physianthus 

*  Lapageria 
*  Lardizabala 

Piptanthus 
*  Pittosporum 

Leptospermum 

Pueraria 

Lonicera 

*  Punica 

Lophospermum 

Rhus 

Ribes 

Roses 

Rubus 

Schizandra 

Schizophragma 

Smilax 

Solanum 

*  Sollya 
Stauntonia 
Stuartia 

*  Thunbergia 
Tropaeolum 

Vitis  (now  including 

Ampelopsis) 
Wistaria 
Xanthoceras 


Akebia  quinata. 


• 


CHAPTER   X. 

ALPINE   FLOWER,   ROCK,   AND   WALL  GARDENS. 

ALPINE  plants  grow  naturally  on  high  mountains,  whether  they 
spring  from  sub-tropical  plains  or  green  northern  pastures.  Above 
the  cultivated  land  these  flowers  begin  to  occur  on  moorland  and  in 
the  fringes  of  the  hill  woods ;  they  are  seen  in  multitudes  in  the 
broad  pastures  with  which  many  mountains  are  robed,  enamelling 
their  green,  and  where  neither  grass  nor  tall  herbs  exist ;  where 
mountains  are  crumbled  into  slopes  of  shattered  rock  by  the  con- 
tending forces  of  heat  and  cold  ;  even  there,  amidst  the  glaciers, 
they  spring  from  the  ruined  ground,  as  if  the  earth-mother  had  sent 
up  her  loveliest  children  to  plead  with  the  spirits  of  destruction. 

Alpine  plants  fringe  the  fields  of  snow  and  ice  of  the  mountains, 
and  at  such  elevations  often  have  scarcely  time  to  flower  before 
they  are  again  buried  deep  in  snow.  Enormous  areas  of  the  earth, 
inhabited  by  alpine  plants,  are  every  year  covered  by  a  deep  bed  of 
snow,  and  where  tree  or  shrub  cannot  live  from  the  intense  cold  a 
deep  mass  of  down-like  snow  falls  upon  alpine  plants,  like  a  great 
cloud-borne  quilt,  under  which  they  rest  safe  from  alternations  of  frost 
and  biting  winds  with  moist  and  spring-like  days  as  in  our  green 
winters. 

But  these  conditions  are  not  always  essential  for  their  growth,  in 
a  cool,  northern  country  like  ours.  The  reason  that  alpine  plants 
abound  in  high  regions  is  because  no  taller  vegetation  can  exist 

84 


ALPINE   FLOWER,    ROCK,    AND    WALL   GARDENS.  85 

there ;  were  these  places  inhabited  by  trees  and  shrubs,  we  should 
find  fewer  alpine  plants  among  them;  on  the  other  hand,  were  no 
stronger  vegetation  found  at  a  lower  elevation,  these  plants  would 
often  appear  there.  Also,  as  there  are  few  hard  and  fast  lines  in 
Nature,  many  plants  found  on  the  high  Alps  are  also  met  with  in 
rocky  or  barish  ground  at  much  lower  elevations.  Gentiana  verna, 
for  example,  often  flowers  very  late  in  summer  when  the  snow 
thaws  on  a  very  high  mountain ;  yet  it  is  also  found  ort  much 
lower  mountains,  and  occurs  in  England  and  Ireland.  In  the  close 
struggle  upon  the  plains  and  low,  tree-clad  hills,  the  smaller  species 
are  often  overrun  by  trees,  trailers,  bushes,  and  vigorous  herbs,  but, 
where  in  far  northern  and  high  mountain  regions  these  fail  from  the 
earth,  the  lovely  alpine  flowers  prevail. 

Alpine    plants    possess    this    charm,   and   include    things   widely 

different: — tiny  orchids,   tree-like    moss,   and   ferns  that   peep  from 

crevices  of  alpine  cliffs,  often  so   small  that  they 

Charm  of  end-      seem  to  cling  to  the  rocks  for  shelter,  not  daring 

less  variety.  to  throw  forth  their  fronds  with  airy  grace; 
bulbous  plants,  from  Lilies  to  Bluebells  ;  evergreen 
shrubs,  perfect  in  leaf  and  blossom  and  fruit,  yet  so  small  that  a 
finger  glass  would  make  a  house  for  them  ;  dwarfest  creeping  plants, 
spreading  over  the  brows  of  rocks,  draping  them  with  lovely  colour  ; 
Rockfoils  and  Stonecrops  no  bigger  than  mosses,  and,  like  them, 
mantling  the  earth  with  green  carpets  in  winter,  and  embracing 
nearly  every  type  of  the  plant-life  of  northern  lands. 

In  the  culture  of  these  plants,  the  first  thing  to  be  remembered  is 
that  much  difference  exists  among  them  as  regards  size  and  vigour. 
We  have,  on  the  one  hand,  a  number  of  plants  that  merely  require 
to  be  sown  or  planted  in  the  roughest  way  to  flourish — Arabis  and 
Aubrietia,  for  example;  and,  on  the  other,  there  are  some  kinds, 
like  Gentians  and  the  Primulas  of  the  high  Alps,  which  are 
rarely  seen  in  good  health  in  gardens,  and  it  is  as  to  these  that 
advice  is  chiefly  required.  Nearly  all  the  misfortunes  which 
these  little  plants  have  met  with  in  our  gardens  are  due  to  a  false 
conception  of  what  a  rock  garden  ought  to  be,  and  of  what  the 
alpine  plant  requires.  It  is  too  often  thought  that  they  will  do 
best  if  merely  raised  on  tiny  heaps  of  stones  and  brick  rubbish, 
such  as  we  frequently  see  dignified  with  the  name  of  "  rockwork." 
Mountains  are  often  "  bare,"  and  cliffs  devoid  of  soil ;  but  we  must 
not  suppose  that  the  choice  jewellery  of  plant-life  scattered  over  the 
ribs  of  the  mountain  lives  upon  little  more  than  the  air  and  the 
melting  snow.  Where  else  can  we  find  such  a  depth  of  stony  soil 
as  on  the  ridges  of  shattered  stone  and  grit  flanking  some  great 
glacier,  stained  with  tufts  of  crimson  Rockfoil?  Can  we  gauge  the 


86  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

depth  of  that  chink  from  which  peep  tufts  of  the  beautiful  little 
Androsace  helvetica,  which  forages  has  gathered  the  crumbling  grit, 
into  which  the  roots  enter  so  far  that  we  cannot  dig  them  out?  And 
if  we  find  plants  growing  from  mere  cracks  without  soil,  even  then  the 
roots  simply  search  farther  into  the  heart  of  the  flaky  rock,  so  that 
they  are  safer  from  drought  than  on  the  level  ground. 

We  meet  on  the  Alps  plants  not  more  than  an  inch  high  firmly 
rooted  in  crevices  of  slaty  rock,  and  by  knocking  away  the  sides  from 

bits  of  projecting  rock,  and  laying  the  roots  quite 
Natural  conditions,  bare,  we  may  find  them  radiating  in  all  directions 

against  a  flat  rock,  some  of  the  largest  perhaps 
more  than  a  yard  long.  Even  smaller  plants  descend  quite  as  deep, 
though  it  is  rare  to  find  the  texture  and  position  of  the  rock  such 
as  will  admit  of  tracing  them.  It  is  true  we  occasionally  find  in 
fields  of  flat,  hard  rock  hollows  in  which  moss  and  leaves  have 
gathered,  and  where,  in  a  depression  of  the  surface,  without  an  outlet 
of  any  kind,  alpine  plants  grow  freely  ;  but  in  droughts  they  are 
just  as  liable  to  suffer  from  want  of  water  as  they  would  be  in 
our-  plains.  On  level  or  sloping  spots  of  ground  in  the  Alps  the 
earth  is  of  great  depth,  and,  if  it  is  not  all  earth  in  the  common 
sense  of  the  word,  it  is  more  suitable  to  the  plants  than  what  we 
commonly  understand  by  that  term.  Stones  of  all  sizes  broken 
up  with  the  soil,  sand,  and  grit  prevent  evaporation  ;  the  roots  lap 
round  them,  follow  them  down,  and  in  such  positions  they  never 
suffer  from  wanf  of  moisture.  It  must  be  remembered  that  the 
continual  degradation  of  the  rocks  effected  by  frost,  snow,  and 
heavy  rains  in  summer  serves  to  "  earth  up,"  so  to  speak,  many 
alpine  plants. 

In  numbers  of  gardens  an  attempt  at  "  rockwork  "  has  been  made  ; 
but  the  result  is  often  ridiculous,  not  because  it  is  puny  when  com- 
pared with  Nature's  work,  but  because  it  is  generally  so  arranged 
that  rock-plants  cannot  exist  upon  it.  The  idea  of  rockwork  first 
arose  from  a  desire  to  imitate  those  natural  croppings-out  of  rocks 
which  are  often  half  covered  with  dwarf  mountain  plants.  The  con- 
ditions which  surround  these  are  rarely  taken  into  account  by  those 
who  make  rock  gardens.  In  moist  districts,  where  rains  keep  porous 
stone  in  a  humid  state,  this  straight-sided  rockwork  may  support  a 
few  plants,  but  in  the  larger  portion  of  the  British  Isles  it  is  useless 
and  ugly.  It  is  not  alone  because  they  love  the  mountain  air 
that  the  Gentians  and  such  plants  prefer  it,  but  also  because  the 
great  elevation  is  unsuitable  to  coarser  vegetation,  and  the  alpine 
plants  have  it  all  to  themselves.  Take  a  patch  of  Silene  acaulis, 
by  which  the  summits  of  some  of  our  highest  mountains  are  sheeted 
over,  and  plant  it  2,000  feet  lower  down  in  the  suitable  soil,  keeping 


ALPINE   FLOWER,    ROCK,    AND    WALL    GARDENS.  87 

it  moist  and  free  from  weeds,  and  it  will  grow  well ;  but  leave  it  to 
Nature,  and  the  strong  herbs  will  soon  cover  it,  excluding  the  light 
and  killing  it. 

The  part  of  the  gardens  around  the  rock  garden  should  be  pictur- 
esque, and,  in  any   case,  be  a  quiet,  airy  spot  with  as  few  jarring 
points  as  may  be.     No  tree  should  be  in  the  rock 
Position  of  rock   garden;  hence  a  site  should  not  be  selected  where 
garden.  it  would  be  necessary  to  remove  favourite  trees. 

The  roots  of  trees  would  find  their  way  into  the 
masses  of  good  soil  for  the  alpine  flowers,  and  soon  exhaust  them. 
Besides,  as  these  flowers  are  usually  found  on  treeless  wastes,  it  is 
best  not  to  place  them  in  shaded  places. 

As  regards  the  stone  .to  be  used,  sandstone  or  millstone  grit 
would  perhaps  be  the  best ;  but  it  is  seldom  that  a  choice  can  be 
made,  and  almost  any  kind  of  stone  will  do,  from  Kentish  rag  to 


Wrong  way  of  forming  rock  garden.  Right. 

limestone.  Soft  and  slaty  kinds  and  others  liable  to  crumble  away 
should  be  avoided,  as  also  should  magnesian  limestone.  The  stone  of 
the  neighbourhood  should  be  adopted,  for  economy's  sake,  if  for  no 
other  reason.  Wherever  the  natural  rock  crops  out,  it  is  sheer 
waste  to  create  artificial  rockwork  instead  of  embellishing  that  which 
naturally  occurs.  In  many  cases  nothing  would  be  necessary  but  to 
clear  the  ground,  and  add  here  and  there  a  few  loads  of  good  soil 
with  broken  stones  to  prevent  evaporation,  the  natural  crevices  and 
crests  being  planted  where  possible.  Cliffs  or  banks  of  chalk,  as  well 
as  all  kinds  of  rock,  should  be  taken  advantage  of  in  this  way  ; 
many  plants,  like  the  dwarf  Hairbells  and  Rock  Roses,  thrive  in  such 
places.  No  burrs,  clinkers,  vitrified  matter,  portions  of  old  arches 
and  pillars,  broken-nosed  statues,  etc.,  should  ever  be  seen  in  a  garden 
of  alpine  flowers.  Never  let  any  part  of  the  rock  garden  appear  as 
if  it  had  been  shot  out  of  a  cart.  The  rocks  should  all  have  their 
bases  buried  in  the  ground,  and  the  seams  should  not  be  visible; 


88  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

wherever  a  vertical  or  oblique  seam  occurs,  it  should  be  crammed 
with  earth,  and  the  plants  put  in  with  the  earth  will  quickly 
hide  the  seam.  Horizontal  fissures  should  be  avoided  as  much  as 
possible.  No  vacuum  should  exist  beneath  the  surface  of  the  soil 
or  surface-stones,  and  the  broken  stone  and  grit  should  be  so 
disposed  that  there  are  no  hollows.  Myriads  of  alpine  plants  have 
been  destroyed  from  the  want  of  observing  this  precaution,  the 
open  crevices  and  loose  soil  allowing  the  dry  air  to  destroy  the  alpine 
plants  in  a  very  short  time,  and  so  one  often  sees  what  was  meant 
for  a  "  rock  garden  "  covered  with  weeds  and  brambles. 

No   walk  with    regularly  trimmed   edges    should  come  near  the 
rock  garden.     This  need    not  prevent  the  presence  of  good  walks 
through  or  near  it,  as  by  allowing  the  edges  of  the 
Walks.  walk   to  be  broken  and  stony,  and  by  encourag- 

ing Stonecrops,  Rockfoils,  and  other  little  plants 
to  crawl  into  the  walk  at  will,  a  pretty  margin  will  result.  There 
is  no  surface  of  this  kind  that  may  not  be  thus  adorned.  Violets, 
Ferns,  Forget-me-nots,  will  do  in  the  shadier  parts,  and  the  Stone- 
crops  and  many  others  will  thrive  in  the  full  sun.  The  whole  of 
the  surface  of  the  alpine  garden  should  be  covered  with  plants  as 
far  as  possible,  except  a  few  projecting  points.  In  moist  districts, 
Erinus  and  the  Balearic  Sandwort  will  grow  on  the  face  of  the  rocks  ; 
and  even  upright  faces  of  rock  will  grow  a  variety  of  plants.  Regular 
steps  should  never  be  in  or  near  the  rock  garden.  Steps  may  be  made 
quite  picturesque,  and  even  beautiful,  with  Violets  and  other  small 
plants  jutting  from  every  crevice  ;  and  no  cement  should  be  used. 

In  cases  where  the  simplest  type  of  rock  garden  only  is  attempted, 
and  where  there  are  no  steps  or  rude  walks  in  the  rock  garden,  the 
very  fringes  of  the  gravel  walks  may  be  graced  by  such  plants  as  the 
dwarfer  Stonecrops.  The  alpine  Toadflax  is  never  more  beautiful 
than  when  self-sown  in  a  gravel  walk.  A  rock  garden  so  made  that 
its  miniature  cliffs  overhang  is  useless  for  alpine  vegetation,  and  all 
but  such  wall-loving  plants  as  Corydalis  lutea  soon  die  on  it.  The 
tendency  to  make  it  with  overhanging  "  peaks  "  is  often  seen  in  the 
cement  rock  gardens  now  common. 

The   great   majority   of  alpine    plants  thrive    best  in  deep   soil. 

In   it  they  can  root  deeply,  and   when    once    rooted    they  will  not 

suffer    from     drought,    from    which    they    would 

Soil.  quickly    perish    if    planted     in    the    usual    way. 

Three  feet  deep  is  not  too  much  for  most  kinds, 

and  in   nearly  all  cases  it  is  a  good  plan  to  have  plenty  of  broken 

sandstone  or  grit  mixed  with  the  soil.     Any  free  loam,  with  plenty 

of  sand   or  broken  grit,  will  suit  most  alpine  plants.     But  peat  is 

required  by  some,  as,  for  example,  various  small  and  brilliant  rock- 


ALPINE   FLOWER,    ROCK,    AND   WALL   GARDENS.  89 

plants  like  the  Menziesia,  Trillium,  Cypripedium,  Spigelia,  and  a 
number  of  other  mountain  and  bog-plants.  Though  the  body  of 
the  soil  may  be  of  loam,  it  is  well  to  have  a  few  masses  of  peat 
here  and  there.  This  is  better  than  forming  all  the  ground  of  good 
loam,  and  then  digging  holes  for  the  reception  of  small  masses  of 
peat.  The  soil  of  some  portions  might  also  be  chalky  or  calcareous, 
for  the  sake  of  plants  that  are  known  to  thrive  best  on  such  forma- 
tions, like  the  Milkworts,  the  Bee  Orchis,  and  Rhododendron 
Chamaecistus.  Any  other  varieties  of  soil  required  by  particular 
kinds  can  be  given  as  they  are  planted. 

It  is  not  well  to  associate  a  small  lakelet  or  pond  with  the  rock 
garden,  as  is  frequently  done.  If  a  picturesque  piece  of  water  can 
be  seen  from  the  rock  garden,  well  and  good  ;  but  water  should  not, 
as  a  rule,  be  closely  associated  with  it.  In  places  of  limited  extent, 
water  should  not  be  thought  of. 

In  the  planting  of  every  kind  of  rock  garden,  it  should  be 
remembered  that  all  the  surface  should  be  planted.  Not  alone  on 
slopes,  or  favourable  ledges,  or  chinks,  should  we  see  this  exquisite 
plant-life,  as  many  rare  mountain  species  will  thrive  on  the  less 
trodden  parts  of  footways  ;  others,  like  the  two-flowered  Violet,  seem 
to  thrive  best  in  the  fissures  between  steps ;  many  dwarf  succulents 
delight  in  gravel  and  the  hardest  soil. 

In  cultivating  the  very  rarest  and  smallest  alpine  plants,  the 
stony,  or  partially  stony,  surface  is  to  be  preferred.  Full  exposure  is 
necessary  for  very  minute  plants,  and  stones  are  useful  in  preventing 
evaporation  and  protecting  them  in  other  ways. 

Few  have  much  idea  of  the  number  of  alpine  plants  that  may 
be  grown  on  fully  exposed  ordinary  ground.  But  some  kinds 
require  care,  and  there  are  usually  new  kinds  coming  in,  which,  even 
if  vigorous,  should  be  kept  apart  for  a  time.  Therefore,  where  the 
culture  of  alpine  plants  is  entered  into  with  zest,  there  ought  to  be 
a  sort  of  nursery  spot  on  which  to  grow  the  most  delicate  and  rare 
kinds.  It  should  be  fully  exposed,  and  sufficiently  elevated  to  secure 
perfect  drainage. 

The   increased  interest   in   rock   gardening   of  recent  years  has 

led  to  much  work  of  this  kind  being  done   throughout  the  country, 

and   without  good   results  from    an  artistic  point 

Ill-formed  rock     of   view.       The    rock    gardens   are  not    right    in 

gardens.  structure.     If  they  were  good  for  the  life  of  plants 

one  might  pass  over  their  other  defects,  but  when 

made,    as  they    often  are,   of  cement,    and   even    of    natural    stone 

so  that  the  plants  grow  with  great  difficulty,  owing  chiefly  to  the 

stones   overhanging   so   as   to    leave    dry   and    dusty    recesses,   the 

result  is  bad. 


90  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

In  the  present  state  of  the  art  of  garden  design,  rock  gardens  are 
formed  mainly  by  nurserymen  ;  these  are  not  men  who,  as  a  rule,  by 
the  very  nature  of  their  business,  can  give  much  attention  to  the  study 
of  rocks  in  natural  situations,  or  learn  how  the  different  strata  crop 
out  in  the  ways  most  happy  for  vegetation,  without  which  study  we 
think  no  good  work  in  this  way  is  possible.  Simplicity  is  rarely 
thought  of,  or  of  the  rock  coming  out  of  the  ground  in  any  pretty 
way,  of  which  we  may  see  numerous  examples  in  upland  moors 
in  England,  even  without  going  to  the  Alps.  On  the  contrary, 
we  see  pretentious  rickety  piles  of  stone  on  stone,  with  pebbles 
between  to  keep  the  big  ones  up,  and  forty  stones  where  seven  would 
be  enough. 

One  of  the  commonest  mistakes  is  piling  stone  upon  stone  in 
such  a  way  that  there  is  no  room  for  grouping  anything.  If  one 
were  to  take  five  or  six  of  the  stones  one  sees  in  a  rock  garden, 
and  simply  lay  them  with  the  prettiest  and  most  mossy  sides 
showing  out  of  the  bank  in  the  right  kind  of  earth,  one  would  get 
a  better  place  for  plants  than  a  rock  garden  made,  it  may  be,  of 
many  tons  of  stone  could  give,  because  then  we  should  have  room 
to  group  and  mass  them  without  which  no  good  effect  is  possible. 

The  common  "  rockery,"  like  the  common  mixed  border,  is  an 
incoherent  muddle,  and  can  scarcely  be  anything  else  so  long  as  the 
present  plan  is  followed.  The  plants  hate  it,  and  in  effect  it  is  very 
like  the  rows  of  false  teeth  in  the  dentists'  shops.  We  should  seek 
gardens  of  alpine  flowers,  with  here  and  there  a  mossy  stone 
showing  modestly  among  them — not  limiting  one's  efforts  to  any 
one  idea,  but  beginning  at  least  with  simplicity  of  effect.  Then 
groups  and  carpets  of  rock  plants  would  be  easy  to  form,  and  their 
culture  would  be  easier  in  every  way. 

Whoever  started  the  idea  of  the  use  of  the  refuse  of  the  brickyard 

to  form  the  rock  garden  was  no  friend  of  the  garden,  as  alpine  flowers 

do  not  thrive  on  masses  of  vitrified  brick  rubbish. 

Refuse  brick       And  these  brick  rubbish  horrors  are  put  up  with 

"  rockeries."  overhanging  brows  so  that  a  drop  of  moisture 
cannot  get  to  the  plants,  and  a  dry  wind  can 
sweep  through  them  as  easily  as  through  a  grill.  If  the  practice 
were  confined  to  cottages  near  brickfields  it  would  not  much 
astonish  us  ;  but  in  Dulwich  Park  several  thousand  tons  of  it  have 
been  put  about  under  the  pretence  of  making  rock  gardens,  and 
also  at  Waterlow  Park,  Highgate,  which  was  once  a  pretty  and 
varied  piece  of  ground.  If  the  County  Council  waste  money  in 
this  way,  we  cannot  perhaps  wonder  so  much  at  the  owners  of  villas 
doing  it,  but  in  any  case  it  is  ugly  and  disgraceful  in  a  garden. 

Artificial   rock   is   formed   now  and   then  in   districts   where  the 


ALPINE   FLOWER,    ROCK,   AND    WALL    GARDENS.  91 

natural  rock  is  beautiful,  as  in  the  country  round  Tunbridge  Wells, 
Why  anybody  should    bring   the   artificial    rockmaker   into   a   gar- 
den   or   park  where   there  is  already  fine  natural 
Misplaced         beautiful  rock  it  is  not  easy  to  see.     Also,  in  certain 
artificial  rock,      districts,  it  is  a  mistake  to  place  this  artificial  rock 
under   conditions  where   rock   of  any  kind    does 
not  occur  in  nature.     It  would  be  much  better,  as  far  as  alpine  and 
rock  plants  are  concerned,  to  dispense  with  much  of  this  ugly  artificial 
rockwork,  and  take  advantage  of  the  fact  that  many  of  these  plants 
grow  perfectly  well  on  raised  borders  and  on  fully  exposed  low  banks. 
Many  vigorous  alpine  flowers  will  do  perfectly  well  on  level  ground 
in    our   cool    climate,   if  they   are   not   overrun    by   coarser   plants. 
Where  there  are  natural    rocks  or  good   artificial 
Alpine  plants      ones   it    is    best    to    plant    them    properly ;    but 
grouped.  people  who  are  particular  would  often  be  better 

without  artificial  "  rockwork "  if  they  wished  to 
grow  these  plants  in  simpler  ways.  There  is  not  the  slightest 
occasion  to  have  what  is  called  "rockwork"  for  these  flowers.  I 
do  not  speak  only  of  things  like  the  beautiful  Gentianella,  which 
for  many  years  has  been  grown  in  our  gardens,  but  of  the  Rock- 
foils,  the  Stonecrops,  and  the  true  alpine  plants  in  great  numbers. 
Then,  for  the  sake  of  securing  the  benefits  of  the  refreshing  rains,. 
it  would  often  be  best,  in  the  south  of  England  at  least,  to  avoid 
the  dusty  pockets  hitherto  built  for  rock  flowers. 

The  next  point  is  the  great  superiority  of  natural  grouping  over 
the  botanical  or  labelled  style  of  little  single  specimens  of  a  great 
number  of  plants.  In  a  few  yards  of  border,  in  the  ordinary  wayr 
there  would  be  fifty  or  more  kinds,  but  nothing  pretty  for  those  who 
have  ever  seen  the  beautiful  mountain  gardens.  Many  rightly  con- 
tend that,  in  a  sense,  Nature  includes  all,  and  that  therefore  the 
term  "natural"  may  be  misapplied,  but  it  is  a  perfectly  just  one 
when  used  in  the  sense  of  Nature's  way  of  arranging  flowers  as 
opposed  to  the  lines,  circles,  and  other  set  patterns  so  commonly 
followed  by  man.  Through  bold  and  natural  grouping  we  may  get 
fine  colour  without  a  trace  of  formality.  But  most  gardeners  find  it 
difficult  to  group  in  this  natural  way,  because-  so  used  to  setting 
things  out  in  straight  lines.  A  little  attention  to  natural  objects 
will  help  us  to  get  away  from  set  patterns,  and  let  things  intermingle 
here  and  there  and  run  into  each  other  to  form  groups  such  as  we 
may  see  among  the  rocks  by  alpine  paths.  After  a  little  time  the 
plants  themselves  begin  to  help  us,  and  an  excellent  way  is,  if  a 
number  of  plants  are  set  out  too  formally — as  in  most  cases  they 
are— to  pull  up  a  number  here  and  there,  replanting  them  on  the 
outer  fringes  of  the  groups  or  elsewhere. 


92  •         THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

Those  who  have  observed  alpine  plants  must  have  noticed  in 
what  arid   places  many  flourish,  and  what   fine  plants   may  spring 
from  a  chink  in  a  boulder.     They  are  often  stunted 
Wall  gardens,      and  small  in  such  crevices,  but  longer-lived  than 
when  growing  upon  the  ground.     Now,  numbers 
of  alpine  plants  perish   if  planted   in  the  ordinary  soil  of  our  gar- 
dens   from    over  -  moisture    and    want    of    rest   in    winter.      But   if 
placed  where  their  roots  are  dry  in   winter,  they   may   be  kept  in 
health.     Many  plants  from  countries  a  little  farther  south  than  our 
own,  and   from   alpine  regions,  will  find  on  walls,  rocks,  and  ruins 
that   dwarf,   sturdy    growth    which    makes   them   at    home    in    our 
climate.       There    are    many    alpine    plants    now    cultivated     with 
difficulty  in  frames  that  may  be  grown  on  walls  with  ease. 

In  garden  formation,  especially  in  sloping  or  diversified  ground, 
what  is  called  a  dry  wall  is  often  useful,  and 
may  answer  the  purpose  of  supporting  a  bank 
or  dividing  off  a  garden  quite  as  well  as 
masonry.  Where  the  stones  can  be  got  easily, 
men  used  to  the  work  will  often  make  gently 
"battered"  walls  which,  while  fulfilling  their 
object  in  supporting  banks,  will  make  homes  for 
many  plants  which  would  not  live  one  winter 
on  a  level  surface  in  the  same  place.  In  my 
Pansy  on  brick  wail.  own  garden  I  built  one  such  wall  with  large 
blocks  of  sandstone  laid  on  their  natural  "  bed," 

the  front  of  the  stones  almost  as  rough  as  they  come  out,  and 
chopped  nearly  level  between,  so  that  they  lie  firm  and  well.  No 
mortar  was  used,  and  as  each  stone  was  laid  slender  rooted  alpine 
and  rock  plants  were  placed  along  in  lines  between  with  a  sprinkling 
of  sand  or  fine  earth  enough  to  slightly  cover  the  roots  and  aid 
them  in  getting  through  the  stones  to  the  back,  where,  as  the  wall  was 
raised,  the  space  behind  it  was  packed  with  gritty  earth.  This  the 
plants  soon  found  out  and  rooted  firmly  in.  Even  on  old  walls  made 
with  mortar  rock  plants  and  small  native  ferns  very  often  establish 
themselves,  but  the  "dry"  walls  are  more  congenial  to  rock  plants, 
and  one  may  have  any  number  of  beautiful  alpine  plants  in  perfect 
health  on  them. 

One  charm  of  this  kind  of  wall  garden  is  that  little  attention  is 
required  afterwards.  Even  on  the  best  rock  gardens  things  get  over- 
run by  others,  and  weeds  come  in  ;  but  in  a  well-planted  wall  we  may 
leave  plants  for  years  untouched  beyond  pulling  out  any  interloping 
plant  or  weed  that  may  happen  to  get  in.  So  little  soil,  however,  is 
put  with  the  plants  that  there  is  little  chance  of  weeds.  If  the  stones 
were  stuffed  with  much  earth  weeds  would  get  in,  and  it  is  best  to 


ALPINE    FLOWER,    ROCK,    AND    WALL    GARDENS. 


93 


have  the  merest  dusting  of  soil  with  the  roots,  so  as  not  to  separate 
the  stones,  but  let  each  one  rest  firmly  on  the  one  beneath  it. 

Almost  the  whole  of  the  beautiful  rock  and  alpine  flowers  may 
be  trusted  to  do  well  in  this  way,  such  things  as  Arabis,  Aubrietia, 
and  Iberis  being  among  the  easiest  to  grow ;  but  as  these  can  be 
grown  without  walls  it  is  hardly  worth  while  to  put  them  there, 
pretty  as  some  of  the  newer  forms  of  the  Aubrietia  are.  Between 
these  stones  is  the  very  place  for  mountain  Pinks,  which  thrive 


Androsace.     Chaddlewood,  Plympton. 

better  there  than  on  level  ground  ;  the  dwarf  alpine  Hairbells,  while 
the  alpine  Wallflowers  and  creeping  rock  plants,  like  the  Toad  Flax 
(Linaria),  and  the  Spanish  Erinus,  are  quite  at  home  there.  The 
Gentianella  does  very  well  on  the  cool  sides  of  such  walls,  and 
we  get  a  different  result  according  to  the  aspect.  All  our  little  pretty 
wall  ferns,  now  becoming  so  rare  where  hawkers  abound,  do  perfectly 
on  such  rough  walls,  and  the  alpine  Phloxes  may  be  used,  though 
they  are  not  so  much  in  need  of  the  comfort  of  a  wall  as  the  European 
alpine  plants,  the  Rocky  Mountain  dwarf  Phloxes  being  very  hardy 
and  enduring  in  our  gardens  on  level  ground.  The  advantage  of  the 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


wall  is  that  we  can  grow  things  that  would  perish  on  level  ground 
owing  to  excitement  of  growth  in  winter,  or  other  causes.  The  Rock- 
foils  are  charming  on  a  wall,  particularly  the  silvery  kinds,  and  the 
little  stone  covering  sandwort  (A.  balearica)  will  run  everywhere  over 
such  a  wall.  Stonecrops  and  Houseleeks  would  do  too,  but  are  easily 
grown  in  any  open  spot  of  ground.  In  many  cases  the  rare  and 
somewhat  delicate  Alpines,  if  care  be  taken  in  planting,  would  do  far 
better  on  such  a  wall  than  as  they  are  usually  cultivated.  Plants  like 
Thymes  are  quite  free  in  such  conditions,  though  it  may  be  too  free 
for  the  rare  kinds  ;  also  the  Alpine  Violas,  and  any  such  pretty 
rock  creepers  as  the  blue  Bindweed  of  North  Africa. 

There  is  in  fact  no  limit  to  the  beauty  of  rock  and  alpine  flowers 
Ave  may  enjoy  on  the  rough  wall  so  often  and  most  easily  made 
about  gardens  in  rocky  and  hilly  districts,  dressed  or  expensive 
stone  not  being  needed.  In  my  own  garden  there  are  three  wholly 
-different  kinds  of  walls  thick  set  with  plants  ;  and  the  easiest  way  to 
the  enjoyment  of  the  most  interesting  and  charming  of  the  mountain 
flowers  of  the  north  is  by  the  aid  of  walls. 

ALPINE  AND  ROCK  PLANTS  FOR  BRITISH  GARDENS. 

Where  the  name  of  a  large  and  varied  family  is  given  as  i?i  Phlox,  Iris, 
Rhododendron,  Pentstemon,  Salix  Antirrhinum,  it  is  the  alpine,  or  dwarf  mountain 
kinds,  that  are  meant. 


Aca;na 

Chimaphila 

Globularia 

Myosotis 

Sanguinaria 

Acantholimon 

Colchicum 

Helianthemum 

Narcissus 

Saponaria 

Achillea 

Cornus 

Helleborus 

Nertera 

Saxifra^a 

Acis 

Coronilla 

Houstonia 

(Enothera 

Scilla 

^Ethionema 

Crocus 

Hutchinsia 

Omphalodes 

Sedum 

Alyssum 

Cyclamen 

Hyacinthus 

Ononis 

Sempervivum 

Andromeda 

Cypripedium 

Jberis 

Onosma 

Senecio 

And  rosace 

Daphne 

Iris 

Ophrys 

Silene 

Anemone 

Dianthus 

Isopyrum 

Orchis 

Smilacina 

Antennaria 

Diapensia 

Jasione 

Orobus 

Soldanella 

An  thy  His 

Dodecatheon 

Leiophyllum 

Oxalis 

Spigelia 

Aquilegia 

Draba 

Leontopodium 

Papaver 

Statice 

Arabis 

Dracocephalum 

Leucojum 

Parnassia 

Thalictrum 

Arenaria 

Dryas 

Linaria 

Petrocallis 

Thlaspi 

Armeria 

Epigaea 

Linnsea 

Phlox 

Thymus 

Asperula 

Erigeron 

Linum 

Polemonium 

Trientalis 

Astralagus 
Aubrietia 

Erinus 
Erodium 

Lithospermum 
Loiseleuria 

Polygala 
Potentilla 

Trillium 
Triteleia 

Bellis 

Erpetion 

Lychnis 

Primula 

Tulipa 

Bryanthus 

-  Erysimum 

Lycopodium 

Puschkinia 

Tunica 

Bulbocodium 

Erythronium 

Mazus 

Pyrola 

Vaccinium 

•Calandrinia 

Galanthus 

Meconopsis 

Pyxidanthera 

Veronica 

Campanula 

Gaultheria 

Menziesia 

Ranunculus 

Vesicaria 

Cardamine 

Genista 

Mertensia 

Rhexia 

Viola 

•Cerastium 

Gentiana 

Muscari 

Rhododendron 

Waldsteinia 

•Cheiranthus 

Geraniu'n 

Poet's  Narcissus  in  the  grass  at  Belmont,  Ireland. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


THE   WILD  GARDEN. 

O  universal  Mother,  who  dost  keep 
From  everlasting  thy  foundations  deep, 
Eldest  of  things,  Great  Earth,  I  sing  of  thee. 

IN  a  rational  system  of  flower  gardening  one  of  the  first  things  to 
do  is  to  get  a  clear  idea  of  the  aim  of  the  "  Wild  Garden."  When 
I  began  to  plead  the  cause  of  the  innumerable  hardy  flowers  against 
the  few  tender  ones  put  out  in  a  formal  way,  the  answer  sometimes 
was,  "We  cannot  go  back  to  the  mixed  border" — that  is  to  say, 
to  the  old  way  of  arranging  flowers  in  borders.  Thinking,  then, 
much  of  the  vast  world  of  plant  beauty  shut  out  of  our  gardens 
by  the  "  system  "  then  in  vogue,  I  was  led  to  consider  the  ways  in 
which  it  might  be  brought  into  them,  and  of  the  "  Wild  Garden  "  as  a 
home  for  numbers  of  beautiful  hardy  plants  from  other  countries  which 
might  be  naturalised,  with  very  little  trouble,  in  our  gardens,  fields,  and 
woods — a  world  of  delightful  plant  beauty  that  we  might  make  happy 
around  us,  in  places  bare  or  useless.  I  saw  that  we  could  grow  thus 
not -only  flowers  more  lovely  than  those  commonly  seen  in  what  is 
called  the  flower  garden,  but  also  many  which,  by  any  other  plan,  we 
should  have  little  chance  of  seeing. 

The  term  "Wild  Garden"  is  applied  to  the  placing  of  perfectly 

95 


96  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

hardy  exotic  plants  in  places  where  they  will  take  care  of  themselves. 
It  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  "  wilderness,"  though  it  may  be  carried 
out  in  it.  It  does  not  necessarily  mean  the  picturesque  garden,  for 
a  garden  may  be  picturesque  and  yet  in  every  part  the  result  of 
ceaseless  care.  What  it  does  mean  is  best  explained  by  the  winter 
Aconite  flowering  under  a  grove  of  naked  trees  in  February ;  by 
the  Snowflake  abundant  in  meadows  by  the  Thames ;  and  by  the 
Apennine  Anemone  staining  an  English  grove  blue.  Multiply  these 
instances  by  adding  many  different  plants  and  hardy  climbers  from 
countries  as  cold  as  our  own,  or  colder,  and  one  may  get  some  idea 
of  the  wild  garden.  Some  have  thought  of  it  as  a  garden  allowed  to 
run  wild,  or  with  annuals  sown  promiscuously,  whereas  it  does  not 
meddle  with  the  flower  garden  proper  at  all. 

I  wish  the  idea  to  be  kept  distinct  from  the  various  important 
phases  of  hardy  plant  growth  in  groups,  beds,  and  borders,  in  which 
good  culture  may  produce  many  happy  effects  ;  from  the  rock  garden 
or  borders  reserved  for  choice  hardy  flowers  ;  from  growing  hardy 
plants  of  fine  form  ;  from  the  ordinary  type  of  spring  garden.  In  the 
smaller  class  of  gardens  there  may  be  little  room  for  the  wild  garden, 
but  in  the  larger  gardens,  where  there  is  often  ample  room  on  the 
outer  fringes  of  the  lawn,  in  grove,  park,  copse,  or  by  woodland  walks 
or  drives,  new  and  beautiful  effects  may  be  created  by  its  means. 

Among  reasons  for  advocating  this  system  are  the  following  : — 

1.  Because  many  hardy  flowers  will  thrive  better  in  rough  places  than 

ever  they  did  in  the  old  border.     Even  small  ones 

Reasons  for  it.     like  the  Ivy-leaved  Cyclamen,  are  naturalised  and 

spread    all    over    the    mossy    surface    of    woods. 

2.  Because,  in  consequence  of  plant,   fern  and  flower  and   climber, 
grass,  and  trailing  shrub,  relieving  each  other,  they  will  look  infinitely 
better  than  in  stiff  gardens.     3.  Because  no  ugly  effects  will  result 
from  decay  and  the  swift  passage  of  the  seasons.     In  a  semi- wild 
state  the   beauty  of  a   species   will    show   in    flowering   time ;   and 
when  out  of  bloom  they  will  be  succeeded  by  other  kinds,  or  lost 
among  the  numerous  objects  around.     4.  Because  it  will  enable  us 
to  grow  many  plants  that  have  never  yet  obtained  a  place  in  our  "  trim 
gardens  " — multitudes  that  are  not  showy  enough  to  be  considered 
worthy  of  a  place  in  a  garden.     Among  the  plants  often  thought 
unfit  for  garden  cultivation  are  a  number  like  the  coarser  American 
Asters  and  Golden  Rods,  which  overrun  the  choicer  border-flowers 
when  planted  among  them.     Such  plants  would  be  quite  at  home  in 
neglected  places,  where  their  blossoms  might  be  seen  in  due  season. 
To  these  might  be  added   plants   like  the  winter   Heliotrope,  and 
many  others,  which,  while  interesting  in  the  garden,  are  apt  to  spread 
so  rapidly  as  to  become  a  nuisance.     5.  Because  in  this  way  we  may 


THE    WILD    GARDEN. 


97 


settle  the  question  of  spring  flowers,  and  the  spring  garden,  as  well 
as  that  of  hardy  flowers  generally  ;  and  many  parts  of  the  grounds 
may  be  made  alive  with  spring  flowers,  without  in  the  least  interfering 
with  the  flower  garden  itself.  The  blue  stars  of  the  Apennine 
Anemone  will  be  seen  to  greater  advantage  when  in  half-shady  places, 
under  trees,  or  in  the  meadow  grass,  than  in  any  flower  garden,  and 
this  is  but  one  of  many  of  sweet  spring  flowers  that  will  succeed  in 
like  ways. 

Perhaps   an   example   or   two   of  what   has  already  been    done 

with   Daffodils  and   Snowdrops   may  serve  to  show   the   way,  and 

explain  the  gains  of  the  wild  garden,  and  there  is 

Narcissi  in  the     no  more  charming  flower  to  begin  with  than  the 

wild  garden.  Narcissus,  which,  while  fair  in  form  as  any  Orchid 
or  Lily  of  the  tropics,  is  as  much  at  home  in 
our  climate  as  the  Kingcups  in  the  marsh  and  the  Primroses  in  the 
wood.  And  when  the  wild  Narcissus  comes  with  these,  in  the 
woods  and  orchards  of  Northern  France  and  Southern  England  it 
has  also  for  companions  the  Violet  and  the  Cowslip,  hardiest  children 
of  the  north,  blooming  in  and  near  the  still  leafless  woods.  And  this 
fact  should  lead  us  to  see  that  it  is  not  only  a  garden  flower  we  have 
here,  but  one  which  may  give  glorious  beauty  to  our  woods  and  fields 
and  meadows  as  well  as  to  the  pleasure  grounds. 

In  our  country  in  a  great  many  places  there  is  plenty  of  room  to 
grow  them  in  other  ways  than  in  the  garden  proper,  and  this  not 
merely  in  country  seats,  but  in  orchards  and  cool  meadows.  To 
chance  growth  in  such  places  we  owe  it  already  that  many  Narcissi 
or  Daffodils  which  were  lost  to  gardens,  in  the  period  when  hardy 
plants  were  wholly  set  aside  for  bedding  plants,  have  been  preserved 
to  us,  at  first  probably  in  many  cases  thrown  out  with  the  garden 
refuse.  In  many  places  in  Ireland  and  the  west  of  England  Narcissi 
lost  to  gardens  have  been  found  in  old  orchards  and  meadows. 

Three  months  after  our  native  kind  has  flowered  in  the  weald 
of  Sussex  and  in  the  woods  or  orchards  of  Normandy,  many 
of  its  allies  are  beneath  the  snow  in  the  mountain  valleys  of  Europe, 
waiting  till  the  summer  sun  melts  the  deep  snow.  On  a  high  plateau 
in  Auvergne  I  saw  many  acres  in  full  bloom  on  July  16,  1894,  and 
these  high  plateaux  are  much  colder  than  our  own  country  generally. 
Soils  that  are  cool  and  stiff  and  not  favourable  to  a  great  variety 
of  plants  suit  Narcissi  perfectly.  On  the  cool  mountain  marshes  and 
pastures,  where  the  snow  lies  deep,  the  plant  has  abundance  of 
moisture — one  reason  why  it  succeeds  better  in  our  cool  soils.  In 
any  case  it  does  so,  and  it  is  mostly  on  dry  light  soils  that  Narcissi 
fail  to  succeed.  Light,  sandy  or  chalky  soils  in  the  south  of  England 
are  useless,  and  Narcissus  culture  on  a  large  scale  should  not  be 

G 


98  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

attempted  on  such  soils.  We  must  not  court  failure,  and  however 
freely  in  some  soils  Narcissi  grow  in  turf,  there  is  no  law  clearer  than 
that  all  plants  will  not  grow  in  any  one  soil,  and  it  is  a  mercy,  too, 
for  if  all  soils  were  alike,  we  should  find  gardens  far  more  monotonous 
than  they  are  now.  Gardening  is  an  art  dealing  with  living  things, 
and  we  cannot  place  these  with  as  little  thought  as  those  who  arrange 
shells,  or  coins,  or  plates.  At  the  same  time  we  may  be  mistaken  as 
to  failures  which  now  and  then  arise  from  other  causes  than  the  soil. 
I  planted  years  ago  some  Bayonne  Daffodils  on  the  northern  slope  of 
a  poor  field,  and  thought  the  plants  had  perished,  as  so  little  was  seen 
of  them  after  the  first  year.  Despairing  of  the  slope,  it  was  planted 
with  Alder,  a  tree  that  grows  in  any  cool  soil.  Years  afterwards, 
walking  one  day  through  the  Alder,  I  found  the  Bayonne  Daffodil  in 
perfect  bloom.  The  roots  had  doubtless  been  weak  and  taken  time 
to  recover. 

Ten  years  ago  I  planted  many  thousands  of  Narcissi  in  the  grass, 
never  doubting  that  I  should  succeed  with  them,  but  not  expect- 
ing I  should  succeed  nearly  so  well.  They  have 
Narcissi  in  turf,  thriven  admirably,  bloomed  well  and  regularly ; 
the  flowers  are  large  and  handsome,  and  in  most 
cases  have  not  diminished  in  size.  In  open  rich,  heavy  bottoms, 
along  hedgerows,  banks,  in  quiet  open  loamy  fields,  in  every 
position  they  have  been  tried.  They  are  delightful  seen  near  at  hand, 
and  also  effective  in  the  picture.  The  leaves  ripen,  disappear  before 
mowing  time,  and  do  not  in  any  way  interfere  with  the  farming.  The 
harrowing  and  rolling  of  the  fields  in  the  spring  hurt  the  leaves  a 
little,  but  the  plants  are  free  from  this  near  wood  walks,  by  grass 
walks  and  open  copses  and  lawns  which  abound  in  so  many  English 
country  places. 

The  fine  distant  effect  of  Narcissi  in  groups  in  the  grass  should 
not  be  forgotten.  It  is  distinct  from  their  effect  in  gardens,  and  it  is 
most  charming  to  see  them  reflect,  as  it  were,  the  glory  of  the  spring 
sun.  It  is  not  only  their  effect  near  at  hand  that  charms  us,  but  as 
we  walk  about  we  may  see  them  in  the  distance  in  varying  lights, 
sometimes  through  and  beyond  the  leafless  woods  or  copses.  And 
there  is  nothing  we  have  to  fear  in  this  charming  work  save  the 
common  sin — overdoing.  To  scatter  Narcissi  equally  over  the  grass 
everywhere  is  to  destroy  all  chance  of  repose,  of  relief,  and  of  seeing 
them  in  the  ways  in  which  they  often  arrange  themselves.  It  is 
almost  as  easy  to  plant  in  pretty  ways  as  in  ugly  ways  if  we  take  the 
trouble  to  think  of  it.  There  are  hints  to  be  gathered  from  the  way 
wild  plants  arrange  themselves,  and  even  from  the  sky.  Often  a  small 
cloud  passing  in  the  sky  will  give  a  very  good  form  for  a  group,  and 
be  instructive  even  in  being  closer  and  more  solid  towards  its  centre, 


Narcissus  in  turf  at  Warley  Place. 


loo  THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

as  groups  of  Narcissi  in  the  grass  should  often  be.  The  regular 
garden  way  of  setting  things  out  is  very  necessary  in  the  garden,  but 
it  will  not  do  at  all  if  we  are  to  get  the  pictures  we  can  get  from 
Narcissi  in  the  turf,  and  it  is  always  well  to  keep  open  turf  here  and 
there  among  the  groups,  and  in  a  lawn  or  a  meadow  we  should  leave 
a  large  breadth  quite  free  of  flowers. 

The  illustration  is  from  a  photograph  taken  by  Mr  John  McLeitch 

at  Straffan,  Co.  Kildare,  and  from  it  one  may  gain  a  glimpse  of  the 

pretty   and    natural    way   in    which  these  flowers 

Snowdrops        have  grouped  themselves  on  the  greensward  be- 

naturalised.  neath  the  red-twigged  Limes  and  on  the  soft  and 
mossy  lawns.  Originally  no  doubt  the  Snowdrops 
were  planted,  but  they  have  seeded  themselves  so  long  that  they 
are  now  thoroughly  naturalised,  and  one  of  the  sights  to  see  at 
StrafTan  Gardens  is  the  Snowdrops  at  their  best  under  the  leafless 
trees.  The  common  single  and  double  forms  are  still  the  best  for 
grouping  in  quantity  and  for  naturalisation  everywhere.  There 
are  finer  varieties,  but  none  grow  and  increase  so  well  in  our 
gardens  as  do  these  northern  kinds.  The  best  of  the  eastern  Snow- 
drops are  very  bold  and  beautiful ;  they  are  unsurpassed  for  vigour 
of  leafage  and  size  of  bloom  if  carefully  cultivated,  but  they  do 
not  grow  and  increase  on  the  grass  as  do  G.  nivalis  and  all  its 
forms. 

For  solid  green  leafage  and  size  and  substance  of  flower,  G.  Ikariae 
when  well  grown  is,  as  I  believe,  the  finest  of  all  Snowdrops,  but  it  is 
from  Asia  Minor,  and  does  not  really  love  our  soil  and  climate,  nor  is 
it  likely  to  naturalise  itself  with  us  as  G.  nivalis  has  done.  The  best 
of  all  the  really  hardy  and  truly  northern  Snowdrops  is  a  fine  form  of 
G.  nivalis,  leaning  to  the  broad-leaved  or  G.  caucasicus  group,  which 
was  found  in  the  Crimea  in  1856  and  introduced  from  the  Tchernaya 
valley  to  Straffan.  It  is  called  G.  nivalis  grandis,  or  the  Straffan 
Snowdrop,  or  G.  caucasicus  var.  grandis,  and  to  see  it  at  its  best  is  a 
great  pleasure.  It  is  really  a  tall,  vigorous-habited,  and  free-flowering 
form  of  the  wild  Snowdrop  (G.  nivalis)  ae  found  in  the  Crimea.  The 
flowers  are  very  large  and  pure  in  colour,  and  being  borne  on  stalks  a 
foot  or  more  in  length  they  bunch  better  than  do  those  of  the  common 
type.  G.  plicatus  is  also  from  the  Crimea,  but  is,  as  I  have  said, 
quite  different,  having  much  broader  plicate  leaves  and  smaller 
flowers. 

Snowdrops  generally  like  deep,  moist  soils  and  half  shade,  as  their 
flowers  wither  and  brown  quickly  on  dry,  light  soils  in  full  sunshine. 
In  damp  wood,  copses,  and  hedgerows  they  seem  most  at  home,  and, 
like  Narcissi  and  many  other  early  flowering  bulbs,  they  rather  enjoy 
flooding  or  occasional  irrigation  after  root  and  top  growth  have  begun. 


102  ^  THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


'At  Straftan  the  lawn  lies  low  down  near  the  river  Liffey,  and  it  is 
sometimes  submerged  for  a  day  or  two  after  the  snow  melts  in  early 
spring  or  after  heavy  rains.  From  May  until  September,  however, 
the  bulbs  are  dry  among  the  tree  roots  with  the  dense  canopy  of  Lime 
leafage  overhead,  as  are  also  the  roots  of  the  sky-blue  Apennine 
Anemone  that  bear  them  company.  We  are  beginning  to  perceive 
that,  as  a  broad  rule,  some  bulbous  plants  enjoy  growing  amongst  the 
roots  of  other  plants,  or  of  trees  and  shrubs,  or  in  the  grass  of  lawn  or 
meadow.  The  wild  Daffodil  and  Bluebells  do  this  as  well  as  the 
Snowdrop,  and  those  who  have  tried  to  dig  up  bulbs  of  any  kind 
abroad  with  a  knife  or  even  with  a  botanical  trowel,  will  remember 
how  tightly  wedged  they  frequently  are  in  roots  of  various  kinds,  or 
jammed  tightly  in  both  roots  and  stones. 

I  usually  plant  Narcissi  in  grass  by  turning  back  the  sod,  making 
two   cuts   with   the   spade  at    right   angles,   and    then    pressing   up 

and   back  the   sod,    laying   it   back   on   a   hinge, 
How  to  plant,      as  it  were,  putting  in  a  few  bulbs,  mostly  round 

the  sides  of  the  hole,  turning  the  sod  back  and 
treading  firmly  upon  it.  The  question  is  largely  one  of  conveni- 
ence and  the  ground  one  has  to  plant.  If  one  could  improve  the 
subsoil  it  would  be  better  for  some  soils,  no  doubt,  but  if  the  work 
is  .done  in  a  bold  way  and  there  is  much  other  planting  going 
on,  it  is  not  easy  to  get  time  to  plant  things  in  the  grass  with 
care.  Sometimes  in  breaking  new  ground  or  carrying  out  changes 
one  gets  a  chance  of  throwing  in  some  bulbs  before  the  surface  is 
levelled  up.  Once  in  planting  Grape  Hyacinths  in  an  uneven  grassy 
slope  they  were  placed  on  the  turf  in  the  hollows  and  then  levelled 
up  with  earth,  and  both  grass  and  bulbs  soon  came  through.  Some 
bullocks  passed  an  evening  where  they  had  no  business  to  be  in  a 
grassy  enclosure  near  the  house,  and  their  footmarks  suggested  a  group 
of  the  Apennine  Windflower,  and  a  few  of  its  roots  were  put  in  and 
the  holes  filled  up.  A  wily  man  will  see  odd  ways  now  and  then  of 
getting  bulbs  or  seeds  in.  When  the  men  are  making  sod  banks  for 
the  only  true  field  fence — a  live  one — is  a  very  good  time  to  put 
in  Sweet  Briers  in  the  bank.  In  certain  soils  seeds  may  be  sown 
betimes — seeds  of  Foxglove,  Evening  Primrose,  and  stout  biennials. 
Fragile  bulbs  will  want  more  care  and  less  depth  than  the  bolder 
Narcissi.  Many  ways  are  good,  though  far  more  important  than  any 
way  of  planting  is  thought  as  to  the  wants  of  the  thing  we  plant,  not 
only  as  to  soil,  but  association  with  the  things  that  will  grow  about 
it  in  grass,  in  hedgerows  and  rough  places,  for  plants  are  not  all 
garotters  like  the  great  Japanese  Knotworts  and  the  big  Moon 
Daisies. 

All  planting  in  the  grass  should  be  in  natural  groups  or  prettily 


THE    WILD    GARDEN. 


fringed    colonies,  growing   to   and    fro  as   they  like  after    planting. 
Lessons    in  •  this    grouping  are   to   be   had   in  the   woods,   copses, 

heaths,    and  meadows,   by  those  who  look  about 
Natural  groups,     them    as   they   go.     At   first    many    will    find    it 

difficult  to  get  out  of  formal  masses,  but  they 
may  be  got  over  by  studying  natural  groupings-  of  wild  flowers. 
Once  established,  the  plants  soon  begin  to  group  themselves  in 
pretty  ways. 

In    the    cultivation    of    hardy    plants    and    especially    in    wild 
gardening  the  important  thing  is  to  find  out  what  things  really  do 

in  the  soil,  without  which  much  good  way  cannot 

The  secret  of       be  made.     Many  people  make  errors  in  planting 

the  soil.          things  that  are  tender  in   our  country  and    very 

often  fail  in  consequence  ;  but  apart  from  such 
risky  planting  perfectly  hardy  plants  may  disappear  owing  to  some 
dislike  of  the  soil.  They  flower  feebly  at  first  and  afterwards 
gradually  wane  in  spite  of  all  our  efforts.  So  it  is  with  the  Crocus. 
I  find  it  difficult  to  naturalise,  it  takes  but  slowly  and  gradually 
diminishes,  and  in  many  places  covers  the  ground.  The  Narcissus, 
which  is  so  free  and  enduring  in  cool  damp  soil,  does  little  good  on 
warm,  light  or  chalky  soil.  Some  things  are  so  omnivorous  in  their 
appetites  that  they  will  grow  anywhere,  but  some,  the  more  beautiful 
races  of  bulbous  and  other  early  flowers,  will  only  thrive  and  stay 
with  us  where  they  like  the  soil.  It  should  be  clearly  seen  therefore 
that  what  may  be  done  with  any  good  result  in  the  wild  garden 
cannot  be  determined  beforehand,  but  must  depend  on  the  nature 
of  the  soil  and  other  circumstances  which  can  be  known  only  to 
those  who  study  the  ground. 

Where  the  branches  of  trees,  both  evergreen  and  summer-leafing, 
sweep  the  turf  in   pleasure   grounds   many  pretty  spring-flowering 

bulbs  may  be  naturalised  beneath  the  branches,  and 

Flowers  beneath    will  thrive  without  attention.     It  is  chiefly  in  the 

trees.  case  of  deciduous   trees  that  this  can   be   done ; 

but  even  in  the  case  of  Conifers  and  Evergreens 
some  graceful  objects  may  be  dotted  beneath  the  outermost  points 
of  their  lower  branches.  We  know  that  a  great  number  of  our 
spring  flowers  and  hardy  bulbs  mature  their  foliage  and  go  to 
rest  early  in  the  year.  In  spring  they  require  light  and  sun, 
which  they  obtain  abundantly  under  the  summer-leafing  tree ;  they 
have  time  to  flower  and  grow  under  it  before  the  foliage  of  the 
tree  appears ;  then,  as  the  summer  heats  approach,  they  are 
overshadowed,  and  go  to  rest ;  but  the  leaves  of  the  tree  once 
fallen,  they  soon  begin  to  reappear  and  cover  the  ground  with 
beauty. 


io4 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


SOME  PLANTS  FOR  THE  WILD  GARDEN. 

The  following  are  the  chief  families  of  plants  that  may  be  used  in 
the  wild  garden.  Where  families  are  named  which  are  British  as  well 
as  natives  of  the  Continent  of  Europe,  as  in  the  case  of,  say,  Scilla, 
the  foreign  kinds  are  meant.  In  considering  what  may  be  done  in 
naturalising  plants  in  a  given  position,  it  may  be  well  to  cast  the  eye 
over  the  families  available.  Success  will  depend  on  how  the  plants 
are  chosen  to  go  in  any  one  position,  but  about  country  seats 
soils  are  so  much  varied  that  it  is  not  easy  to  generalise. 


Acanthus 

Crane's-bill 

Honesty 

Narcissus 

Snapdragon 

Aconite,  Winter 

Crocus 

Honeysuckle 

Omphalodes 

Snowdrop 

Asphodel 

Cyclamen 

Houseleeks 

Ox-eye  Daisy 

Snowflake 

Aubrietia 

Daffodil 

Iris 

Paeony 

Solomon's  Seal 

Barrenwort 

Day  Lily 

Knotwort 

Pea,  everlasting 

Star  of  Bethlehem 

Bee  Balm 

Dog's-tooth  Violet 

Lavender 

Periwinkle 

Starwort 

Bellflower 

Ferns,  Hardy 

Leopard's-bane 

Phlox 

Stonecrop 

Bindweed 

Forget-me-not 

Lily 

Plantain  Lily 

Sun  Rose 

Blood  Root 

Foxglove 

Lily-of-the-valley 

Pond-flower 

Sunflower        (Per- 

Borage 

French  Willow 

Loosestrife 

Poppy 

ennial 

Broom 

Giant  Fennel 

Lungwort 

Primrose,  Evening 

Thyme 

Christmas  Rose 

Giant  Scabious 

Lupine 

Rest  Harrow 

Tulip 

Clematis 

Globe  Flower 

Mallow 

Rocket 

Viola  ^ 

Columbine 

Globe  Thistle 

Meadow  Rue 

Rose,  wild  kinds 

Virginian  Creeper 

Comfrey 

Golden  Rod 

Meadow  Saffron 

St  Bruno's  Lily 

Virginian  Poke 

Compass  Plant 

Grape  Hyacinth 

Meadow  Sweet 

St  John's  Wort 

Wallflower 

Cornflower 

Heath 

Mimulus 

Sand  wort 

Water-Lily 

Coronilla 

Heliotrope,  Winter 

Monk's  Hood 

Scabious 

Windflower 

Cotton  Thistle 

Hepatica 

Mouniain  Avers 

Scilla 

Wistaria 

Cow  Parsnip 

Holly,  Sea 

Mullein 

Snake's  Head 

Wood  Lily 

Wreath  of  old  Wistaria,  Efford  Manor. 


CHAPTER   XII. 
SPRING  GARDENS. 

"  I  have  seen  foreign  flowers  in  hothouses  of  the  most  beautiful  nature,  but  I 
do  not  care  a  straw  for  them.  The  simple  flowers  of  our  spring  are  what 
I  want  to  see  again." — JOHN  KEATS  (Letter  to  James  Rice). 

IN  our  islands,  swept  by  the  winds  of  iceless  seas,  spring  wakes  early 
in  the  year,  when  the  plains  of  the  north  and  the  mountains  of  the 
south  and  centre  are  cold  in  snow.  In  our  green  springs  the  flowers 
of  northern  and  alpine  countries  open  long  before  they  do  in  their 
native  homes  ;  hence  the  artistic  error  of  any  system  of  flower 
gardening  which  leaves  out  the  myriad  flowers  of  spring.  It  is  no 
longer  a  question  of  gardens  being  bare  of  the  right  plants  ;  nurseries 
and  gardens  where  there  are  many  good  plants  are  not  rare,  but 
to  make  effective  use  of  these  much  thought  is  seldom  given. 
Gardens  are  often  rich  in  plants  but  poor  in  beauty,  many  being 
stuffed  with  things,  but  ugly  in  effect. 

If  we  are  to  make  good  use  of  our  spring  garden  flora  we  should 
avoid  much  annual  culture,  though  it  is  not  well  to  get  rid  of  it 
altogether,  as  many  plants  depend  for  their  beauty  on  rich  ground 
and  frequent  cultivation.  But  many  grow  well  without  these,  and 
the  most  delightful  spring  gardens  can  only  be  where  we  grow 
many  spring  blooming  things  that  demand  no  annual  card,  from 
Globe-flowers  to  Hawthorns. 

A  common  kind  of  "spring  gardening"  consists  of  "bedding 
out"  Forget-me-nots,  Pansies,  Daisies,  Catchflies,  and  Hyacinths; 
but  this  way  is  only  one  of  many,  and  the  meanest,  most  costly,  and 
inartistic.  It  began  when  we  had  few  good  spring  flowers,  now  we 

105 


106  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN 

have  many ;  and  hence  this  chapter  must  deal  with  other  and  better 
ways. 

The  fashion  of  having  beds  of  Roses  of  but  one  kind  should 
be  given  up.  The  half-bare  Rose  and  choice  shrub  beds  should  be 
a  home  for  the  prettiest  spring  flowers — Pansies,  Violets,  early  Irises, 
Daffodils,  Scillas,  and  many  other  dwarf  plants  in  colonies  between 
the  Roses  or  shrubs.  Double  Primroses  are  happy  and  flower  well 
in  such  beds.  The  slight  shade  such  plants  receive  in  summer  from 
the  other  tenants  of  the  bed  assists  them.  Where  Rhododendrons 
are  planted  in  an  "  open "  way  (and  these  precious  bushes  never 
ought  to  be  jammed  together),  a  spring  garden  of  another  kind  may 
be  made,  as  the  peat-loving  plants  (and  there  are  many  fair  ones 
among  them)  will  be  quite  at  home  there.  The  White  Wood  Lily 
of  the  American  woods  (Trillium),  the  Virginian  Lungwort,  the 
Canadian  Bloodroot  (Sanguinaria),  the  various  Dog's-tooth  Violets, 
double  Primroses,  and  many  early-flowering  bulbous  plants  enjoy 
the  partial  shade  and  shelter  and  the  soil  of  the  beds  for  "  American  " 
shrubs. 

There  are  so  many  hardy  plants  among  these  that  flower  in  spring 

(many  alpine  plants  blooming  as  soon  as  the  snow  goes),  that  there 

is  not  room  to  name  them  all.     We  must  omit  any 

Rock  and  alpine     detailed  notice  of  plants   like  Adonis,  Cyclamen, 

plants.  Draba,   Erodium,  and   the  smaller   Rockfoils  and 

Stonecrops,  Dicentra,  Fumaria,  Orobus,  Ramondia, 

Silene,  and  many  other  flowers  of  the  rocks  'and  hills,  which  though 

beautiful  individually  do    not   tell    so  well  in   the  picture   as  many 

here  named. 

Among  rock  plants  the  first  place  belongs  to  certain  mountain 

plants  of  the  northern  world,  which,  in  our  country,  come  into  bloom 

before  the  early  shrubs  and  trees,  and  among  the 

Purple  Rock       first  bold  plants  to  cheer  us  in  spring  are  those  of 

Cresses.  the  Wallflower  order — the  yellow  Alyssum,  effective 

and   easy  to  grow,  the  white  Arabis,  even  more 

grown  in  Northern  France  than  in  England  (it  well  deserves  to  be 

spread  about  in  sheets  and  effective  groups),  and  the  beautiful  purple 

Rock  Cresses  (Aubrietia),  lovely  plants  of  the  mountains  of  Greece 

and  the  countries  near,  which  have  developed  a  number  of  varieties 

even  more  beautiful  in   colour   than   the  wild  kinds.     Nothing  for 

gardens   can  be  more   precious  than  these  plants,  the  long  spring 

bloom  being  effective  in  almost  every  kind   of  flower  gardening — 

banks,  walls,  edgings,  borders  of  evergreen  rock  plants,  or  carpets 

beneath  sparsely  set   shrubs.     The  white  evergreen    Candytufts  are 

also  effective  plants  in  clear  sheets  for  borders,  edgings  to  beds,  tops 

of  walls,  and  the  rougher   flanks   of  the   rock   garden.     These   are 


SPRING   GARDENS.  107 


among  the  plants  that  have  been  set  out  in  hard  lines  in  flower 
gardens,  but  it  is  easy  to  have  better  effects  from  them  in  groups, 
and  even  in  broken  lines  and  masses,  or  as  carpets  beneath  bushes, 
thus  giving  softer  and  more  beautiful,  if  less  definite,  effects.  Happy 
always  on  castle  wall  and  rocks,  the  Wallflower  is  most. welcome 
in  the  garden,  where,  on  warm  soils  and  in  genial  climates,  it  does 
well,  but  hard  winters  injure  it  often  in  cold  and  inland  districts,  and 
'it  is  almost  like  a  tender  plant  in  such  conditions.  Yet  it  must 
ever  be  one  of  the  flowers  best  worth  growing  in  sheltered  and  warm 
gardens  ;  and  even  in  cold  places  one  may  have  a  few  under  the  eaves 
of  cottages  and  on  dry  south  borders. 

The  Windflowers  are  a  noble  group  among  the  most  beautiful  of 
the  northern  and  eastern  flowers,  some  being  easily  naturalised 
(like  the  blue  Italian  and  Greek  Anemones),  while 
The  Windflowers  the  showy  Poppy  Anemones  are  easily  grown 
where  the  soils  are  light  and  warm,  and  in  genial 
warm  districts ;  but  they  require  some  care  on  certain  soils, 
and  are  among  the  plants  we  must  cultivate  and  even  protect 
on  cold  soils  in  hard  winters.  The  same  is  true  of  the  brilliant 
Asiatic  Ranunculus  and  all  its  varied  forms  Persian,  Turkish,  and 
French,  as  they  may  be  called,  all  forms  of  one  wild  North  African 
buttercup,  unhappily  too  tender  to  endure  our  winters  in  the 
open  air,  but  they  should  be  abundantly  grown  on  the  warm 
limestone  and  other  soils  which  suit  them,  as  about  our  coasts 
and  in  Ireland.  There  is  no  more  effective  way  of  growing  these 
than  in  simple  4-foot  beds  in  the  kitchen  or  reserve  garden.  The 
Wood  Anemone  is  so  often  seen  in  the  woods  that  there  is  rarely 
need  to  grow  it ;  but  some  of  its  varieties  are  essential,  most  beautiful 
being  A.  Robinsoniana,  a  flower  of  lovely  blue  colour,  and  a  distinct 
gain  in  the  spring  garden  grown  in  almost  any  way.  The  Hepatica 
is  a  lovely  little  Anemone  where  the  soil  is  free,  though  slow  in  some 
soils,  and  where  it  grows  well  all  its  varieties  should  be  encouraged, 
in  borders  and  margins  of  beds  of  American  bushes  as  well  as  in  the 
rock  garden.  The  Snowdrop  Windflower  (A.  sylvestris)  is  most 
graceful  in  bud  and  bloom,  but  a  little  capricious,  and  not  blooming 
well  on  all  soils,  unlike  in  this  way  our  Wood  W'indflowers,  which  are 
as  constant  as  the  Kingcups.  The  Pasque-flower  is  lovely  on  the 
chalk  downs  and  fields  of  Normandy  and  parts  of  England  in  spring, 
but  never  quite  so  pretty  in  a  garden.  It  would  be  worth  naturalising 
in  chalky  fields  and  woods  or  banks. 

Columbines  are  very  beautiful  in  the  early  part  of  the  year,  and 
if  we  had  nothing  but  the  common  kind  (Aquilegia  vulgaris) 
and  its  forms,  they  would  be  precious;  but  there  are  many  others 
which  thrive  in  free  soils,  some  of  which  are  very  graceful  in  forrn 


io8  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

and  charming  in  colour.     The  Kingcup  or  Marsh  Marigold,  so  fine 
in  wet  meadows  and  by  the  riverside,  should  be  brought  into  gardens 
wherever  there  is  water,  as  it  is  a  most  effective 
Columbine         plant    when    well    grown,  and   there   are    several 
Marsh  Marigold,    forms,    double    and    single.      The    Clematis,   the 
Clematis,  and      larger  kinds,  are  mostly  for  the  summer,  but  some 
Globe-flower.      (c.  montana,  C.  alpina,  C.  cirrhosa)  are  at  their 
best  in  the  spring ;  they  should  be  made  abund- 
ant use  of  on  house  walls  and  over  banks,  trees  and  shrubs.     The 
Winter  Aconite  (earliest  of  spring  flowers)  naturalises  itself  in  some 
soils,  but  on  others  dwindles  and  dies  out,  and  it  should  not  be  grown 
in  the  garden,  but  in   shrubberies,  copses,  or  woods  where  the  soil 
suits  it.     Some   kinds  of  hardy  Ranunculus,  the  herbaceous  double 
kinds,  are  good   in   colour,  and   in   bold   groups    pretty;   but   taller 
and    bolder    and    finer    in    effect    are    the    Globe-flowers,    easily 
naturalised    in    moist,   grassy    places    or    by    water,   and    also    free 
and   telling   among   stout    herbaceous    plants.      The    most    distinct 
addition   to    the   spring   garden    of    recent    years    is   the    Oriental 
Hellebore  in  its  many  beautiful  varieties.     They  are  most  effective, 
sturdy,  impressive  plants   for   opening   the   flower  year  with,  often 
blooming  abundantly  at  the  dawn  of  spring,  and  have  the  essential 
merit  of  not  requiring  annual  culture,  tufts  remaining  in  vigour  in 
the  same  spot  for  many  years. 

The   European  Dog's-tooth  Violet  is  pretty  in  the  budding  grass, 

where  it  is  free  in  growth  and  bloom.     The  Fritillary  is  one  of  the 

most  welcome   flowers    for   grass,  and    is   best  in 

Snowdrop,  Snow-  mol'st  meadows ;  the  rarer  kinds  do  well  in  good 

flake,  Crocuses,    garden  soil,  those  with   pale   yellow    bells    being 

Scilla,  and        beautiful.     Every  plant   such   as  these,  which  we 

Fntillary.         can    so    easiiy   grow   at    home    in   grassy   places, 

makes  our  cares  about  the  spring  garden  so  much 

the  less,  and  allows  of  keeping  all  the  precious  beds  of  the  flower 

garden  itself  for  the   plants   that   require  some  care  and   rich   soil 

always. 

The  Hyacinth,  which  is  often  set  in  such  stiff  masses  in  our  public 
gardens,  gives  prettier  effects  more  naturally  grouped,  but  it  is  not 
nearly  so  important  for  the  open  air  as  many  flowers  more  easy  to 
grow  and  better  in  effect,  though  some  of  the  more  slender  wild 
species,  like  H.  amethystinus,  are  beautiful  and  deserve  a  good  place. 
The  Snowdrop  is  of  even  greater  value  of  late  years  owing  to  new 
forms  of  it,  some  of  which  have  been  brought  from  Asia  Minor 
and  others  raised  in  gardens.  In  some  soils  it  is  quite  free  and 
becomes  easily  naturalised,  in  others  it  dwindles  away,  and  the  same 
is  true  of  the  vernal  Snowflake  (Leucojum  vernum),  a  beautiful 


SPRING   GARDENS.  I0g 


plant.  The  larger  Snowflakes  are  more  free  in  ordinary  soils, 
and  easily  naturalised  in  river  bank  soil.  The  Crocus,  the  most 
brilliant  of  spring  flowers,  does  not  always  lend  itself  to  growing 
naturally  in  every  soil,  but  on  some  it  is  quite  at  home,  especially 
those  of  a  chalky  nature,  and  will  naturalise  itself  under  trees, 
while  in  many  garden  soils  it  is  delightful  for  edgings  and  in 
many  ways. 

To  the  Scilla  we  owe  much,  from  the  wild  plants  of  our  woods  to 
the  vivid  Siberian  kind ;  some  kinds  are  essential  in  the  garden,  and 
some,  like  the  Spanish  Scilla  (S.  Campanulata),  may  be  naturalised  in 
free  soils.  Allies  of  these  lovely  early  flowers  have  come  of  recent 
years  to  our  gardens — the  beautiful  Chionodoxa  from  Asia  Minor,  of 
about  the  same  stature  and  effect  as  the  prettiest  of  the  Scillas,  and 
some  of  them  even  more  precious  for  colour.  These  are  among  the 
plants  which  may  be  planted  with  best  results  in  bold  groups  on  the 
surface  of  beds  planted  with  permanent  flowers,  such  as  Roses  where 
Rose  beds  are  not  surfaced  with  manure,  as  all  Rose-growers  unwisely 
advise. 

In  warm  soils  some  of  the  more  beautiful  of  the  flowers  of  spring 
are  the  early  Irises,  but  in  gardens  generally  the  most  beautiful  of 
Irises  come  in  late  spring  with  the  German  Iris, 
Iris,  Narcissus,  which  is  so  free  and  hardy  throughout  our 
and  Tulip.  country.  Orchid-houses  themselves  cannot  give 
any  such  array  as  these  when  in  bloom,  and  they 
are  often  deserving  of  a  little  garden  to  themselves,  where  there  is 
room  for  it,  while  they  are  useful  in  many  ways  in  borders  and 
as  groups.  About  the  same  time  come  the  precious  Spanish  Iris 
in  many  colours,  lovely  as  Orchids,  and  very  easily  grown,  and 
the  English  Iris.  The  Grape  Hyacinths  are  pretty  and  early 
plants  of  Southern  Europe,  beautiful  in  colour.  They  increase 
rapidly,  and  some  kinds  do  very  well  in  the  grass  in  free  and 
peaty  soils,  but  the  rarer  ones  are  best  on  warm  borders  and 
groups  in  the  rock  garden.  The  Narcissus  is  worth  growing  in 
every  way,  the  rarer  kinds  in  prepared  borders  or  beds  and  the 
many  that  are  plentiful  in  almost  any  cool  soil  in  the  grass.  In  our 
country,  where  there  are  so  many  cool  and  rich  soils  allowing  of  the 
Narcissus  being  naturalised  and  grown  admirably  in  many  ways, 
it  is,  perhaps,  on  the  whole,  the  most  precious  of  all  our  spring 
flowers.  But  the  Tulip  is  the  most  gorgeous  in  colour  of  all  the 
flowers  of  spring,  and  for  its  effectiveness  is  better  worthy  of  special 
culture  than  most ;  indeed,  the  florists'  kinds  and  the  various  rare 
garden  Tulips  must  be  well  grown  to  show  their  full  size  and 
beauty. 

Paeonies  are   nobly   effective   in   many  ways.     Where  single  or 


no  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

other  kinds  are  plentiful  they  may  be  well   used  as  broad  groups 

in  new  plantations,  among   shrubs   and    low   trees,   and    as   to   the 

choice  double   kinds,  no   plants  better  deserve   a 

Paeony,  Poppy,      little   garden    or    border  to  themselves,  while  the 

and  Lupin.         tree   kinds  make  superb  groups  on  the  lawn  and 

are  safer  from  frost  on  high  ground.     The  great 

scarlet  Poppies  are  showy  in   spring,  and  best   grown   among  trees 

and  in  the  wild  garden,  and  with  them  may  be  named  the  Welsh 

Poppy,  a  very  effective  plant  in  spring  as  well  as  summer,  and  often 

sowing  itself  in  all  sorts  of  places.     The  various  garden  forms  of  the 

opium   Poppy  and  of  the  field  Poppy,  both  double  and  single,  are 

very  showy  where  any  space  is  given  to  annual  flowers. 

The  common  perennial  Lupin  is  a  very  showy,  pretty  plant 
grown  in  a  free  way  in  groups  and  masses,  and  may  sometimes  be 
naturalised,  and,  associated  with  Poppies  and  free-growing  Columbines 
in  the  wild  garden,  it  is  very  effective. 

Primroses  are  a  lovely  host  for  the  garden,  especially  the  garden 
varieties  of  the  common  Primrose,  Cowslip,  and  Oxlip.     Few  things 
deserve   a   better   place,  or   are   more   worthy   of 
Primrose  Tulip    g°°d  culture  in  visible  groups  and  colonies  or  rich 
Cowslip.'poly- '   garden   borders.     Apart  from  the  lovely  races  of 
anthus,  and       garden  forms  raised  from  the  Primrose,  the  Cow- 
Auricula.          Siip5  anci  the  Oxlip,  and  also  the  Alpine  Auriculas,, 
double   Primroses  should   not  be  forgotten,  as  in 
all  moist  districts  and  in  peaty  and  free  soil  they  give  such  tender 
and  beautiful  colour  in  groups,  borders,  or  slightly  shaded   among 
dwarf  shrubs.     Primroses  and   Polyanthus  of  native  origin  are  well 
backed  up  by  the  beautiful  Indian  Primrose  (Primula  rosea),  which 
thrives  apace  in  cool  soils  in  the  north  of  England  and  in  Scotland,, 
and  which,  when  grown  in  bold  groups,  is  very  good  in  effect,  as 
are  the  purplish  Indian  Primroses  under  like  conditions. 

The  large-leaved  Indian  Rockfoils  (Saxifraga)  are  in  many  soils 

very   easily   grown,   and    they   are   showy    spring   flowers    in    bold 

groups,  especially  some  of  the  improved  varieties. 

Rockfoil,          Although  it  is  only  in  places  where  there  is  rocky 

Gentian,  and      ground  or  large  rock  gardens  that  one  can  get 

Alpine  Phlox.      the    beauty   of  the    smaller    Mountain    Rockfoils- 

(Saxifraga)  we  cannot  omit  to  notice  their  beauty — 

both  the  white,  yellow,  and  crimson-flowered    kind — when    seen    im 

masses.     The   same   may   be  said  of  Gentians ;   beautiful   as   they 

are  in  the  mountains,  few  gardens  have  positions  where  we  can  get 

their  fine  effect,  always  excepting  the  old  Gentianella  (G.  acaulis),. 

which  in  old  Scotch  and  English  gardens  used  to  make  such  handsome. 

broad  edgings,  and  -which  is  easily  grown  in  a  cool  soil,  and  gives,. 


SPRING    GARDENS. 


perhaps,  the  noblest  effect  of  blue  flowers  that  one  can  enjoy  in  our 
latitudes  in  spring.  The  tall  Phloxes  are  plants  of  the  summer,  but, 
there  is  a  group  of  American  dwarf  alpine  Phloxes  of  the  moun- 
tains which  are  among  the  hardiest  and  most  cheery  flowers  of 
spring,  thriving  on  any  dry  banks  and  in  the  drier  parts  of  rock 
gardens,  forming  mossy  edgings  in  the  flower  garden,  and  breaking 
into  a  foam  of  flowers  early  in  spring. 

The  Viola  family  is  most  precious,  not  only  in  the  many  forms 
of  the  sweet  Violet,  which  will  always  deserve  garden  cultivation, 

but  in  the  numerous  varieties  of  the  Pansy,  which 
Pansies.  flower  so  effectively  in  the  spring.     The  best  of 

all,  perhaps,  for  artistic  use  are  the  Tufted  Pansies, 
which  are  delightfully  simple  in  colour — white,  pale  blue,  or  lavender, 
and  various  other  delicate  shades.  Almost  perennial  in  character, 
they  can  be  increased  and  kept  true,  and  they  give  us  distinct  and 
delicate  colour  in  masses  as  wide  as  we  wish,  instead  of  the  old 
"variegated"  effect  of  Pansies.  Though  the  separate  flowers  of 
these  were  often  handsome,  the  effect  of  the  Tufted  Pansies  with 
their  pure  and  delicate  colours  is  more  valuable,  and  these  also, 
while  pretty  in  groups  and  patches,  will,  where  there  is  space,  often 
be  worth  growing  in  little  nursery  beds. 

These  are  among  the  most  welcome  flowers  of  spring.     Before  the 
common  and  most  beautiful  of  all — the  marsh  Forget-me-not — comes, 

there  are  the  wood  Forget-me-not  (M.  Sylvatica) 
Forget-me-nots,    and  M.  dissitiflora  and  M.  alpestris,  all  precious 

early  flowers.  Allied  to  the  ever-welcome  Forget- 
me-not  is  the  common  Omphalodes,  or  creeping  Forget-me-not, 
valuable  for  its  freedom  in  growth  in  half  shady  or  rough  places 
in  almost  any  soil — one  of  the  most  precious  of  the  early  flowers 
which  take  care  of  themselves  if  we  take  a  little  trouble  to  put 
them  in  likely  places. 

Among  annuals  that  bloom  in  spring  where  the  soil  is  favourable, 
excellent  results  are  often  obtained  by  sowing  Sweet  Peas  in  autumn. 

When  this  is  done,  and   they  escape   the  winter, 
Annual  flowers,    they  give  welcome  hedges  of  flowers  in  the  early 

year.  So,  too,  the  Cornflower,  a  lovely  spring 
flower,  and  perhaps  the  finest  blue  we  have  among  annual  plants  ; 
but  to  have  it  good  and  early  it  should  be  always  sown  in 
autumn,  and  for  effect  it  should  be  in  broad  masses,  sometimes 
among  shrubs  or  in  recently  broken  ground  which  we  desire 
to  cover.  Some  of  the  Californian  annuals  are  handsome  and 
vigorous  when  sown  in  autumn,  always  provided  they  escape  the 
winter.  The  White  Godetia  is  very  fine  in  this  way.  In  all  chalky, 
sandy,  and, warm  soils  the  Stocks  for  spring  bloom  are  handsome- 


H2  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

and  fragrant,  but  it  is  a  waste  of  time  to  attempt  to  grow  them  on 
cold  soils. 

Some  of  the  finest  effects  come  from  the  early  trees  and  shrubs. 
Among  the  most  stately  are  the  Buckeyes  (^Esculis),  particularly  the 
red  kinds,  fine  in  all  stages,  but  especially  when 
Trees  that  bloom  old.  The  snowy  Mespilus  is  a  hardy,  low-sized 
in  spring.  tree,  blooming  regularly,  and  well  deserves  a  place 
in  the  pleasure  garden  or  the  fringes  of  shrubberies. 
The  Almonds,  more  than  any  shrubs,  perhaps,  in  our  country  and 
in  France,  light  up  the  earliest  days  of  spring,  and,  like  most 
southern  trees,  are  best  in  warm  valley  soils.  They  should  be  in 
groups  to  tell  in  the  home  landscape.  The  double  Peaches  are 
lovely  in  France,  but  as  yet  rarely  so  with  usy  owing,  perhaps, 
to  some  defect  of  the  stock  used.  Perhaps  of  all  the  hardy  shrubs 
ever  brought  to  our  country  the  Azaleas  are  the  most  precious  for 
effect.  They  are  mostly  wild  on  the  mountains  of  America,  and 
many  forms  have  been  raised  in  gardens  which  are  of  the  highest 
value.  Many  places  do  not  as  yet  show  the  great  beauty  of  the 
different  groups  of  hardy  Azalea,  particularly  the  late  kinds  raised  of 
recent  years.  A  neglected  tree  with  us  is  the  Judas-tree,  which  is 
very  handsome  in  groups,  as  it  ought  always  to  be  grown,  and  not  as 
a  starved  single  tree.  The  various  double  Cherries  are  noble  flower- 
ing trees,  being  showy  as  well  as  delicate  in  bloom,  and  the  Japanese 
kinds  do  quite  as  well  as  the  old  French  and  English  double  Cherries, 
though  the  trees  are  apt  to  perish  from  grafting.  The  American 
Fringe-tree  (Chionanthus)  is  pretty,  but  some  American  flowering 
trees  do  not  ripen  their  wood  well  enough  in  England  generally  to 
give  us  the  handsome  effects  seen  in  their  own  country.  Hawthorns, 
those  of  our  own  country,  make  natural  spring  gardens  of  hills 
and  rocky  places,  and  should  teach  us  to  give  a  place  to  the  many 
other  species  to  be  found  in  the  mountains  of  Europe  and 
America,  which  vary  the  bloom  and  prolong  the  season  of  early- 
flowering  trees.  There  are  many  varieties  of  our  native  Hawthorn — 
red,  pink,  double,  and  weeping.  The  old  Laburnum  has  for  many 
years  been  a  joy  with  its  golden  rain,  and  of  late  we  are  doubly 
well  off  with  improved  forms,  with  long  chains  of  golden  flowers. 
These  will  become  noble  flowering  trees  as  they  get  old  ;  hence  the 
importance  of  grouping  Laburnum  trees  to  get  the  varieties  together. 
Among  the  early  charms  in  the  spring  garden  are  the  slender 
wands  of  the  Forsythia,  hardy  Chinese  bushes,  pale  yellow,  delightful 
in  effect  when  grown  in  picturesque  ways ;  effective  also  on  walls  or 
grouped  in  the  open  air  on  banks.  Another  plant  of  refined  beauty, 
but  too  little  planted,  is  the  Snowdrop-tree  (Halesia).  Unlike  other 
American  trees,  it  ripens  its  wood  in  our  country,  and  often  flowers 


SPRING    GARDENS,  113 


well.  The  Mountain  Laurel  of  America  (Kalmia)  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  things  ever  brought  to  our  country,  and  as  a  late  spring 
flower  is  precious,  thriving  both  in  the  open  and  in  half  shady 
places. 

There  is  no  more  showy  plant  or  one  more  beautiful  in  effect 
in  masses  than  the  common  Broom  and  all  its  allies  that  are  hardy 
enough,  even  the  little  Spanish  Furze  giving  fine 
Broom  and  Furze,  colour.      The    common     Broom    should    be    en- 
couraged on  bluffs  and  sandy  or  gravelly  places, 
so  as   to    save    us    the   trouble    of    growing   it  in  gardens,   for    in 
effect  there  is  nothing  better.     The  same  may  be  said  of  the  Furze, 
which  is  such  a  beautiful  plant  in   England  and  the  coast  regions 
of  France,  and  the  double    Furze    deserves   to   be   massed    in   the 
garden    in    picturesque  groups.     In    country  seats,  especially  those 
commanding  views,  its  value  in  the  foreground  is  very  great,  and  it 
is  so  easily  raised  from  seed  that  fine  effects  are  very  easily  secured, 
though  it  may  be  cut  down  now  and  then  in  hard  winters. 

The  glory  of  spring  in  our  pleasure  grounds  are  the  Rhododendrons  ; 
but  they  are  so  overmastering  in  their  effect  on  people's  minds 
that  very  often  they  lead  to  neglect  of  other 
Rhododendron  things.  It  would  be  difficult  to  overrate  their 
and  Magnolia.  charms  ;  but  even  amongst  them  we  require  to 
discriminate  and  avoid  the  too  early  and  tender 
kinds.  Many  of  the  kinds  raised  from  R.  ponticum  and  the  Indian 
Rhododendron,  while  they  thrive  in  mild  districts  in  the  south  of 
England  and  west  of  France,  near  the  sea,  are  not  hardy  in  the 
country  generally.  Some  of  these  tender  hybrids  certainly  flower 
early,  but  we  get  little  good  from  that.  The  essential  thing,  when 
we  give  space  to  a  hardy  shrub,  is  that  we  should  get  its  bloom  • 
in  perfection,  and  therefore  we  should  choose  the  broad-leaved 
hardy  kinds,  which  are  mostly  raised  from  the  very  hardy  North 
American  R.  catawbiense,  and  be  a  little  particular  in  grouping  the 
prettiest  colours,  never  using  a  grafted  plant.  For  many  years  the 
Yulan  Magnolia,  when  well  grown,  has  been  one  of  the  finest  trees 
in  English  southern  gardens,  and  nothing  is  more  effective  than  the 
Lily-tree  in  gardens  like  Syon  and  others  in  the  Thames  valley  ;  while 
of  late  years  we  have  seen  precious  additions  to  this,  the  noblest 
family  of  flowering  trees.  Some  of  these,  like  M.  stellata,  have  proved 
to  be  valuable  ;  all  are  worth  a  trial,  and,  as  to  the  kinds  we  are  sure 
of,  the  great  thing  is  to  group  them.  Even  in  the  case  of  the  common 
Lily-tree  (M.  Yulan)  it  makes  a  great  difference  whether  there  are 
four  or  five  trees  or  one. 

Amongst  the   most  beautiful  of  the  smaller  alpine  bushes  ever 
brought  to  our  country  is  the  alpine  forest  Heath,  which  is  cheery  and 

H 


1 14  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

bright  for  weeks  in  spring.     It  is  one  of  the  plants  that  never  fails 
us,  and  only  requires  to  be  grown  in  bold  ways  to  be  effective — in 

groups  and  masses  fully  exposed  to  the  sun.    Other 

Alpine  forest       Heaths,  like   the  Mediterranean  Heath,   are  also 

Heath.  beautiful  in  some  favoured  parts  of  the  country, 

.  but    not  so  hardy  generally   as   the   little  alpine 

forest   Heath  which  has  the  greatest  endurance  and   most  perfect 

hardiness,  as  becomes  a  native  of  the  Alps  of  Central  Europe. 

Pyrus  japonica,  a  handsome  old  shrub  often  planted  on  cottage 
garden  walls,  may  in  many  soils  be  used  with  good  effect  in  groups  and 
hedges.  The  evergreen  Barberries  in  various  forms  are  beautiful  early 
shrubs,  with  soft  yellow  flowers,  and  excellent  when  grouped  in  some 
quantity.  Two  very  important  families  are  the  Deutzias  and  Syringas, 
which  are  varied  and  beautiful,  mostly  in  white  masses.  They  should 
never  be  buried  in  the  common  shrubbery,  but  grouped  in  good  masses 
of  each  family.  The  flowering  Currant  (Ribes)  of  the  mountains  of 
N.W.  America  is  in  all  its  forms  a  very  cheery  and  early  bush,  which 
tells  well  in  the  home  landscape  if  rightly  placed  ;  but  perhaps  the 
most  welcome  and  important  of  all  early  trees  and  shrubs  is  the  Lilac, 
which  in  Britain  is  often  grown  in  a  few  kinds  only,  when  there  are 
many  in  France.  Beautiful  in  almost  any  position,  Lilacs  are  most 
effective  when  planted  together,  so  as  to  enjoy  the  full  sun  to  ripen 
their  wood  ;  the  danger  of  thick  planting  can  be  avoided  by  putting 
Irises  or  other  hardy  flowers  over  the  ground  between  the  shrubs, 
which  should  never  be  crowded. 

Apart  from  the  many  orchard  trees  grown  for  their  fruit,  we 
have  in  our  own  day  to  welcome  some  of  their  allies — lovely  in 

flower,   if  often   poor  in    fruit.     Our  country   has 
Crab  bloom.        never  been  without  some  of  this  kind  of  beauty,  as 

the  Crab  itself  is  as  handsome  a  flowering  tree  as 
.are  many  of  the  Apples  which  are  descended  from  it  in  all  the 
countries  in  Europe,  from  Russia  to  Spain,  and  in  our  gardens  there 
were  for  many  years  the  old  Chinese  double  Pyrus,  a  handsome  tree 
which  became  popular,  and  the  American  Crab,  which  never  became 
so.  But  of  late  years  we  have  been  enriched  by  the  Japan  Crab, 
a  lovely  tree  for  some  weeks  in  spring  and  other  handsome  kinds, 
including  Parkman's  Crab,  which  comes  to  us  under  more  than  one 
name,  and  a  "red  form  of  the  Japanese  flowering  Crab  before 
mentioned.  All  these  trees  are  as  hardy  as  our  native  Crab,  and 
differ  much  in  colour  and  sometimes  also  in  form.  It  is  difficult 
to  describe  how  much  beauty  they  give  where  well  grown  and  well 
placed  ;  they  are  not  the  kind  of  things  we  lose  owing  to  change  of 
fashion,  and  in  planting  them  it  is  well  to  put  them  in  groups  where 
they  will  tell.  Apart  from  these  more  or  less  wild  species  there  are 


SPRING   GARDENS.  115 


numbers  of  hybrid  Crabs  raised  between  the  Siberian  and  some 
common  Apples  in  America  and  in  our  country  that  are  beautiful 
also  in  flower,  and  remarkable  too  for  beauty  of  fruit,  so  that  a  beautiful 
grove  of  flowering  trees  might  be  formed  of  Crabs  alone.  With  these 
many  fine  things,  and  the  various  Honeysuckles,  we  are  carried  bravely 
down  to  the  time  of  Rose  and  Lily,  summer  flowers,  though  Roses 
often  come  on  warm  walls  in  spring. 

It  is  worth  while  thinking  of  the  difference  in  the  blooming  of 

spring  flowers  in  various    aspects,  as   differences    in   that  way  will 

often  give  us  a  longer  season  of  bloom  of  some 

Spring  flowers  in  of  our  most  precious  things.     Daffodils  do  better 

sun  and  shade,      in  half  shade  than  in  full  sunshine,  and   Scillas 

and  other  bulbs  are  like  the  Daffodils  in  liking 

half  shady  spots;    so  also  Crown  Imperials,  which,  like  the  Scillas, 

bleach  badly  if  fully  exposed  to  the  sun.     We  may  see  the  Wood 

Hyacinth  pass  out  of  bloom  on  the  southern  slopes  of  a  hill,  and  in 

fresh    and    fair   bloom    on    its  northern   slopes.      Flowering   shrubs, 

creepers  on  walls,  and  all  early  plants  are  influenced  in  the  same  way. 

Such  facts  may  be  taken  advantage  of  in  many  ways,  especially  with 

the  nobler  flowers  that  we  make  much  use  of.     If  different  aspects  are 

worth  securing  for  hardy  flowers  generally,  they  are  doubly  so  for 

those  of  the  spring,  when  we  often  have  storms  of  snow  and  sleet 

that  may  destroy  an  early  bloom.     If  fortunate  enough  to  have  the 

same  plant  on  the  north  side  of  the  hill  or  wall,  we  have  still  a 

chance  of  a  second  bloom,  and  a  difference  of  two  or  three  weeks  in 

the  blooming  of  a  plant. 

My  flower  garden  was  planted  solely  with  summer  and  autumn 

flowers.     Having  myriads  of  spring  flowers  in  meadow,  orchard,  and 

woodland,  I  thought  I  could  well  do  without  them 

Spring  flowers     i°  tne  flower  garden  and,  therefore,  I  left  them  out 

near  the  flower    in  planting ;    but  after  a  long  trial  found   that  I 

garden.  must  change  my  plans.    The  gypsies  cleared  off  the 

Narcissus  in  the  woodland  rides,  and,  not  being 

a  bird,  I  could  not  go  everywhere  and  see  the  Primrose  woods  and 

the  wood  Hyacinth  drifts,  so  I  had  to  bring  the  spring  flowers  into 

the  garden.     The  common  practice   around  London   and  Paris  of 

tearing  up  the  flower  beds  every  autumn  to  plant  spring  flowers,  to 

be  abolished  in  their  turn  in  spring,  being  out  of  the  question,  I  had 

to  change,  and  as  many  of  the  things  in  the  flower  garden  could  not 

be   moved,  I    towards   the  end   of  summer   in   the  past  year  went 

round  the  garden  and  saw  some  of  the   plants   that   it  would  be 

destruction   to    move,  beginning  with  Rose  Marie  Van  Houtte,  of 

which  I  have  had  for  many  years  a  noble  bed.     This  is  an  example 

of  a  plant  one  cannot  tear  up ;  also  Tea  Roses  on  own  roots ;  these 


n6 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


will  not  bear  transplanting,  and  a  very  charming  single  Rose  of  Irish 
raising,  like  "  Elegans,"  which  grew  from  cuttings  and  flowered  into 
the  autumn  ;  a  bed  of  Rose  Zepherine  on  its  own  roots  set  in  a 
carpet  of  Hungarian  Hepaticas — this  is  not  to  be  disturbed  for  many 
years  ;  and  a  bold  group  of  that  fine  Rose  Hugh  Dickson.  La  Tosca, 
a  favourite  Rose,  is  not  to  be  disturbed,  and  the  same  also  of  Leon 
Pain  and  Mme.  Ravary.  Then  there  is  the  Clematis  Perle  d'Azur 
in  perfect  health,  planted  on  yew  stakes,  which 'has  borne  thousands 
of  flowers  for  over  twenty  years,  and  the  like  also  of  Clematis  Roi 
de  Velours.  Finally  the  Azure  Sage,  many  years  in  place. 

Then  the  thought  occurred  to  me  that  I  might  enjoy  the  spring 
flowers  too,  and  the  idea  came  of  putting  flowers  beneath  the  edgings  : 
a  beautiful  edging  of  blue  Bindweed  grew  over  a  deep- set  Crocus 
Sir  Walter  Scott.  Snow  Glories,  beautiful  spring  bulbs  of  short 
duration,  lay  under  summer  edgings  of  annual  or  other  flowers  ; 
Snowdrops  grew  over  carpets  of  mossy  and  silvery  Rock  foil  ;  Grape 
Hyacinths,  which  are  among  the  fairest  spring  flowers,  were  set  among 
the  Carpathian  Hairbells  ;  wood  Forget-me-nots  over  beds  of  Roses 
in  early  autumn  ;  and  in  such  ways  the  spring  came  into  the  flower 
garden  without  in  the  least  spoiling  the  general  idea  of  the  flower 
garden  as  the  home  for  all  the  fairest  flowers  of  summer  and  autumn. 

Let  all  who  love  the  early  flowers  look  at  this  list,  not  of  the 
kinds  of  spring  flowers  (which  are  innumerable),  but  of  the  families  ; 
some  of  these,  such  as  Narcissus  and  Rockfoil,  comprise  many 
species  of  lovely  flowers,  and  the  story  of  these,  too,  is  the  story  of 
the  spring : — 


Some  Spring  and  Early  Summer  Flowers  Hardy  in  English  Gardens. 


Adonis 

Alyssum 

Androsace 

Anemone 

Aquilegia 

Arabis 

Arenaria 

Armeria 

Asperula 

Asphodelus 

Aubrietia 

Bellis 

Caltha 

Centaurea 

Clematis 


Convallaria 

Crocus 

Cyclamen 

Dent  aria 

Dianthus 

Dicentra 

Dodecatheon 

Doronicum 

Draba 

Epimedium 

E  ran  this 

Erinus 

Erodium 

Erythronium 

Ficaria 


Fritillaria 

Fumaria 

Galanthus 

Geum 

Gypsophila 

Helleborus 

Hepatica 

Hesperis 

Hyacinth  us 

Iberis 

Iris 

I.eucojum 

Linum 

Lychnis 

Meconopsis 


Muscari 

Sanguinaria 

Myosotis 

Saponaria 

Narcissus 

Saxifraga 

Omphalodes 
Ornithogalum 

Scilla 
Sedum 

Orobus 

Silene 

Paeonia 

Trillium 

Papaver 

Triteleia 

Phlox 

Troll  ius 

Polemonium 

Tulipa 

Potentilla 

Uvularia 

Primula 

Veronica 

Pulmonaria 

Vinca 

Ramondia 

Viola 

Ranunculus 

Spring-flowering  Trees  and  Shrubs. 


^Esculus 

Amelanchier 

Amygdalus 

Andromeda 

Azalea 

Berberis 

Cerasus 

Cercis 


Crataegus 

Cydonia 

Cytisus 

Daphne 

Deutzia 

Erica 

Exochorda 

Forsythia 


Genista 

Halesia 

Kerria 

Laburnum 

Lonicera 

Magnolia 

Mahonia 

Malus 


Mespilus 

Philadelphus 

Prunus 

Pyrus 

Rhododendron 

Ribes 

Spartium 

Spiraea 


Styrax 

Syringa 

Tamarix 

Ulex 

Viburnum 

Weigela 

Wistaria 


THE    SUMMER    GARDEN    BEAUTIFUL. 

CHAPTER   XIII. 

THE     NEW     ROSE    GARDEN. 

THERE  is  great  loss  to  the  flower  garden  from  the  usual  way  of 
growing  the  Rose  as  a  thing  apart,  and  its  absence  at  present  from 
many  flower  gardens.  It  is  surprising  to  see  how  poor  and  hard 
many  places  are  to  which  the  beauty  of  the  Rose  might  add  delight, 
and  the  only  compensation  for  all  this  blank  is  what  is  called  the 
rosery,  which  in  large  places  is  often  an  ugly  thing  with  plants 
that  usually  only  blossom  for  a  few  weeks  in  summer.  This  idea 
of  the  Rose  garden  arose  when  we  had  a  much  smaller  number  of 
Roses,  and  a  greater  number  of  these  were  kinds  that  flowered  in 
summer  mainly. 

The  nomenclature,  too,  in  use  among  Rose-growers  by  which 
Roses  that  flower  the  shortest  time  were  given  the  name  of  Hybrid 
Perpetuals  has  had  something  to  do  with  the  absence  of  the  Rose 
from  the  flower  garden.  Shows,  too,  have  had  a  bad  effect  on  the 
Rose  in  the  garden,  where  it  is  many  times  more  important  than  as 
a  show  flower.  The  whole  aim  of  the  man  who  showed  Roses  was 
to  get  a  certain  number  of  large  blooms  grown  on  the  Dog  Rose, 
Manetti,  or  any  stock  which  enabled  him  to  get  this  at  the  least 
cost.  If  we  go  to  any  Rose-showing  friend,  we  shall  probably  find 
his  plants  for  show  grown  in  the  kitchen  garden  with  a  mass  of 
manure  on  the  surface  of  the  beds. 

117 


n8  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

It  is  instructive  to  study  the  influence  of  Rose  books  upon  the  Rose 

as  well   as  that   of  the   Rose   exhibitions,  as   they  brought   about 

an   idea   that  the   Rose  was  not  a  "  decorative " 

The  Rose  not  a     Plant  in  the  language  of  recent   days.     In   these 

"  decorative "      books  it  was    laid  down  that  the  Rose  did  not 

plant.  associate  properly  with  other  flowers,  and  it  was 

therefore  better   to    put   it   in   a    place   by   itself, 

and,  though  this  false  idea  had  less  influence  in  the  cottage  garden, 

it   did   harm   in  all  large  gardens.     In   a   recent  book  on  the  Rose 

by  Mr  Foster-Melliar  we  read : 

I  look  upon  the  plant  in  most  cases  only  as  a  means  whereby  I  may  obtain 
glorious  Roses.  I  do  not  consider  the  Rose  pre-eminent  as  a  decorative  plant  ; 
several  simpler  flowers,  much  less  beautiful  in  themselves,  have,  to  my  mind, 
greater  value  for  general  effect  in  the  garden,  and  even  the  blooms  are,  I  imagine, 
more  difficult  to  arrange  in  water  for  artistic  decoration  than  lighter,  simpler,  and 
less  noble  flowers.  It  must  be  remembered  that  the  Rose  is  not  like  a  bedding 
plant  which  will  keep  up  continual  masses  of  colour  throughout  the  summer,  but 
that  the  flush  of  flowers  is  not  for  more  than  a  month  at  most,  after  which  many 
sorts,  even  of  the  Teas,  will  be  off  bloom  for  a  while,  and  the  general  effect  will 
be  spoiled. 

He,  the  author,  is  only  describing  the  practice  and  views  of  the 
Rose  exhibitors  which  most  unfortunately  ruled  the  practice  of 
gardeners,  and  it  is  very  natural  many  should  take  the  prize-taker 
as  a  guide. 

There  was  some  reason  in  the  older  practice,  because  until 
recent  years  the  Roses  most  grown  were  summer  flowering,  that  is 
to  say,  like  our  wild  Roses,  they,  had  a  fixed  and  short  time  of 
bloom,  usually  not  more  than  a  few  weeks  ;  but  in  our  days,  and 
within  the  last  fifty  years,  there  have  been  raised  a  number  of 
Roses,  which  flower  for  much  longer  periods.  There  are,  for  example, 
the  Monthly  Roses  and  the  lovely  Tea  Roses,  which  also  come  in 
some  way  from  the  Indian  Rose,  and  which,  when  well  grown,  will 
flower  throughout  the  summer.  So  that,  while  our  forefathers  might 
have  been  excused  for  taking  the  view  that  Roses  are  only  fit  to 
plant  in  a  place  apart,  there  is  no  need  for  the  modern  grower  to  do 
so,  who  is  not  tied  to  the  show  bench  as  his  one  ideal  and  aim. 

The    Rose   is    not    only   "decorative"    but   is   the  queen   of  all 

decorative    plants,   not  in   one  sort  of    garden,  but   in    many — not 

in   one    race   or   sort,    but   in    many,   from   Anna 

Back  to  the        Olivier,   Edith    Giffbrd,   and    Tea    Roses   of  that 

flower  garden      noble   type   in    the   heart   of  the   choicest  flower 

garden,  to  the  wild  Rose  that  tosses  its  long  arms 

from  the  hedgerows  in  the  rich  soils  of  midland  England,  and  the 

climbing  Roses  in  their  many  forms.     And  fine  as  the  old  climbing 


THE    NEW   ROSE    GARDEN.  119 

Roses  were,  we  have  now  a  far  nobler  race  of  climbing  Teas  which, 
in  addition  to  the  highest  beauty,  have  the  great  quality  of  flowering, 
like  Bouquet  d'Or,  throughout  the  fine  summer  and  late  into  the 
autumn.  Of  these  there  are  various  climbing  Roses  that  open  well 
on  walls,  and  give  meadows  of  beauty,  the  like  of  which  no  other 
plant  whatever  gives  in  our  country. 

The  outcome  of  it  all  is  that  the  Rose  must  go  back  to  the  flower 
garden — its  true  place,  not  only  for  its  own  sake,  but  to  save  the 
garden  from  ugliness,  and  give  it  fragrance  and  beauty  of  leaf  and 
flower.  The  idea  that  we  cannot  have  prolonged  bloom  from  Roses 
is  not  true,  because  the  finer  Monthly  and  Tea  Roses  flower  longer 
than  any  half-hardy  plants,  even  without  the  advantage  of  fresh  soil 
every  year  which  such  plants  enjoy.  I  have  Roses  growing  in 
the  same  places  for  many  years,  which  bloom  in  autumn,  and  even 
into  winter.  And  they  must  come  back  not  only  in  beds,  but  in  the 
old  ways — over  bower  and  trellis,  and  as  bushes  where  they  are  hardy 
enough  to  stand  our  winters,  so  as  to  break  up  flat  surfaces  and 
give  us  light  and  shade  where  all  is  usually  so  level  and  hard. 
But  the  Rose  must  not  come  back  in  ugly  ways,  in  Roses  stuck 
and  mostly  starving  on  the  tops  of  sticks  or  standards,  or  set  in 
raw  beds  of  manure  and  pruned  hard  and  set  thin  so  as  to  develop 
large  blooms ;  but,  as  the  bloom  is  beautiful  in  all  stages  and  sizes, 
Roses  should  be  seen  closely  massed,  feathering  to  the  ground,  the 
queen  of  the  flower  garden  in  all  ways. 

A  taking  novelty  at  first,  few  things  have  had  a  worse  influence 
on  the  flower  garden  than  the  Standard  Rose.  Grown  throughout 
Europe  and  Britain  by  millions,  it  is  seen  usually 
The  Standard  Rose,  in  a  wretched  state,  and  yet  there  is  something 
about  it  which  prevents  us  seeing  its  bad  effect 
in  the  garden,  and  its  evil  influence  on  the  cultivation  of  the  Rose, 
for  we  now  and  then  see  a  fine  and  even  a  picturesque  Standard, 
when  the  Rose  suits  the  stock  it  is  grafted  on,  and  the  soil  suits 
each  ;  but  this  does  not  happen  often.  The  term  grafting  is  used 
here  to  describe  any  modes  of  growing  a  Rose  on  any  stock  or  kind, 
as  the  English  use  of  the  term  budding  as  distinct  from  grafting 
is  needless,  budding  being  only  one  of  the  many  forms  of  grafting. 

Of  the  evil  effect  of  the  Standard  Rose  any  one  may  judge  in 
the  suburbs  of  every  town,  but  its  other  defects  are  not  so  clear  to 
all,  such  as  the  exposure  high  in  the  air  to  winter's  cold  of  varieties 
more  or  less  delicate.  On  the  tops  of  their  ugly  stick  supports 
they  perish  by  thousands  even  in  nurseries  in  the  south  of  England. 
If  these  same  varieties  were  on  their  own  roots,  even  if  the  severest 
winter  killed  the  shoots,  the  root  would  be  quite  safe,  and  the  shoots 
come  up  again  as  fresh  as  ever;  so  that  the  frost  would  only 


120  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

prune  our  Rose  bushes  instead  of  killing  them.  Even  if  "  worked  " 
low  on  the  "collar"  of  the  stock,  grafted  Roses  have  a  chance  of 
rooting  and  keeping  out  of  the  way  of  frost,  which  they  never  have 
when  grafted  high  in  the  air.  Then  there  is  the  fact  of  certain  Roses 
disliking  stocks,  or  some  stocks,  as  all  buyers  of  Roses  may  see 
certain  varieties  always  "  growing  backwards,"  and  soon  dying.  This 
happens  even  where  the  first  year's  growth  and  flower  are  all  we 
could  desire.  Planter  should  see  whether  his  Roses  improve  or  not 
after  the  first  year,  and  it  is  certain  that  many  varieties  do  go  back 
when  "  worked." 

Another  element  of  uncertainty  is  the  kind  of  stock  used,  Even 
if  the  propagator  knows  the  right  stock  for  the  sort  he  may  not  for 
some  reason  use  it,  as  many  have  found  to  their  cost  who  have  bought 
Tea  Roses  grafted  on  the  Manetti,  a  stock  that  in  any  case  has  no 
merit  beyond  giving  a  few  large  blooms  for  a  show  the  first  year ; 
and  in  many  cases  it  paralyses  all  growth  in  the  kind  grafted 
on  it. 

The  first  care  should  be  to  get  plants  on  own  roots  about  as 
strong  as  those  worked,  and  it  is  not  difficult  to  do  this  with  a 
little  patience,  as  some  gardeners  and  even  cottagers  strike  Roses 
from  cuttings  very  successfully.  But  no  trial  would  be  of  any  use 
which  did  not  go  over  the  first  year  or  two,  because  of  the  dread 
phase  of  the  practice  alluded  to,  that  the  things  are  grown  to 
sell,  and  although  they  look  well  when  they  come  to  us,  after  a  year 
or  two  perish. 

If  we  go  into  the  Rose  garden  of  the  Luxembourg  at  Paris  or  any 
of  the  regular  roseries  in  England,  we  may  find  half  the  Roses  in  a 
sickly,  flowerless  state.  So  sickly  are  the  bushes,  or  what  remains  of 
them,  that  it  is  common  to  see  a  rosery  without  any  Roses  worth 
picking  after  the  first  flush  of  bloom  is  past  Think  of  the  number 
of  beautiful  things  which  this  has  to  do  with  to  their  harm : — the 
flowers  fairest  of  all  in  form,  colour,  and  odour,  from  the  more 
beautiful  tea-scented  Roses  raised  in  our  own  days  to  the  oldest 
Roses. 

Often  I  have  reason  to  wish  that  Signer  Manetti  of  Naples 
had  never  been  born  to  give  his  name  to  the  wretched  Rose  stock 
that  bears  it,  as  among  my  blighted  hopes  is  a  plant  of  Marechal  Niel 
Rose,  the  plants  on  which  have  remained  as  they  were  at  first  for 
the  last  five  years  ;  but  this  year  beside  one  of  them  is  in  bloom 
the  poor  Manetti  Rose,  on  which  the  Marechal  was  grafted,  and 
as  the  Tea  Rose  will  not  grow,  the  Manetti  begins  to  take  its 
place.  In  some  soils  and  conditions,  the  Manetti  may  give  some 
apparent  advantages  for  the  first  year  in  making  the  plant  grow 
rapidly,  and  perhaps  giving  one  or  two  flowers  to  be  cut  off  for  a 


THE    NEW    ROSE    GARDEN. 


show,  but  afterwards  it  is  all  the  other  way  ;  the  Rose  fails  on  it 
and  Tea  Roses  do  not.  grow  on  it  at  all.  It  is  quite  distinct  in 
nature  from  them,  and  nurserymen  who  use  the  Manetti  for  Tea 
Roses  do  no  good  to  their  own  craft.  People  ordering  Tea  Roses 
should  be  careful  to  order  them  never  to  be  sent  on  Manetti  stock. 
Even  if  they  do  so  they  may  be  disappointed,  as  the  large  growers 
have  often  to  buy  from  others  and  so  send  out  Tea  Roses  on  the 
Manetti  stock,  an  absolutely  sure  way  to  prevent  the  Roses  growing 
or  ever  showing  their  beauty. 

In  most  gardens  where  people  pay  any  attention  to  Roses  the 
ground  in  which  they  grow  is  in  winter  densely  coated  with  manure, 
often  raw  and  ugly  to  see  in  a  flower  garden — 
Eoses  and  perhaps  under  the  windows  of  the  best  rooms  of 
Manure.  the  house.  This  is  the  regulation  way  of  cata- 
logues and  books,  but  it  is  needless  and  im- 
possible in  a  beautiful  Rose  garden.  Most  of  our  garden  Roses 
are  grafted  on  the  Dog  Rose  of  our  hedgerows,  which  does  best  in  the 
heavy,  cool  .loams  of  the  midlands,  so  that  if  we  want  the  ordinary 
grafted  garden  Rose  to  do  well  we  must  give  it  not  less  than  30 
inches  in  depth  of  like  soil.  This  is  often  of  a  rich  nature,  and  it  is 
very  easy  to  add  in  putting  the  soil  in  all  the  manure  which  the 
Rose  may  want  for  some  years,  so  that  the  surface  of  the  bed  might 
be  planted  with  light-rooting  rock  and  like  plants,  one  of  the 
prettiest  ways  being  to  surface  it  with  Pansies  and  Violets.  I  have 
beds  of  Tea  Roses  over  which  rock  plants  have  been  growing  for 
years  without  the  Roses  suffering.  Beautiful  groups  of  mossy  plants 
of  all  sorts,  or  little  evergreen  alpine  plants  associated  with  the 
earliest  flowers,  showing  that  the  surface  of  the  Rose  garden  itself 
might  be  a  charming  garden  of  another  kind,  and  not  a  manure  heap. 
In  the  old  way  of  having  what  is  called  a  "rosery  "  it  did  not  matter 
so  much  about  covering  the  surface  with  manure,  but  where  we  put 
our  Rose  beds  in  the  centre  of  the  very  choicest  flower  garden  or 
under  the  windows  of  the  house  it  is  a  repulsive  practice.  The  Rose 
can  be  nourished  for  long  years  without  adding  any  manure  to 
the  surface. 

If  we  free  our  minds  from  the  incubus  of  these  wrong  teachings 
and  practices,  many  beautiful  things  may  be  done  with  Roses  for 
garden  adornment.  What  is  wanted  mainly  is  that  the  very  finest 
Roses,  and  above  all  long-blooming  ones  like  Monthly  Roses 
and  such  Tea  Roses  as  G.  Nabonnand,  Marie  Van  Houtte,  and 
Anna  Olivier,  should  be  brought  into  the  flower  garden  in  bold  masses 
and  groups  to  give  variety  and  prolonged  bloom,  using  the  choicest 
Tea  Roses  in  the  flower  beds,  with  wreaths  of  yellow  climbing  Roses 
swinging  in  the  air,  and  on  walls,  especially  the  climbing  Tea  Roses. 


122  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

Perhaps  it  may  be  worth  while  to  tell  the  story  of  a  trial  that 
succeeded  as  it  may  be  of  more  use  to  the  beginner.     My  idea  was 

to  get  the  best  of  the  Roses  into  the  flower  garden 
My  Rose  garden,    instead   of  bedding  plants  or   coarse   perennials, 

and  show  at  the  same  time  the  error  of  the  common 
ways  of  growing  Roses.  Another  point  was  to  help  to  get  the  flower 
garden  more  permanently  planted  instead  of  the  eternal  ups  and 
downs  of  the  beds  in  spring  and  autumn  and  the  ugly  bareness  of  the 
earth  at  those  seasons,  and  to  see  if  one  could  not  make  a  step 
towards  the  beautiful  permanent  planting  of  beds  near  the  house  and 
always  in  view.  Tea  Roses  only  were  used  for  the  sake  of  their 
great  freedom  of  bloom,  and  these  were  all  planted  in  large  groups, 
so  that  one  might  judge  of  their  effect  and  character  much  better  than 
by  the  usual  ineffective  mixed  planting.  The  success  of  the  plan 
was  remarkable  both  for  length  of  bloom  and  beauty  of  flower  and 
foliage,  variety  of  kind  and  charming  range  of  colour,  and  also 
curious  and  unlocked  for  variety  in  each  kind.  Each  Tea  Rose 
varied  as  the  weather  varied,  and  the  days  passed  on  :  the  buds  of 
Anna  Olivier  in  June  were  not  the  same  as  the  buds  of  the  same 
Rose  in  September,  and  all  kinds  showed  ceaseless  changes  in  the 
beauty  of  bud  or  bloom  from  week  to  week. 

It  was  easy  to  abolish  the  standard  as  hopelessly  diseased  and 
ugly  in  effect,  but  not  so  easy  to  get  out  of  the  way  of  grafting  on 

something  else,  which  is  the  routine  in  nurseries, 
No  standards.       and  here  I  had  to  follow  the  usual  way  of  getting 

all  the  Tea  Roses  grafted  on  the  common  Dog 
Rose,  but  always  getting  the  plants  "  worked  "  low  either  on  the  base 
of  the  stock  or  on  the  root,  so  that  it  is  easy  in  planting  to  cover  the 
union  of  the  stock  with  the  more  precious  thing  which  is  grafted 
on  to  it,  and  so  protect  the  Rose  from  intense  cold.  There  is  also  a 
chance  in  this  way  of  letting  the  plant  so  grafted  free  itself  by 
rooting  above  the  union.  Certainly  it  is  so  in  my  garden  in  a  cool 
and  upland  district.  For  ten  years  or  so,  of  the  many  kinds  we 
have  planted  we  have  had  no  losses  from  cold.  Some  kinds  flower, 
do  well  for  a  year  or  two,  and  then  rapidly  diminish  in  size 
and  beauty ;  some  are  very  vigorous  the  first  year  but  die  off 
wholly  in  the  second.  The  Wild  Rose  stock  has  the  power  to 
push  the  Rose  into  great  growth  the  first  year,  and  then,  owing  to 
the  stock  and  graft  being  of  a  wholly  different  origin  and  nature, 
there  is  a  conflict  in  the  flows  of  the  sap,  and  death  often  ensues. 
Some  Roses  that  grew  freely  did  not  open  their  buds  in  our 
country,  and  others  broke  away  into  small  heads  and  buds  which 
made  them  useless.  However,  out  of  the  thousands  planted  some 
kinds  did  admirably,  and  quite  enough  of  them  to  make  a  true 


124  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

garden   of  Roses,   lasting   in   beauty  throughout   the  summer  and 
autumn. 

Knowing  that  we  had  to   face  the  fact  of  all  the  Roses  being 

grafted  on  the  Dog  Rose  it  was   important  to  give  them    a   deep, 

cool  loam,  and  the  beds  in  most  cases  were  dug 

Forming  Rose      out  to  a  depth    of  30  inches  below  the    surface. 

beds.  Although  a  rocky  bottom  no  drainage  was  used, 

no  liquid  manure  was   ever   given,  and  no  water 

even   in   the   hot   summers.     The    beds   were    filled    with    the   cool 

heavy  loam  of  our  best  fields,  mixed  with  the  old  dark  soil  of  the 

beds    and    raised    gently    above    the    surface,    say,    to    an    average 

height  of  not  less  than  6  inches,  so  that  there  were  about  3  feet  of 

good,  rich  soil.     And  this  preparation  was  sufficient   for  years,  the 

beds    being    in    some     cases     quite    vigorous     after     many     years' 

growth. 

Instead  of  mulching  the  beds  in  the  usual  way,  and  always  vexing 
the  surface  with  attentions  I  thought  dirty  and  needless,  we  covered 
them  with  Pansies,  Violets,  Stonecrops,  Rockfoils,  Thymes,  and  any 
little  rock  plants  to  spare.  Carpeting  these  Rose  beds  with  life  and 
beauty  was  half  the  battle.  We  do  not  mulch  except  with  these 
living  plants,  many  of  which  are  so  fragile  in  their  roots  that  they 
cannot  have  much  effect  in  a  bed  of  3  feet  of  moist,  good  soil.  So 
that  instead  of  the  .bare  earth  in  hot  days,  the  flower  shadows  are 
thrown  on  to  soft  carpets  of  fragile  rock  or  mountain  plants  that  we 
think  worth  growing  for  their  own  sake  also. 

There  are  a  great  number  of  Roses  that  lend  themselves  to  this, 

the    old    climbing    Roses    being   now    aided    by    a   splendid    series 

of  long-blooming  climbing  Tea   Roses  which  are 

Climbing  Roses,    more    valuable    still.     They    should    be    trained 

abundantly    over    well-formed    pergolas,   covered 

ways,  trellises,  and  fences.     In  countries  a  little  warmer  than  ours  we 

see  what  can  be  done  with  Roses  as  noble  climbers  ;  in  Algeria,  and  in 

Madeira,  the  climbing  Tea  Roses  running  up  trees  in  the  loveliest 

bloom. 

These  do  not  appear  to  advantage  in  shows ;  but  on  cool  grass 

in  the  hot  summer  days  there  is  nothing  more  delightful,  whether 

they  be  those  of  our  own  country,  like  the  Sweet 

Wild  and  single    Brier,  Dog  and    Field    Roses,  or   those  of  other 

Roses.  countries,  such  as  the   beautiful    Altai   Rose,  the 

Rosa  gallica  and  many  others.     In  growing  wild 

Roses,  the  best  way  is  not  to  put  them  in  the  flower  garden,  but 

rather  by  grass  walks  or  rough  banks,  or  in  newly  made  hedgerows. 

If  their  beautiful  bloom  does  not  last  long,  the  fruit  is  pretty,  and 

though  they  are  not  of  the  things  that  repay  us  well  for  garden 


126  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


cultivation,  as  the  best  garden  Roses  do,  the  wild  Roses  may  often 
be  used  with  good  effect. 

On  this  day,  1st  October  1919,  many  of  the  finest  Roses  are  in 
good  bloom.  I  have  grown  Roses  here  for  over  a  quarter  of  a 
century  with  success  and  without  the  usual  excess 
Rose  culture.  of  manure  below  and  on  the  surface,  this  last 
called  mulching.  It  seems  to  me  that  to  cover 
beds  near  the  house  with  excreta  from  the  farm  and  other  yards  is 
anything  but  a  sanitary  or  even  a  necessary  thing  to  do.  So  our 
Rosebeds  are  done  without  it  either  above  or  below.  We  never  mulch 
the  beds,  but  cover  them  with  beautiful  plants  instead.  We  set  the 
Roses  rather  thin  and  add  many  plants  beneath  them,  mostly  low 
in  stature.  The  beds  were  dug  deep,  a  base  of  poor  shale  thrown 
out  for  3  feet.  The  turf  on  the  surface  was  buried,  and  that  we 
found  to  be  a  mistake,  as  it  was  full  of  grubs  of  daddy-long-legs  and 
other  pests,  which  destroyed  the  Carnations  for  two  years  afterwards. 
We  ought  to  have  burned  the  turf.  The  soil  was  cool  loam  rather 
heavier  than  I  should  make  it  now,  being  then  misled  by  the 
catalogues,  which  told  us  that  Roses  must  have  heavy  soil  and  heaps 
of  manure.  Now  we  only  cover  the  surface  with  beautiful  life,  and 
practise  rotation  on  that.  For  example,  one  year's  Mignonette  is 
followed  by  the  Missouri  Primrose. 

In  past  years  an  enormous  amount  of  manure  was  used  in 
gardens  in  excess  of  what  the  plants  really  needed.  Deep  soil  and 
a  good  free  texture  soil  is  quite  as  important.  Let  us  not  forget  that 
some  so-called  artificial  manures  are  really  natural,  such  as  bone  and 
other  fertilisers,  which  may  be  used  when  helpful ;  but  in  my  garden, 
where  we  have  certainly  the  finest  Roses,  for  many  years  we  use  no 
stable  manure. 

I  have  some  reason  to  think  that  the  usual  way  of  grafting 
Roses  on  the  Dog  Rose  is  not  the  best  way  for  the  varieties 
of  soils  and  conditions  in  Britain  in  which  all  wish  to  grow 
them. 

Tea  and  China  Roses  were  grown  for  many  years,  and  as  they 
were  invariably  bought  grafted  on  the  Dog  Brier  of  the  hedgerow, 
much  trouble  arose  from  suckers.  But  in  this  case  the  plants  were 
kept  in  view  in  bold  groups  for  ten  or  more  years.  In  that  way  the 
effect  of  soil,  climate,  and  growth  could  be  seen  better  than  in 
growing  single  plants.  The  main  result  was  that  more  than  half 
the  kinds  of  Tea  Roses  perished  on  the  Dog  Brier,  some  after 
flowering  badly  for  years  and  some  dying  altogether ;  others  did 
well  and  remained  in  health.  Some  like  Comtesse  du  Cayla  flowered 
bravely  for  some  years,  and  then  came  the  briers  in  strong  force  and, 
being  anchored  on  the  great  roots  of  the  Dog  Brier,  were  very  hard 


THE   NEW   ROSE   GARDEN.  127 


to  get  up.  The  right  way  with  all  the  Chinese  Roses  is  to  raise 
plants  from  cuttings. 

Some  Roses  of  very  great  value  go  back  in  the  most  provoking 
way,  like  a  beautiful  Rose,  Mrs  D.  M'Kee.  With  them  we  had 
great  success  from  cuttings  put  not  in  the  heavy  loam  of  the  Rose 
beds  but  in  the  lighter  soil  of  the  fruit  garden. 

The  main  difficulty  is  transplanting,  the  roots  being  more  fragile 
than  those  of  the  Brier.  The  best  way  of  all  is  to  put  the  cuttings 
where  the  plants  are  wanted  to  grow,  and  so  ensuring  to  them  a 
long  life.  The  best  time  to  make  cuttings  of  the  half-ripened  wood 
is  in  September,  or,  in  warm  valleys,  a  little  later.  Our  cuttings 
are  usually  about  10  inches  long  and  often  with  a  heel,  and  are 
inserted  for  the  greater  part  of  their  length  in  the  freest  sandy  loam 
in  the  place.  We  began  with  heavy  soil,  which  in  catalogues  is  said 
to  be  the  best — that  is  because  the  Brier  being  universally  used  the 
soil  must  suit  it ;  but  for  the  Teas  and  Chinas  the  best  soil  is  a  free 
sandy  loam  in  which  the  roots  can  find  all  they  need. 

Among  the  confusing  and  useless  classifications  are  the 
following : — Bourbon,  Boursalt,  Damask,  Hybrid  Bourbon,  Hybrid 
China,  Hybrid  Perpetual,  Hybrid  Sweet  Brier,  Hybrid  Tea- 
Scented,  Hybrid  Decorative  Moschata,  Noisette,  Provence,  Semper- 
virens.  These  are  all  hybrids,  and  their  classification  is  impossible 
and  useless.  It  is  much  better  only  to  consider  them  in  an 
alphabetical  list. 


THE    SUMMER   GARDEN    BEAUTIFUL. 

CHAPTER   XIV. 

CARNATION,   LILY,   IRIS,  AND   THE   NOBLER   SUMMER   FLOWERS. 

THE  flowers  of  our  own  latitudes,  when  they  are  beautiful,  are 
entitled  to  the  first  place  in  our  gardens,  and  among  these  flowers, 
after  the  Rose,  should  come  the  Carnation,  in  all  its  brilliancy  of 
colour,  where  the  soil  and  climate  are  fitted  for  it,  as  is  the  case  over 
a  large  area  of  our  sea-girt  land. 

Our  flower  gardens  have  to  a  great  extent  been  void  of  beautiful 
flowers  and  plants  ;  but  instead,  acres  of  mean  little  sub-tropical  weeds 
that  happen  to  possess  a  coloured  leaf — Coleus,  Alternanthera,  Perilla, 
etc. — occupy  much  of  the  ground  which  ought  to  be  true  flower 
gardens,  but  which  is  too  often  set  out  with  plants  without  fragrance, 
beauty  of  form,  or  good  colour. 

It  is  not  enough  that  the  laced,  flaked,  and  other  varieties  of 
Carnation  should  be  grown  in  frames  or  otherwise ;  we  should  show 
the  flower  in  all  its  force  of  colour  in  our  flower  gardens.  Many 
who  have  not  the  skill,  or  the  time,  for  the  growth  of  the  "  florists' " 
flower,  would  yet  find  the  brilliant  "  self"  Carnations  delightful  in 
their  gardens  in  summer  and  autumn,  and  even  in  winter,  for  the 
Carnation,  where  it  does  well,  has  a  fine  colour-value  of  foliage  in 
winter,  which  makes  it  most  useful  to  all  who  care  for  colour  in 
their  gardens,  adorning  the  garden  throughout  the  winter  and  spring, 
and  full  of  promise  for  the  summer  and  autumn. 

What  Carnations  are  the  best  for  the  open  air?  The  kinds  of 
Carnations  popular  up  to  the  present  day  are  well  known  by  what 
is  seen  at  the  Carnation  shows,  and  in  the  florists'  periodicals,  like 
the  Floral  Magazine,  and,  indeed,  all  similar  periodicals  up  to  our 
own  day,  when  I  began  to  insist  that  all  flowers  should  be  drawn  as 
they  are.  The  artist  should  never  be  influenced  by  any  "  rules  "  or 

128 


CARNATION,  LILY,  IRIS,  AND  THE  NOBLER  SUMMER  FLOWERS.      129 

"  ideals  "  whatever,  but  be  allowed  to  draw  what  he  sees.  This  all 
conscientious  artists  expect,  and  it  is  the  barest  justice.  If  we 
raise  new  forms,  or  what  we  consider  "perfect"  flowers,  let  the 
artist  see  them  as  they  are,  and  draw  them  as  he  sees  them,  without 
the  confusion  of  drawing  impossible  hybrids  between  what  he  sees 
and  what  he  is  told  is  perfection  in  a  flower.  It  was  the  want  of 
this  artistic  honesty  which  left  us  so  worthless  a  record  in  illus- 
trated journals  of  the  past  century,  where  the  artist  was  always  told 


Carnations  and  Roses  at  Gravetye. 

to  keep  to  the  florists'  "  ideal "  as  to  what  the  flower  should  be, 
hence  the  number  of  plates  of  flowers  of  many  kinds  all  "drawn" 
with  the  compass.  Behind  the  florists'  plates  of  this  century  we 
have  the  pictures  of  the  Dutch  flower  painters  containing  fine 
Carnations,  well  grown  and  admirably  drawn  after  nature.  These 
artists  were  not  confused  by  any  false  ideal,  and  so  we  have  a 
true  record  of  what  the  Carnation  was  three  hundred  years  ago. 
In  these  pictures  we  generally  see  the  finer  striped  and  flaked  kinds 
given  the  first  place,  which  is  natural,  as  such  varieties  are  apt  to 
strike  people  the  most;  and  in  those  days  little  consideration  had 

I 


1 30  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

yet  been  given  to  the  question  of  effect  in  open  gardens.  In  our 
own  day  this  question  has  been  forced  upon  us  in  very  unpleasant 
ways  by  masses  of  crudely  arranged,  and  not  always  pretty  flowers. 

Over  a  very  large  area  of  the  United  Kingdom  Carnation  culture 
may  be  carried  out  well,  and  perhaps  most  successfully  near  the  sea. 
The  gentler  warmth  of  the  shore  in  some  way  influences  this,  and  in 
any  case  the  best  results  I  have  seen  from  out-door  culture  have  been 
in  places  like  Scarborough,  Edinburgh,  Anglesey,  the  shores  of 
Dublin  Bay,  and  in  sea-shore  gardens  generally  where  the  soil  is  warm 
and  good.  It  is  wonderful  what  one  may  do  in  such  places  as 
compared  with  what  is  possible,  say,  in  the  Weald  of  Kent.  At 
Scarborough  we  may  see  Carnations  almost  forming  a  bush  ;  near 
Edinburgh  tufts  of  the  Clove  Carnation  5  feet  in  diameter,  whereas 
in  the  Weald  we  have  to  plant  annually.  In  our  island  the  area 
for  shore  gardens  being  very  large,  we  may  see  how  important  the 
flower  in  gardens  in  sea-shore  districts  may  be. 

The  Lily  had  to  go  too  from  the  flower  garden  of  our  own  day  ; 

it   was  too  tall,  and   no  doubt  had   other  faults,  but  like  the  Rose 

it  must  come  back,  and  one  of  the  gains  of  a  free 

Lily  and  Iris.  way  of  flower  gardening  is  that  we  are  able  to  put 
Lilies  or  any  other  flowers  in  it  at  any  season  that 
suits  their  planting,  and  that  their  bloom  is  welcome  whenever  it 
comes,  and  leaves  us  content  with  brown  stems  when  it  goes.  If  in 
the  large  flower  garden  we  get  some  diversity  of  surface  through 
groups  of  the  rarer  flowering  evergreen  shrubs,  we  have  for  these  the 
very  soil  that  our  Lilies  thrive  in,  and  we  break  up  in  pretty  ways 
these  groups  by  planting  Lilies  among  them,  gaining  thereby  two 
seasons  of  bloom,  light  and  shade  in  the  masses,  and  diversity  of 
form. 

The  Iris,  too,  with  its  Orchid-like  beauty  and  flower,  and  with  a 
higher  value  of  leaf  than  either  Lily  or  Orchid,  is  in  summer-flowering 
kinds  fit  to  grace  the  flower  garden  with  some  permanent  beds.  Some 
will  tell  us  that  we  may  not  do  these  things  in  the  set  flower  garden 
under  the  windows,  but  from  an  artistic  point  of  view  this  is  not  true 
and  very  harmful.  There  is  no  flower  garden,  however  arid  or 
formal  in  its  plan,  which  may  not  be  planted  in  picturesque  ways 
and  without  robbing  it  of  fine  colour  either.  But  to  do  that  in  the 
face  of  ugly  plans  we  must  be  free  to  choose  among  all  beautiful 
things  of  the  open  air,  not  forgetting  the  best  of  the  half-hardy 
plants  that  enjoy  our  summer — Heliotrope,  great  Blue  Salvia,^  not 
forgetting  Scarlet  Geranium — no  more  than  Cardinal  Flower  ;  annual 
summer  flowers,  too,  from  Sweet  Pea  to  Stocks,  Mignonette,  and 
Pansy.  A  true  flower  garden  is  one  which  has  a  place  for  every 
flower  its  owner  cares  for. 


CARNATION,  LILY,  IRIS,  AND  THE  NOBLER  SUMMER  FLOWERS.      131 

There  is  no  reason  for  excluding  the  best  of  the  summer  flowers, 
from  Hollyhocks  to  Sea  Hollies,  choosing  always  the  best  and  those 

that  give  the  most  pleasure,  and  never  coarse  or 

The  tender        weedy   plants.     For   these   the   true  place   is   the 

summer  flowers,    shrubbery  and   wild   garden.     It   was   the  use  of 

these  coarse  and  weedy  plants  that  did  much 
harm  in  old  mixed  borders,  when  they  were  allowed  to  eat  up  every- 
thing. In  those  days  they  had  not  the  choice  of  fine  plants  we  now 
have,  many  of  the  finest  we  have  coming  in  our  day,  like  the  Lilies 
of  Japan  and  of  Western  America,  and  also  the  new  Water- Lilies. 
These  last  are  above  all  flowers  of  the  summer,  and  whenever  there 
is  any  garden  water,  they  add  a  distinct  and  enduring  charm  to  the 
summer  garden.  We  should  not  only  represent  them,  but  also  the 
other  water  plants  of  the  summer ;  and  as  shown  in  the  chapter  on 
the  water  garden,  many  handsome  plants  can  be  grown  in  rich  soil 
that  often  occurs  near  water,  massed  in  picturesque  groups,  like 
Loosestrife,  Meadow  Sweets,  and  Japanese  Iris. 


'         />  . 

^SjaWlSt  ?/  MM 


Garden  near  Loch  Kishorn,  Ross.     From  a  water  colour  drawing  by  F.  Stainton 


Orange  trees  in  tubs,  Tuileries. 


THE   SUMMER   GARDEN    BEAUTIFUL. 


CHAPTER   XV. 


PLANTS   IN    VASES  AND   TUBS   IN    THE    OPEN   AIR. 

IN  old  days  and  for  ages  it  was  not  easy  nor  always  possible 
to  many  to  have  a  garden  in  the  open  air.  The  need  of  mutual 
aid  against  the  enemy  threw  people  into  closely  packed  cities,  and 
even  small  towns  in  what  might  seem  to  us  now  the  open  country. 
In  our  own  country,  free  for  many  years  from  external  enemies,  we 
have  spread  our  gardens  over  the  land  more  than  others  ;  but  in  France 
farmers  still  go  home  to  a  town  at  night  from  the  open  and  often 
homeless  and  barnless  plain  where  they  work.  And  so  it  came 
to  pass  that  the  land  of  Europe  was  strewn  with  towns  and  cities, 
often  fortified,  and  many  of  those  most  able  to  enjoy  gardens  had 
to  do  the  best  they  could  with  little  terraces,  walls,  tubs  by  the  door, 
and  even  windows.  Often  in  Italy  and  other  countries  of  the  south 
of  Europe  and  north  Africa  we  see  beautiful  plants  in  tubs,  on 
balconies,  on  flat  roofs,  and  every  imaginable  spot  where  plants  can 
be  grown  in  a  house  in  a  street.  In  our  country  there  is  less 
need  nowadays  for  the  garden  in  tubs ;  but  the  custom  is  bound 
up  with  ways  of  growing  plants  which  are  still  essential  to  us 
in  some  cases. 

In  many  gardens  plants  in  tubs  are  often  used  without  good  reason, 
as  when  hardy  evergreen  trees  are  grown  in  tubs ;  in  front  of  the 
Royal  Exchange  in  London  there  are  hardy  Poplars  in  tubs !  Some 
may  pursue  this  sort  of  gardening  with  advantage — first,  those  who 

132 


PLANTS   IN    VASES   AND    TUBS   IN    THE   OPEN   AIR.  133 

have  no  gardens,  and  secondly,  those  who  have  and  who  may  desire 
to  put  half-hardy  bushes  in  the  open  air,  for  example,  Myrtle  or 
Oleander  or  Orange,  which  cannot  be  grown  out  of  doors  through- 
out the  year,  and  which  yet  may  have  fragrance  or  other  charms 
for  us.  Many  plants  can  be  grown  in  the  open  air  in  summer  which 
will  not  endure  our  winters,  but  which,  placed  in  a  cellar,  dry 
room,  or  cool  greenhouse,  would  be  quite  safe,  and  might  then  be  put 
out  of  doors  in  summer.  This  way  is  commonly  the  case  abroad 
with  large  Datura,  Pomegranate,  and  Myrtles,  and  a  great  variety 
of  plants  such  as  we  see  put  out  in  tubs  in  certain  old  palace 
gardens,  like  those  of  Versailles.  What  was  called  the  orangery, 
and  has  almost  disappeared  from  English  gardens,  was  for  keeping 
such  plants  alive  and  well  through  the  winter,  and  in  old  times,  if 
not  now,  had  a  very  good  reason  to  be. 

There  are  many  charming  plants  too  tender  for  the  open  altogether 
that  are  happy  in  tubs,  and  may  be  sheltered  in  an  outhouse  or 
greenhouse  through  the  winter — such  as  the  Pomegranate  and  the 
Myrtle.  The  blue  African  Lily  is  often  happy  in  tubs,  its  blue 
flowers  when  seen  on  a  terrace  walk  having  a  distinct  charm,  but 
in  England,  generally,  it  must  be  kept  indoors  in  winter. 

Excellent  use  may  be  made  of  the  great  handsome  oil-jars,  which 
are  used  to  bring  olive  oil  from  Italy  to  London,  and  the  best  things 
to  put  in  them  are  half-hardy  plants,  which  can  be  taken  intact  into 
the  cool  greenhouse  or  conservatory  at  the  approach  of  frost.  Even 
Seakale  pots  can  be  filled  with  half-hardy  plants,  like  scarlet  Pelar- 
goniums, which  have  good  effect  in  them.  In  some  rich  and  moist 
soils  the  Pelargonium  grows  to  leaves  and  does  not  flower,  and  in 
such  cases  we  can  humour  it  into  good  bloom  by  growing  it  in  pots 
or  vases  in  the  light  soil  that  suits  the  plants. 

One  of  the  most  curious  examples  of  routine  and  waste  I  saw 

in  the  Tuileries  gardens  on  the  last  day  of  September  1896,  when 

the  Paris    people   were    preparing    for   the    Czar, 

Orange  trees  in    and   among  their   labours    was    the    refurbishing 

tubs.  of  the  old  Orange  trees  in  these  gardens.     There 

was  a  regiment  of  them  set  all  along  the  gardens 

at  regular  intervals  in  immense  and  costly  tubs,  involving  herculean 

labour  to   move   in   and   out  of  the  orangery.     One  might  suppose 

this   labour  to  be  given   for  some  beautiful   end   in   perfecting  the 

flower   or   fruit  of  the    plant,   but  nothing  of  the    kind ;    the   trees 

are    trained    into    mop    heads,    and    when    the    plants    make    any 

attempt  to  take  a  natural  growth  they  are  cut  sharply  back,  and  often 

have  an  uglier  shape  than  any  mop.     The  ground  was  strewn  with 

shoots  of  the  orange  trees  which  had  been  cut  back  hard.     When 

the  tree  was  in  poor  health,  as  it  was  often,  the  dark  stems  were  the 


134  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

most  visible  things  seen  against  the  blue  sky.  This  costly  and  ugly 
work  is  a  survival  of  the  time  when  the  "golden  apples"  were  a 
novelty,  and  it  was  not  so  easy  to  go  and  see  them  growing  in  the 
open  air  as  it  now  is,  and  so  what  was  worth  doing  as  a  curiosity 
hundreds  of  years  ago  is  carried  out  still.  Since  the  idea  of  growing 
these  trees  in  such  an  ugly  fashion  arose  we  have  had  a  noble 
garden  flora  brought  to  us  from  all  parts  of  the  earth,  and  it  would 
be  easy  to  take  our  choice  of  different  ways  of  adorning  this  garden 
in  more  artistic  ways  with  things  in  the  open  ground,  and  of  far 
greater  beauty.  If  this  thing  at  its  best  and  done  with  great  cost 
has  such  a  result,  what  are  we  to  think  of  the  English  imitations  of 
it,  such  as  those  at  Panshanger,  in  which  hardy  shrubs,  like  Portugal 
Laurels,  are  used,  and  sham  tubs  placed  around  them  ? 

I  saw  the  vast  orangery  terrace  at  Sans  Souci  in  July  1897,  an<^ 
was  deeply  struck  by  its  "  ornaments  "  in  tubs  ;  the  branches  of  the 
poor  distorted  trees  like  black  skeletons  against  the  summer  sky 
showing  that  even  with  all  the  aids  of  artifice,  no  good  result  with 
tubbed  oranges  is  got  in  northern  Germany  any  more  than  in 
northern  France.  In  the  warmer  south  a  little  better  result  may  be 
had  from  trees  in  tubs,  but  a  few  days'  journey  brings  us  to  orange 
trees  growing  as  freely  and  gracefully  as  willows  in  Tunis  and  Algeria 
and  the  countries  round  the  Mediterranean. 

The  Laurel  is  a  winter  garden  plant  over  a  large  area  of  northern 
and    central    Europe,   where   the  true    Laurel    (our   gardeners   and 
nurserymen    erroneously   give   the   name    to    the 
The  Poet's  Laurel  vigorous  evergreen  Cherry,  of  which  we  have  too 
in  tubs.  much  in  England)  is  a  tender  evergreen,  requiring 

the  protection  of  a  house  in  winter.  It  is  grown 
to  a  vast  extent  in  tubs  to  place  jn  the  open  garden,  on  terrace, 
or  in  courtyard  during  the  summer.  The  cultivation  of  the  Laurel 
for  this  purpose  is  carried  on  to  such  an  extent  that  miles  of 
handsome  trees  in  various  forms  may  be  seen  in  one  nursery. 
There  is  no  plant  more  worthy  of  it  than  the  true  Laurel,  which 
we  usually  call  the  Sweet  Bay,  and  those  who  cannot  enjoy 
the  plant  out  of  doors,  as  we  may  in  many  of  the  warmer  districts  of 
the  British  Isles,  would  do  well  to  grow  it  in  tubs,  in  which  state 
they  may  enjoy  it  both  in  winter  and  summer.  It  would  be  worth 
while  growing  it  in  the  same  way  in  cold  and  northern  districts, 
where  it  is  killed  or  much  hurt  in  winter,  and  this  sometimes  occurs 
in  parts  of  southern  England.  Near  the  sea  it  may  flourish,  and 
20  miles  inland  be  cut  down  to  the  ground,  or  so  badly  hurt  that 
it  gives  no  pleasure  to  see.  In  gardens  where  one  may  have  fine 
groups  of  the  tree  on  sunny  slopes,  we  should  never  think  of  it  in  any 
other  way,  and  no  evergreen  tree  gives  us  more  beauty  when  old  and 


PLANTS   IN    VASES   AND    TUBS   IN   THE   OPEN  AIR.  135 

untrained  and  undipped.  Once  the  plants  are  stored  for  the  winter, 
sometimes  in  sheds  with  little  light,  it  is  best  to  give  no  water.  In 
the  same  way  we  may  also  enjoy  the  Laurustinus  in  districts  where 
it  is  killed  by  frost  out  of  doors,  which  in  hard  winters  happens  even 
in  the  southern  countries.  This  is  all  the  more  unfortunate  as  this 
shrub  and  its  varieties  flower  so  prettily.  If  grown  well  in  tubs 
we  may  flower  them  in  the  cool  house  and  place  them  out  of  doors 
in  summer. 

The  old  way  of  growing  plants  in  the  orangery  is  still  much 
more   practised  in    France   than  with  us,  and  a  few  words    as    to 
the  mode  of  culture  in  use  may  be  useful.     Though 
Cultivation  of      t^ie  Orange  fr°m  which  the  structure  gets  its  name 
plants  in          is  not  often   happy  in  it,   other   plants    like   the 
orangeries.        Myrtle,    Pomegranate,    African    Lily,   and    Hyd- 
rangea  may  often  be  kept  with   safety   through 
the  winter  in  such  a  house. 

Among  shrubs  we  have  the  Pomegranate,  Oleander,  Orange, 
Fuchsia,  Myrtle,  Camellia,  in  fact,  all  those  that  are  commonly 
placed  for  shelter  in  greenhouses  during  winter.  For  shrubs  like 
these  the  year  has  two  seasons:  (i)  that  during  which  they  are 
placed  for  shelter  in  the  orangery  or  the  cool  house,  or  in  the  absence 
of  these,  some  place  where  the  conditions  of  temperature,  air,  light, 
and  construction  are  similar ;  and  (2)  the  summer  season  when  they 
are  taken  out  into  the  open  air  and  set  in  variously  exposed  situations 
in  order  that  they  may  mature,  grow,  and  bloom. 

In    October   the   shrubs    are    removed    to   warm   corners.     The 
shedding  of  the  leaf  in  some  plants  gets  rid  of  one  difficulty,  that 
of   their    preservation  during  the  winter,  as   the 
Winter  summer-leafing  kinds  are  so  easy  to  store  away 

cultivation.  if  the  frost  be  kept  out.  Half-hardy  evergreen 
shrubs  require  to  be  kept  in  a  well-lighted  house, 
but  shrubs,  like  Fuchsias  and  Pomegranates,  which  shed  their 
leaves  in  autumn,  can  during  winter  be  conveniently  kept  in  any 
dark  place,  such  as  a  cellar  or  warm  shed,  and  in  their  case  watering 
will  scarcely  be  required.  As  a  general  rule,  for  orangery  shrubs, 
the  temperature  may  be  such  as  will  exclude  frost ;  some  kinds,  how- 
ever, will  be  found  to  withstand  a  hard  frost,  like  the  Oleander. 
Although  the  summer-leafing,  shrubs  scarcely  need  water  at  all 
during  the  winter,  it  is  needed  for  evergreen  shrubs.  Even  here  we 
shall  have  to  make  a  distinction.  For  instance,  the  Orange  tree 
requires  more  water  than  the  Myrtle,  arid  the  Myrtle  more  than 
the  Proteads.  In  the  majority  of  orangeries  the  plants  are  watered 
every  two  or  three  weeks  during  winter,  and  daily  after  the  month 
of  April,  and  those  who  cultivate  Orange  trees  are  able  to  tell 


136  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

us  that  want  of  water,  which  is  always  prejudicial  to  this  tree,  may 
even  result  in  a  complete  loss  of  leaf.  There  are  two  plans  for 
avoiding  the  ill  effects  of  too  abundant  watering,  and  the  first  is 
to  plant  in  soils  which  allow  the  water  to  run  away  freely,  the 
second  is  to  use  boxes  with  sides  that  can  be  opened  from  time  to 
time  to  enable  the  roots  to  be  seen. 

In  May,  and  if  possible  during  cloudy  weather,  all  plants  in  the 

orangery  are  transferred  to  sunny  and  sheltered  places  outside.     The 

pots,   if  small,  will   have  to  be  plunged,  as   this 

Summer          keeps   the   roots  in   good    condition.     In  this,  as 
cultivation.  i          ^ 

in  other  cases   where   the    plants   are   in   pots  or 

boxes,  we  shall  have  occasionally  to  give  some  manure,  and  weak 


Orangery,  Holm  Lacey,  Hereford. 

liquid  manure  gives  good  results.  This  is  the  Belgian  method, 
and  one  of  its  effects  is  that  it  enables  us  to  postpone  re- 
potting of  the  plants  and  permits  of  the  employment  of  smaller 
boxes  and  vases  as  compared  with  the  size  of  the  trees.  In  the 
nurseries  of  Ghent  and  in  France,  too,  we  often  see  Sweet  Bays 
with  heads  more  than  a  yard  in  width,  whilst  the  tubs  they  are  in 
scarcely  measure  20  inches  in  diameter,  and  under  such  conditions 
the  plants  thrive  for  years  without  enlargement  of  the  tubs  or  change 
of  soil,  thanks  to  feeding  with  liquid  manure. 

The  same  things  may  be  said  of  the  plants  in  the  cool  house, 
or  any  house  in  which  we  store  almost  half-hardy  Palms,  Cycads, 
Tree  Ferns,  or  other  plants  which  may  with  advantage  pass  a  few 


PLANTS  IN    VASES   AND    TUBS   IN    THE   OPEN  AIR.  137 

months  in  the  open  air  in  summer.  All  of  these,  in  fact,  may  be 
treated  much  as  the  Blue  African  Lily  is  treated,  allowing  always  for 
the  differences  between  evergreen  shrubs,  like  the  Orange,  Eugenia, 
and  Myrtle  ;  herbaceous  plants,  like  the  sweet-scented  Plantain  Lily 
grown  in  pots  and  in  courtyards  in  France,  and  summer-leafing 
shrubs  like  Fuchsia,  Justicia  and  Pomegranate. 

The  need  of  the  orangery  strictly  so-called  is  now  lessened  by 

two  causes:  (i)  our   rich,  hardy  garden-flora  with  many  things  as 

lovely   as   any  that  grow  in   the  tropics  ;  (2)  the 

Mrs  Earle  on      nearly  universal   adoption  of  the  greenhouse,  in 

plants  in  tubs,  which  many  plants  find  shelter  in  winter  that  in 
old  times  would  have  been  housed  in  the  orangery. 
But  notwithstanding  these  changes  there  are  still  some  plants  worth 
while  to  keep  over  the  winter  in  any  convenient  way,  and  the  follow- 
ing extract  from  The  Garden  shows  how  a  good  amateur  gardener 
manages  them  as  an  aid  to  her  flower  gardening. 

"  A  great  deal  of  real  gardening  pleasure  is  to  be  had  from  grow- 
ing plants  in  pots  and  tubs  or  in  vases  and  vessels  of  various  kinds 
both  in  small  and  big  gardens.  I  use  large  Seakale  pots,  when  they 
are  no  longer  wanted  for  the  Seakale,  by  turning  them  over,  putting 
two  bits  of  slate  in  the  bottom  of  the  pot,  some  drainage,  and 
a  few  lumps  of  turf,  and  then  filling  up  with  good  garden  mould. 
Another  useful  pot  is  one  called  a  Rhubarb  pot.  If  you  live 
near  a  pottery  they  will  turn  you  out  almost  any  shaped  pot 
you  fancy.  Flat  ones,  like  those  used  by  house  painters,  make 
a  pleasant  change,  especially  for  small  bulbs.  Petroleum  casks 
cut  in  two,  burnt  inside,  then  tarred  and  painted,  are  invaluable 
tubs.  I  use  butter-casks  treated  in  the  same  way,  and  have 
some  little  Oak  tubs  in  which  bullion  came  from  America.  These 
are  very  strong,  and  some  water-loving  plants  do  much  better 
in  wood,  since  the  evaporation  in  summer  is  not  nearly  so  rapid 
as  from  the  earthenware.  That  is  an  important  thing  to  remember 
both  as  regards  sun  and  wind.  If  the  plants  are  at  all  delicate 
and  brought  out  of  a  greenhouse,  the  pots,  when  standing  out, 
ought  to  be  either  quite  sunk  into  the  earth  or  shaded.  This 
cannot  be  done  in  the  case  of  pots  placed  on  a  wall  or  terrace 
or  on  a  stand,  and  so  they  must  not  be  put  out  in  the  open  till  the 
end  of  May.  Constant  care  about  watering  is  also  essential.  Even 
in  wet  weather  they  often  want  more  water  if  the  sun  comes  out,  as 
the  rain  wets  the  leaves,  but  hardly  affects  the  soil  at  all.  On  the 
Continent,  where  all  kinds  of  pot  cultivation  have  been  longer 
practised  than  in  England,  flower-pots  are  often  glazed  outside, 
which  keeps  the  plants  much  moister  because  of  less  evaporation, 
and  makes  less  necessity  for  frequent  watering.  The  large  red  jars 


138  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

in  which  oil  is  still  conveyed  from  Italy,  covered  with  their  delightful 
coarse  wicker-work,  are  useful  ornaments  in  some  gardens.  They 
are  glazed  inside,  and  boring  a  hole  in  the  bottom  of  them  is  not  very 
easy  work.  They  have  to  be  more  than  half-filled  with  drainage,  and 
plants  do  not  do  well  in  them  for  more  than  one  season,  as  the 
surface  of  the  earth  exposed  at  the  top  is  so  small.  In  old  days 
the  oil  merchants  in  the  suburbs  of  London  used  to  cut  them  in  two 
vertically  and  stick  them  against  their  houses,  above  their  shops, 
as  an  advertisement  or  ornament.  The  enthusiastic  amateurs  will 
find  that  they  get  two  very  nice  pots  by  sawing  them  in  half 
horizontally  just  below  the  sham  handles.  The  top  part  when 
reversed  requires  the  same  treatment  as  was  recommended  for  the 
Seakale  pots." 

The  first  rule,  I  think,  is  to  grow  in  them  those  plants  which  do 
not  grow  well  in  your  own  local  soil.     To  put  into  a  pot  what  is 

flourishing  much  better  in  a  bed  a  few  yards  off  is, 
What  to  grow,      to  my  mind,  a  mistake.     I  grow  large  old  plants 

of  Geraniums  in  the  open  ground,  and  they  are 
kept  on  in  the  greenhouse  from  year  to  year,  their  roots  tied  up  in 
Moss,  and  crowded  into  a  pot  or  box  with  no  earth  and  very  little 
water  through  the  winter ;  they  can  be  kept  in  a  cellar  or  spare 
room.  Early  in  April  they  are  potted  up  and  protected  by  mats 
in  a  pit,  as  I  have  no  room  for  them  in  the  greenhouse.  This 
causes  them  to  be  somewhat  pot-bound,  and  they  flower  splendidly 
during  the  latter  part  of  the  summer.  Marguerites,  the  yellow  and 
the  white  with  large  leaves,  are  good  pot  plants  early  in  the  year, 
far  prettier  than  the  narrow-leaved  kinds.  A  double  Pomegranate  I 
have  had  for  many  years  in  a  pot,  and  if  thinned  out  in  the  summer 
it  flowers  well ;  also  two  small  Orange  trees.  The  large  old-fashioned 
Oak-leaved,  sticky,  Cape  sweet  Geranium,  which  has  a  handsomer 
flower  than  the  other  kinds,  makes  a  very  good  outdoor  pot  plant. 
Fuchsias,  especially  the  old-fashioned  fulgens,  are  satisfactory. 
Carnations,  Raby  Castle,  Countess  of  Paris,  and  Mrs  Reynolds  Hole 
I  grow  in  pots,  and  they  do  well ;  they  must  be  layered  early  in 
July,  and  answer  best  if  potted  up  in  September  and  just  protected 
from  severe  frosts. 

In  fine  summers,  Myrtles  and  Oleanders  flower  well  with  me  in 
tubs,   not   in   the   open   ground.     I    treat   Oleanders  as  they  do  in 

Germany — cut  them  back  moderately  in  October 
Myrtles  and  and  dry  them  off,  keep  them  in  a  coach-house, 
Oleanders.  warm  shed,  or  wherever  severe  frosts  will  not  reach 

them.  When  quite  dry  they  stand  a  moderate 
amount  of  frost.  Then  in  March  they  are  brought  out,  the  surface  is 
stirred  and  mulched,  they  are  taken  into  a  greenhouse  and  brought 


PLANTS   IN    VASES  AND    TUBS   IN   THE   OPEN   AIR.  139 

on  a  bit.  In  May  they  are  thickly  covered  with  good,  strong  horse 
manure  and  copiously  watered.  At  the  end  of  the  month  they  are 
stood  out  in  the  open  on  a  low  wall.  During  May,  June,  and  July 
they  cannot  have  too  much  water  ;  after  that  they  want  much  less,  or 
the  leaves  turn  yellow  and  drop  off.  Some  years  I  grow  Solanum 
jasminoides  over  bent  wires  in  pots  ;  grown  thus  it  is  pretty.  The 
variety  of  plants  which  can  be  tried  for  growing  in  pots  out  of  doors  in 
summer  is  almost  endless.  Nothing  I  grow  in  pots  is  more  satis- 
factory than  the  old-fashioned  Calceolaria  amplexicaulis  ;  it  does  not 
grow  to  any  perfection  with  me  in  the  beds,  the  soil  being  too  dryr 
but  potted,  it  makes  a  splendid  show  through  the  late  summer  and 
autumn  months.  The  shrubby  Veronica  speciosa  rubra,  and  V, 
Imperialis,  I  grow  in  pots  because  they  flower  beautifully  in  the 
autumn  and  the  drowsy  bumble-bees  love  to  lie  on  them  in  the 
sunshine  when  Sedum  spectabile  is  passing  away.  They  are  not 
quite  hardy  with  me,  as  they  cannot  withstand  the  long,  dry,  cold 
springs.  This  in  itself  justifies  the  growing  them  in  pots ;  in  mild, 
damp  districts  they  are  large  shrubs. 

The   blue   Agapanthus    everybody    grows   in    tubs.     The   plants 

have  to  be  rather  pot-bound  and  kept  dry  in  the  winter  to  flower 

well,  and  as  the  flower-buds  form  they  want  well 

Agapanthus  and    watering   and    a   weekly   dose   of  liquid    manure, 

Hydrangeas.  Hydrangeas  I  find  difficult  to  grow  when  planted 
out ;  the  common  kinds  do  exceedingly  well  in 
tubs  in  half  shady  places  if  they  get  a  good  deal  of  water.  Large 
standard  Myrtles  I  have  had  covered  with  bloom  in  August  in  tubs. 
My  large  old  plant,  which  I  had  had  many  years,  was  killed  by 
being  turned  out  of  the  room  it  had  wintered  in  too  early,  because 
I  came  from  London  sooner  than  usual.  The  great  difficulty  in 
small  places  is  housing  these  large  plants  in  winter.  They  do  not 
want  much  protection,  but  they  must  have  some,  and  the  death 
of  large  old  plants  is  grievous. 

Woodlands,  Surrey.  M.  T.  E. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

BEAUTY   OF   FORM    IN    THE   FLOWER   GARDEN. 

THE  use  in  gardens  of  plants  of  fine  form  has  taught  us  the  value 
of  grace  and  verdure  amid  masses  of  flowers,  and  how  far  we  have 
diverged  from  artistic  ways.  In  a  wild  state  brilliant  blossoms  are  often 
usually  relieved  by  a  setting  of  abundant  green,  and  where  mountain 
or  meadow  plants  of  one  kind  produce  a  sea  of  colour  at  one  season, 
there  is  intermingled  a  spray  of  pointed  grass  and  leaves  which  tone 
down  the  colour  masses. 

We  may  be  pleased  by  the  wide  spread  of  colour  on  a  heath  or 
mountain,  but  when  we  go  near  we  find  that  it  is  best  where  the 
long  moss  cushions  itself  beside  the  ling,  and  the  fronds  of  the  Poly- 
pody come  up  around  masses  of  heather.  If  this  be  so  on  the  hills, 
a  like  state  of  things  is  more  evident  still  in  the  marsh  or  wood.  We 
cannot  attempt  to  reproduce  such  conditions,  but  the  more  we  keep 
them  before  our  eyes  the  nearer  shall  we  be  to  success,  and  we 
may  have  in  our  gardens  (without  making  wildernesses  of  them 
either)  all  the  light  and  shade,  the  relief,  the  grace,  and  the  beauty  of 
natural  colour  and  form  too. 

A  recent  demand  for  .£2,000,  for  the  building  of  a  glass  house 
for  Palms  for  the  sub-tropical  garden  of  Battersea  Park,  throws 
light  on  the  costly  system  of  flower  gardening  in  this  and  other 
public  gardens.  This  was  only  a  small  part  of  the  cost  of  keeping 
the  tender  and  half-hardy  plants  in  a  glass  nursery  and  was  not 
a  demand  of  money  for  a  Palm-house  which  the  public  might 

140 


Hardy  Palm  in  the  open,  Cornwall. 


142  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

enjoy ;  but  was  to  be  part  of  the  expenditure  on  some  glass- 
sheds  which  they  would  never  see,  and  were  merely  to  grow  the 
plants  to  be  put  out  for  a  few  months  in  summer. 

In  our  flower  gardens  Palms  can  only  be  seen  in  a  small  state  ; 
nor  can  they  in  pots  and  tubs  give  one  any  idea  of  the  true  beauty 
of  the  Palm  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile  or  the  Ganges.  But,  worse 
than  this,  the  system  leads  to  the  neglect  of  the  many  shrubs  and 
trees  of  the  northern  world,  which  are  quite  as  beautiful  as  any  Palm. 
The  number  of  public  gardens  that  are  being  opened  in  all  directions 
makes  it  all  the  more  important  that  the  false  ideal  they  so  often  set 
out  should  be  made  clear.  I  do  not  say  we  should  have  none  but 
hardy  plants  in  public  gardens,  but  the  concentration  of  so  much 
attention  and  of  the  greater  part  of  the  cost  on  such  feeble  examples 
of  tropical  plants  as  can  be  grown  in  this  country  out  of  doors  for 
a  few  months  in  the  summer  has  a  very  bad  effect.  The  things 
which  may  be  grown  to  perfection  in  the  open  air  in  any  country 
are  always  the  most  beautiful,  and  should  always  have  the  first  place 
in  our  thoughts. 

Looking  round  the  London  parks  we  see  much  waste  in  trying  to 
get  effects  of  form  from  Palms  and  various  tender  plants,  strewn  in  all 
directions,  often  dotted  about  and  marring  the  foreground  of  scenes 
that  might  be  pretty.  Where  this  is  done  there  is  rarely  any  attempt 
to  get  effects  of  fine  form  from  hardy  trees,  shrubs,  and  plants, 
a  much  simpler  process  than  building  costly  glasshouses. 

For  our  gardens,  the  first  thing  is  to  look  for  plants  that  are 
happy  in  our  climate,  and  to  accustom  ourselves  to  the  idea  that 
form  may  be  as  beautiful  from  hardy  as  from  tender  things.  Many 
tropical  plants  in  houses  cut  down  close  and  kept  small,  would, 
if  freely  grown  in  the  open  air  in  their  own  country,  be  no  more 
striking  in  leaf  than  the  Eastern  Plane.  Many  plants  that  are  quite 
hardy  give  fine  effects,  such  as  the  Aralias,  herbaceous  and  shrubby  ; 
Aristolochia  among  climbers  ;  Arundo,  hardy  and  very  pretty  beside 
water  ;  the  hardy  Bamboos  of  Japan  and  India  ;  these  last  increasing 
in  number,  and  are  very  distinct  and  charming,  and  often  rapid 
growers  in  genial  parts  of  the  country,  especially  near  the  sea.  A 
considerable  number  will  probably  be  found  hardy  everywhere.  The 
large  leaved  evergreen  Barberries  are  beautiful  in  peat  soils,  and 
grouped  in  picturesque  ways,  effective  for  their  noble  leaves  as  well 
as  flowers. 

The  Plume  Poppy  (Bocconia)  is  handsome  for  its  foliage  and 
flowers,  even  in  ordinary  soil.  A  great  number  of  the  larger  hardy 
Compositae  (Helianthus,  Silphium,  Senecio,  Telekia,  Rudbeckia)  are 
fine  in  leaf,  as  are  some  of  the  Cotton  Thistles  and  plants  of  that  family. 
The  common  Artichoke  of  our  gardens  and  its  allies  are  fine  in  form 


I 


Pampas  Grass  in  a  Sussex  garden. 


THE  ENGLISH  FLOWER  GARDEN. 


ahii  flatyer,  but  apt  to  be  cut  off  in  hard  winters  in  some  soils. 
The  Giant  Fennels  are  most  graceful  early  leafing  things,  thriving 
admirably  in  sandy  and  free  soils.  Plantain  Lilies  (Funkia)  are 
important,  and  in  groups  their  foliage  is  excellent.  The  Pampas 
Grass  is  precious  where  it  grows  well,  but  in  many  districts  is 
gradually  killed  by  hard  winters.  Where  it  has  the  least  chance,  it 
should  be  planted  in  bold  masses.  The  great  leaved  Gunneras  are 
superb  near  water  and  in  rich  soil.  The  giant  Cow  Parsnips  are 
effective,  but  apt  to  take  possession  of  the  country  side,  and  are 
not  easily  exterminated,  and,  therefore,  should  be  put  in  with  a 
sparing  hand  in  islands  and  rough  places  only.  The  large  Indian 
evergreen  Rockfoils  are  fine  in  form,  and  in  their  glossy  foliage  are 
easily  grown  and  grouped  in  picturesque  ways,  and  they  are  very 
hardy. 

In  sandy  and  free  soils  a  handsome   group  of  beautiful  leaved 

things  may   be   formed   of  Acanthus.     The  new  Water-Lilies  will 

help  us  much  to  fine  foliage,  especially  in  associa- 

Acanthus.         tion    with    the   many    graceful    plants,    including 

certain    hardy    Ferns  which   may  be   grown    near 

water,  like   the    Royal   Fern,  which  in    rich   soil    and   shade  makes 

leaves  as  fine  as  any  tropical  Fern.     In  southern  districts  the  New 

Zealand  Flax  is  effective  in  gardens,  and  the  great  Japan  Knotworts 

(Polygonum)  are  handsome  in  rough  places  in  the  wild  garden,  and 

better  kept  out  of  the  flower  garden.     Some  of  the  Rhubarbs,  too, 

are   distinct   and   handsome  and  very  vigorous   by  the   water  side, 

where  the  great  water  dock   often  comes  of  itself.     It  is  a  stately 

genus,  and  though  we  may  not  find  room  for  many  in  the  garden,  it 

may  be  easy  to  do  so  by  the  water  .side  or  in  rich  ground  anywhere. 

With  our  many  fine-leaved  plants  from  temperate  and  cool  climes 
it  is  possible  to  have  beautiful  groups  of  hardy  fine-leaved  plants,  for 
trees  like  the  Ailanthus  and  Paulownia  make  almost  tropical  growth  if 
cut  down  close  to  the  ground  every  year.  We  have  also  the  hardy 
Palm  (Chamaerops),  the  Yuccas,  and  graceful  Bamboos,  and  Siebold's 
Plantain  Lily  (Funkia),  and  plants  of  a  similar  character.  Amongst 
those  annually  raised  from  seeds,  and  requiring  only  the  protection 
of  glass  to  start  them,  we  have  much  variety  from  the  stately  Castor- 
oil  plant  to  the  silver  Centaurea.  Although  tender  plants  in  pots  are 
effective  in  summer  in  special  positions,  plants  that  cannot  stand 
out  of  doors  from  the  beginning  of  June  until  the  end  of  September 
can  hardly  be  called  fit  for  summer  gardening.  Among  the  most 
suitable  are  several  kinds  of  Palm,  such  as  Seaforthia  elegans, 
Chamaerops  excelsa,  and  C.  humilis ;  Aralias,  various ;  Dracaenas, 
do. ;  Phormium  tenax  and  its  variegated  form ;  Yucca  aloifolia, 
Ficus  elastica,  and  some  Eucalyptus.  Erythrinas  make  fine  autumn 


BEAUTY   OF   FORM   IN   THE   FLOWER   GARDEN.  145 

groups  and  are  brilliant  in  colour,  and  useful  for  lighting  up  masses 
of  foliage. 

The  hardiest  Tree  Fern,  Dicksonia  antarctica,  looks  well  when 
plunged  in  shady  dells  with  overhanging  foliage  for  shelter ;  and 

several  varieties  of  dwarf  Ferns,  such  as  the  Bird's- 
Ferns.  nest  Fern,  are  admirable  for  undergrowth  to  this 

Fern.  Plants  raised  from  seed  will,  however, 
usually  form  the  majority,  owing  to  the  lack  of  room  under 
glass  for  many  large  plants.  Of  plants  raised  from  seed  the 
most  useful  are  Cannas,  which  may  be  taken  up  and  wintered 
under  glass,  or  securely  protected  in  the  soil.  Most  of  the  tall 
light  green-foliaged  varieties  flower  freely  and  make  excellent 
centres  for  groups,  while  the  dwarf  bronze-foliaged  sorts  are  good  for 
vases.  Solanums  have  also  been  effective  in  the  south.  The  spiny- 
leaved  S.  robustum,  the  elegant  cut-leaved  S.  laciniatum,  and  S. 
Warscewiczi  make  good  single  specimens,  or  edgings  to  groups  of 
taller  plants.  Wigandias,  Ferdinanda  eminens,  and  Melianthus 
major  are  all  useful ;  and  Acacia  lophantha,  Amaranthus,  Cineraria 
maritima.  Bocconias,  with  their  tall  spikes  of  graceful  flowers  and 
noble  foliage,  are  very  effective  and  permanent  plants  and  several 
varieties  of  Rhus  or  Sumach  have  good  foliage,  Rhus  glabra  laciniata 
among  them. 

As  to  arrangement,  the  best  beds  or  sets  of  beds  are  those  of  the 
simplest  design.  Shelter  is  a  great  aid,  and  recesses  in  shrubberies 

or  in  banks  clothed  with   foliage,  form  the  most 
Shelter.  fitting  background   for  beds  or  groups  to  nestle 

in.  Avoid  Musas  or  Caladiums,  the  leaves  of 
which  tear  to  shreds  if  winds  cannot  be  shut  out,  and  also 
plants  that  look  unhappy  after  a  cold  night  or  two.  Make  the 
most  of  plants  that  grow  under  nearly  all  conditions,  and  use  any 
dell  overhung  by  trees  for  half  hardy  fine-leaved  plants.  A  garden 
where  each  plant  spreads  forth  its  delicate  foliage  will  form  a  pleasant 
change  from  brilliant  bedding  plants,  or  severely  geometric  carpet 
beds. 

Better  effects  may  be  obtained  from  hardy  plants  only  than  from 
tender  ones.  There  are  the  Yuccas,  hardy,  and  unsurpassed  by 
anything  of  like  habit  grown  in  a  hothouse  ;  the  Arundos,  con- 
spicua  and  donax  ;  fine  hardy  plants  like  Crambe  cordifolia,  Rheum 
in  variety,  Ferula  and  umbelliferous  plants,  as  graceful  as  tenderest 
exotics.  Then  we  have  a  hardy  Palm  that  through  all  our  recent 
hard  winters  has  preserved  its  health  and  greenness  wherever  its 
leaves  could  not  be  torn  to  shreds  by  storms. 

As  an  example  of  fine  form  from  hardy  plants,  I  cannot  do 
better  than  give  the  New  Zealand  Reed  (Arundo  conspicua).  This 

K 


146  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

handsome  Grass  produces  its  blossom-spikes  earlier  than  the  Pampas 
and  is  more  elegant  in  habit,  the  silky  white  tufts  bending  like 
ostrich  plumes  at  the  end  of  slender  stalks.  . 

Wherever  space  can  be  afforded,  hardy  Yuccas  should  be  grown, 

for  few  hardy  plants  are  so  distinct  in  foliage  and  manner  of  growth  ; 

but   they  appear   to  best  advantage  arranged   in 

Yuccas  in  groups,  bold  groups,  near  trees  and  shrubs,  and  forming 

a    harmonious    contrast    to    them.      Perhaps    the 

best  situation   is   a  sloping  ground   fully  exposed    to   the    mid-day 

sun,  and  backed  by  evergreens.     If  allowed  space  for  development, 

they   will    every    year   add  beauty   to   the   place.      The    handsome 

spikes  of  their  large  cream-coloured  flowers  are  extremely  effective, 

especially   when    relieved    by   a    background    of  verdure.       Yuccas 

like  a  well-drained  soil,  and  thrive  on  a  subsoil  of  pure  chalk,  and 

they   delight  in  full  exposure  to  the  sun,  and  enjoy  shelter  from 

rough  winds.     Hence  the  advisability  of  planting  them  near  trees 

or  shrubs. 

In  grouping  Yuccas,  a  better  effect  is  obtained  if  some  of  the 
specimens  have  the  head  of  their  foliage  from  3  feet  to  6  feet 
above  the  soil.  These  tall  plants  should  not,  however,  be  placed  in 
a  back  line,  but  some  should  be  allowed  here  and  there  to  advance 
into  the  foreground,  some  of  the  smaller  specimens  nestling  at 
their  feet.  The  effect  of  a  group  thus  arranged  charms  by  its 
irregularity  and  quaint  beauty. 

Among  the  more  tender  plants,  we  must  choose  such  as  grow 
healthily  in  sheltered  places  in  the  warmer  parts  of  England.  The 
kinds  with  stout  evergreen  foliage,  such  as  the  New  Zealand  Flax 
arid  the  hardier  Dracaenas,  will  be  as  effective  here  as  they  are 
around  London  and  Paris,  and  to  them  the  northern  gardener  should 
direct  his  attention.  Even  if  it  were  possible  in  all  parts  to  cultivate 
the  softer-growing  kinds  to  the  same  perfection  as  in  the  south  of 
England,  it  would  not  be  always  desirable,  as  they  cannot  be  used  in- 
doors in  winter.  The  best  are  the  many  evergreen  plants  that  stand 
out  in  summer  without  injury,  and  may  be  transferred  to  the  con- 
servatory in  autumn,  to  produce  through  the  cold  months  as  fine  an 
effect  as  in  the  flower  garden  in  summer.  One  kind  of  arrangement 
in  particular  must  be  guarded  against.  I  mean  the  geometro-pictur- 
esque  one,  which  is  seen  in  some  parts  of  the  London  parks  devoted 
to  sub-tropical  gardening.  The  plants  are  often  of  the  finest  kinds 
and  in  the  most  robust  health,  and  all  the  materials  for  the  best 
results  are  abundant;  yet  the  result  is  not  artistic,  owing  to  the 
needless  formality  of  the  beds  and  the  heaping  together  of  many 
specimens  of  one  kind  in  long  masses  straight  or  twisting,  with 
high  raised  edges  of  hard-beaten  soil. 


The  Tall  Arundo :  Golden  Field.      Liphook. 


148  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

The  first  and  the  last  word  to  say  about  form  is,  that  we  should 
try  and  see  beauty  of  form  everywhere  among  plants  that  suit  our 

climate.     The  willows  of  Britain  are  as  beautiful 
Beauty  of  form,     as    the    olives    of    Italy,    or    the    gum    trees    of 

Algeria  and  the  South  of  France ;  so  that, 
although  the  sub-tropical  as  a  system  of  flower  gardening  has 
failed  throughout  our  country  generally,  and  can  only  be  carried 
out  well  in  the  south  of  England  and  the  warmer  countries  of  Europe, 
we  need  not  deprive  ourselves  of  the  enjoyment  of  the  finest 
forms  near  and  in  our  gardens.  The  new  Water-Lilies  take  us  to  the 
waterside,  and  there  are  many  good  forms  even  among  our  native 
flowers  and  weeds.  The  new  hardy  Bamboos  are  also  very  graceful 
and  most  distinct,  of  which  several  of  the  highest  value  promise  to  be 
hardy  in  our  country.  What  can  be  done  with  them,  and  a  few 
other  things,  we  can  now  see  in  the  Bamboo  garden  at  Kew,  at 
Batsford  Park,  and  other  places.  The  common  hardy  Japan  Bamboo 
has  thriven  even  in  London,  and  it  is  not  only  waterside  or  herbaceous 
plants  of  all  kinds  we  have  to  think  of,  but  the  foliage  of  trees, 
which  in  many  cases  is  quite  as  beautiful  as  that  of  the  dwarfer 
plants.  The  hardy  trees  of  North  America  are  many  of  them  beauti- 
ful in  foliage,  from  the  Silver  Maple  to  the  Scarlet  Oak,  and  Acacias 
from  the  same  country  have  broken  into  a  number  of  beautiful 
forms ;  some  are  as  graceful  as  Ferns.  These  trees,  if  obtained  on 
their  own  roots,  will  afford  us  fine  aid  as  backgrounds.  The  Aralias 
of  Japan  and  China  are  quite  hardy  and  almost  tropical  in  foliage, 
while  the  beauty  that  may  be  got  from  Ferns  is  very  remarkable 
indeed,  our  native  Royal  Fern  being  of  noble  proportions  when  well- 
grown  in  half-shady  and  sheltered  places  in  deep  soils,  as  at  Newick 
Park,  and  the  same  is  true  of  all  the  bold  American  Ferns,  plants 
too  often  hidden  away  in  obscure  corners,  whereas  the  boldest  of 
them  should  be  brought  out  in  our  cool  British  climate  to  form 
groups  on  the  lawn  and  turf.  This  applies  also  to  our  larger  native 
Ferns,  which,  massed  and  grouped  away  from  the  old-fashioned 
fernery,  often  tell  better.  In  this  way  they  are  used  in  some 
German  gardens.  We  do  not  illustrate  them  in  this  chapter, 
because  the  reader  has  simply  to  turn  to  the  chapter  on  the  Fern 
garden  to  see  some  of  their  fine  forms. 

If  any  one  objects  that  some  of  the  plants  mentioned  in  this 
chapter  are  coarse,  such  as  the  great  leaved  composite,  the  answer  is 
that,  on  the  other  hand,  many  of  them  are  refined  and  delicate,  such 
as  the  Acacias,  Acanthus,  Asparagus,  Bamboos,  and  Ferns.  Great 
Reed,  Pampas  and  Bulrush  evergreen,  Barberry,  and  graceful  Cypress, 
Cedar  and  Fir.  Plantain  Lily  and  Adam's  needle — not  forgetting 
the  fine  foliage  of  the  Tea  Rose. 


150 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


During  recent  years  the  most  graceful  things  and  of  permanent 
value  in  our  gardens  are  Bamboos. 

The  Bamboo  garden  formed  a  few  years  ago  at  Kew  has  proved 

so  well  adapted  for  the  plants,  that  a  few  notes  as  to  its  position 

and  soil  may  be  of  value  to  the  numerous  readers 

Bamboos  at  Kew.  who  intend  to  grow   the    Bamboos.     A  position 

was  selected  in  the  middle  of  a  wood  near  the 

Rhododendron    dell,    and   taking    advantage   of   a    hollow   already 

existing  there,  the  ground  was  lowered  some  5  feet  or  6  feet  below 

the  surrounding  level.     A  belt  of  shrubs  on  the  north  and  east  sides, 


Gunnera  and  Bamboo. 

between  the  trees  and  the  Bamboos,  together  with  the  low  level,  affords 
them  a  shelter  almost  as  perfect  as  can  be  furnished  out  of  doors. 
Even  the  bitterest  north-easter  loses  a  good  deal  of  its  sting  before 
it  reaches  these  Bamboos.  What  the  cultivator  of  Bamboos  has 
most  to  fear  is  not  a  low  temperature  merely — most  of  the  Bamboos 
will  stand  20°  or  25°  of  frost  in  a  still  atmosphere — but  the  dry  winds 
of  spring. 

Bamboos  like  best  a  free,  open,  sandy  loam,  and  the  greater  part 
of  the  soil  at  Kew  is  poor  and  sandy ;  but  there  is,  in  one  part,  a  belt 
of  good  stiff  loam  extending  for  a  few  hundred  yards,  and  it  is  on 
the  border  of  this  that  the  Bamboo  garden  is  situated.  At  the  com- 
mencement the  ground  was  trenched  to  a  depth  of  3  feet,  and 


BEAUTY   OF   FORM   IN   THE   FLOWER   GARDEN. 


enriched  with  leaf-soil,  and  where  necessary  lightened  with  sandier 
soil.  These  plants  can  scarcely  be  over-fed,  and  in  well-drained  soil 
can  scarcely  be  over-watered,  and  an  annual  mulching  with  rich 
manure  is  of  the  greatest  advantage. 

In  regard  to  transplanting,  the  best  time  to  plant  is  in  spring, 
when  growth  begins.     The  renewal  of  growth  is  indicated  by  the 

unrolling  of  the  young  leaves,  which  may  be  in 

Transplanting      April  or  May,  according  to  the  winter.     Bamboos 

Bamboos.         are   very    difficult    to    kill    outright,    but    treated 

improperly  they  are  apt  to  get  into  a  stunted  con- 
dition, which  it  takes  them  a  long  time  to  recover  from.  I  would  advise 
those  who  wish  to  try  these  plants  to  obtain  them  from  the  nursery- 
men in  autumn  or  winter,  if  they  have  been  grown  in  pots,  and  to 
give  them  greenhouse  treatment  till  the  end  of  May,  when  they  can 
be  planted  out  in  a  growing  state ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  if  they 
have  been  planted  out  in  the  nursery  ground,  not  to  have  them  sent 
off  till  the  end  of  April  or  later,  when  they  can  be  set  out  at  once. 

Plants  hardy  or  half-hardy,  with  fine  Foliage  or  Form,  for  use  in 
British  Gardens. 


Acacia 

Cannabis 

Dracaena 

Ligularia 

Ricinus 

Acanthus 

Carduus 

Equisetum 

Mega  sea 

Rumex 

Agave 
Ail  an  thus 
Alsophila 
Amaranthus 

Car  ex 
Carlina 
Carludovica 
Caryota 

Eryngium 
Eucalyptus 
Farfugium 
Ferdinanda 

Melia 
Melianthus 
Molopospermum 
Montagnaea 

Sagittaria 
ocirpus 
Seaforthia 
Senecio 

Andropogon 

Centaurea 

Ferula 

Morina 

Silphium 

Aralia 

Chamaedorea 

Ficus 

Mulgedium 

Silybum 

Aristolochia 

Chamaepeuce 

Funkia 

Musa 

Solanum 

Artemisia 

Chamaerops 

Gourds 

Nicotiana 

Sorghum 

Arum 

Cordyline 

Gunnera 

Nuphar 

Struthiopteris 

Arundo 

Corypha 

Gynerium 

Onopordon 

Thalictrum 

Asparagus 

Crambe 

Gymnocladus 

Osmunda 

Tupidanthus 

Asplenium 

Cucurbita 

Hedychium 

Paulownia 

Typha 

Astilbe 

Cyathea 

Helianthus 

Petasites 

Uhdea 

Bambusa 

Cycas 

Heracleum 

Phcenix 

Veratrum 

Berberis 

Cynara 

Inula 

Phormium 

Verbascum 

Bocconia 

Cyperus 

Jubaea 

Polygonum 

Wigandia 

Buphthalmum 

Datisca 

Kochia 

Polymnia 

Woodwardia 

Caladium 

Dicksonia 

Kcelreuteria 

Rheum 

Yucca 

Calla 

Dimorphanthus 

Latana 

Rhus 

Zea 

Canna 

Dipsacus 

Torch  lilies. 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

THE   FLOWER  GARDEN    IN   AUTUMN. 

Now  who  hath  entered  my  loved  woods, 

And  touched  their  green  with  sudden  change  ? 
Who  blanched  my  Thistle's  rosy  face, 

And  gave  the  winds  her  silver  hair  ? 
Set  Golden-rod  within  her  place, 

And  scattered  Asters  everywhere  ? 
Lo  !  the  change  reaches  high  and  wide, 

Hath  toned  the  sky  to  softer  blue  ; 
Hath  crept  along  the  river  side, 

And  trod  the  valleys  through  and  through  ! 

RECENT  additions  to  our  garden  flora  have  made  such  a  difference 
to  the  flower  garden  in  the  autumn  that  it  may  be  even  more 
beautiful  than  the  spring,  rich  as  that  is  in  flowering  trees  and  shrubs. 
The  use  of  half-hardy,  or  bedding  plants,  which  are  often  showy 
in  autumn,  gives  a  certain  amount  of  colour  which  is  very  precious  ; 
and  the  introduction  of  many  beautiful  hardy  flowers  gives  us  the 
means  of  making  the  autumnal  garden  very  fine  in  colour  effects. 
It  would  be  easy  to  give  the  names  of  many  things  that  are  to  be 
found  in  flower  in  gardens  in  autumn,  but  that  is  not  nearly  so  im- 
portant as  getting  an  idea  of  many  of  the  nobler  class  of  plants  which 
may  be  effectively  used  at  that  time,  no  matter  almost  what  the 
season  may  be.  Half-hardy  plants  for  the  garden  depend  very  much 
on  the  summer,  and  certain  seasons  are  so  much  against  them 
that  they  make  no  show ;  but  this  cannot  be  said  of  the  hardy 
flowers  of  nobler  stature  and  beauty,  which  are  so  well  fitted 
for  our  climate,  like  the  many  Sunflowers.  Certain  plants  may 
depend  for  success  on  soil  and  situation,  or  even  climate,  even  when 

152 


THE   FLOWER   GARDEN   IN   AUTUMN. 


153 


they  are  hardy,  as  the  Fuchsia,  which  is  so  much  better  in  the  coast 
and  west  country  gardens  ;  but,  when  everything  is  left  out  that  wants 
any  extra  culture  or  advantages  of  climate  and  soil,  there  remain 
for  every  garden  many  beautiful  things  for  the  garden  in  the  fall. 

Of  those  that  can  generally  be  trusted  for  our  country,  I  should 
say  that,  of  all  the  gains  of  the  past  generation,  the  brilliant  groups 
of  plants  of  the  Sunflower  order  were  the  finest,  handsomest,  and 
most  generally  useful  for  their  disregard  of  any  weather  likely  to 
occur.  The  masses  of  fine  form  and  colour  one  may  have  with  these 
when  grouped  in  picturesque  ways  are  remarkable.  With  the  Sun- 
flowers are  included  not  only  the  Helianthus  strictly,  of  which  there 
are  so  many  good  kinds  now,  but  also  other  showy  Prairie  flowers  of 
the  same  natural  order,  which  approach  them  in  character,  such  as 
Rudbeckia,  Silphium,  Helenium,  and  other  vigorous  families  of  this 
numerous  tribe  of  plants.  Many  of  these  thrive  in  any  soil,  and 
make  their  way  in  rough  places  and  among  shrubs,  or  in  parts  of 
gardens  less  precious  than  those  we  keep  for  our  best  flowers. 

For  delicate  and  fine  colour  the  first  place  belongs  to  the  Tea 
and  Monthly  Roses,  of  which  the  best  kinds  should  always  be 
grown  in  the  open  air.  Of  the  kinds  which  open 
Tea  and  best  in  England,  a  delightful  garden  may  be  made 
Monthly  Roses,  in  autumn,  in  fine  seasons  enduring  right  to  the 
end.  Until  quite  recently  no  one  trusted  the  Tea 
Rose  out  in  bold  masses  in  the  flower  garden,  and  hence  the  ordinary 
red  Rose,  not  generally  flowering  late,  was  kept  by  itself.  A  greater 
mistake  could  not  be,  because  these  most  precious  of  all  Roses 
go  on  blooming  throughout  the  summer  and  autumn,  and  very 
often  they  vary  in  bloom  ;  the  flowers  of  September  will  not 
be  the  same  as  the  flowers  of  June,  the  buds  also  will  vary.  So 
we  have  not  only  lovely  Roses  throughout  the  fine  season,  but  also 
variety  every  week,  every  shower  seeming  to  influence  the  bloom. 
There  is  such  great  variety  among  them  that  every  week  seems  to 
give  us  a  new  aspect  of  beauty.  In  my  garden  I  planted  several 
thousands  of  Tea  Roses  in  this  way,  not  only  for  their  beauty, 
but  also  with  a  view  of  testing  the  kinds  best  for  our  country. 
Some  kinds  which  are  fine  abroad  do  not  open  well  with  us,  but  a* 
number  of  beautiful  kinds  do,  and  we  have  never  seen  any  picture  of 
garden  beauty  equal  to  theirs  in  such  a  fine  autumn  as  that  of  1895. 
We  had  thousands  of  blooms  open  until  the  end  of  September,  almost 
as  showy  as  bedding  plants,  but  far  more  refined  in  colour,  frag- 
rance, and  everything  that  makes  a  plant  precious.  Almost  the 
same  thing  may  be  said  of  the  neglected  Monthly  Roses,  which  have 
this  charm  of  late  flowering,  in  many  cases  even  in  cold  northern 
districts. 


154  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


But  the  most  precious,  perhaps,  of  all  flowers  of  autumn  for  all 

parts  of  the  country,  grouped  in  an  artistic  way,  are  the  hardy  Asters 

of  the  American  woods,  which  lived  for  ages  in 

Starworts.         our  gardens  in  mean  bundles  tied   up  in    mixed 

borders  like  besoms.      The  best  of  these  massed 

and    grouped     among     shrubs     or     young     plantations     of     trees, 

covering  the  ground,  give  an  effect  new  and  delightful,  the  colour 

refined  and  charming,  and  the  mass  of  bloom  impressive  in  autumn. 

Some  kinds  come  in  flower  in  summer,  but  nearly  all  the  loveliest 

Asters  in  colour  flower  in  September  and  October,  and  no  such  good 

colours  of  the  same  shades  have  ever  been  seen  in  the  flower  garden. 

It  is  not  only  the  Asters  of  America  we  have  to  consider,  but  the 
still  more  precious  Asters  of  Europe,  which  by  their  extraordinary 
beauty  make  up  for  their  rarity.  Professor  Green,  of  California,  who 
knows  the  American  Aster  well,  on  seeing  here  a  plant  of  Aster 
acris,  said,  "  We  have  none  so  beautiful  as  that."  This  is  the  Aster 
with  the  beautiful  blue  purple  flower  which  is  so  effective  when 
massed.  Under  different  names  this  plant  is  grown  in  nearly  allied 
forms,  some  having  specific  names,  enabling  us  to  enjoy  plants  of 
different  stature  but  the  same  high  beauty,  flowering  at  slightly 
different  times,  but  always  at  their  best  in  autumn.  With  these 
should  be  grouped  the  handsome  large  Italian  Aster,  which  also  has 
its  half-a-dozen  forms,  not  differing  much,  but  precious  for  their 
variety,  and  among  the  prettiest  plants  ever  seen  in  our  gardens.  It 
is  none  the  less  valuable  because  as  easily  cultivated  as  the  common 
Balm  of  the  kitchen  garden.  For  the  last  two  years  I  have  had 
several  thousand  plants  of  these  European  Asters  beneath  a  group  of 
half-grown  Fir,  just  as  they  might  be  in  their  wild  state,  but  rather 
thicker,  as  the  spot  is  a  cultivated  one,  and  have  never  had  the 
same  return  of  beauty  from  anything  else.  Be  the  weather  what  it 
may,  the  lovely  blue  and  purple  was  a  picture,  and  landscape 
painters  came  to  paint  the  scene. 

We  give  the  first  place  to  these  because  they  are  almost  inde- 
pendent of  soil  or  cool  climates.  Hardy  as  the  Chrysanthemum  is, 
the  same  cannot  be  said  for  it,  because,  as  an 
Sunflowers  outdoor  flower,  it  must  have  a  sandy  soil  and 
and  Starworts.  warm  positions,  and  cool  soils,  even  in  southern 
England,  are  against  it.  In  warm  and  free 
soils,  like  that  at  Hazlemere,  one  may  see  delightful  results  from 
the  cottage  Chrysanthemums,  which  are  very  pretty  where  they 
can  be  grown  against  low  walls  or  pailings.  Other  plants  which  are  of 
the  highest  value  in  endurance  and  freedom  of  bloom  are  the  Heaths 
of  our  own  islands.  Their  effect  is  good,  summer  and  winter  ;  but  in 
autumn  some  of  them  flower  in  a  pretty  way,  particularly  the  Cornish 


THE   FLOWER    GARDEN   IN   AUTUMN.  155 

and  the  little  Dorset  Heath,  and  the  Irish  Heath  in   its  purple  and 
white  forms. 

Among  the  half-hardy  plants  of  the  garden  perhaps  the  first  place 
belongs  to  the  Dahlia,  which  was  always  a  showy  autumn  flower,  but 
of  late  has  become  more  precious  through  the  beauty  of  what  are  called 
Cactus  Dahlias,  which  are  so  much  better  in  form  and  colour  than  the 
roundheaded  Dahlias. 

The  hardy  Fuchsia  is  in  the  warmer  and  milder  districts  often 
very  pretty  in  autumn,  especially  where  it  is  free  enough  to  make 
hedges  and  form  large  bushes ;  but  in  cold  and  midland  places  the 
growth  is  often  hindered  by  hard  winters.  Gladiolus  is  a  splendid 
flower  of  the  south,  but  coming  more  into  a  class  of  flowers  requiring 
care,  and  if  they  do  not  get  it  soon  disappearing,  liable  also  to  disease, 
and,  on  the  whole,  not  so  precious  as  showy.  The  last  few  years 
have  brought  us  magnificent  varieties  of  the  Cannas  through  the 
crossing  of  some  wild  species  with  the  old  Hybrid  kinds.  Unfortun- 
ately, although  in  warm  valleys  and  under  special  care  here  and 
there  they  do  well,  our  country  is  not  generally  warm  enough  to 
show  their  fine  form  and  colour  as  in  France  and  Italy. 

The  addition  of  Lilies  to  our  garden  flora  within  the  past  generation 
has  had  a  good  effect  on  the  autumn  garden.     Where  the  finer  kinds 
are  well  grown,  the  varieties  of  the  Japanese  Lilies, 
Japanese  Lilies,    with  their  delicate  and  varied  colours,  are  splendid 
autumn  flowers  for  the  open  air.      The  Anemones, 
usually  flowers  of  the  spring,  come  in  some  forms  for  the  autumn 
garden,    particularly  the   white    and    pink    kinds.      The    handsome 
Bignonia,  or   trumpet  creeper,   is  precious  on    all   warm    soils,  but 
generally  it  has  not  done  so  well  with  us  as  in  France.    Several  kinds 
of  Clematis  come  in  well  in  autumn,  particularly  the  yellow  and  the 
fragrant  kinds.     The  Pentstemons  are  handsome  and  very  valuable  in 
warm  soils  and  districts  where  they  may  live  out  of  doors  in  winter, 
but  in  London  districts  they  are  not  so  good.     A  splendid  autumn 
flower  is  the  Cardinal  Flower,  and  happy  should  be  those  who  can 
grow  it  well.     It  fails  in  many  gardens  in  loamy  soil,  and  where  there 
is  insufficiency  of  water,  being  a  native  of  the  bogs,  and  thriving  best  in 
moist  and  peaty  soil.    A  number  of  fine  varieties  have  been  raised,  and 
are  brilliant  in  suitable  soils  ;  but  without  these  they  are  best  left  alone. 
These  are  extremely  effective  in  autumn,  and  in  warm  soils  they 
are   often    among  the   handsomest  things,  but,  not  being  northern 
plants,    are    unable    to    face    a   northern   winter. 
Torch  Lilies.       Happily  this    is    not   so   with   the   beautiful  new 
Water  -  Lilies     raised     by     M.    Latour     Marliac, 
which    are    hardy  in    the    open    air,   even   with    such    weather    as 
that  of  the  early  part  of  1895.     Though   perhaps  the   best   bloom 


156  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

comes  in  summer,  they  flower  through  the  autumn,  varying,  like 
the  Tea  Rose,  according  to  the  weather,  but  interesting  always 
up  to  the  end  of  September.  We  should  also  name  the 
Hollyhock,  which  is,  however,  so  liable  to  accident  from  disease, 
and  those  who  care  for  it  will  do  well  to  use  seedling  plants. 
Seedsmen  are  now  saving  seed  of  different  colours  which  come 
fairly  true. 

A  handsome  group  of  vigorous  perennials  for  the  autumn  are  the 
Polygonums.  Some  of  the  large  kinds,  such  as  the  Japanese  and 
Indian,  are  not  showy,  but  massed  picturesquely  on  margins  of  a 
wide  lawn,  and  on  pieces  of  stiff  soil  which  are  useless  in  any  garden 
sense,  are  effective  for  many  weeks  in  autumn,  as  the  flower  is  pretty, 
and  the  foliage  of  one  kind  is  often  fine  in  colour.  I  have  three  kinds 
of  them  massed  together,  growing  like  great  weeds,  namely,  P. 
cuspidatum,  sachalinense,  and  complexum,  and  a  very  soft  and  good 
effect  they  gave  together  in  a  rough  hollow  where  no  garden  plants 
less  vigorous  than  these  would  have  grown. 

Thus  we  have  a  noble  array  before  coming  to  some  old  flowers 
of  autumn,  the  Meadow  Saffrons  or  "  autumn   Crocuses,"  many  of 
the  common  kind  of  which  fleck  the  meadows  in 
Autumn  Crocus,    autumn.     There    are  other   kinds,   too,   which   of 
recent  years  have  been  added  in  greater  numbers 
to  our  gardens,  some  of  them  pretty,  and  the  double  kinds  prettier 
than  most  double  flowers.     As  they  grow  naturally  in  meadows,  in 
turf  is   a   delightful   way   to    have   them   in   gardens,   though    new 
and  rare  kinds  should  be  grown  in  nursery  beds  until  they  are  plenti- 
ful.    They  are  not  difficult  to  grow,  and   should    often   be   placed 
in  moist  grassy  places. 

The  true  autumn  Crocuses  are  very  little  seen  in  gardens, 
but  are  most  delicate  and  lovely  in  colour.  Coming  for  the  most 
part  from  sunny  lands,  they  do  best  in  light  soils;  but  some,  like 
C.  speciosus,  grow  in  any  soil,  and  all  are  worth  growing.  Among 
the  best  is  C.  nudiflorus,  naturalised  in  Britain,  in  colour  one  of 
the  most  lovely  flowers.  To  get  little  pictures  from  such  plants 
we  must  have  them  happy  in  grass  or  among  dwarf  plants,  and 
on  sunny  banks  and  grassy  corners  of  the  lawn  or  pleasure  ground. 

In  mid-October  they  have  often  taken  away  large  areas  of  bedding 
plants  in  the  London  parks  ;  while,  at  the  same  time,  there  are  many 
lovely  hardy  flowers  in  perfect  bloom.  No  doubt  severe  frosts  may 
destroy  any  kind  of  flower  soon,  but  for  those  who  live  in  the  country  in 
the  autumn  it  is  something  to  have  bright  colours  and  beautiful  plants 
about  them  late,  and  these  are  afforded  as  well  by  the  Starworts  and 
other  hardy  plants  in  October,  as  the  fairest  flowers  that  come  in 
June.  When  we  have  a  severe  September  about  London,  many 


THE   FLOWER    GARDEN   IN   AUTUMN. 


157 


gardens  of  tender  plants  are  shorn  of  their  beauty,  whereas,  the  hardy 
flowers  go  on  quite  untouched  for  a  month  or  six  weeks  later,  and 
not  merely  bloom,  as  do  Heliotrope  and  Geranium,  in  a  fine  autumn, 
but  as  the  meadow  flowers  in  summer,  with  vigour  and  perfect 
health.  Therefore,  it  is  clear  that,  whatever  the  charms  of  tender 
plants  may  be  for  the  summer,  those  who  live  in  the  country 
in  autumn  are  unwise  to  trust  to  anything  but  the  finer  hardy 
plants. 

Thus,  without  touching  on  rarities  or  things  difficult  to  grow,  we 
have  a  handsome  array  of  beauty  for  the  autumn  garden,  even  leaving 
out  of  the  question  the  many  shrubs  and  trees  which  are  beautiful  in 
foliage  or  fruit  in  autumn,  and  there  are  many  of  these  in  any  well- 
stored  garden. 

Some  hardy  and  half-hardy  Plants  blooming  in  British  Gardens. 
September —  October. 


Abutilon 

Crocus 

Hyacinthus 

Aconitum 

Cuphea 

Hypericum 

Aga  pan  thus 

Cyclamen 

Iberis 

Ageratum 

Dahlia 

Impatiens 

Amaryllis 

Delphinium 

Lantana 

Anagallis 

Desmodium 

Laurustinus 

Anemone 

Dianthus 

Lavender 

Arnebia 

Diplacus 

Liatris 

Aster 

Diplopappus 

Lilium 

Berberidopsis 

Eccremocarpus 

Linaria 

Bignonia 

Erica 

Linum 

Brugmansia 

Escallonia 

Lobelia 

Calceolaria 

Fuchsia 

Lonicera 

Campanula 

Gaillardia 

Lupin 

Canna 

Geum 

Lychnis 

Cassia 

Gladioli 

Lythrum 

Ceanothus  • 

Godetia 

Magnolia 

Celsia 
Centaurea 

Gypsophila 
Helenium 

Marigold 
Matthiola 

Chrysanthemum 

Helianthus 

Mignonette 

Clematis 

Heliotrope 

Mimulus 

Colchicum 

Hieracium 

Montbretia 

Convolvulus 

Hollyhock 

Nicotiana 

Coreopsis 

Honeysuckle 

Nigella 

CEnothera 

Pampas  Grass 

Pansy 

Papaver 

Pentstemon 

Petunia 

Phlox 

Phygelius 

Physalis 

Physostegia 

Plumbago 

Polygonum 

Prince's-feather 

Pyrethrum 

Rose 

Rudbeckia 

Salpiglossis 

Salvia 

Scabious 

Sedum 

Senecio 

Silene 

Silphium 


Snapdragon 

Solanum 

Solidago 

Statice 

Strawberry 

Sweet  Peas 

Sweet  William 

Telekia 

Trachelium 

Tradescantia 

Tritoma 

Tritonia 

Tropa;olum 

Tuberose 

Valerian 

Venidium 

Verbascum 

Verbena 

Veronica 

Viola 

Yucca 

Zephyranthes 

Zinnia 


Lily  and  Zephyranthes,  Kew. 


Winter  Jasmine. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


THE  FLOWER  GARDEN  IN  WINTER. 

THE  idea  that  winter  is  a  doleful  time  for  gardens  must  not  be 
taken  seriously  even  by  those  who  only  grow  hardy  things  out  of 
doors ;  because  between  the  colour  of  the  stems  and  leaves  of  trees, 
or  shrubs,  there  is  much  beauty  left,  even  in  winter,  and  in  mild 
winters  good  things  venture  to  flower.  Mr  Moore,  of  Dublin,  wrote 
to  me  in  midwinter : 

After  a  very  open  winter  we  have  had  a  sharp  snap  of  cold,  and  to-day  (Jan.  20) 
it  is  blowing  a  bitterly  cold  storm  from  the  east.  To-day  has  opened  Winter 
Sweet  and  Winter  Honeysuckle  ;  Iris  Stylosa,  blue  and  white,  Christmas  Roses 
and  Winter  Heliotrope  are  beautiful ;  in  fact,  I  never  saw  them  so  good. 

But  even  where,  owing  to  hard  winters,  we  cannot  enjoy  our 
flowers  in  this  way,  there  is  much  beauty  to  be  had  from  trees  and 
shrubs,  evergreen  and  summer-leafing.  Hitherto  we  have  been  all  so 
busy  in  planting  evergreens  in  heavy  masses,  that  the  beauty  one 
may  realise  by  using  a  far  greater  number  of  summer-leafing  shrubs 
and  fine  herbaceous  plants  among  the  evergreens  is  not  often  seen. 

Gardens  are  too  often  bare  of  interest  in  winter,  and  some  of 
the  evil  arises  from  the  common  error  that  plants  are  not  worth 
seeing  in  winter.  The  old  poet's  wail  about  the  dismal  winter  is 
a  false  one  to  those  who  have  eyes  for  beauty.  Woods  are  no  less 
beautiful  in  winter  than  in  summer — to  some  they  are  more  beautiful 

158 


THE   FLOWER   GARDEN  IN    WINTER.  159 

for  the  refined  colour,  tree  form  and  the  fine  contrast  of  evergreen 
and  summer-leafing  trees.  In  any  real  garden  in  winter  there  is 
much  beauty  of  form  and  colour,  and  there  are  many  shrubs  and 
trees  which  are  beautiful  in  the  depth  of  winter,  like  the  Red  and 
Yellow  Willow  and  Dogwoods,  and  even  the  stems  of  hardy  flowers 
(Polygonum).  The  foliage  of  many  alpine  plants  (Epimedium)  are  not 
only  good  in  colour,  but  some  of  these  plants  have  their  freshest  hues 
in  winter,  as  the  mossy  Rockfoils  of  many  kinds.  In  the  country 
garden,  where  there  are  healthy  evergreens  as  well  as  flowering 
shrubs  and  hardy  plants,  how  much  beauty  we  see  in  winter,  from 
the  foliage  of  the  Christmas  Roses  (Helleborus)  to  the  evergreen 
Barberries!  The  flower  gardener  should  be  the  first  to  take  notice 
of  this  beauty  and  show  that  his  domain  as  well  as  the  wild  wood 
might  be  interesting  at  this  season. 

For  the  dismal  state  of  flower  gardens  in  winter  the  extravagant 

practice  of  our  public  gardens  is  partly  to  blame.     A  walk  by  the 

flower-beds  in  Hyde  Park  on  Christmas  Day,  1895, 

Flower  gardens     was  not   a   very   enlivening   thing.     One    by   the 

in  winter.         bent-bound   dunes   of   the   foam-dashed   northern 

shore,  on  the  same  stormy  day,  might  be  more 

instructive — for  here  is  a  large  garden  carried   out  with   the   very 

extravagance  of  opulence,  and  not  one  leaf,  or  shoot,  or  plant,  or 

bush  in  it  from  end    to  end ;   giants'  graves  and  earth  puddings — 

these  and  iron  rails  and  the  line  of  Planes  behind.     The  bare  beds 

follow  each   other  with    irritating  monotony  with   only  five  feet  of 

grass   between.     The    southern    division    of    this   garden    is   nearly 

500  paces  long,  and  so  even  that  those  not  in  the  habit  of  seeing 

this   costly   garden    can    imagine    its    ill    effect   in    winter.     Nearly 

500   yards   of   a   garden    sacrificed    for   its   kaleidoscopic  effects  in 

summer,  and  barer  and  uglier  in  winter  than  words  can  tell  of.     A 

more  inartistic  arrangement  would  be   impossible,  and   there  is  no 

chance  of  variety,  breadth,  or  repose  even  in  summer. 

How  are  we  to  break  up  such  an  arid  space  as  this  in  winter  ?  One 
of  the  best  ways  would  be  to  group  families  of  the  choicest  flowering 
shrubs,  which  would  be  worth  having  for  their  own  sakes,  and  at 
the  same  time  would  give  relief  to  the  wintry  waste  of  desolation. 
At  present  any  relief  is  only  to  be  obtained  by  carrying  out  in  early 
summer  Palms  and  Bamboos  from  the  hot-house,  which  is  a  very 
expensive  and  poor  way  in  a  country  like  ours.  In  forming  groups 
of  the  more  beautiful  flowering  shrubs,  I  do  not  mean  anything  like 
the  present  brutal  treatment  of  shrubs  in  the  London  squares,  where 
the  surface  is  dug,  and  the  shrubs  are  trimmed  like  besoms,  ending 
in  frightful  ugliness;  but  each  group  of  plants  grown  well  by  itself 
and  let  almost  alone  when  once  established.  They  would  give 


160  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


relief  in  the  summer ;  they  often  flower  beautifully  ;  and  here  and 
there  they  might  form  dividing  masses,  so  as  to  throw  the  un- 
wieldy space  into  parts,  which  would  help  to  secure  variety-  and 
contrast. 

The  result  of  planting  and  placing  rightly  well-chosen  hardy 
shrubs  would  be  a  good  background  here  and  there  ;  a  smaller  area 
to  plant  with  summer  things  ;  less  dependence  on  such  feeble 
examples  of  tropical  plants  as  one  can  grow  in  Britain  ;  light  and 
shade,  and  a  variety  of  surface  as  well  as  more  variety  of  plants  and 
bushes ;  in  short  all  the  life  of  the  garden  instead  of  a  dead  waste. 
Not  only  would  the  winter  effect  be  improved,  but  the  summer 
also.  The  objection  that  some  shrubs  do  not  flower  long  enough  is 
not  serious,  as  we  have  their  beauty  of  form  and  leaf,  and  delicate 
green  and  other  fine  colour  of  foliage.  The  tropical  plants  put  out 
to  relieve  the  flowering  plants  do  not,  many  of  them,  flower  at  all, 
and  do  not  give  such  good  relief  as  hardy  shrubs  and  choice  trees. 

This  is  not  a  question  of  town  or  public  gardens  only,  as  it  arises 
in  many  private  places,  and  especially  in  large  gardens,  where  much 
of  the  surface  is  given  to  half-hardy  summer  flowers.  As  to  the 
common  plan  for  getting  rid  of  the  winter  bareness  of  such  beds  by 
evergreens  and  conifers  in  pots,  it  is  impossible  on  a  large  scale,  and 
sticking  potted  conifers  in  a  flower  garden  to  drag  them  away  in 
spring  is  at  best  a  very  costly  business. 

The  stems  of  all  herbaceous  plants,  reeds,  and  tall  grasses  in 
winter,  are  very  good  in  colour,  and  should  always  be  allowed  to 
stand  through  the  winter  and  not  be  cut  down  in 
Keep  the  stems,  the  fidgety-tidy  way  that  is  so  common,  sweeping 
away  the  stems  in  autumn  and  leaving  the  surface 
as  bare  and  ugly  as  that  round  a  besieged  city.  The  same  applies  to 
the  stems  of  all  waterside  and  herbaceous  plants,  stems  of  plants  in 
groups  often  giving  beautiful  brown  colours  in  many  fine  shades. 
Those  who  know  the  plants  can  in  this  way  identify  them  in  winter 
as  well  as  in  summer — a  great  gain  in  changing  one's  plantings  and 
in  increasing  or  giving  away  plants.  Moreover,  the  change  to  all 
these  lovely  browns  and  greys  is  a  distinct  gain  as  a  lesson  in  colour 
to  all  whe>  care  for  refined  colour,  and  also  in  enabling  us  to  get 
light  and  shade,  contrasts  and  harmonies  in  colour.  If  these  plants 
are  grouped  in  a  bold  and  at  the  same  time  picturesque  way,  the 
good  of  letting  the  stems  remain  will  be  far  more  evident  than  in 
the  weak  "  dotty  "  way  generally  practised,  the  seed  pods  and  dead 
flowers  of  many  plants  helping  the  picture.  There  is  no  need  to 
remove  any  stem  of  an  herbaceous  plant  until  the  spring  comes  and 
the  growing  shoots  are  ready  to  take  the  place  of  the  brown  and 
dead  ones,  which  then  may  be  cleared  away. 


THE   FLOWER    GARDEN   IN    WINTER.  161 

Apart  from  our  evergreen  shrubs,  so  happy  as  these  are  in  many 
parts  of  the  British  Isles,  there  are  the  oft-neglected  evergreen  rock 
and  herbaceous  plants,   such  as  Christmas  Roses, 
Evergreen         Barrenworts,  Heuchera,  Alexandrian   Laurel,  the 
plants.  bolder    evergreen    Ferns,    and    the    large    Indian 

Rockfoils,  Saxifraga,  or  Megasea.  In  early 
winter  these  fine  evergreen  plants  become  a  deeper  green, 
some  forms  getting  red.  They  have  been  in  our  gardens 
for  years,  but  are  seldom  made  a  right  use  of.  Thrown  into 
borders  without  thought  as  to  their  habits,  and  soon  forgotten 
or  overshadowed  by  other  things,  we  never  get  any  expression 
of  their  beauty  or  effect  in  masses  or  groups.  If  grouped  in 
effective  ways,  they  would  go  on  for  years,  giving  us  fine  evergreen 
foliage  in  winter.  In  addition  to  the  wild  kinds,  a  number  of  fine 
forms  have  been  raised  in  gardens  of  late  years.  Some  thought 
should  be  given  to  the  placing  of  the  large  Rockfoils,  their  mountain 
character  telling  us  that  they  ought  to  be  on  open  banks,  borders,  or 
banky  places  exposed  to  the  sun,  and  not  buried  among  heaps  of  tall 
herbaceous  and  miscellaneous  vegetation.  They  are  so  easily  grown 
and  increased  that  a  little  thought  in  placing  them  in  visible  masses 
is  the  only  thing  they  call  for ;  and  the  fact  that  they  will  endure 
and  thrive  under  almost  any  conditions  should  not  prevent  us  from 
showing  how  fine  they  are  in  effect  when  held  together  in  any  bold 
way,  either  as  carpets,  bold  edgings,  or  large  picturesque  groups  on 
banks  or  rocks. 

The  Alexandrian  Laurel  (Ruscus  racemosus)  is  a  most  graceful 
plant,  somewhat  shrubby  in  character,  with  glossy  dark  green  leaves 
and  Willow-like  shoots.  It  is  most  free  and  happy  on  peaty  and 
friable  soils,  growing  3  feet  or  4  feet  high ;  in  winter  the  effect 
is  very  good,  and  it  is  valuable  for  the  house,  to  give  a  graceful  and 
distinct  foliage  to  accompany  various  flowers  at  this  season.  It 
grows  very  well  in  Ireland  on  the  limestone.  In  clay  soils  it  may 
want  a  little  encouragement,  and  it  thrives  well  in  partial  shade. 

A  noble  winter  flower  where  well  grown,  and  lovely  in  its  wild 

state   in    the  foot-hills   of  the  Alps,  in   Italy,  and   countries   near ; 

happily,  it  flowers  in  our  gardens  very  Well  also, 

Christmas  Rose,    varying   a   little    in    its    ways.      The   stout   kind 

(H.    maximus)    flowers    in    the    early    winter    in 

front   of  walls   and    in  sheltered    spots,   and    is   hardy  and   free  in 

ordinary    soil.      The    true    Christmas    Rose    (H.    niger)   is    a   little 

more  particular ;  it  thrives  much  better  on  chalky  and  warm  soils, 

and  grows  best  on   a   northern   aspect  or  shaded  place ;    and  even 

in   its  own  country  the  finest  plants  are  found   in   places  where  it 

escapes  the  sun.     These  are  true  winter  flowers ;  but  hardly  less  so 

L 


1 62  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

are  the  Lenten  Roses,  or  forms  of  the  Oriental  Hellebores.  In  the 
southern  counties,  five  seasons  out  of  six,  no  weather  stops  them 
from  being  fine  in  flower  before  the  winter  is  past ;  they  often 
bloom  in  January  and  make  a  handsome  show  in  February,  and 
they  are  the  finest  of  all  flowers  to  end  the  winter.  The  Winter 
Heliotrope  (Tussilago  fragrans)  is  not  to  be  despised,  although  it  is 
a  bad  weed,  and  hard  to  get  rid  of.  The  way  to  deal  with  it  is  to 
put  it  on  some  rubbish  heap,  or  gravel  bank,  right  away  from  the 
garden,  where  a  handful  of  it  may  be  gathered  when  wanted. 

The  Algerian  Iris  flowers  in  warm  sandy  borders  in  the  country 

around  London,  and  in  mild  winters  is  a  great  treasure,  not  merely 

for  its  beauty  in  warm  sheltered  corners,  but  also 

Algerian  Iris.  its  precious  qualities  for  the  house,  in  which  the 
flowers,  if  cut  in  the  bud  state,  open  gracefully 
if  placed  in  basins  in  moss.  In  warm  and  sheltered  gardens, 
on  warm  soils,  others  of  the  winter  blooming  Iris  of  the  East 
may  be  grown,  while  in  such  gardens,  in  the  south  at  least,  the 
good  culture  of  the  sweet  Violet  will  often  be  rewarded  with  many 
flowers  in  winter. 

A  beautiful  Italian  Crocus  (Impemti)  often  flowers  in  winter  in 
the  southern  counties  at  least,  as,  where  people  take  the  trouble  to 
get  them,  do  C.  Sieberi,  Dalmaticus,  Etruscus,  Suaveolens  and  others. 
This  habit  of  some  of  the  winter  flowers  of  the  south  of  Italy  and 
Mediterranean  region  to  open  in  our  green  and  open  winters  should 
be  taken  advantage  of.  The  fate  of  these  Crocuses  is  interfered 
with  by  the  common  field  vole,  and  the  common  rat  is  also  a  great 
destroyer  of  the  Crocus.  Where  these  enemies  do  not  prevail,  and 
the  soil  favours  these  charming  winter  and  early  flowers,  we  can  grow 
them,  not  only  in  the  garden,  but  on  the  turf  of  sunny  meadows  and 
lawns  in  which  these  beautiful  Crocuses  will  come  up  year  after 
year  in  winter  and  early  dawn  of  spring. 

The  Winter  Sweet  (Chimonanthus  fragrans)  is  in  bloom  .often 

before  Christmas  in  the  country  around   London,  and  every  shoot 

full  of  fragrant  buds  opening  on  the  trees  against 

Shrubs  and  trees   south  and  west  walls.     The  many  bright  berries 

in  the  which  adorn  our  country,  both  in  the  wild  land 

winter  garden.  and  in  well-stored  gardens,  are  rather  things  of 
the  autumn.  By  mid-winter  the  birds  are  apt 
to  clear  them  off  Wild  Roses,  Briers,  Barberry,  and  Thorns, 
American  as  well  as  British.  The'  Fyracantha,  however,  stays  with  us 
late;  and  Hollies,  Aucuba,  Cotoneaster,  Snowberry,  and  the  pretty  little 
hardy  Pernettya,  from  the  Straits  of  Magellan,  which  has  broken  into 
such  variety  of  colour  in  our  country,  are  among  those  that  stay 
late.  The  bright  berries  may  fail  us  in  hard  winters,  but  the  colour 


THE   FLOWER   GARDEN  IN    WINTER. 


of  the  trees  and  bushes  that  bear 
them  never  does  ;  and  the  red  and 
yellow  Willow,  Dogwood,  Thorns, 
Alders,  Birch,  and  many  Aspens 
and  Maples,  give  fine  colour  when 
massed  or  grouped  in  any  visible 
way.  Still  more  constant  are  the 
flowering  shrubs  of  winter,  where  in 
sheltered  gardens  and  warm  valleys 
any  attention  is  given  to  them — 
Winter  Jasmine,  Winter  Sweet, 
Winter  Honeysuckles,  Wych  - 
Hazel,  Japan  Quince  in  many  forms, 
Laurustinus,  several  Heaths,  Ar- 
butus, at  least  one  variety  of 
Daphne  Mezereon,  the  pale  South- 
ern Clematis  (Calycina)  happy  in 
our  warmer  gardens,  Eleagnus,  the 
Nepal  Barberry,  a  Chinese  Plum 
(P.  Davidiana),  and  the  catkin 
bearing  Garrya  and  Hazel.  The 
Winter  Honeysuckles  are  a  bit 
slow  in  some  districts,  and  a  better 
result  is  got  from  them  on  free 
soils,  and  from  walls  in  sheltered 
corners,  an  immense  difference  re- 
sulting if  we  can  have  them  near 
the  sea,  with  its  always  genial  in- 
fluence in  favour  of  things  from 
climates  a  little  warmer  than  our 
own.  In  heavy  soils  in  the  inland 
country  and  around  London  the 
Laurustinus  often  comes  to  grief 
or  fails  to  flower  well,  but  has 
great  beauty  in  seashore  districts, 
and  often  on  sandy  and  gravel  soils 
is  charming,  even  in  inland  places. 
The  hardy  and  beautiful  Winter 
Jasmine,  which  is  so  free  on  cottage 
walls  and  wherever  it  gets  a  chance, 
is  most  precious,  owing  to  the  way 
it  opens  in  the  house,  especially 
if  gathered  in  the  bud  state.  If 
we  have  it  in  various  aspects,  such 


Winter  Sweet,  drawn  by  H.  G.  Moon  from  shoots 
gathered  at  Gravetye,  New  Year's  Day,  1895. 


!64  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

a  contingency  as  the  sun  scorching  the  shoots  after  a  frost  and  killing 
the  flowers  may  be  avoided,  and  the  flowers  will  come  later.  The 
plant  is  so  free  that,  if  the  shoots  are  allowed  to  hang  down,  they 
root  in  the  ground  like  twitch,  and  therefore  it  can  be  increased  very 
easily,  and  should  be  seen  in  visible  groups  and  lines,  and  not  only 
on  the  house  or  on  walls,  as  in  the  milder  districts  it  forms  pretty 
garlands  and  bushes  in  the  open.  I  have  a  little  oak  fence  covered 
with  it,  which  is  usually  very  pretty  about  Christmas.  In  mild 
winters  its  beauty  is  extraordinary  out  of  doors,  and  in  the  hardest 
winters  the  buds  will  open  in  the  house. 

When  the  Dogwood  has  lost  all  its  leaves  and  is  a  deep  red  by 
the  lake,  and  the  Cardinal  Willow  has  nearly  taken  its  winter  colour, 

the  dwarf  autumn  blooming  Furze  flowers  far  into 
Furze.  winter,    and    is    in    perfect    bloom    on    the   drier 

ground,  telling  us  of  its  high  value  where  dwarf 
vegetation  not  over  a  yard  high  is  desired.  It  is  seen  in 
abundance  on  many  hills  and  moors,  but  is  hardly  ever  planted  by 
design.  A  good  plant  for  all  who  care  for  low  foreground  vegetation, 
it  may  be  planted  like  Common  Furze,  but  by  far  the  best  way  is  to 
sow  it  in  spring  in  any  bare  or  recently  broken  ground.  The  Common 
Furze,  too,  of  which  the  season  of  bloom  is  spring  and  mild  winters, 
often  flowers  at  Christmas ;  odd  plants  here  and  there  in  the  colonies 
of  the  plant  bearing  quite  fresh  flowers ;  and  if  from  the  nature  of 
these  native  shrubs  they  do  not  find  a  place  in  the  flower  garden, 
there  are  few  country  places  where  they  may  not  be  worth  growing 
not  far  from  the  house,  in  covert,  or  by  drives  or  rough  walks,  as 
no  plants  do  more  to  adorn  the  late  autumn  and  winter. 

These  are  excellent  for  the  winter  garden  in  their  brown  and 
grey  tuftiness.  The  forms  of  the  common  Heather  and  the  Cornish 

Heath  are  best  for  rough  places  outside  the  flower 
Hardy  Heaths,      garden,  but  some  kinds  of  Heath  are  among  the 

best  plants  for  the  choicest  winter  garden  of  the 
open  air,  particularly  the  Portuguese  Heath  (E.  Codonodes), 
which  in  mild  winters  is  of  great  beauty  ;  also  a  hybrid  between 
the  Alpine  forest  Heath  (E.  carhea)  and  the  Mediterranean  Heath, 
with  the  port  and  dense  flowering  habit  of  the  Alpine  Heath 
and  the  earlier  bloom  of  the  Mediterranean  Heath.  The  Alpine 
forest  Heath,  the  most  precious  of  all  hardy  Heaths,  often  flowers 
in  mild  winters,  and  in  all  winters  is  full  of  its  buds  ready  to  open. 

So  far  we  are  speaking  of  districts  where  there  are  few  advantages 
of  climate ;  if  we  include  others  there  might  be  more  flowers  in  the 
winter  garden,  and  many  varied  flowers  are  seen  in  gardens  in  the 
Isle  of  Wight,  and  many  other  favoured  gardens  not  always  confined 
to  the  Southern  part  of  England  and  Ireland  :  the  Cornish,  Devon, 
South  Wales  or  Cork  Coasts  being  far  more  favourable.  From 


THE    FLOWER    GARDEN    IN    WINTER. 


165 


these  places  Roses,  Indian  Daphne,  and  many  other  flowers,  have 
often  been  sent  to  me  in  perfect  bloom  in  January. 

If  the  snow  shrouds  the  land,  all's  well,  as  the  leaves  of  ever- 
green plants,  like  Carnations,  are  at  rest  in  it,  and  some  plants  are  all 
the  better  for  the  peace  of  the  snow  for  a  time.  Even  if  our 
eyes  are  not  open  to  the  beauty  of  the  winter  let  us  make  the 
flower  garden  a  real  one  for  spring,  summer,  and  fall,  as  if  it  were 

true  that  in  winter 

The  year 

On  the  earth  her  deathbed,  in  a  shroud  of  leaves  dead, 
Is  lying. 

But  it  is  not  true :  there  is  in  winter  no  death,  every  root  works 
and  every  bud  is  active  with  life ;  the  wooded  land  is  tender  with 
the  colour  of  Alders  by  the  busy  wintry  stream  and  Birch  on  the 
airy  hill,  Reeds  fine  in  colour  round  the  lake  or  marsh.  If  even 
our  wild  marsh  or  rough  woodland  be  beautiful  in  winter,  our  gardens 
with  the  flora  of  three  continents  to  gather  from,  should  not  then 
be  poor  in  beauty.  No!  Winter  is  not  a  time  of  death,  but  of 
happy  strife  for  plants  and  men. 

Until  her 

Azure  sister  of  the  spring  shall  blow 
Her  clarion  o'er  the  dreaming  earth,  and  fill 
(Driving  sweet  birds  like  flocks  to  feed  in  air) 
With  living  hues  and  odours  plain  and  hill. 


Hazel  catkins.     From  a  drawing  by  H.  G.  Moon. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

WATER   GARDENS. 

IT  is  not  only  from  the  mountain's  breast  dyed  with  Violet  and 
Gentian,  the  Sunflower-strewn  prairie  of  the  north,  or  the  sunny  fields 
where  Proserpine  gathered  flowers,  that  our  garden  flora  comes. 
River  and  stream  are  often  fringed  with  handsome  plants,  and  little 
fleets  of  Water-Lily — silvery  fleets  they  look  as  one  sees  them  from 
the  bank — sail  on  the  lakelets  far  away  in  North  America  and  Asia. 
One  need  not  go  so  far  to  see  beautiful  plants,  as  our  own  country 
rivers  and  back-waters  of  rivers  possess  many.  Our  gardens  are  often 
wade  about  towns  where  there  are  few  chances  of  seeing  our  native 
mater  plants,  but  by  the  back-waters  of  rivers  and  by  streams  in  many 
situations,  and  by  lakes  like  the  Norfolk  Broads  one  may  often  see  as 
handsome  plants  in  these  places,  and  also  in  the  open  marsh  land, 
as  in  any  garden,  and  some  that  we  do  not  often  see  happy  in  gardens, 
such  as  the  Frogbit,  the  Bladderwort,  and  Water  Soldier. 

Where,  as  often  is  the  case  in  artificially  made  ponds,  the  margin 

of  the  water  is  not  the  rich  deep  soil  that  we  have  by  the  Broads  and 

by    the    sides    of  rivers,  which    themselves    carry 

In  artificial        down   deep   beds   of  rich  soil,  a   good  way   is  to 

waters.  put   the    mud    which   we    take   out   of  the   pond 

around    its   sides    a    little   above   and    below   the 

water-line.     This  will  encourage   a   rich  growth  of  such  Reeds  as 

are  found  beside  natural  waters.     Water  with  a  hard,  naked,  beaten 

edge  and  little  or  no  vegetation  is  not  good  to  look  at,  and  a  margin 

of  rich  living  plants  is  better  for  fish  and  game  as  well  as  for  effect. 

The  waterside  plants  one  may  establish  in  that  way  are  worth  having 

and  give  good  cover  for  duck. 

Perhaps  the  most  beautiful  of  all  water  gardens  are  the  river  and 
stream  gardens,  as  their  form  is  so  much  better  than  anything  we 
can  make  and  the  vegetation  is  often  good  even  without  care.  With 
a  little  thought  we  can  make  it  much  more  so,  and  in  our  river- 
seamed  land  there  are  so  many  charming  opportunities  for  water- 
garden  pictures. 

166 


mi 


1 68  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

The  water  margin  offers  to  lovers  of  hardy  flowers  a  site  easily 
made  into  a  fair  garden.  Hitherto  we  have  used  in  such  places 
aquatic  plants  only,  and  of  these  usually  a  very 
Waterside  plants,  meagre  selection ;  while  the  improvement  of  the 
waterside  may  be  most  readily  effected  by  planting 
the  banks  near  with  vigorous  hardy  flowers,  as  many  of  the  finest 
plants,  from  Irises  to  Globe  Flowers,  thrive  in  moist  soil.  Water- 
side plants  have  this  advantage  over  water  plants  that  we  can  fix 
their  position,  whereas  water  plants  spread  so  much  that  some  kinds 
over-run  others.  The  repeating  of  a  favourite  plant  at  intervals 
would  mar  all ;  groups  of  free  hardy  things  would  be  best :  Day 
Lilies,  Meadow  Sweets,  tall  Irises,  which  love  wet  places ;  Gunnera, 
American  swamp  Lilies  in  peaty  soil,  the  rosy  Loosestrife,  Golden 
Rods,  Starworts,  the  Compass  plants,  Monkshoods,  giant  Knotworts, 
Moon  Daisies,  the  Cardinal  Flower,  the  common  Lupine — these  are 
some  of  many  types  of  hardy  flowers  which  would  grow  freely  near 
the  waterside.  With  these  hardy  plants,  too,  a  variety  of  the  nobler 
hardy  Ferns,  such  "as  the  Royal  Ferns  and  Feather  Ferns,  would 
associate  well. 

Water  plants  of  northern  and  temperate  regions  associated 
with  our  native  water  plants,  add  much  beauty  to  a  garden.  If  the 
soil  be  rich,  we  usually  see  the  same  monotonous 
Water  plants,  vegetation  all  round  the  margin  of  the  water,  and 
where  the  bottom  is  of  gravel  there  is  often  little 
vegetation,  only  an  unbroken,  ugly  line  of  washed  earth.  A  group 
of  Water-Lily  is  beautiful,  but  Water-Lilies  lose  their  charm  when 
they  spread  over  the  whole  of  a  piece  of  water,  and  even  waterfowl 
cannot  make  their  way  through  them.  The  Yellow  Water-Lily 
(Nuphar  lutea),  though  less  beautiful,  is  well  worthy  of  a  place, 
and  so  is  the  large  N.  advena  (a  native  of  America),  which  pushes 
its  leaves  above  the  water.  The  American  white  Water-Lilies 
(Nymphaea  odorata  and  N.  tuberosa)  are  hardy  and  beautiful, 
and  of  recent  years  much  beauty  has  been  given  our  water  plants  in 
the  hybrid  hardy  Water-Lilies  raised  by  M.  Latour  Marliac,  who 
has  added  the  large  and  noble  forms  and  the  lovely  colour  of  the 
Eastern  Water-Lilies  to  the  garden  waters  of  northern  countries. 
The  splendid  beauty  of  these  plants  should  lead  people  to  think  of 
artistic  ways  of  planting  garden  waters. 

Even  where  natural  ponds  exist  it  frequently  happens  that  the 

banks  of  the  pond,  as  well  as  the  water  itself,  are  either  perfectly 

bare,  or  are  covered   only  by  the  rankest  weeds. 

Forming  the       The  ponds  chiefly  considered  here  are  those  mostly 

water  garden,      formed  without  cement,  by  natural  flooding  from  a 

brook,  streamlet   or   river.      If  the  water  supply 


WATER   GARDENS.  169 


is  abundant  and  continuous,  it  matters  little  whether  a  portion 
of  the  water  is  wasted  by  percolating  through  the  sides  of  the 
pond,  but  when  only  a  small  supply  can  be  had  the  bottom  and 
sides  of  the  pond  must  be  either  concreted  or  puddled  with  clay.  It 
often  happens  that  when  the  excavations  for  a  pond  are  completed 
the  bottom  is  found  to  consist  of  impervious  clay,  but  the  sides 
consist  of  ordinary  soil,  which  would  allow  a  large  portion  of  the 
water  to  waste.  In  such  cases  the  best  way  out  of  the  difficulty  is 
the  cutting  of  a  narrow  trench,  say  18  inches  wide,  to  a  depth  a  little 
beyond  the  surface  of  the  natural  clay  subsoil.  This  trench,  which 
should  skirt  the  whole  pond  at  some  little  distance  from  the  actual 
edge  of  the  water,  is  then  filled  with  clay  "puddle"  till  just  above 


Riverside  plants  in  front  of  an  old  manor — Levens. 

the  water-line  and  forms  an  effective  remedy  against  waste,  while 
the  water-soaked  soil  between  the  trench  and  the  actual  outline  of 
the  pond  forms  an  excellent  home  for  all  kinds  of  marsh  plants  of 
the  bolder  type.  The  outline  of  a  pond  is  of  the  utmost  importance. 
Regular  curves  of  circles  or  ovals  are  utterly  out  of  place  and  look 
ridiculous  in  a  landscape  with  naturally  undulating  ground. 

The  water-soaked  margins  of  our  ponds  and  brooks  would  furnish 
a  home  for  many  graceful  fine-foliaged  and  flowering  plants.     One  of 
the  noblest  of  our  plants  with  large  leaves  delight- 
Margins  of        ing    in    such    a    position    is    Gunnera    manicata. 
water.  Gunnera  scabra  also  likes  a  similar   position,  but 

its  leaves  seldom  attain  a  diameter  of  more  than 
5  feet,  while  Gunnera  magellanica  is  quite  a  pigmy.  Rheum  Emodi 
from  the  Himalayas,  Rheum  palmatum  from  Northern  Asia,  and 


i  yo 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


the  Siberian  Rheum  undulatum  are  also  effective  plants  for  the 
waterside.  Of  an  entirely  different  type  is  the  noble  Arundo  donax. 
The  Pampas  Grass  (Gynerium  argenteum)  and  its  early  flowering 
companion,  Arundo  conspicua,  from  New  Zealand,  may  also  be 
mentioned  as  graceful  plants  for  the  waterside.  Much  dvvarfer,  but 
also  effective,  is  the  Elymus,  with  broad  glaucous  foliage  contrasting 
well  with  the  fine  deep  green  foliage  of  Carex  pendula  or  the  still 
finer  Carex  riparia  and  Cyperus  longus. 


Natural  grouping  of  waterside  plants. 

The  plants  just  mentioned  as  suitable  for  the  waterside  are  valued 
mostly  on  account  of  their  foliage.  But  among  flowering  plants  also 

handsome  varieties  may  be  found  that  might  with 
Flowering  plants,  great  advantage  be  used  for  decoration  at  the 

waterside  much  oftener  than  is  at  present  the 
case.  Few  things  are  brighter  than  the  brilliant  purple  flowers 
of  Lythrum  Salicaria  var.  roseum  superbum,  or  the  large  yellow 
flowers  of  Inula,  Helenium  and  Telekia  speciosa.  Groups  of  Iris 
Kaempferi  and  the  well-known  Iris  germanica,  also  look  exceed- 
ingly well  on  the  margin  of  a  pond,  and  the  "flowering"  Fern 
(Osmunda  regalis)  delights  in  that  position.  Senecio  japonica  grows 
really  well  only  when  its  roots  can  find  abundance  of  moisture ;  its 
large  deeply-cut  leaves  are  as  handsome  as  its  deep  yellow  flowers, 
4  inches  across,  and  borne  on  a  stem  3  feet  to  4  feet  high.  A  similar 
position  is  required  by  Spiraea  gigantea,  which  bears  its  flowers  on 
stems  5  feet  to  6  feet  above  the  ground.  Spiraea  Aruncus,  though 


WATER    GARDENS.  171 


not  so  tall,  is,  nevertheless,  most  suitable,  as  are  also  its  smaller,  but 
still  more  handsome  companions,  Spiraea  palmata,  S.  alba,  S.  astil- 
boides,  and  Astilbe  rivularis. 

It  is  now  some  fifteen  or  sixteen  years  since  I  planted  the  common 

white  Water-Lily  in  the  pond  here.     Noting  how  well  it  grew,  I  was 

induced  to  try  the  pink  or  rose-coloured  form  of 

Water-Lilies  at     it  which  had  been  introduced  from  Norway — i.e., 

Gunnersbury.  Nymphaea  alba  var.  rosea.  Finding,  too,  that  this 
was  thriving,  I  further  extended  the  Lily  culture 
by  the  addition  of  a  dozen  more  varieties  and  species.  Of  these  I 
have  only  lost  N.  flava,  and  that  occurred  during  the  severe  frost 
of  1894-95.  All  that  I  gave  in  the  way  of  protection  then  was 
laying  a  few  mats  upon  the  ice  when  it  was  sufficiently  strong  to 
bear  one's  weight,  and  that  small  amount  of  protection  was  more  in 
the  form  of  a  preventive  against  any  skaters  running  over  them 
where  the  ice  was  none  too  strong,  and  possibly  cause  injury  should 
it  have  given  way.  During  that  winter  the  ice  was  unusually  thick  ; 
so  much  so  here  must  it  have  been  as  to  almost,  if  not  quite,  reach 
the  Lily  roots,  the  depth  of  water  over  them  then  being  only  about 
12  inches.  No  better  test  of  their  hardiness  is,  I  think,  needed 
than  this,  save  in  the  case  of  N.  flava.  Last  spring  I  added 
N.  Robinsoni,  the  present  winter  being  of  course  its  first  test,  but  of 
its  hardiness  I  have  not  the  slightest  doubt.  In  addition  to  the 
foregoing  I  have  three  of  the  pigmy  varieties,  which,  with  a 
distinct  form  of  the  common  white  from  Norway,  make  in  all 
eighteen  kinds  or  varieties. 

In  the  spring,  when  I  added  the  twelve  varieties  (chiefly  those 
of  M.  Latour  Marliac's  raising),  these  being  small  tubers,  I  com- 
menced by  putting  them  carefully  into  soil  in  large-sized  punnets, 
the  entire  dozen  coming  to  hand  in  one  parcel  by  post.  I  mention 
this  so  that  some  idea  may  be  formed  of  the  then  size  of  the  tubers 
compared  with  the  present  time.  During  the  summer  of  1894  they 
grew  well,  making  steady  progress,  and  towards  the  autumn  a  few 
flowers  appeared  on  the  strongest  plants.  The  following  summer 
(i.e.,  1895)  a  most  marked  progress  was  made,  the  stronger-growing 
kinds  beginning  to  give  some  indications  of  their  true  character, 
whilst  the  flowering  period  was  well  prolonged  and  a  considerable 
number  of  flowers  produced.  Seeing  that  more  room  was  essential 
for  their  perfect  development,  I  decided  to  provide  for  this  by  care- 
fully lifting  the  plants  last  spring  when  the  first  indications  of  growth 
were  visible.  This  operation  was  performed  about  two  years  from 
the  time  of  first  planting  them,  but  so  well  had  they  rooted  in  the  case 
of  the  strong  growing  kinds,  that  it  took  three  men  to  lift  them  with 
digging  forks,  several  of  the  roots  being  as  large  as  one's  fingers  and 


172  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

of  considerable  length.  These  came  up  with  good  balls,  and  were 
immediately  transferred  to  large  circular  baskets  which  had  been  half- 
filled  with  good  loam  and  leaf-soil,  a  few  handfuls  of  bone-meal  being 
allotted  to  each  basket  according  to  its  size.  When  the  roots  were 
carefully  spread  out  more  soil  was  added  to  fill  each  basket,  which 
was  at  once  sunk  again  into  the  water,  but  at  a  greater  distance  apart 
than  in  the  first  instance.  This  time  the  strongest  were  placed  at 
some  10  feet  or  so  from  each  other,  but  I  can  see  already,  after  only 
one  more  year's  growth,  that  they  will  require  more  room  even  than 
this.  These  plants  were  sunk  in  about  18  inches  of  water  this  time  in 
order  to  be  more  in  accord  with  their  growth.  The  more  moderate 
growers  were  arranged  in  front  of  these  and  in  about  12  inches  of 
water.  No  apparent  check  ensued  even  at  the  first,  for  they  grew 
away  most  vigorously,  and  in  most  cases  have  flowered  as  profusely. 
By  the  autumn  the  strongest  clumps  were  fully  6  feet  across,  and 
this  season  I  shall  not  be  surprised  if  they  touch  each  other.  The 
lake  has  a  fair  quantity  of  mud  in  it,  about  6  inches  perhaps  where 
the  plants  are  at  present,  the  bottom  being  puddled  with  clay.  The 
supply  of  water  is  from  a  spring. 

These  fine  water  plants  as  grown  and  bloomed  here  are  singularly 
beautiful  and  effective ;    either  one  or  another  is  always  producing 
the  distinct  and  pleasing  flowers.     The  flowers  remain  open,  too,  for 
a  prolonged  period  each  day,  either  one  or  another  being  in  good 
condition   from  9  a.m.  to  nearly  dusk   when  the  weather  is  bright. 
On  more  than  one  occasion   I  have  also  noted  how  beautiful  they 
have  been  during  showery  weather  ;  the  water  then  being  clear  added 
to  their  beauty,  the  flowers  glistening  and  sparkling  like  diamonds 
when  under  a  brilliant  light.     When  seen  in  this  state,  scarcely  any- 
thing in  the  way  of  flowers  could  be  more  beautiful. — JAS.  HUDSON. 
For  many  years  I  have  planted  these  Lilies  with  pleasure  and 
happy  results,  and,  in  view  of  their  importance,  their  story  is  worth 
telling.     Their   discovery    by    a    modest    amateur 
Water-Lilies       in   a   small    town    near    Bordeaux    was   the   best 
at  Gravetye.       ever  done  for  hardy  flowers.     It  seemed  doubtful 
at  first  if  these  Water-Lilies,  showing  as  they  do 
such  lovely  colours,  could  be  hardy  ;  as  it  happens,  they  are  as  hardy 
as  the  great  Water  Dock  by  the  lake  side.     In  all  I  put  in  I  cannot 
say  there  was  a  failure,  if  the  start  be  made  with   healthy  young 
plants.      In   all    these   years  many   groups   have  been    in    position 
without  change  or  attention.      No  preparation  whatever  was  made 
for  planting  beyond  sinking  in  the  ordinary  mud  which  is  washed 
into  the  lake  by  the  woodland  streamlets.      They  were  planted  tied 
to  pieces  of  stone  dropped  into  the  water,  or  sometimes  in  a  small 
wicker  basket  weighted   with  stones.      From  some   of  the  groups 


WATER    GARDENS.  !73 

many  scores  of  flowers  might  be  gathered  at  one  time :  perfect 
blooms  fine  in  colour.  The  earlier  kind  sent  out,  some  of  them,  were 
not  decided  as  to  colour,  but  of  late  years  they  are  fine  in  that  way. 
The  lake  is  rather  deep,  12  feet  or  more  in  places,  so  there  was  little 
chance  of  attending  to  the  "toilet"  of  the  plants,  as  may  be  done  in 
shallow  lakelets  or  fountain  basins  in  thinning  out  the  plants,  which 
is  certainly  a  gain.  Here  we  had  no  means  of  doing  this,  except  by 
emptying  the  lake,  which  was  not  done  except  on  rare  occasions. 
The  plants  are  such  vigorous  growers  that  an  occasional  thinning  out 
is  to  be  desired.  The  depth  of  the  water  seems  to  have  little  effect 
in  preventing  growth.  As  to  their  care,  there  has  been  none.  Before 
the  war  we  were  able  to  keep  the  weeds  down,  but  since  then  no 
opportunity  has  been  afforded  for  doing  this.  None  of  these  draw- 
backs, however,  has  marred  the  beauty  of  the  Lilies. 

The   only   thing   that   has  really  mattered  has  been   that  great 

enemy  of  Water-Lilies,  "the*  water  rat.     He  never  goes  far  from  the 

waterside,  but  is  as  destructive  there,  enjoying  him- 

Enemies  of        self  very  much  carrying  the  flowers  to  the  bank 

Water-Lilies.  and  cutting  the  centres  out  at  his  leisure.  For 
many  years  we  set  traps  for  him,  with  some  success, 
but  since  the  war  we  have  had  to  discontinue  this,  with  the  result 
that  many  of  the  blooms  disappear.  Shooting  and  trapping  is 
essential  in  this  case.  Another  enemy  is  the  water  hen,  which  comes 
in  shoals  out  of  the  woods.  Though  not  nearly  so  bad  as  the  water 
rat,  she  also  must  be  kept  down. 

A  mistake  is  any  kind  of  artificial  rearing  of  ducks  in  ponds  where 
Water-Lilies  are  grown.  The  heron  occasionally  visits  us,  and  also 
the  swan,  the  kingfisher,  and  a  few  small  birds  ;  but  none  of  them  do 
harm  to  the  Water-Lilies.  The  case  is  different  when  ducks  are 
artificially  reared  and  bred,  for  then  farewell  to  all  the  beauty  of  the 
flowers.  In  one  or  two  instances  I  have  given  way  to  this  in  the 
interests  of  shooting  friends,  but  never  again! 

Many  water  plants  will  grow  almost  anywhere  and  bid  defiance 
to   game   or   rats,   but    the    newer  and   rarer   Water-Lilies  will   not 
show  half  their   beauty   if  they  are  subjected  to 
Enemies.          the  attacks  of  certain  animals.     They  may,  indeed, 
when  young  be  easily  exterminated  by  them,  and 
even  when  old  and  established  the  common  water  rat  destroys  the 
flowers,  and,  taking  them  to  the  bank,  eats  them  at  its  leisure.     When 
the  plants  are  small,  the  attacks  of  the  common  moorhen  and  other 
water-fowl  may  mean  all  the  difference  between  life  and  death  to  a 
Water-Lily.     Perhaps,  therefore,  the  first  thing  to  be  done  in  estab- 
lishing these  plants  is  to  put  them  in  some  small  pond  apart  from  the 
rougher  waterside  plants,  and  especially  where  they  will  be  safe  from 


1 74  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


the  attacks  of  the  water  rat  and  other  creatures  which  cannot  be  kept 
out  of  ponds  fed  by  streamlets.  By  these  and  river  banks  or  back- 
waters water  rats  are  hard  to  destroy,  and  guns,  traps,  ferrets,  or  any 
other  means  must  be  used.  The  common  brown  rat  is  not  so  fond  of 
these  flowers  as  the  true  water  rat,  but  it  is  so  destructive  to  every- 
thing else,  that  it  is  essential  to  destroy  it  at  the  same  time,  as  it 
often  abounds  near  water.  The  water  or  moorhen  is  continuously 
destructive  to  all  the  Water-Lilies,  pecking  at  the  flowers  until  mere 
shreds  are  left,  and  no  one  can  fairly  judge  of  the  rare  beauty  of 
these  plants  where  these  birds  are  not  kept  down. 

Our  island  homes,  with  a  vast  storm-vexed  shore-line,  abounding 
rivers    and    beautiful    inland    waters,   offer   interesting  work    to  the 

planter.     And  not  without  difficulties ;   but  these 
Waterside  trees,    difficulties   are    pleasant    to   remember   when   we 

get  over  them,  as  we  may.  Wild  shores,  often 
bare  and  free  to  the  wild,  sharp  kisses  of  the  sea  ;  innumerable  lovely 
sites  now  desolate  will  in  time  invite  men  to  plant :  hence  the 
importance  of  good  work  on  such  ground.  And  we  may  bear  in 
mind  its  great  advantages  in  some  ways,  as  we  get  these  good 
things  talked  of  in  books,  but  seldom  seen  in  home  landscape  work, 
breath,  air,  repose,  graceful  contours  of  earth,  fair  backgrounds  of 
Willow  and  many  trees.  Few  need  be  told  of  the  beauty  of  our 
inland  waters,  loved  for  many  reasons.  Yet  it  is  when  we  think  of 
lands  without  the  gift  of  water,  such  as  some  parts  of  our  own 
Eastern  and  Southern  country,  and  the  land  around  Lyons  in  France 
and  about  Berlin,  that  we  feel  more  than  ever  the  precious  gain  of 
abounding  rivers,  lakes  like  those  of  England  and  Western  Ireland 
and  noble  estuaries  and  bays  of  many  parts  of  our  islands.  Even 
those  who  care  for  good  planting  in  ordinary  ground  are  apt  to 
neglect  the  waterside,  and  we  see  much  land  near  it  without  any  of 
the  lovely  effects  which  well  chosen  river  or  lake  side  trees  give. 
The  best  waterside  trees  are  often  those  of  our  own  country  and 
Europe,  easily  procured,  fine  in  colour  and  good  in  form.  There  are 
certainly  gains  in  waterside  position  which  we  do  not  find  elsewhere  ; 
we  get  air  and  light,  shade  and  breadth,  from  the  water  itself,  which 
prevents  the  dotting  of  plants  over  the  whole  area.  Again,  there 
are  often  good  lands  beside  rivers  liable  to  flood,  which  we  cannot 
well  plant  with  ordinary  trees,  and  cannot  wisely  build  upon,  and 
these  give  us  those  rich  levels  that  are  such  a  gain  to  lowland  land- 
scape when  fringed  by  noble  planting.  Flooding  is  not  against  the 
right  trees  upon  islands,  lake  margins  and  riversides.  Some  of  the 
best  trees,  like  the  Eastern  Plane  that  we  often  associate  with  hot 
dry  soils,  seem  happy  in  ground  sometimes  flooded,  as  we  may  see 
in  the  good  soils  in  Southern  valleys. 


WATER   GARDENS.  I?5 


Of  all  the  sites  for  planting  there  are  none  in  which  we  may  have 
clearer  guidance  as  to  what  is  best  than  we  have  in  islands  and  the 
margins  of  water,  be  it  lake  or  river.  The  vegetation  should  be 
mostly  of  a  spiry-leaved  sort — Willows  in  many  forms,  often  beautiful 
in  colour,  both  in  summer  and  winter,  with  Poplars.  Even  the 
Willows  of  Britain  and  Europe  are  ample  to  give  fine  effects,  and 
some,  like  the  White  Willow,  form  tall  timber  trees.  There  is  also 
a  lovely  group  of  weeping  trees  among  these  Willows,  some  of 
them  more  precious  than  the  Babylonian  Willow.  This  is  worth 
bearing  in  mind  when  seeking  good  and  artistic  effects.  Take,  for 
example,  a  piece  of  water,  good  in  form  of  margin  and  right  in  every 
way  in  relation  to  the  landscape ;  it  is  quite  easy  to  spoil  the  effect 
of  it  all  by  the  use  of  trees  which  have  not  the  form  for  the  water- 
side. By  the  right  use  of  trees  suited  to  the  soil  we  may,  on  the 
other  hand,  make  the  scene  beautiful  in  delicate  colour  and  fine 
form — in  a  word,  right  at  all  seasons,  whether  as  a  picture,  as 
covert  and  even  for  timber.  The  best  trees  for  waterside-planting 
are  those  of  our  own  country  or  of  Europe  and  the  Northern  world 
generally.  There  are  many  Willows,  but  for  good  effect  the  best  are 
the  Tree  Willows,  those  which  may  be  had  on  their  natural  roots  and 
of  some  timber  value.  The  best  of  these  for  our  country  is  the 
White  Willow,  lovely  at  all  times,  but  especially  on  days  of  storm, 
when  other  things  are  often  at  their  worst.  The  hybrids  of  the 
White  Willow  (Bedford  Willow)  are  good  also,  and  next  best  for 
colour  is  the  Yellow  Wrillow  (Salix  vitellina),  classed  by  the  botanists 
as  a  variety  of  the  White  Willow,  but  distinct  in  stature,  form  and 
colour.  It  is  often  seen  beside  Northern  rivers,  and  when  massed 
in  a  marsh  or  bog  or  beside  a  wide  river  it  is  fine  in  effect,  and  best 
of  all  on  wintry  days.  The  Red  Willow  (Cardinal  Willow)  is  a 
form  of  it,  of  even  brighter  colour.  The  Crack  Willow  (S.  fragilis) 
is  not  so  showy  in  colour,  but  is  very  picturesque  in  form  upon  the 
river  banks,  and  quite  worthy  of  a  place  among  the  Tree  Willows. 

After  Willows  the  Poplars  come  in  best  in  all  Northern  countries. 
The  White  Poplar  is  beautiful  in  colour  as  a  riverside  tree,  and 
superb  in  form  when  well  grown.  The  Poplars  by  the  French  rivers 
are  also  beautiful  though  none  is  prettier  than  the  Aspen.  The 
Lombardy  Poplar  is  sometimes  very  fine  in  valleys  near  water.  The 
Grey  Poplar  comes  next  to  the  White  in  beauty,  and  the  Black  Poplar 
is  often  good  beside  water. 

Some  of  the  American  marsh  trees  are  very  pretty  near  water, 
in  particular  one  called  the  Tupelo  (Nyssa  sylvatica),  lovely  in  colour 
in  autumn  ;  but  the  summer-leafing  trees  of  the  American  woods 
have  been  much  neglected  since  the  vogue  for  planting  Conifers  came 
in,  so  that  we  can  point  to  but  few  examples  of  good  results  in  our 


I76 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


country.  The  Hemlock  Spruce  thrives  in  wet  ground,  also  the 
Norway  Spruce  and  the  Sitka  Spruce.  We  resort  to  trees  of  the 
Pine  tribe  to  clothe  sandy  or  stony  hills,  but  it  is  as  well  to  know 
that  for  low  and  wet  land  we  are  not  obliged  to  confine  ourselves  to 
Willows,  Alders  and  Poplars  if  for  any  reason  we  prefer  evergreen 
trees.  In  southern  parts  of  Britain,  where  (after  its  first  youth  is 
past)  the  Norway  Spruce  is  often  a  failure,  it  will  yet  grow  well 
beside  streams  and  in  wet  bottoms.  The  Sitka  Spruce — a  valuable 
tree — is  good  also,  and  the  Douglas  Fir  thrives  in  the  shelter  of 
the  woods. 

The  worst  evil  of  all  is  the  mixed  muddle  planting  which  is  so 
common  in  England  and  does  more  to  destroy  all  good  effect  in 
our  gardens  than  anything  else.  Very  often  the  trees  are  planted 
to  a  level  face,  without  any  thought  of  the  natural  habits  or  ways 
of  the  things  planted.  The  evil  arises  from  trusting  to  people  to 
plant  who  have  never  given  a  thought  to  the  work  from  the  artistic 
point  of  view. 

A  not  infrequent  feature  is  the  ugly,  formless  pool  that  no  skill 

can  make  tolerable.     Made  without  any  pretence  of  grace  of  outline, 

they  are  disfigurements,  sometimes  dangers.     The 

Ugly  pools.  best  way  is  often  to  drain  and  turn  them  into 
ferneries  or  Azalea  gardens.  Water  is  no  good 
if  hideous  in  outline  and  not  large  enough  to  reflect  light  and  to 
allow  of  graceful  planting  of  Willow,  Dogwood  and  Reed.  Some 
of  the  garden  architects  make  little  holes  and  channels  in  the 
garden  near  the  house.  Absurd  features  they  are,  which,  like  much 
of  their  garden  ornament,  will  have  to  be  removed  in  the  fulness 
of  time. 


Arrowheads. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE   BOG  GARDEN. 

THE  bog  garden  is  a  home  for  the  numerous  children  of  the  wild 
that  will  not  thrive  on  our  harsh,  bare,  and  dry  garden  borders,  but 
thrive  cushioned  on  moss  or  in  moist  peat  soil.  Many  beautiful 
plants,  like  the  Wind  Gentian  and  Creeping  Hairbell,  grow  on  our 
bogs  and  marshes.  In  North  America,  even  by  the  margins  of  the 
railways,  one  sees,  day  after  day,  the  vivid  blooms  of  the  Cardinal- 
flower  springing  erect  from  the  wet  peaty  hollows ;  and  far  under  the 
shady  woods  stretch  the  black  bog  pools,  the  ground  between  being 
so  shaky  that  you  move  a  few  steps  with  difficulty.  And  where 
the  woody  vegetation  disappears  the  Pitcher-plant  (Sarracenia), 
Golden  Club  (Orontium),  Water  Arum  (Calla  palustris),  and  a  host 
of  other  handsome  bog  plants  cover  the  ground  for  hundreds  of 
acres,  with  perhaps  an  occasional  slender  bush  of  Laurel  Magnolia 
(Magnolia  glauca)  among  them. 

Southwards  and  seawards,  the  bog  flowers,  like  the  splendid 
kinds  of  herbaceous  Hibiscus,  become  tropical  in  size  and  brilliancy, 
while  far  north  and  west  and  south  along  the  mountains  grows  the 
queen  of  the  peat  bog — the  beautiful  and  showy  Mocassin-flower 
(Cypripedium  spectabile).  Then  in  California,  all  along  the  Sierras, 
a  number  of  delicate  little  annual  plants  continue  to  grow  in  small 
mountain  bogs  long  after  the  plains  are  quite  parched,  and  annual 
vegetation  has  quite  disappeared  from  them.  ^But  who  shall  record 
the  beauty  and  interest  of  the  flowers  of  the  wide-spreading  marsh- 
lands of  this  globe  of  ours,  from  those  in  the  vast  wet  woods  of 
America,  dark  and  brown,  hidden  from  the  sunbeams,  to  the  little 
bogs  of  the  high  Alps,  far  above  the  woods,  where  the  ground 
often  teems  with  Nature's  most  brilliant  flowers?  One  thing, 
however,  we  may  gather  from  our  small  experience — that  many 
plants  commonly  termed  "  alpine,"  and  found  on  high  mountains, 
are  true  bog  plants.  This  must  be  clear  to  any  one  who  has  seen 
our  pretty  Bird's-eye  Primrose  in  the  wet  mountain-side  bogs  of 
Westmorland,  or  the  Bavarian  Gentian  in  the  spongy  soil  by 
alpine  rivulets. 

177  M 


i78 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


Perhaps  the  most  charming  plants   to  commence  with  are  our 

own  native  bog  plants — Pinguicula,  Drosera,  Parnassia,  Menyanthes, 

Viola  palustris,  Anagallis  tenella,  Nartheciu,  Os- 

Native  bog  plants,  munda,  Lastrea  Oreopteris,  Thelypteris  spinulosa, 

and    other    Ferns ;    Sibthorpia   europsea,    Linnsea 

borealis,   Primula   farinosa,   Campanula   hederacea,   Chrysosplenium 

alternifolium  and  oppositifolium  ;  Saxifraga  Hirculus,  aizoides,  stel- 

laris,  Caltha,  and  Marsh  Orchises.     These,  and  a  host  of  plants  from 

our  marshes  and  the  summits  of  our  higher  mountains,  will  flourish 

as  freely  as  in  their  native  habitats,  and  may  all  be  grown  in  a  few 

square  feet  of  bog  ;  while  Rhododendrons,  Kalmias,  dwarf  Ferns,  and 

Sedges  will  serve  for  the  bolder  features. 

One  of  the  great  charms  of  the  bog  garden  is  that  everything 


Mocassin-flower. 

thrives  and  multiplies  in  it,  and  nothing  droops  or  dies,  but  the  real 
difficulty  is  to  prevent  the  stronger  plants  from  overgrowing,  and 
eventually  destroying,  the  weaker.  A  small  pool  of  water  filled 
with  water  plants  is  a  charming  addition  to  the  bog  garden. 

In  the  bog  garden  many  of  our  most  beautiful  plants,  which  in  a 
summer  like  that  of  1895  have  been  languishing  for  moisture  in  the 
borders,  may  be  grown  to  perfection  surpassing  in  beauty  all  our 
former  impressions  of  them.  Of  primary  importance,  of  course,  is 
the  position,  and  where  this  is  naturally  of  a  moist,  boggy  or 
swampy  character,  matters  will  be  much  simplified.  We  will  assume 
there  is  such  a  spot  at  disposal,  a  swampy,  treacherous,  and,  as  we 
are  wont  to  regard  it,  useless  piece  of  land,  under  water  the  greater 
part  of  the  year.  Such  a  spot  will  be  sure  of  its  crop  of  naturally 
water-loving  plants,  such  as  Rushes,  Sedges,  or  the  like,  and  the  first 


THE   BOG    GARDEN. 


179 


care  must  be  to  root  them  out  one  and  all.  In  doing  so,  be  careful 
that  12  inches  or  so  of  the  margin  be  overhauled,  as  in  all  probability 
there  will  be  here  roots  and  seeds  of  all  these  wildlings.  According 
to  the  nature  of  the  boggy  piece  and  also  the  depth  of  the  water,  it 
may  be  necessary  for  cleansing  the  ground  to  cut  a  deep  trench  and 
allow  the  water  to  pass  away,  as,  without  the  moisture,  the  whole  is 
much  more  convenient  for  preparation,  and  roots  are  more  readily 
eradicated.  The  ground  thoroughly  cleansed  at  the  outset,  attention 
should  next  be  directed  to  the  soil.  This  may  be  variable,  according 
to  the  variety  of  plants  it  is  intended  to  introduce.  For  instance, 
strong  growing  plants  like  the  Meadow  Sweets  are  all  at  home  in  a 
fairly  stiff  and  moist  soil.  On  the  other  hand,  Iris  Kaempferi 
Trillium,  Cypripedium,  Lilium  pardalinum,  L.  superbum,  and  other 
such  things  have  a  decided  preference  for  soil  of  a  vegetable 
character,  such  as  peat,  leaves,  and  the  like.  These  latter,  again, 
have  a  preference  for  the  drier  parts  of  the  bed,  while  such  as  the 
Calthas  and  Menyanthes  trifoliata  revel  in  wet  mud.  To  meet  the 
varied  degrees  of  moisture  which  the  plants  prefer  will  be  quite  an 
easy  matter  in  an  artificially  constructed  bog  by  the  adoption  of  an 
undulating  surface  throughout.  Slightly  raised  mounds  are  by  far 
the  most  convenient,  and  certainly  the  most  economical,  way  of 
providing  for  the  greatest  number  of  plants. 

The    shape,   of  course,   should    be    picturesque,   and,   unless    a 
depression  of  the  whole  exists,  let  this  receive  the  next  attention, 

and   in  such  a  way  that  the  highest  part  will  be 

Formation  of  bog     9  inches  below  the  average  surrounding  soil.     The 

garden.  paths  should  next  be  dealt  with,  excavating  these 

nearly  a  foot  deep  in  the  central  parts  and 
gradually  rising  at  the  entrances.  The  soil  taken  from  the  paths 
may,  if  good,  be  used  to  form  the  raised  beds  for  the  planting  of 
moisture-loving  plants,  such  as  are  content  if  their  roots  only  reach 
water.  The  sides  of  these  beds  may  need  rough  support,  such  as 
rude  sandstone  blocks,  to  keep  the  soil  in  its  place.  These,  or 
similar  things,  may  also  form  stepping-stones  in  the  wetter  parts,  as 
by  this  means  the  plants  may  be  viewed  without  inconvenience. 
Beds  of  various  sizes  will  be  needed  in  proportion  to  the  kind  of 
plants  that  shall  hereafter  occupy  them.  For  instance,  the  sloping 
banks  at  the  edge,  which  may  also  take  the  form  of  a  slightly 
projecting  mound,  would  constitute  excellent  positions  for  some  of 
the  hardy  Bamboos.  Similar  opportunities  may  occur  at  intervals 

throughout   the    margin    for    planting  with    such 
Lilies.  things     as    Acanthus,     Yucca,     Eulalia,    Astilbe 

rivularis,  Spiraea  Aruncus,  Bocconia  cordata, 
and  others  of  similar  proportions,  while  the  lower  slopes  and 


i8o  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

depressions  between  these  would  make  excellent  places  for  Osmunda 
regalis,  Lilium  giganteum,  L.  pardalinum,  L.  canadense,  and  L. 
superbum  in  peaty  beds.  The  latter  three  of  these  are  really 
swamp-loving  by  nature,  and  it  is  scarcely  possible  to  see  them  in 
anything  approaching  perfection  elsewhere.  In  the  moisture  so  close 
at  hand  such  things  simply  revel,  and  the  owner  of  them  may  for 
years  see  them  towering  far  above  his  head  in  their  day  of  flowering 
— a  picture  of  health  and  beauty.  With  such  things  it  should  always 
be  borne  in  mind  that  constant  saturation  is  not  absolutely  essential, 
though,  indeed,  they  receive  it  more  or  less  in  their  native  habitats. 


Cypripedium.  Trillium.  Sarracenia.  Helonias.  Pinguicula. 

A  bog  garden. 

Where  space  for  bog  gardens  is  limited,  a  very  charming  carpet  to 
the  Lilies  just  named  would  be  the  Wood  Lily  of  North  America 
(Trillium  grandiflorum).  The  two  things  may  be  planted  or 
replanted  at  the  same  season  when  necessity  arises.  The  Trillium, 
moreover,  would  come  in  spring-time  and  would  protect  the  growth 
of  the  Lilium  against  our  late  spring  frosts.  For  the  Liliums  a  foot 
deep  of  peat,  leaf-soil,  and  turf,  with  sharp  river  grit,  would  form  a 
good  bed,  and  with  a  mulch  each  year  of  leaf-soil  and  a  little  very 
rotten  manure  would  serve  them  for  many  years.  It  may  surprise 
many  to  know  that  under  such  conditions  these  Trilliums  would  in 
a  few  years,  if  left  alone,  attain  to  nearly  2  feet  and  be  lovely  in  the 
size  and  purity  of  their  flowers.  In  another  of  these  depressions 


THE  BOG   GARDEN.  181 


Cypripedium  spectabile  could  easily  be  established,  or  a  bed  may  be 
devoted  to  the  more  showy  hardy  species,  giving  6  inches  of  peat  or 
more,   with  leaf-soil  added.     The   species   named  is  rather  late  in 
sending  up  its  growth,  and   affords  plenty  of  time   for  a  carpet  of 
Trillium  to  flower  before  much  headway  is  made.     Other  beautiful 
carpeting  plants  for  these  would  be  found  in  the  American  Mayflower 
(Epigaea  repens  or  Pratia  angulata),  and  if  the  position  be  shaded,  as 
it  should  be  for  the  Cypripediums,  a  charming,  yet  delicate,  fringe 
may   be    found    in    Adiantum    pedatum.     Besides    C.   spectabile,  C. 
pubescens  and  C.  parviflorum  are  well  deserving  attention,  together 
with    Orchis    foliosa,    the    beautiful    "  Madeira    Orchis,"    and    the 
Habenarias,  especially  H.  cilaris  and  fimbriata  ;  all  delight  in  moisture 
and  require  but  little  root  room.     Then  if  a  glow  of  rich  colour  was 
needed  in  such  places  it  could  be  supplied  in  Spiraea  venusta  or  S. 
palmata,  both  delighting  in  moist  soil.     Another  fine  effect  may  be 
had    by   grouping    Lobelia    fulgens,   or   indeed    any    of  the   scarlet 
Lobelias    and    Sikkim    Primrose.     In    wet    parts    may    be    planted 
Osmunda  regalis,  Onoclea  sensibilis,  Struthiopteris  germanica,  and 
Astilbe  rivularis,  allowing  room  for  each.     Groups 
Scarlet  Lobelias     °f  tne  herbaceous  Phloxes  in  their  best  and  most 
and  Sikkim        distinct  shades,  particularly  of  salmon  scarlet  and 
Primrose.          the  purest  white,  would   find  their  natural  wants 
completely  satisfied  in  the   bog  garden  and   give 
fine  colour.     In  English  gardens  it  is  only  in  a  moist  season  that  we 
see  the  Phlox  in  even  fair  condition,  for  the  reason  that  the  original 
species  is   a  native  of  wet   meadows.     This   condition  we  can   best 
imitate   by   deep   digging  and    heavy   manuring,  and   so   much   the 
better  if  the  beds  of  these   be  saturated  with  water.     Only  in  the 
constant  cooling  moisture  of  the  bog  can  Primula  japonica  be  seen 
in  perfection,  for  here  will  it  produce  rosettes  of  leaves  2\  feet  across, 
and  giant  whorls  of  its  crimson  flowers,  attaining  to  nearly  the  same 
height.     Another    charming    Primrose    is    that    from    the    swampy 
mountain    meadows    of  the   Himalayas,   P.    sikkimensis,   essentially 
moisture-loving  ;  but  to  get  the  best  results  this  must  be  treated  as 
a  biennial,  grown  on  quickly,  and  planted  in  the  bog  as  soon  as  large 
enough  to  handle.     Other   species  of  Primula  suited  to  the  higher 
and  drier  parts  of  the  bog  would  be  found  in  P.  cashmeriana,  capitata, 
denticulata,  rosea,  farinosa,  involucrata,  viscosa,  and  others,  all  alike 
beautiful    in    their    way,    and    attaining    greater    vigour   with    the 
abundant  moisture.     Some  of  the  smaller  kinds  of  the  viscosa  type 
are  better  for  slight  shade,   such  as   may  be   provided   by   Dielytra 
spectabilis  (a  really  delightful  plant  in  boggy  ground)  and  various 
Spiraeas.     It  should  be  noted  that  many  shade-loving  plants  delight 
in  full  sun  when  given  abundant  moisture  at  the  root.     Particularly 


i82  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

noticeable  is  this  with  the  Liliums  I  have  noted  previously.  In  the 
early  part  of  the  year  the  bog  garden  should  be  aglow  with  such 
things  as  Marsh  Marigolds,  in  single  and  double  forms.  In  the  wet 
mud  in  the  lower  parts  and  about  the  stepping-stones  these  would 
appear  quite  natural,  and  in  like  places  Ficaria  grandiflora,  a  plant 
too  rarely  seen,  with  its  blossoms  of  shining  gold  ;  then  Senecio 
Doronicum,  with  golden  orange  flowers,  Dielytra  eximia,  Trollius  : 
any  of  the  Dentarias  and  Dodecatheons  likewise  are  all  well  suited 
for  the  raised  parts  where  the  roots  will  touch  the  moisture.  The 
Dodecatheons  in  peat,  loam,  and  leaf-soil  in  equal  parts,  particularly 
D.  Jeffreyanum,  grow  to  a  large  size  :  Hepaticas,  too,  are  greatly 
improved  in  company  with  these  last,  while  the  charming  effects  that 
may  be  produced  are  almost  without  end.  Corydalis  nobilis  in  peat 
and  loam,  C.  lutea,  together  with  the  Water  Mimulus  (M.  luteus),  all 
provide  rich  masses  of  yellow.  Gentiana  asclepiadea,  G.  Andrewsi, 
as  well  as  G.  verna,  grow  charmingly  in  the  bog. 

Nor  is  the  list  of  plants  exhausted  ;    indeed,  they  are   far  too 

numerous  to  give  in  detail,  but  yet  to  be  mentioned  as  among  the 

grandest     are     many     Irises,     I.     Kaempferi     in 

Japanese  Iris.      particular.      Meconopsis    Wallichiana    (the    blue 

Poppy  of  the  Himalayas)  produces  quite  a  unique 

effect   in    the    moisture   parts.      Saxifraga   peltata,    S.    Fortunei,   S. 

Hirculus,      S.     granulata      plena,     Soldanellas,      Senecio      pulcher, 

Sisyrinchium  grandiflorum   and   many  more  are  all  benefited  by  the 

varying  degrees  of  moisture  to  be  found  in  the  bog  garden. 

In  gardens  where  no  moist  piece  of  ground  exists,  such  as  those 
with  gravel  or  sandy  subsoils,  it  will  be  necessary  to  select  a  low  part 
and  mark  out  an  irregular  outline.  Next  dig  out  the  soil  18  inches 
or  2  feet  in  depth,  so  as  to  allow  of  at  least  6  inches  of  clay  being 
puddled  in  the  bottom  to  retain  the  moisture.  For  bog  plants  clay 
is  far  better  than  concrete,  because  it  supplies  food  for  many  moisture- 
loving  plants.  To  keep  the  clay  in  position,  sloping  sides  will  be 
best,  and  for  the  soils  named  it  will  scarcely  be  necessary  to  have 
more  than  a  small  outlet  for  excessive  moisture,  and  this  at 
about  12  inches  high  from  the  deepest  part.  For  this  a  narrow 
clinker  or  rough  brick  drain  will  suffice,  so  placed  that  the  outlet  may 
be  blocked,  if  necessary,  for  affording  greater  moisture.  By  digging 
a  shallow  trench  around  the  upper  margin  of  the  bog-bed,  and 
using  Bamboos  or  Bocconia  cordata  —  these  valuable  for  their 
rapid  annual  growth — such  things  would  give  the  needful  shade  in 
summer. 

In  large  gardens  and  cool,  hilly  districts  the  bog  garden  should 
always  be  found.  Some  years  ago  I  had  charge  of  just  such  a 
garden :  in  the  flower  garden  was  a  fountain  basin  wherein  water 


THE  BOG   GARDEN.  183 


plants  were  grown  ;  the  overflow  from  this  went  tumbling  in  many 
ways  over  a  series  of  rocks  into  the  rock  garden  pond  containing 
Orontium  aquaticum,  Nymphaeas,  and  Sagittarias.  In  turn  the 
overflow  from  the  rock  garden  was  conducted  to  the  bog  garden 
proper,  where  many  masses  of  Cypripedium  spectabile,  with  fully  a 
score  of  spikes  of  its  beautiful  flowers  to  each  tuft,  grew  in  luxuriance 
in  peat  and  leaves  under  a  welcome  shade.  Here,  too,  Osmundas 
were  rampant  together  with  Primula  japonica  and  a  variety  of  plants 
already  mentioned,  and  Ourisia  coccinea,  tightly  pressing  the  surface 
of  a  stone,  flowered  splendidly. — E.  J. 

In  some  of  the  southern  counties  there  is  not  much  marsh  land 
that  we  can  deal  with,  but  in  many  parts  of  our  islands,  especially 

Ireland  north  and    south,  and    also   in    mountain 

A  natural  bog      country  everywhere,  there  are  many  natural   bog 

garden.  gardens   which   only   need    a   little   development, 

climate,  soil  and  everything  else  being  all  we  can 
desire  for  our  bog  garden.  The  peat  soil  which  we  seek  for  in  vain 
in  some  southern  counties  is  there,  and  even  many  of  the  welcome 
sorts  of  plants,  such  as  Heaths  and  the  Sweet  Gale,  are  to  be  found 
there  if  we  are  shy  of  attempting  the  more  delicate  plants  of  other 
countries.  Dwarf  Rhododendrons  and  Azaleas  and  all  such  plants 
find  in  these  places  the  conditions  they  delight  in.  Many  of  the 
Rhododendrons  now  coming  from  China  or  India  will,  if  we  have 
them  on  their  natural  roots  or  as  layers,  find  there  the  conditions  to  suit 
them,  the  main  thing  afterwards  being  simply  to  make  dry  paths 
to  the  marsh  garden.  They  need  not  be  always  gravelled  paths,  as 
merely  the  trodden-down  heath  or  grass  of  the  place  will  often  do  best. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

THE   HARDY   FERN    GARDEN. 

THE  marriage  of  the  fern  and  flower  garden  is  worth  effecting,  our 
many  hardy  evergreen  Ferns  being  so  good  for  association  with  hardy 
flowers.  There  are  many  varieties  of  our  native  Ferns  which  would 
be  excellent  companions  to  plants  suited  for  sheltered,  half-shady 
nooks,  and  there  are  hardy  and  vigorous  exotic  kinds.  Graceful 
effects  may  be  had  in  foregrounds,  in  drives  through  glades,  through 
the  bold  use  of  the  larger  hardy  Ferns,  whether  evergreen  or  not. 
The  Bracken  is  everywhere;  but  there  are  Ferns  of  graceful  form 
which  delight  in  the  partial  shade  of  open  woods  and  drives,  and 
succeed  even  in  the  sun.  Ferns  have,  as  a  rule,  been  stowed  away 
in  obscure  corners,  and  have  rarely  come  into  the  garden  land- 
scape, though  they  may  give  us  beautiful  aspects  of  vegetation 
not  only  in  the  garden,  but  by  grassy  glades,  paths,  and  drives. 
In  countries  where  hardy  Ferns  abound,  they  are  often  seen  near 
water. and  in  hollow  and  wet  places,  and  it  will  often  be  best  to 
group  them  in  such  localities,  but  without  any  of  the  ugly  aspects 
of  "  rockwork  "  too  often  supposed  to  be  the  right  thing  in  a  hardy 
fernery. 

In  the  home  counties  there  is  probably  not  a  better  fernery 
than  that  at  Danesbury.  It  is  on  a  sloping  bank  in  a  rather 
deep  dell,  overhung  with  trees  and  Ivy,  in  the 
A  hardy  fernery,  shade  of  which  the  Ferns  delight.  As  regards 
the  planting,  the  various  families  are  arranged 
in  distinct  groups,  and  each  group  has  a  position  and  a  soil 
favourable  to  its  requirements.  The  best  way  to  grow  Ferns, 
however,  is  with  flowers,  as  in  Nature,  and  a  hardy  fernery  may 
be  very  beautiful.  As  a  rule,  Ferns  have  in  their  natural  state 
both  soil  and  locality  exactly  suited  to  their  requirements  ;  and  the 
soil  is  yearly  enriched  by  the  decaying  foliage  of  surrounding  trees, 
which  protects  them  in  winter.  In  arranging  a  fernery,  study  the 
habits  and  requirements  of  each  species,  and  allot  to  it  the  position 
most  likely  to  give  the  best  results.  At  Danesbury  the  most 
sheltered,  moist  spot  is  given  to  the  evergreen  Blechnums,  which 
delight  in  a  damp  atmosphere,  and  to  the  delicate  forms  of  Asplenium. 

184 


THE  HARDY   FERN   GARDEN.  185 

Osmunda,  which  thrives  amazingly,  is  in  a  low  swamp.  The  soil  used 
for  these  Royal  Ferns  is  a  mixture  of  good  loam  and  fibrous  peat.  The 
better  deciduous  kinds  of  Polypodium,  such  as  P.  Phegopteris  and 
P.  Dryopteris,  have  sheltered  positions  ;  and  in  quiet  nooks  may  be 
found  charming  groups  of  the  Parsley  Fern,  and  Cystopteris  fragilis, 
a  most  delicate  and  graceful  Fern.  Lastrea  Filix-mas  and  its  varieties 
occupy  the  more  exposed  positions  in  company  with  fine  colonies 
of  the  evergreen  kinds,  comprising  some  unique  varieties  of  the 
Polystichums,  Scolopendriums,  Polypodiums,  etc.  A  plentiful  supply 
of  water  is  available. 

The    Fern -lover   will    remember    that    not    only    have   we   our 
own   beautiful   native  Ferns  for  adorning  our  gardens,  but  also  the 

hardy    Ferns    of   America,    Asia,    and    the    con- 
Exotic  hardy      tinent     of    Europe.       As    to     the     hardiness    of 
Ferns.  exotic    Ferns,    Mr     Milne-Redhead    writes    from 

Clitheroe  :  — 

Is  it  not  strange  that  we  so  seldom  see,  even  in  good  gardens,  any  well-grown 
plants  of  exotic  Osmundas,  Struthiopteris,  &c.  ?  Here,  after  a  long  spell  of  hot, 
dry  weather,  we  had  on  May  20,  1896,  a  sharp  snap  of  frost  which  completely  cut 
off  the  more  than  usually  beautiful  flowers  of  Azalea  mollis,  and  seriously  injured 
the  young  growths  of  some  Japanese  Pines,  such  as  Abies  firma,  A.  sachalinensis, 
and  others.  This  frost  turned  the  young  fronds  of  our  English  Filix-mas  and 
Filix-foemina  quite  black.  Close  by  these  plants,  and  under  similar  conditions  of 
soil  and  exposure,  the  American  Adiantum  pedatum,  i  foot  high,  and  the  tender- 
looking  Onoclea  sensibilis  were  quite  unhurt,  and  Osmunda  interrupta  and  O. 
cinnamomea  entirely  escaped  and  are  now  very  fine.  Our  English  O.  regalis  was 
slightly  touched,  but  the  Brazilian  O.  spectabilis  brought  by  myself  from  dry 
banks  in  the  Organ  Mountains  was  not  even  browned  in  its  early  and  delicate 
fronds.  All  the  Ferns  I  have  named  are  great  ornaments  to  any  moist  and  rather 
shady  place  in  the  shrubbery.  In  a  sheltered  nook  in  the  rock  garden  I  find,  to 
my  surprise,  that  Gymnogramma  triangularis  has  survived  the  perils  not  only  of 
a  frosty  spring,  but  the  still  greater  ones  of  a  wet  autumn  and  winter,  and  is  now 
throwing  up  healthily  its  pretty  triangular  fronds,  whose  under  surface  is  quite 
white  with  the  powder  peculiar  to  the  genus — in  fact  a  hardy  silver  Fern. 

A  visit  to  Mr  Sclater's  Fern  garden  at  Newick  shows  us  the  good 
effects  that  may  be  had  by  using  the  nobler  hardy  Ferns — both  native 
and  foreign — in  a  bolder  way,  and  often  in  the  open  sun.  The  idea 
that  a  fernery  is  best  in  a  dark  corner  has  had  unfortunate  results  in 
keeping  the  grace  of  such  plants  out  of  the  garden  picture.  Hardy 
Ferns  are  being  used  in  bold  and  simple  ways  at  Kew,  where  at  one 
time  they  were  in  an  obscure  fernery,  and  even  if  some  Ferns  require 
shade,  many  do  not  in  our  cool  climate.  Shade  is,  moreover,  an 
elastic  term  ;  the  bold  hardy  Ferns  one  sees  in  the  American  wood- 
lands would  not  have  too  much  sun  in  the  open  in  Britain,  provided 
they  were  in  the  right  soil. 


1 86  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

Many  hardy  Ferns  are  excellent  for  association  with  hardy 
flowers,  and  many  may  be  grouped  with  evergreen  rock  and  hill 
plants  in  forming  borders  and  groups  of  evergreen  plants.  Though 
we  have  enough  native  Ferns  in  these  islands  to  give  us  very 
fine  effects,  as  we  see  at  Penrhyn,  or  wherever  Ferns  are  boldly 
grouped,  some  of  the  finest  Ferns  we  see  at  Newick,  and  also 
at  Rhianva  and  other  gardens  are  natives  of  North  America. 
Foremost  among  the  strong  -  growing  hardy  exotic  kinds,  there 
are  the  handsome  North  American  Osmunda  cinnamomea,  and 
O.  Claytoniana,  O.  gracilis,  a  very  pretty  species  of  particularly 
slender  habit ;  the  Sensitive  Fern  (Onoclea),  Dicksonia  punctiloba, 
the  beautiful  Canadian  Maiden-hair,  the  American  Ostrich  Feather 
Fern,  Lastrea  Goldiana,  Woodwardia  virginica,  all  of  North 
American  origin  and  attaining  between  2  feet  and  3  feet  in  height. 
Among  the  smaller  Ferns  are  Aspidium  nevadense,  novaboracense 
and  thelypteroides,  Asplenium  angustifolium,  Athyrium  Michauxi 
and  Woodwardia  angustifolia,  all  of  which  grow  from  18  inches  to  24 
inches.  Allosorus  acrostichoides,  the  handsome  Polypodium  hexa- 
gonopterum,  Woodsia  obtusa,  oregana  and  scopulina,  and  also  two 
pretty  Selaginellas,  viz.,  oregana  and  Douglasi.  All  these  are  of 
small  dimensions,  varying  as  they  do  from  6  inches  to  12  inches  in 
height.  The  pretty  Hypolepis  anthriscifolia  of  South  Africa  ;  the 
robust  Lastrea  atrata,  from  India ;  the  Japanese  Lastrea  decurrens, 
the  massive  Struthiopteris  orientalis,  also  a  native  of  Japan,  and  the 
pretty  Davallia  Mariesi  are  all  equal  in  hardiness  to  any  of  our  British 
deciduous  Ferns. 

Some  of  the  evergreen   Ferns,  whether  British  or  exotic,  which 
stand  the  severity  of  our  climate,  are  as  hardy  as  those  which  lose 
their  leaves  in  winter,  and  no  Fern  could  be  hardier 
Evergreen  hardy  than  the  various  small-growing  Aspleniums,  which 
Ferns.  grow  in  old  walls  exposed  to  severe  frosts,  such  as 

the  black  stemmed  Spleenwort  (several),  and  its 
pretty  crested  and  notched  forms,  the  little  Wall  Rue  or  Rue 
Fern,  the  forked  and  other  native  Spleenworts.  All  these  are 
small,  seldom  exceeding  8  inches  in  height,  while  the  black  Maiden- 
hair Spleenwort  Blechnum  and  its  several  beautiful  forms  usually 
average  from  9  inches  to  12  inches  in  height.  Polypodium  also 
contains  some  handsome  evergreen  plants ;  even  the  common 
Polypody  is  a  fine  plant  in  its  way,  and  is  seen  at  its  best  when 
growing  on  a  wall,  on  the  branches  of  a  tree,  or  on  the  roof  of 
a  low  house.  But  by  far  the  handsomest  of  its  numerous  forms 
are  the  Welsh  Polypody,  the  Irish  and  the  Cornish,  and  its 
handsome,  finely-cut  varieties  in  which  the  fronds  are  of  a  light 
and  feathery  nature.  Then  there  are  the  more  or  less  heavily 


THE  HARDY  FERN  GARDEN.  187 

crested  forms,  all  of  larger  dimensions  than  the  species  from 
which  they  are  issue.  The  common  Hart's-tongue  supplies  us 
with  many  forms  giving  fine  effect  and  free  growth. 

As  regards  strong-growing  evergreen  hardy  Ferns,  however,  none 
can  compare  with  the  Prickly  Shield  Fern  and  the  soft  Prickly 
Shield  Fern,  and  its  beautiful  varieties  which  produce  massive 
fronds  18  inches  to  24  inches  long.  Then  there  is  an  extensive 
section  of  varieties  in  which  the  fronds  in  many  instances  are 
as  finely  cut  as  those  of  the  Lace  Fern,  and  infinitely  finer  in  effect. 
The  soft  Prickly  Shield  Fern  has  also  produced  some  remark- 
ably crested  forms,  all  of  which  are  equal  in  vigour  and  in 
dimensions  to  the  typical  species.  The  Holly  Fern  is  also  hardy, 
and  is  one  of  those  plants  which  are  usually  killed  with  kindness, 
through  being  grown  in  a  temperature  higher  than  is  required. 

North  America  supplies  the  greatest  part  of  those  hardy  in  Eng- 
land.     The  larger-growing  kinds  from  that  country  are  Aspidium 
cristatum  Clintonianum,  A.  floridanum,  Asplenium 
Exotic  evergreen    angustifolium,    Lastrea    marginalis,    Polystichum 
kinds.  munitum  and  P.  acrostichoides,  all  of  which  sorts 

attain  from  18  inches  to  24  inches  in  height. 

Not  less  effective  and  quite  as  interesting  as  the  above  though 
of  smaller  dimensions  are  the  North  American  Asplenium  ebenum, 
Phegopteris  alpestris,  Pellaea  atropurpurea,  Woodsia  alpina  and  W. 
glabella,  varying  in  height  from  6  inches  to  12  inches.  There  are  also 
some  remarkably  handsome  strong-growing  sorts,  native  of  Japan,  the 
most  decorative  as  also  the  most  distinct  among  these  being  Lastrea 
Standishi,  with  fronds  24  inches  to  30  inches  long,  and  of  a  lovely 
and  cheerful  green  colour  ;  Lastrea  erythrosora,  with  fronds  18  inches 
to  24  inches  long,  of  a  beautiful  bronzy  red  colour  when  young,  and 
of  a  deep  dark  green  hue  when  mature.  Lastrea  opaca  is  another 
handsome  Japanese  form,  broad  and  massive,  of  a  fine  metallic  colour 
when  young,  and  of  a  deep  velvety  green  when  mature.  In  Lastrea 
Sieboldi  we  have  a  totally  distinct  plant,  having  the  general  aspect  of 
a  somewhat  dwarf  Polypodium  aureum  and  of  the  same  bluish  colour. 
This  and  Dictyogramma  japonica,  which  have  somewhat  bold  and 
broad  fronds,  are  also  quite  hardy,  and  so  are  the  Japanese  Lastrea 
prolifica,  a  species  with  finely-cut  fronds,  bearing  numerous  small 
plants ;  the  handsome  Polystichum  setosum,  with  beautiful  dark 
green,  shining  foliage ;  Polystichum  tsus-simense,  Lastrea  corusca 
and  L.  aristata.  Lomaria  chilensis  is  a  large-growing  Fern  with 
fronds  24  inches  to  30  inches  long  and  of  a  particularly  deep  green 
colour.  Niphobolus  Lingua  is  a  very  distinct  Fern  with  entire  fronds 
of  a  very  leathery  nature,  dark  green  above  and  silvery  beneath, 
having  somewhat  the  general  appearance  of  our  common  Hart's- 


i88  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

tongue,  but  in  this  case  the  fronds,  instead  of  starting  from  a  single 
crown,  are  produced  along  a  slender  rhizome  of  a  wiry  nature. 
Perhaps  one  of  the  prettiest  of  the  hardy  evergreen  Ferns  is  the 
violet-scented  Lastrea  fragrans. 

It  is  a  mistake  to  consider  all  Ferns  as   plants  requiring  shade 

and    moisture.      There  are,  on  the  contrary,   Ferns   which   like  full 

sunshine    and    bright     light.      Without    counting 

Rock  and  Cystopteris  alpina  and  fragilis,  which  grow  in  our 

sun-loving  Ferns,  walls  as  well  in  sun  as  in  shade,  there  is  one 
class  of  Ferns  which  actually  requires  sunshine. 
Cheilanthes  from  the  Old  World,  as  well  as  those  from  the  New, 
only  do  well  in  a  sunny  aspect.  I  could  not  succeed  at  Geneva  in 
cultivating  Cheilanthes  odora,  lanuginosa  and  vestita.  In  spite  of 
every  care  given  to  them,  they  suffered  from  general  weakness, 
ending  in  decay.  At  last  I  one  day  saw  Woodsia  hyperborea,  that 
delicate  and  fragile  plant,  in  full  sun  along  an  alpine  road  in 
Italy,  and  on  returning  I  planted  all  my  Cheilanthes  in  sunshine 
on  a  south  wall.  The  result  was  good,  and  I  recommend  the  plan 
to  Fern  growers.  But  it  was  necessary  also  to  change  the  soil 
in  which  these  plants  were  cultivated,  and  I  set  them  in  soft  porous 
mould  composed  of  Sphagnum  Moss,  peat  and  sand ;  good  drainage 
and  frequent  watering  ensured  an  immediate  and  excellent  result. 
That  which  proved  satisfactory  for  Cheilanthes  I  then  tried  for 
Woodsia  hyperborea  and  ilvensis  (the  treatment  did  not  do  for  W. 
obtusa)  ;  then  for  Scolopendrium  Hemionitis,  that  pretty  and  curious 
Fern  from  the  south  so  rarely  met  with  in  gardens,  where  it  is  con- 
sidered difficult  to  grow.  Then  I  gave  the  same  treatment  to 
Nothochlena  Marantae;  and  this  lovely  Fern,  which  formerly  did 
not  do  with  me,  turned  out  marvellously  well.  It  is,  then,  cer- 
tain that  many  species  of  Ferns  require  sun  and  plenty  of  air.— 
H.  CORREVON,  in  Gardeners'  Chronicle. 

The  flower  garden  should    be  in  the  sun,  but  there  may  be  a 

chance  now  and  then  of  growing  Ferns  in  shady  corners.     In  my 

garden  I   took    advantage   of  the  cool   side  of  a 

Ferns  in  ths       summer-house  to  plant  the  Feather  Ferns,  which 

flower  garden,  have  done  very  well  there,  and  with  other  things 
are  a  graceful  foil  to  the  bright  flowers.  In  the 
same  place  the  Maiden-hair  Fern  of  the  American  woods  thrives 
and  is  most  welcome.  On  the  cool  side  of  a  wall  I  put  some 
graceful  native  Ferns  of  recent  years,  and  they  are  as  pretty  as  any 
Fern  in  the  tropics,  thriving  not  perhaps  as  well  as  in  a  deep  gully ; 
but  we  are  glad  to  have  them.  Some  of  the  little  Ferns  of  the  district 
came  of  themselves  on  the  cool  side  of  a  wall.  Polypody  grows 
there  very  well  and  the  Maiden-hair  Spleenwort  also. 


THE  HARDY  FERN   GARDEN. 


189 


The  following  exotic  Ferns  may  be  grown  in  the  open  air  if  the 
more  tender  are  covered  with  old  fronds  or  soft  hay  over  the  crowns 
in  winter.  These  would  be  better  in  sheltered  nooks  in  the  rock 
garden  in  good  peaty  earth.  Those  kinds  marked  with  an  asterisk 
should  receive  protection  in  this  form. 

Exotic  hardy  Ferns. 


Adiantum  pedatum 
Allosorous     acrosti- 
choides 
Aspidium  cristatum 

*Cyrtomium  caryoti- 
deum  (E.  Indies) 
*falcatum  (Japan) 
*Fortunei  (Japan) 

Lastrea  —  continued. 
prolifica  (Jamaica) 
Sieboldi  (Japan) 
*varia  (China) 

Phegopteris  alpestris 
Dryopteris 
hexagonoptera 
polypodioides 

Struthiopteris  ger- 
manica  (Europe) 
*orientalis  (Japan) 
pennsylvanica 

Clintonianum 

Dennstaedtia  puncti- 

Lomaria  alpina  (  N  . 

Polystichum  acros- 

p.  recurva 

fragrans 

lobula 

Zealand) 

tichoides 

Woodsia 

nevadense 

Hypolepsis     mille- 

chilensis  (Chili) 

a.  grandiceps 

glabella 

novaboracense 

folium  (N.Zea- 

crenulata (Chili) 

a.  incisum 

obtusa 

rigidum  argutum 

land)  g 

Onoclea  sensibilis 

Brauni 

oregana 

spinulosum 
thelypteroides 

anthriscifolia  (S. 
Africa) 

Osmunda    cinna- 
momea 

concavum  (Japan) 
munitum  (Califor- 

scopulina 
Woodwardia  angusti- 

Asplenium  angusti- 

Lastrea 

Osmunda  Claytoni- 

nia) 

folia 

folium 

*atrata  (India) 

ana 

m.  imbricans 

*japonica  (Japan) 

ebenum 
*fontanum  (Europe) 
thelypteroides 

*decurrens  (Japan) 
fragrans 
Goldiana 

gracilis 
japonica 
*Pellaea     atro- 

polyblepharum(Ja- 
pan) 
*proliferum  (Austra- 

orientalis  (Japan) 
rad  icans(S.  Europe) 
r.  americana 

Michauxi 

intermedia 

purpurea 

Ha) 

virginica 

Botrychium  virgini- 

marginalis 

*gracilis 

*setosum(  Japan) 

cum 

*opaca  (China) 

CHAPTER   XXII. 

COLOUR   IN   THE   FLOWER  GARDEN. 

ONE  of  the  first  things  which  all  who  care  for  gardens  should 
learn,  is  the  difference  between  true  and  delicate  and  ugly  colour — 
between  the  showy  dyes  and  much  glaring  colour  seen  in  gardens 
and  the  beauties  and  harmonies  of  natural  colour.  There  are,  apart 
from  beautiful  flowers,  many  lessons  and  no  fees : — Oak  woods  in 
winter,  even  the  roads  and  paths  and  rocks  and  hedgerows  ;  leaves  in 
many  hues  of  life  and  death,  the  stems  of  trees :  many  birds  are 
lovely  studies  in  harmony  and  delicate  gradation  of  colour ;  the 
clouds  (eternal  mine  of  divinest  colour)  in  many  aspects  of  light,  and 
the  varied  and  infinite  beauty  of  colour  of  the  air  itself  as  it  comes 
between  us  and  the  distant  view. 

.  Nature  is  a  good  colourist,  and  if  we  trust  to  her  guidance  we 
never  find  wrong  colour  in  wood,  meadow,  or  on  mountain.  "  Laws  " 
have  been  laid  down  by  chemists  and  decorators  about  colours  which 
artists  laugh  at,  and  to  consider  them  is  a  waste  of  time.  If  we 
have  to  make  coloured  cottons,  or  to  "  garden  "  in  coloured  gravels, 
then  it  is  well  to  think  what  ugly  things  will  shock  us  least;  but 
dealing  with  living  plants  in  their  infinitely  varied  hues,  and  with 
their  beautiful  flowers,  is  a  different  thing !  If  we  grow  well  plants 
of  good  colour,  all  will  be  right  in  the  end,  but  often  raisers 
of  flowers  work  against  us  by  the  raising  of  flowers  of  bad 
colour.  The  complicated  pattern  beds  so  often  seen  in  flower  gardens 
should  be  given  up  in  favour  of  simpler  beds,  of  the  shapes  best 
suiting  the  ground,  and  among  various  reasons  for  this  is  to  get  true 
colour.  When  we  have  little  pincushion-beds  where  the  whole 
11  pattern  "  is  seen  at  once  through  the  use  of  dwarf  plants,  the  desire 
comes  to  bring  in  colour  in  patterns  and  in  ugly  ways.  For  this 
purpose  the  wretched  Alternanthera  and  other  pinched  plant  rubbish 
are  grown — plants  not  worth  growing  at  all. 

When  dwarf  flowers  are  associated  with  bushes  like  Roses,  and 
with  plants  like  Carnations  and  tall  Irises,  having  pointed  and  grace- 
ful foliage,  the  colours  are  relieved  against  the  delicate  foliage  of 
the  plants  and  by  having  the  beds  large  enough  we  relieve  the 
dwarfer  flowers  with  taller  plants  behind.  In  a  shrubbery,  too, 
groups  of  flowers  are  nearly  always  right,  and  we  can  follow  our  desire 

190 


COLOUR   IN   THE   FLOWER   GARDEN.  191 

in  flowers  without  much  thought  of  arranging  for  colour.  But  as  the 
roots  of  the  shrubs  rob  the  flowers,  the  best  way  is  to  put  near 
and  around  shrubberies  free-running  plants  that  do  not  want  much 
cultivation,  like  Solomon's  Seal  and  Woodruff,  and  other  plants  that 
grow  naturally  in  woods  and  copses,  while  with  flowers  like  Pansies, 
Carnations,  Roses,  that  depend  for  their  beauty  on  good  soil,  the  best 
way  is  to  keep  them  in  the  open  garden,  away  from  hungry  tree-roots. 

We  relieve  the  flowers  and  enjoy  their  beauty  of  colour  and  the 

forms  of  the  plants  when  we  do  without    "  pattern  "    of  any  kind. 

Instead   of  "dotting"   the  plants,  it  is   better   to 

Large  simple  beds,   group  them  naturally,  letting  the  groups  run  into 

each  other,  and  varying  them  here  and  there  with 

taller  plants.     A  flower  garden  of  any  size  could  be  planted  in  this 

way,  without  the  geometry  of  the  ordinary  flower  garden,  and  the 

poor  effect  of  the  "  botanical  "  "  dotty  "  mixed  border.     The  following 

notes  on  colour,  by  a  flower  gardener  who  has  given  much  thought 

to  the  subject,  will  be  useful : — 

One  of  the  most  important  points  in  the  arrangement  of  a 
garden  is  placing  of  the  flowers  with  regard  to  their  colour-effect. 
Too  often  a  garden  is  an  assemblage  of  plants  placed  together  hap- 
hazard, or  if  any  intention  be  perceptible,  as  is  commonly  the  case  in 
the  bedding  system,  it  is  to  obtain  as  great  a  number  as  possible  of 
the  most  violent  contrasts  ;  and  the  result  is  a  hard,  garish  vulgarity. 
Then,  in  mixed  borders,  one  usually  sees  lines  or  evenly  distributed 
spots  of  colour,  wearying  and  annoying  to  the  eye,  and  proving  how 
poor  an  effect  can  be  got  by  the  misuse  of  the  best  materials.  Should 
it  not  be  remembered  that  in  setting  a  garden  we  are  painting  a 
picture, — a  picture  of  hundreds  of  feet  or  yards  instead  of  so  many 
inches,  painted  with  living  flowers  and  seen  by  open  daylight — so  that 
to  paint  it  rightly  is  a  debt  we  owe  to  the  beauty  of  the  flowers  and 
to  the  light  of  the  sun ;  that  the  colours  should  be  placed  with 
careful  forethought  and  deliberation,  as  a  painter  employs  them  on 
his  picture,  and  not  dropped  down  in  lifeless  dabs. 

Splendid   harmonies   of  rich   and    brilliant    colour,   and    proper 

sequences  of  such    harmonies,  should  be  the  rule ;  there  should  be 

large  effects,  each  well  studied  and  well  placed, 

Harmony  rather    varying    in    different    portions     of     the     garden 

than  contrast,  scheme.  One  very  common  fault  is  a  want  of 
simplicity  of  intention  ;  another,  an  absence  of 
any  definite  plan  of  colouring.  Many  people  have  not  given  any 
attention  to  colour-harmony,  or  have  not  by  nature  the  gift  of 
perceiving  it.  Let  them  learn  it  by  observing  some  natural  examples 
of  happily  related  colouring,  taking  separate  families  of  plants  whose 
members  are  variously  coloured.  Some  of  the  best  to  study  would 


192  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

be  American  Azaleas,  Wallflowers,  German  and  Spanish  Iris,  Alpine 
Auriculas,  Polyanthus,  and  Alstrcemerias. 

It  is  important  to  notice  that  the  mass  of  each  colour  should  be 

large  enough  to  have  a  certain  dignity,  but  never  so  large  as  to  be 

wearisome ;  a  certain  breadth  in  the  masses  is  also 

Breadth  of  mass    wanted  to  counteract  the  effect  of  foreshortening 

and  when  the  border  is  seen  from  end  to  end.     When  a 

intergrouping.  definite  plan  of  colouring  is  decided  on,  it  will 
save  trouble  if  the  plants  whose  flowers  are  ap- 
proximately the  same  in  colour  are  grouped  together  to  follow 
each  other  in  season  of  blooming.  Thus,  in  a  part  of  the  border 
assigned  to  red,  Oriental  Poppies  might  be  planted  among  or  next 
to  Tritomas,  with  scarlet  Gladioli  between  both,  so  that  there 
should  be  a  succession  of  scarlet  flowers,  the  places  occupied  by  the 
Gladioli  being  filled  previously  with  red  Wallflowers. 

Warm  colours  are  not  difficult  to  place :  scarlet,  crimson, 
pink,  orange,  yellow,  and  warm  white  are  easily  arranged  so  as  to 
pass  agreeably  from  one  to  the  other.  Purple  and  lilac  group  well 
together,  but  are  best  kept  well  away  from  red  and  pink  ;  they  do 
well  with  the  colder  whites,  and  are  seen  at  their  best  when  sur- 
rounded and  carpeted  with  grey-white  foliage,  like  Cerastium  tomen- 
tosum  and  Cineraria  maritima ;  but  if  it  be  desired  to  pass  from 
a  group  of  warm  colour  to  purple  and  lilac,  a  good  breadth  of  pale 
yellow  or  warm  white  may  be  interposed. 

Care  must  be  taken  in  placing  very  cold  white  flowers,  such  as 
Iberis  correaefolia,  which  are  best  used  as  quite  a  high  light,  led  up 
to  by  whites  of  a  softer  character.  Frequent  repetitions  of  white 
patches  catch  the  eye  unpleasantly ;  it  will  generally  be  found  that 
one  mass  or  group  of  white  will  be  enough  in  any  piece  of  border 
or  garden  arrangement  that  can  be  seen  from  any  one  point  of  view. 

Blue  requires  rather  special  treatment,  and  is  best  approached 
by  delicate  contrasts  of  warm  whites  and  pale  yellows,  such  as  the 
colours  of  double  Meadow  Sweet,  and  QEnothera  Lamarckiana,  but 
rather  avoiding  the  direct  opposition  of  strong  blue  and  full  yellow. 
Blue  flowers  are  also  very  beautiful  when  completely  isolated  and  seen 
alone  among  rich  dark  foliage. 

In  a  mixed  border  they  might  begin  with  strong  blues,  light  and 

dark,  grouped  with  white  and  pale  yellow,  passing  on  to  pink  ;    then 

to  rose  colour,  crimson,  and  the  strongest  scarlet, 

A  progression      leading   to   orange   and    bright  yellow.     A   paler 

of  colour.         yellow  followed  by  white  would  distantly  connect 

the  warm  colours  with  the  lilacs  and  purples,  and  a 

colder   white   would    combine   them    pleasantly   with    low-growing 

plants  with  cool-coloured  leaves. 


COLOUR   IN    THE   FLOWER    GARDEN.  193 

Silvery-leaved    plants    are  valuable   as  edgings   and    carpets    to 

purple  flowers,  and  bear  the  same  kind  of  relation  to  them  as  the 

warm-coloured  foliage  of  some  plants  does  to  their 

Silvery-leaved      strong  red  flowers,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Cardinal 

plants.  Flower  and  double  crimson  Sweet-William.     The 

bright  clear  blue  of  Forget-me-not  goes  best  with 

fresh  pale  green,  and  pink  flowers  are  beautiful  with  pale  foliage  striped 

with  creamy  white,  such  as  the  variegated  forms  of  Jacob's-ladder  or 

Iris  pseudacorus.     A  useful  carpeting  plant,  Acaena  pulchella,  assumes 

in  spring  a  rich  bronze  between  brown  and  green  which  is  valuable 

with  Wallflowers    of  the    brown    and  orange  colours.       These    few 

examples,  out  of  many  that  will  come  under  the  notice  of  any  careful 

observer,  are  enough  to  indicate  what  should  be  looked  for  in  the  way 

of  accompanying  foliage — such  foliage,  if  well  chosen  and  well  placed, 

may  have  the  same  value  to  the  flowering  plant  that  a  worthy  and 

appropriate  setting  has  to  a  jewel. 

In  sunny  places  warm  colours  should  preponderate ;  the  yellow 
colour  of  sunlight  brings  them  together  and  adds  to  their  glowing  effect. 
A    shady   border,   on    the   other   hand,   seems    best    suited    for 
the  cooler  and  more  delicate  colours.     A  beautiful  scheme  of  cool 
colouring  might  be  arranged  for  a  retired  spot,  out 
A  shady  border,    of  sight  of  other  brightly  coloured  flowers,  such 
as  a  border  near  the  shady  side  of  any  shrubbery 
or  wood  that  would  afford  a  good  background  of  dark  foliage.     Here 
would   be  the  best   opportunity   for   using   blue,  cool    white,  palest 
yellow,    and    fresh    green.      A    few    typical    plants     are    the    great 
Larkspurs,     Monkshoods,    and     Columbines,     Anemones     (such    as 
japonica,  sylvestris,  apennina,   Hepatica,  and  the  single  and  double 
forms    of  nemorosa),   white    Lilies,   Trilliums,   Pyrolas,   Habenarias, 
Primroses,    white   and   yellow,  double    and    single,    Daffodils,  white 
Cyclamen,    Ferns,    and    mossy    Saxifrages,    Lily-of-the-Valley,    and 
Woodruff.     The  most  appropriate  background  to  such  flowers  would 
be  shrubs  and  trees,  giving  an  effect  of  rich  sombre  masses  of  dusky 
shadow  rather  than  a  positive  green  colour,  such  as  Bay  Phillyrea, 
Box,  Yew,  and  Evergreen  Oak.     Such  a  harmony  of  cool  colouring, 
in  a  quiet  shady  place,  would  present  a  delightful  piece  of  gardening. 
The    greater    effects     being    secured,    some    carefully    arranged 
contrasts  may  be  used  to  strike  the  eye  when  passing ;  for  opposite 
colours  in  close  companionship  are  not  telling  at  a 
Contrasts  in       distance,  and  are  still  less  so  if  interspersed,  their 
colour.  tendency    then    being    to    neutralise    each   other. 

Here  and  there  a  charming  effect  may  be  produced 
by  a  bold  contrast,  such  as  a  mass  of  orange  Lilies  against  Delphi- 
niums or  Gentians  against  alpine  Wallflowers ;  but  these  violent 

N 


194  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

contrasts    should     be    used    sparingly   and   as   brilliant   accessories 
rather  than  trustworthy  principals. 

There  is  often  a  question  about  the  suitability  of  variously 
coloured  creepers  on  house  or  garden  walls.  The  same  principle 
of  harmonious  colouring  is  the  best  guide.  A  warm-coloured  wall, 
one  of  Bath  stone  or  buff  bricks,  for  instance,  is  easily  dealt  with. 
On  this  all  the  red-flowered,  leaved,  or  berried  plants  look  well — 
Japan  Quince,  red  and  pink  Roses,  Virginian  Creeper,  Crataegus 
Pyracantha,  and  the  more  delicate  harmonies  of  Honeysuckle, 
Banksian  Roses,  and  Clematis  montana,  and  Flammula,  while  C. 
Jackmanni  and  other  purple  and  lilac  kinds  are  suitable  as 
occasional  contrasts.  The  large  purple  and  white  Clematises 
harmonise  perfectly  with  the  cool  grey  of  Portland  stone ;  and  so  do 
dark-leaved  climbers,  such  as  White  Jasmine,  Passion  Flower,  and 
green  Ivy.  Red  brickwork,  especially  when  new,  is  not  a  happy 
ground  colour  ;  perhaps  it  is  best  treated  with  large-leaved  climbers- 
Magnolias,  Vines,  Aristolochia — to  counteract  the  fidgety  look  of  the 
bricks  and  white  joints.  When  brickwork  is  old  and  overgrown  with 
grey  Lichens,  there  can  be  no  more  beautiful  ground  for  all  colours 
of  flowers  from  the  brightest  to  the  tenderest — none  seems  to  come 
amiss. — G.  J. 


The  Poet's  Laurel. 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

FRAGRANCE. 

A  MAN  who  makes  a  garden  should  have  a  heart  for  plants  that  have 
the  gift  of  sweetness  as  well  as  beauty  of  form  or  colour.  And  what  a 
mystery  as  well  as  charm — wild  Roses  sweet  as  the  breath  of  heaven, 
and  wild  Roses  of  repulsive  odour  all  born  of  the  earth-mother,  and  it 
may  be  springing  from  the  same  spot.  Flowers  sweet  at  night  and 
scentless  in  the  day ;  flowers  of  evil  odour  at  one  hour  and  fragrant 
at  another  ;  plants  sweet  in  breath  of  blossom,  but  deadly  in  leaf  and 
sap ;  Lilies  sweet  as  they  are  fair,  and  Lilies  that  must  not  be  let 
into  the  house;  bushes  in  which  ail  that  is  delightful  in  odour 
permeates  to  every  March-daring  bud.  The  Grant  Aliens  of  the 
day,  who  tell  us  how  the  Dandelion  sprang  from  the  Primrose  some 
millions  of  years  ago,  would  no  doubt  explain  all  these  things  to  us, 
by  what  Sir  Richard  Owen  used  to  call  "  conjectural  biology,"  but 
we  need  not  care,  for  to  us  is  given  this  precious  fragrance,  happily 
almost  without  effort,  and  as  free  as  the  clouds  from  man's  power  to 
spoil. 

Every  fertile  country  has  its  fragrant  flowers  and  trees ;  alpine 
meadows  with  Orchids  and  mountain  Violets  ;  the  Primrose-scented 
woods,  Honeysuckle-wreathed  and  May -frosted  hedgerows  of  Britain  ; 
the  Cedars  of  India  and  of  the  mountains  of  Asia  Minor,  with  Lebanon  ; 
trees  of  the  same  stately  order,  perhaps  still  more  fragrant  in  the 
warmer  Pacific  breezes  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  Oregon,  where 
the  many  great  Pines  often  spring  from  a  carpet  of  fragrant  Ever- 
greens, and  a  thousand  flowers  which  fade  away  after  their  early 

195 


1 96  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

bloom,  and  stand  withered  in  the  heat,  while  the  tall  Fines  over- 
head distil  for  ever  their  grateful  odour  in  the  sunny  air.  Myrtle, 
Rosemary,  and  Lavender,  and  all  the  aromatic  bushes  and  herbs 
clothing  the  little  capes  that  jut  into  the  great  sea  which  washes 
the  shores  of  Greece,  Italy,  Sicily,  and  Corsica ;  garden  islands 
scattered  through  vast  Pacific  seas,  as  stars  are  scattered  in  the 
heavens  ;  enormous  tropical  forests,  little  entered  by  man,  but  from 
which  he  gathers  on  the  outskirts  treasures  for  stove  and  greenhouse  ; 
great  island  gardens  like  Java  and  Ceylon  and  Borneo,  rich  in  spices 
and  lovely  plant  life ;  Australian  bush,  with  plants  strange  as  if  from 
another  world,  but  often  most  delicate  in  odour  even  in  the  distorted 
fragments  of  them  we  see  in  our  gardens. 

It  is  not  only  from  the  fragile  flower- vases  these  sweet  odours 
flow  ;  they  breathe  through  leaf  and  stem,  and  the  whole  being  of 
many  trees  and  bushes,  from  the  stately  Gum  trees  of  Australia  to 
the  Sweet  Verbena  of  Chili.  Many  must  have  felt  the  charm  of  the 
strange  scent  of  the  Box  bush  before  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes  told  us 
of  its  "  breathing  the  fragrance  of  eternity."  The  scent  of  flowers  is 
often  cloying,  as  of  the  Tuberose,  while  that  of  leaves  is  often  delicate 
and  refreshing,  as  in  the  budding  Larch,  and  in  the  leaves  of  Balm 
and  Rosemary,  while  fragrance  is  often  stored  in  the  wood,  as  in  the 
Cedar  of  Lebanon  and  many  other  trees,  and  even  down  through  the 
roots. 

It  is  given  to  few  to  see  many  of  these  sweet  plants  in  their 
native  lands,  but  we  who  love  our  gardens  may  enjoy  many  of  them 
about  us,  not  merely  in  drawings  or  descriptions,  but  the  living, 
breathing  things  themselves.  The  Geraniums  in  the  cottage  window 
bring  us  the  spicy  fragrance  of  the  South  African  hills  :  the  Lavender 
bush  of  the  sunny  hills  of  Provence,  where  it  is  at  home  ;  the  Roses 
in  the  garden  bring  near  us  the  breath  of  the  wild  Roses  on  a 
thousand  hills ;  the  sweet  or  pot  herbs  of  our  gardens  are  a  gift  of 
the  shore-lands  of  France  and  Italy  and  Greece.  The  Sweet  Bay 
bush  in  the  farmer's  or  cottage  garden  comes  with  its  story  from  the 
streams  of  Greece,  where  it  seeks  moisture  in  a  thirsty  land  along 
with  the  wild  Olive  and  the  Arbutus.  And  this  Sweet  Bay  is  the 
Laurel  of  the  poets,  of  the  first  and  greatest  of  all  poet  and  artist 
nations  of  the  earth — the  Laurel  sacred  to  Apollo,  and  used  in  many 
ways  in  his  worship,  as  we  may  see  on  coins,  and  in  many  other 
things  that  remain  to  us  of  the  great  peoples  of  the  past.  The 
Myrtle,  of  less  fame,  but  also  a  sacred  plant  beloved  for  its  leaves 
and  blossoms,  was,  like  the  Laurel,  seen  near  the  temples  of  the  race 
who  built  their  temples  as  the  Lily  is  built,  whose  song  is  deathless, 
and  the  fragments  of  whose  art  are  despair  to  the  artist  of  our  time. 
And  thus  the  fragrant  bushes  of  our  gardens  may  entwine  for  us, 


FRAGRANCE.  Ig? 


apart   from   their   gift   of  beauty,  living   associations    and    beautiful 
thoughts  for  ever  famous  in  human  story. 

It  is  not  only  odours  of  trees  and  flowers  known  to  all  we  have 
to  think  of,  but  also  many  delicate  ones,  less  known,  perhaps,  by 
reason  of  the  blossoms  that  give  them  being  without  showy  colour, 
as  the  wild  Vine,  the  Sweet  Vernal,  Lemon,  and  other  grasses.  And 
among  these  modest  flowers  there  are  none  more  delicate  in  odour 
than  the  blossoms  of  the  common  white  Willow,  the  yellow-twigged 
and  the  other  Willows  of  Britain  and  Northern  Europe,  which  are  all 
the  more  grateful  in  air  coming  to  us 

O'er  the  northern  moorland,  o'er  the  northern  foam. 

What  is  the  lesson  these  sweet  flowers  have  for  us  ?  They  tell  us 
— if  there  were  no  other  flowers  to  tell  us — that  a  garden  should  be  a 

living  thing;    its   life   not    only   fair  in   form   and 

What  fragrance     lovely  in  colour,  but   in    its    breath    and   essence 

teaches.          coming  from   the  Divine.     They  tell   us  that  the 

very  common  attempt  to  conform  their  fair  lives 
into  tile  or  other  patterns,  to  clip  or  set  them  out  as  so  much  mere 
colour  of  the  paper-stainer  or  carpet-maker,  is  to  degrade  them  and 
make  our  gardens  ugly  and  ridiculous,  from  the  point  of  view  of 
Nature  and  of  true  art.  Yet  many  of  these  treasures  for  the  open 
garden  have  been  shut  out  of  our  thoughts  owing  to  the  exclusion 
of  almost  everything  that  did  not  make  showy  colour  and  lend  itself 
to  crude  ways  of  setting  out  flowers. 

Of  the  many  things  that  should  be  thought  of  in  the  making  of  a 
garden  to  live  in,  this  of  fragrance  is  one  of  the  first.  And,  happily, 
among  every  class  of  flowers  which  may  adorn  our  open-air  gardens 
there  are  fragrant  things  to  be  found.  Apart  from  the  groups  of 
plants  in  which  all,  or  nearly  all,  are  fragrant,  as  in  Roses,  the  annual 
and  biennial  flowers  of  our  gardens  are  rich  in  fragrance — Stocks, 
Mignonette,  Sweet  Peas,  Sweet  Sultan,  Wallflowers,  double  Rockets, 
Sweet  Scabious,  and  many  others.  These,  among  the  most  easily 
raised  of  plants,  may  be  enjoyed  by  the  poorest  cottage  gardeners. 
The  garden  borders  of  hardy  flowers  bear  for  us  odours  as  precious 
as  any  breath  of  tropical  Orchid,  from  the  Lily-of  the- Valley  to  the 
Carnation,  this  last  yielding,  perhaps,  the  mobt  grateful  fragrance  of 
all  the  flowering  host  in  our  garden  land.  In  these  borders  are 
things  sweeter  than  words  may  tell  of — Woodruff,  Balm,  Pinks, 
Violets,  garden  Primroses,  Polyanthuses,  Day  and  other  Lilies, 
early  Iris,  Narcissus,  Evening  Primroses,  Mezereon,  and  Pansies 
delicate  in  their  sweetness. 

No  one  may  be  richer  in  fragrance  than  the  wise  man  who  plants 
hardy  shrubs    and   flowering  trees — Magnolia,  May,  Daphne,  Lilac, 


198 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


Wild  Rose,  Azalea,  Honeysuckle — names  each  telling  of  whole 
families  of  fragrant  things.  From  the  same  regions  whence  come  the 
Laurel  and  the  Myrtle  we  have  the  Laurustinus,  beautiful  in  our  sea- 
coast  and  warmer  districts,  and  many  other  lovely  bushes  happy  in 
our  climate ;  one,  the  Winter  Sweet,  pouring  out  delicious  fragrance 
in  mid-winter  ;  Sweet  Gale,  Allspice,  and  the  delightful  little  May- 
flower that  creeps  about  in  the  woodland  shade  in  North  America. 
So,  though  we  cannot  boast  of  Lemon  or  Orange  groves,  our  climate 
is  kind  to  many  lovely  and  fragrant  shrubs. 

Even  our  ugly  walls  may  be  sweet  gardens  with  Magnolia, 
Honeysuckle  Clematis,  Sweet  Verbena,  and  the  delightful  old 
Jasmine,  still  c-lothing  many  a  house  in  London.  Most  precious  of 
all,  however,  are  the  noble  climbing  Tea  Roses  raised  in  our  own  time. 
Among  the  abortions  of  this  century  these  are  a  real  gain — the 
loveliest  flowers  ever  raised  by  man.  Noble  in  form  and  colour,  and 
scented  as  delicately  as  a  June  morn  in  alpine  pastures,  with  these 
most  precious  of  garden  Roses  we  could  cover  all  the  ugly  walls  in 
England  and  Ireland,  and  Heaven  knows  many  of  them  are  in  want 
of  a  veil. 

Some  Fragrant  Plants  for  British  Gardens. 


Abelia 

Crinum 

Lupins 

Pondflower 

Sweet  Scabious 

Abronia 

Cyclamen 

Magnolias 

Plaintain  Lily 

Sweet  Sultan 

Allspice 

Datura 

Marvel  of  Peru 

Primroses 

Sweet  Verbena 

Almond 

Day  Lily 

May-flower 

Rhododendrons 

Sweet-William 

Alyssum 

Deutzia 

Meadow  Sweet 

Rock  Rose 

Thyme 

Apples 

Evening  Primrose 

Mexican         Orange 

Rockets 

Tuberose 

Auricula 

Forsythia 

Flower 

Rose 

Tulip  Tree 

Azalea 

Grape  Hyacinth 

Mezereon 

Rosemary 

Tulips 

Balm 

Hawthorns 

Mignonette 

Scilla 

Twinflower 

BalmofGilead 

Heartsease 

Mock  Orange 

Stocks 

Vine 

Bee  Balm 

Heliotrope 

Musk 

St.  Bruno's  Lily 

Violets 

Belladonna  Lily 
Blue  Bells 

-^Honeysuckles 
Horse  Chestnut 

Myrtle 
Narcissus 

Snowflake 
Southernwood 

Wallflowers 
Water-Lilies 

Brugmansia 
Burning  Bush 

Hyacinths 
Iris 

Night-scented  Stocks 
Pasony  (some) 

Styrax 
Sweet  Bay 

Willows 
Winter  Green 

Carnation 

Jasmine 

Pancratium 

Sweet  Cicely 

Winter  Heliotrope 

Clematis 

Lavender 

Pansy 

Sweet  Fern  Bush 

Winter-  Sweet 

Clethra 

Lilac 

Pelargonium 

Sweet    Flag 

Wistaria 

Columbine 

Lily 

Phlox 

Sweet  Gale 

Woodruff 

Cowslips 

I.ily-of-the-Valley 

Polyanthus 

Sweet  Pea 

Yarrow 

CHAPTER   XXIV. 

SIMPLER  FLOWER  GARDEN  PLANS  AND  THE  RELATION  OF 
THE  FLOWER  GARDEN  TO  THE  HOUSE. 

A  GREAT  waste  is  owing  to  frivolous  and  thoughtless  "  design " 
as  to  plan  and  shapes  of  the  beds  in  the  flower  garden.  What  a 
vision  opens  out  to  any  one  who  considers  the  design  of  the  flower 
garden  when  he  thinks  of  the  curiosities  and  vexations  in  the  forms 
of  beds  in  almost  every  land  where  a  flower  garden  exists  !  The 
gardener  is  the  heir — to  his  great  misfortune — of  much  useless 
complexity  and  frivolous  design,  born  of  applying  conventional  de- 
signs to  the  ground.  These  designs  come  to  us  from  a  remote  epoch, 
and  the  designing  of  gardens  being  from  very  early  times  in  the  hands 
of  the  decorative  "artist,"  the  garden  was  subjected  to  their  will,  and 
in  our  own  days  we  even  see  gardens  laid  without  the  slightest 
relation  to  garden  use,  difficult  to  plant,  and  costly  to  form  and  to 
keep  in  order.  At  South  Kensington  the  elaborate  tracery  of  sand 
and  gravel  was  attractive  to  some  when  first  set  out,  but  it  soon 
turned  to  dust  and  ashes.  It  was,  indeed,  to  a  great  extent  formed 
of  broken  brickdust,  in  a  vain  attempt  to  get  rid  of  the  gardener 
and  his  flowers.  The  colours  were  supplied  from  the  building 
sheds,  where  boys  were  seen  pounding  up  bricks  and  slates,  and 
beds  were  made  of  silver  sand,  so  that  no  gardener  could  dis- 
figure them.  The  Box  edgings  of  beds  a  foot  wide  or  smaller  soon 
got  out  of  order,  and  after  a  few  years  the  whole  thing  was  painful  to 
see,  while  good  gardeners  were  wasting  precious  time  trying  to  plant 
paltry  beds  in  almost  every  frivolous  device  known  to  the  art  of 
conventional  design. 

Even   where  such  extravagances  were  never  attempted   we  see 

the  evil  of  the  same  order  of  ideas,  and  in  many  gardens  the  idea  of 

adapting  the  beds  to  the  ground  never  occurs  to 

Book  plans.  the  designer,  but  a  design  has  been  taken  out  of 
some  old  book.  If  the  ground  does  not  suit 
the  plan,  so  much  the  worse  for  the  ground  and  all  who  have  to 
work  on  it.  From  the  results  of  this  style  of  forming  beds  the 
cottage  gardens  escaped,  the  space  being  small  and  the  cottage 
gardener  content  with  the  paths  about  his  door.  To  some  people 

199 


200  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

this  objection  on  my  part  to  intricate  design  is  mistaken  for  an 
objection  to  formality  altogether.  Now  there  are  bold  spirits  who 
do  not  mind  setting  their  houses  among  rocks  and  heather,  but  we 
must  cultivate  a  flower  garden,  and  simplicity  as  to  the  form  of  the  beds 
should  be  the  rule  in  it.  There  are  many  ways  of  growing  flowers 
and  all  sorts  of  situations  fit  for  them,  but  the  flower  garden  itself 
near  the  house  must  be  laid  out  with  formal  beds,  or  else  we  cannot 
cultivate  the  flowers  or  get  about  the  ground  with  ease.  It  is  a 
question  of  right  and  wrong  formality.  The  beds  in  my  own  garden 
are,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  plans  here  given,  as  formal  as  any,  but 
simpler,  and  are  made  on  the  ground  and  to  suit  the  ground.  Our 
object  should  be  to  see  the  flowers  and  not  the  beds,  so  that  while 
we  have  all  the  advantage  of  mass  and  depth  of  soil,  and  all  the 
good  a  bed  can  give  for  convenience  of  working  or  excellence  of 
growth,  we  should  take  little  pride  in  its  form,  and  plant  it  so  that 
we  may  see  the  picturesque  effects  of  the  plants  and  flowers,  and 
forget  the  form  of  the  bed  in  the  picture. 

The  relation  of  the  beds  to  each  other  is  often  much  too  complex 
and  there  is  little  freedom.  Designs  that  were  well  enough  for 
furniture  or  walls  or  panels  when  applied  to  the  garden  gave  us  a 
new  set  of  difficulties.  Carried  out  in  panel  or  in  the  carpet  they 
answer  their  purpose,  if  we  like  them  ;  but  a  flower-bed  is  a  thing 
for  much  work  in  cultivating,  arranging  and  keeping  it,  and  it  is 
best  to  see  that  we  are  not  hindered  by  needless  complexities  in 
dealing  with  the  beds.  In  good  plans  there  is  no  difficulty  of  access, 
no  small  points  to  be  cut  in  grass  or  other  material,  no  vexatious 
obstruction  to  work,  but  beds  as  airy  and  simple  as  possible  and 
giving  us  much  more  room  for  flowers  than  beds  of  the  ordinary 
type.  The  plans  given  are  those  of  wholly  different  kinds  of 
gardens. 

The  plan  of  the  gardener's  house  of  Uffington,  near  Stamford, 

is  an  example  of  the  older-fashioned  garden  not  uncommon  before 

nearly  all  old   gardens  were  altered   for  the  sake 

Garden  of  the  Perilla  and  its  few  companions.     At  one  end 

at  Uffington.  of  the  little  garden  is  the  gardener's  house,  and 
high  walls  surround  the  rest  of  the  garden,  so  that 
there  is  shelter  and  every  comfort  for  the  plants.  The  garden  is 
simply  laid  out  to  suit  the  ground,  the  plants — Roses  and  hardy 
flowers  in  great  variety,  a  plan  which  admits  of  delightful  effect 
in  such  walled  gardens.  Picturesque  masses  of  Wistaria  covered 
one  side  of  the  wall  and  part  of  the  house — the  whole  was  a  picture 
in  the  best  sense ;  and  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  in  garden 
enclosures  anything  more  delightful  during  more  than  half  the  year. 

The  main  drawback  in  gardens  of  this  sort  in  the  old  days  was 


SIMPLER   FLOWER   GARDEN  PLANS. 


201 


the  absence  of  grouping  or  any  attempt  to  hold  "  things  together,," 
—a  fault  which  is  easily  got  over.  It  is  easy  to  avoid  scattering 
things  one  likes  all  over  the  beds  at  equal  distances,  and,  without 
"  squaring "  them  in  any  stupid  way,  to  keep  them  rather  more 


32  feet 


i1!1  f 

II    r6 
I      I 


pirea  Filipendula       j 


Old  White  Pinki 


Carnation! 
STANDARD     UOSKS 


Sedums  &  SemperviTums 
Perennial         Aconitum  Pseony 

Asters  Autumnale  in  ™  D«*  ™* 


Pyrethrum   Cliginosum 


$ 
Z     7 


If 


ll 


If 


Sheltered  little  garden  in  front  of  gardener's  house  at  Uffington,  Stamford,  with  simple  beds  of  Roses 
and  hardy  flowers.     The  space  enclosed  in  walls. 


together  in  natural  groups,  in  which  they  are  more  effective,  and 
in  winter  it  is  much  easier  to  remember  where  they  are.  In  this 
way,  too,  it  is  easy  to  give  a  somewhat  distinct  look  to  each  part 
of  the  garden.  Box  edgings  may  be  used  in  such  a  garden,  and 
where  they  thrive  and  are  well  kept  they  are  very  pretty  in  effect, 


202  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

but  always  distinctly  inferior  to  a  stone  edging  because  more 
troublesome,  and  also  because  dwarf  plants  cannot  grow  over  them 
here  and  there  as  they  can  over  a  rough  edging  of  natural  stone,  the 
best  of  all  edgings. 

This   garden   shows   two   essential  things  in  the  art   of  garden 
design :  First,  that  it  is  by  studying  the  ground  itself,  rather  than 
bringing  in  any  conventional  plans,  that  we  arrive 
Hawley.  at  the  best   results.     Gardening  is  so  pleasant  in 

many  ways  that  almost  any  plan  may  pass  for 
pretty  and  yet  be  far  from  being  the  most  artistic  result  that  could 
be  got  among  a  given  set  of  conditions  or  difficulties  it  may  be  of 
ground.  If  in  such  a  case  we  adopt  such  plans  as  are  sent  out  from 
offices  both  in  France  and  England,  it  is  possible  that  (with  con- 
siderable cost)  we  may  adapt  them  to  the  situation,  but  assuredly 
that  way  cannot  give  us  the  most  artistic  result. 

The  second  point  is,  that  where  the  vegetation  of  a  place  has 
distinct  characters  of  its  own,  these  should  be  made  the  most  of.  If 
this  were  the  case  generally  we  should  see  much 
Pines  in  groups  less  of  the  stereotyped  in  garden  design.  This 
and  masses.  garden  is  in  the  charming  Pine  district  of  Hamp- 
shire ;  this  was  taken  advantage  of,  and  the  Pine 
look  of  the  place  preserved  in  all  ways,  and  even  heightened  where 
it  could  be  done  with  good  effect.  These  Pine  groups  and  masses 
were  naturally  more  of  the  framework  of  the  garden — the  woods  and 
trees  surrounding  it.  The  next  thing  was  to  take  advantage  of  the 
natural  vegetation  of  the  ground  apart  from  the  trees,  e.g.,  the  heathy 
vegetation  of  the  country,  and  instead  of  destroying  it  for  turf  or 
any  of  the  usual  features  of  a  garden,  preserving  all  its  prettiest 
effects,  its  groups  of  Heath,  wild  Fern,  and  some  Birch  and  Broom. 
Enough  mown  grass  being  left  to  walk  upon  outside  the  garden,  it 
was  thought  the  prettiest  thing,  instead  of  a  shaven  lawn,  would  be 
to  leave  the  wild  Heaths  and  bushes  and  grass  of  the  country,  here 
and  there  scattering  a  few  bulbs  on  the  grass,  but  generally  leaving 
things  as  nature  had  left  them.  The  walks,  instead  of  following 
the  French  sections  of  eggs  pattern  or  the  conventional  serpentine 
walks  of  some  landscape  work,  were  made  in  the  line  of  easiest 
grade  and  where  they  were  most  wanted,  and  are  not  more  in 
number  or  area  than  were  necessary.  There  was  no  attempt  made 
to  make  the  walks  conform  to  any  preconceived  idea.  The  grass 
walk  under  the  Oaks  was  suggested  by  the  Oaks  themselves,  and 
it  is  very  pretty  in  effect.  Originally  several  terraces  had  been 
run  up  at  all  sorts  of  awkward  angles,  and  the  ground  was  con- 
sequently more  difficult  to  deal  with  than  can  well  be  imagined  ; 
these  were  thrown  into  one  simple  terrace  round  the  house, 


204  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

planned  in  due  relation  to  its  needs  and  the  taste  of  the  owner. 
The  flower  garden  was  laid  out  in  simple  beds  as  shown  on 
the  plan,  and  below  these  the  necessary  grass  walks  lead  out 
towards  the  open  country.  Once  free  of  the  flower  garden  and 
the  walks  leading  to  it  the  ground  took  its  natural  disposition 
again.  The  kitchen  garden  had  been  in  its  present  place  originally  ; 
its  position  could  not  be  changed,  and  was  therefore  accepted  and 
walled  round  with  Oak.  The  whole  garden  is  quite  distinct  from 
any  other,  which  in  itself  is  a  great  point.  This  garden  was,  as  I 
think  all  gardens  ought  to  be,  marked  out  on  the  ground  itself 
without  the  intervention  of  any  plan.  A  plan  is  always  a  feeble 
substitute  for  the  ground,  and  even  if  made  with  the  greatest  care 
and  cost,  has  still  to  be  adapted  to  the  ground.  The  plan  shown  in 
the  engraving  was  made  after  my  work  was  done. 

The  new  flower  garden  at  Shrubland  Park  is  situated  exactly  in 
front  of  the  house  and  tells  its  own  story.  The  plan  shows  the 
simple  form  of  beds  adopted,  planned  to  suit  their 
Shrubland  Park,  places,  in  lieu  of  the  complex  pattern  beds  for 
carpet  bedding,  sand,  coloured  brick,  and  also  the 
change  from  such  gardening  to  true  flower  gardening.  The  names 
of  the  plants  used  are  printed  in  position,  but  the  actual  way  of 
grouping  cannot  well  be  shown  in  such  a  plan — the  plants  are  not  in 
little  dots,  but  in  easy,  bold  groups  here  and  there  running  together. 
The  flower  gardening  adopted  is  permanent,  i.e.,  there  is  no  moving 
of  things  in  the  usual  wholesale  way  in  spring  and  autumn.  The  beds 
are  planted  to  stay,  and  that  excludes  spring  gardening  of  the 
ordinary  kind.  But  many  early  spring  flowers  are  used  .in  the  garden, 
the  mainstay  of  which  is  summer  and  autumn  flowers,  the  period 
chosen  for  beauty  being  that  when  the  house  is  occupied  and  all 
beautiful  hardy  flowers  from  Roses  to  Pansies  that  flower  from  May 
to  November  are  those  preferred.  There  is  no  formality  or  repetition 
in  the  flower  planting  but  picturesque  groups,  here  and  there  running 
together,  and  sometimes  softened  by  dwarf  plants  running  below 
the  taller  ones.  The  beds  are  set  in  a  pleasant  lawn,  and  there  is 
easy  access  to  them  in  all  directions  from  the  grass.  The  area  of 
gravel  was  much  greater  in  the  old  plan  than  in  the  present  one,  in 
which  what  is  essential  only  for  free  access  to  the  garden  is  given. 

Bearing  in  mind  the  conventional  bareness  and  hardness  of  the 

common  garden  of  our  own   day,  there  is  no  improvement  greater 

than  results  from  breaking  into  this  by  permanent 

An  evergreen      planting  of  things  of  a  bushy  kind.     The  plan  of 

flower  garden,     this    garden    shows    a    choice    evergreen    garden 

instead  of  the  usual  summer  planting  and  autumnal 

death.     The  beds  are  simple  and  planted  with   choice  shrubs,  not 


SIMPLER    FLOWER    GARDEN   PLANS. 


205 


crowded,  but  leaving  room  for  different  kinds  of  hardy  flowers  so 
as  to  get  the  relief  of  flower  and  shrub,  and  the  charm  of  beds  alive 
and  filled  at  all  times.  Most  of  the  evergreens  (like  Kalmia,  Japanese 
Andromeda,  and  Rhododendrons  of  beautiful  colour)  are  choice 
flowering  ones,  so  that  we  have  bloom  in  spring  and  summer. 
Such  a  garden  in  pure  air  well  begun  might  be  almost  permanent, 
because  in  such  soils  as  these  light  peaty  Surrey  soils,  the  shrubs 


Edgings    of  Saxifrages,  Aubrietias  and    dwarf  Veronicas 


Hawley  flower  garden. 


would  thrive  for  many  years ;  and  the  same  may  be  said  of  the 
Lilies  and  choice  bulbs  between,  only  slight  changes  and  additions 
being  required  from  time  to  time.  Many  large  gardens,  which  in 
similar  soils  are  bare  even  in  early  summer,  might  thus  be  made 
charming  and  graceful  gardens  throughout  the  year,  and,  if  this 
way  is  not  so  loud  in  colour  as  other  ways  of  flower  gardening,  it 
suits  certain  positions  well.  This  way  of  planting  need  not  exclude 
some  summer  planting  of  the  usual  character,  in  fact  would  give 
zest  and  relief  to  it :  it  is  the  one  evanescent  system  carried  out 
everywhere  that  steals  the  varied  beauty  from  the  garden. 


206  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

For  an  example  of  what  is  meant  by  a  reserve  garden  we  take 
an  oblong  piece  of  ground  having  the  walls  of  the   kitchen  garden 

for  two  of  its  boundaries,  and  a  Yew  hedge  shelter- 
Reserve  garden,    ing   it   from    the   east   winds,  while  the   other   is 

screened  by  evergreen  trees,  with  which  are  inter- 
mingled hardy  plants  of  tall  growth.  The  plants  are  set  in  beds 
without  reference  to  the  general  effect,  and  the  borders,  being 
edged  with  stone  dug  on  the  place,  give  no  trouble  after  the 
stones  are  properly  set ;  when  old  and  moss-grown  the  stones  look- 
better  than  anything  else  that  could  be  used — the  dwarfer  plants 
being  allowed  to  run  over  them  and  break  the  lines.  Every  year 
the  plan  of  such  a  garden  may  be  varied  as  our  tastes  vary  and  as 
the  flowers  want  change.  A  similar  garden  ought  to  be  in  every 
place  where  there  are  borders  to  be  stocked  and  maintained  in 
good  condition,  and  particularly  where  there  is  a  demand  for  cut 
flowers. 

Such  a  garden  may  be  made  in  any  shape  which  is  convenient  for 
cultivation,  for  access,  and  for  cutting  ;  but  some  general  throwing  of 
the  ground  into  easily  worked  beds  is  desirable.  The  more  free  and 
less  hampered  with  gravel,  permanent  edgings,  and  the  like,  the 
better  it  will  be  for  future  work.  The  gardener  is  often  hindered  by 
needless  impedimenta  in  the  flower  garden,  but  in  the  reserve  garden, 
where  only  the  cultivation  of  flowers  has  to  be  thought  of,  he 
should  be  able  to  get  to  work  at  any  time  with  the  least  possible 
difficulty,  and  in  dry  and  good  soils  it  would  not  be  necessary  to 
have  much  more  than  a  beaten  walk  for  the  foot.  It  would  be 
possible  to  do  without  edgings ;  but  where  edgings  are  used  they 
should  be  of  a  kind  that  might  be  removed  at  any  time,  the  best  for 
this  being  of  natural  stone.  The  drainage  should  be  good,  and, 
if  possible,  the  place  should  be  not  too  far  to  the  manure  heap,  while 
the  soil  should  in  all  cases  be  good,  as  very  often  it  has  to  give  two 
crops  a  year  ;  in  the  case  of  bulbs  that  perish  early  it  is  easy  to  get 
after  crops  of  annuals  or  ornamental  grasses. 


CHAPTER   XXV. 

WALKS    AND    EDGINGS. 

OUR  gardens  are  often  laid  out  with  so  many  needless  walks, 
edgings,  and  impediments  of  many  kinds  that  work  cannot  be 
done  in  a  simple  way,  and  half  the  time  is  lost  in  taking  care  of 
or  avoiding  useless  or  frivolous  things.  In  many  large  places 
there  is  no  true  flower  gardening;  wretched  plants  are  stuck  out 
in  the  parterre  every  year,  a  few  stunted  things  are  scratched  in 
round  the  choke-muddle  shrubbery,  and  but  little  labour  or  love  is 
bestowed  on  the  growth  of  flowers,  or  there  are  miles  of  walks  bordered 
by  bare  stretches  of  earth,  as  cheerful  as  Woking  cemetery  in  its 
early  years.  The  gardener  is  helpless  to  turn  such  a  waste  into  a 
paradise ;  his  time  and  his  thoughts  are  often  taken  up  by  the 
keeping  in  order  of  needless  and  often  ugly  walks,  leaving  him  little 
time  for  true  flower  gardening,  that  is  forming  a  real  garden  of 
Roses,  or  groups  of  choice  shrubs,  or  beds  of  Lilies,  or  of  other 
noble  hardy  plants,  so  that  the  beds  may  fairly  nourish  their  tenants 
for  a  dozen  years.  Instead  of  the  never-ending  and  wearisome  hen- 
scratchings  of  autumn  and  spring,  we  ought  to  prepare  one  portion 
of  the  flower  garden  or  pleasure  ground  each  year,  so  that  it  will 
yield  beauty  for  many  years.  But  this  cannot  be  done  while  half 
the  gardener's  time  is  taken  up  with  barber's  work. 

Our  own  landscape  gardeners  are  a  little  more  sparing  of  these 
hideous  walks  than  the  French  ;  but  we  very  often  have  twice  too 
many  walks,  which  torment  the  poor  gardener  by  needless  and  stupid 
labour.  The  planning  of  these  walks  in  various  elaborate  ways  has 
been  supposed  to  have  some  relation  to  landscape  gardening  ;  but 
one  needless  walk  often  bars  all  good  effect  in  its  vicinity.  Flower- 
beds are  often  best  set  in  grass,  and  those  who  care  to  see  them  will 
approach  them  quite  as  readily  on  grass  as  on  hard  walks.  For  the 
three  or  four  months  of  our  winter  season  there  is  little  need  of 
frequent  resort  to  flower-beds,  and  for  much  of  the  rest  of  the  year 
the  turf  is  better  than  any  walk.  I  do  not  mean  that  there  should 
be  no  walk  to  the  flower  garden,  but  that  every  walk  not  necessary 
for  use  should  be  turfed  over.  Few  have  any  idea  how  much  they 
would  gain,  not  merely  in  labour,  but  in  the  beauty  and  repose  of 
their  gardens,  by  doing  away  with  needless  walks. 

207 


2o8  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

For  hard  work   and   general  use  the  gravel  walk  is  the  best  of 
all  for  garden  and  pleasure  grounds.      The  colour  of  walks  is  im- 
portant ;   that  of  the  yellow  gravels  being  by  far 

Gravel  walks,  the  best.  Of  this  we  have  examples  in  the 
country  around  London,  in  the  gravels  of  Croydon, 
Farnham,  and  also  those  of  Middlesex.  These  walks  are  not  only 
good  in  colour  but  also  excellent  in  texture.  It  is  a  relief  to  see 
these  brownish-yellow  walks  after  the  purple  pebble  walks  of  the 
neighbourhoods  of  Dublin  and  Edinburgh.  After  the  sound 
formation  of  these  walks  the  main  point  is  to  keep  them  to  the 
essential  needs  of  the  place,  and  when  this  is  done  their  effect  is 
usually  right.  Even  this  excellent  gravel  is  sometimes  improved 
about  London  by  the  addition  of  sea  shells,  cockle  shells  mostly 
gathered  from  the  coasts  of  Kent ;  and,  after  the  walk  is  formed  and 
hardened,  this  is  lightly  scattered  over  the  surface  and  rapidly  breaks 
down  and  gives  to  the  walk  a  clean  smooth  surface. 

In  public  gardens  and  parks  large  areas  of  gravel  are  sometimes 
necessary,  and  in  some  ways  of  "  laying  out,"  such  as  those  round 
French  chateaux,  wide  arid  areas  of  gravel  are  supposed  to  have  a 
raison  c?etre\  but  in  English  gardens  they  are  better  avoided. 
English  roads,  lanes,  and  pathways  are  often  pictures,  because 
consecrated  by  use  and  often  beautiful  in  line,  following  as  they  often 
do  lines  of  easiest  grade  or  gentle  curves  round  hills ;  but  in 
gardens  roads  and  paths  are  often  ugly  because  overdone,  and 
nothing  can  be  worse  than  hot  areas  of  gravel,  not  only  without 
any  relation  to  the  needs  of  the  place,  but  wasting  precious  ground 
that  might  be  made  grateful  to  the  eye  with  turf,  or  of  some  human 
interest  with  plants. 

A  walk  which  is  much  liked  is  the  stone  walk,  suggested  by  the 

little  stone  paths  to  cottages.       In  large  open  gardens  such  walks 

would    not    be    so    good,   but   in    small    enclosed 

Stone  walks  in     spaces    and    flower    gardens    where    we    have    to 

small  gardens,      plant   very   closely   in    beds,   stone    walks    are    a 

gain.     In  some  districts  a  pretty  rough  flat  stone 

is  found,  of  which    there   is    a   good   example   at    Sedgwick    Park. 

In    cities,    when    renewing    the    side-walks,    it    is    sometimes    easy 

to    get    old    flagstones,   which    are    excellent   for   the   purpose.       I 

use  such  old   stones  and   mostly  set  them    at   random,    or   in    any 

way  they   come  best.     The  advantages  are  that  we  get  rid  of  the 

sticky  surface  of  gravel  in  wet  weather  or  after  frost,  avoid  rolling 

and  weeding,  for  the  most  part  the  stones  are  pleasant  to  walk  on  at 

all  times,  and  we  can  work  at  the  beds  or  borders  freely  in  all  weathers 

without  fear  of  soiling  gravel.     The  colour  of  the  stones  is  good  and 

in  sunny  gardens  in  hot  summers  they  help  to   keep  the  ground 


WALKS   AND    EDGINGS.  209 

moist,  while  the  broken  and  varied  incidents  of  the  surface  get  rid  of 
the  hard  unyielding  lines  of  the  gravel  walk  and  help  the  picture. 
They  should  never  be  set  in  mortar  or  cement  of  any  kind,  but 
in  sand  or  fine  sandy  soil,  and  the  work  can  be  done  by  a  careful 
man  with  a  little  practice.  If  in  newly-formed  ground  there  is  a 
little  sinking  of  the  stone,  it  can  be  corrected  afterwards.  Small 
rock  plants,  like  Thyme,  the  Fairy  Mint,  and  little  Hairbells,  may  be 
grown  between  the  divisions  of  the  stone,  and,  indeed,  they  often 
come  of  themselves,  and  their  effect  is  very  pretty  in  a  small  garden. 
Another  point  in  favour  of  the  stone  walk  is  that  it  forms  its  own 
edging,  and  we  do  not  need  any  living  edging ;  and  if  for  any 
purpose,  in  a  wet  country  or  otherwise,  we  wish  to  somewhat  raise  the 
flower-beds,  we  can  use  the  same  kind  of  stone  for  edging  the  beds. 

Once  free  of  all  necessary   walks   about  the  house  of  gravel  or 

stone,  which  constant  work  and  use  make  essential,  it  is  often  easy 

in  country  gardens  to  soon  break  into  grass  walks 

Grass,  heath,  and   which  are  pleasantest  of  all  ways  of  getting  about 

moss  walks.  the  country  garden  or  pleasure  ground.  Not  only 
can  we  take  them  into  the  wild  garden  and  rough 
places,  but  they  lead  us  to  flowering  shrubs  and  beds  of  hardy 
plants  and  to  the  rock  garden,  or  through  the  pleasure  ground 
anywhere,  as  easily  and  more  pleasantly  than  any  regularly  set 
out  walks.  There  is  much  saving  of  labour  in  their  formation 
because,  given  sound  drained  ground,  which  is  to  be  found  around 
most  country  houses,  we  have  little  to  do  except  mark  out  and 
keep  the  walks  regularly  mown.  When  this  work  is  compared  with 
the  labour  of  carting,  the  knowledge  and  the  annual  care  which 
are  necessary  to  form  and  keep  hard  walks  in  order,  the  gain  in 
favour  of  the  grass  walk  is  enormous.  It  is  perhaps  only  in  our 
country  that  the  climate  enables  us  to  have  the  privilege  of  these 
verdant  walks,  which  are  impossible  in  warmer  lands,  owing  to  the 
great  heat  destroying  the  herbage,  and,  therefore,  in  Britain  we  should 
make  good  use  of  what  our  climate  aids  us  so  much  in  doing. 

We  have,  of  course,  to  think  of  the  fall  of  the  grass  walk  for  the 
sake  of  ease  in  mowing  and  in  walking  too,  as  very  much  of  their 
comfort  will  depend,  at  least  in  hilly  ground,  on  the  careful  way 
these  walks  are  studied  as  regards  their  gradation.  There  is  really 
not  much  difference  in  the  degree  of  moisture  in  such  walks  and 
gravel  walks,  and,  besides,  so  little  use  is  made  of  walks  of  any  kind 
in  wet  weather,  that,  taking  them  all  the  year  round,  they  serve  as 
well  as  any  other. 

Apart  from  the  grass  walks  which  can  be  formed  in  so  large  an 
area  of  Britain  we  may  have  walks  through  Heath  and  the  short 
vegetation  that  grows  in  heathy  districts,  and  these  walks  will  be  no 

O 


210  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


less  pleasant  than  the  grass  walks.  The  short  turf  of  the  Heath,  and 
often  the  mown  Heather  itself,  forms  an  excellent  springy  walk,  as 
in  parts  of  Surrey.  Such  walks  want  little  making,  only  some  care 
in  laying  down  their  lines  so  as  to  take  them  into  the  prettiest  spots 
and  letting  them  edge  themselves  with  Heather,  Ferns,  and  Whortle- 
berry. But  no  more  than  any  other  should  such  walks  be  multiplied 
beyond  what  is  necessary,  and  they  ought  to  be  broad  enough  and 
airy  enough  to  take  us  in  the  pleasantest  way  to  the  most  interesting 
parts  of  the  garden  or  pleasure  ground  or  woods.  In  woody  or  half 
shady  places  we  may  enjoy  the  mossy  walks  as  in  very  sandy  or 
light  soils  we  may  have  a  turf  almost  of  Thyme. 

Among  the  curious  mixture  of  good  and  bad,  ugliness  and  beauty 
we  see  often  in   country   seats    are   tarred   walks,  and   they   are   a 

main  factor  in  making  many  a  garden  ugly.     They 
Tarred  walks.       have  almost  every  fault  that  a  walk  could  have, 

being  hideous  in  colour,  hot  in  summer,  and  sticky, 
hard,  and  unpleasant  to  the  feet,  wearing  into  ugly  holes  and 
uneven  and  unpleasant  surfaces.  The  only  excuse  that  could  ever 
be  made  for  them  was  that  they  offered  an  escape  from  continual 
hoeing,  a  great  labour,  but  now  needless,  owing  to  the  weed-killers. 
If  walks  are  simply  made,  and  not  one  yard  more  is  made  than  is 
required  for  use,  the  labour  of  cleaning  is  immensely  reduced,  and 
one  dressing  a  year  of  an  effective  weed-killer  often  keeps  them 
right.  If  there  were  no  other  objection  than  the  colour  of  the  tarred 
walk,  it  should  be  sufficient  to  condemn  it.  Gravel  in  the  home 
counties  and  about  London  is  so  good  in  colour,  that  one  is  surprised 
that  anybody  can  tolerate  a  tarred  walk.  In  small,  close  courtyard 
gardens,  where  gravel  is  objected  to,  we  may  have  a  well-made  stone 
walk  of  good  colour. 

There  are  also  well-made  walks  to  be  had   from  concrete  and 
true  asphalt.     These  walks  have  distinct  advantages  for  courtyards 

and  small  spaces,  or  even  small  gardens  in  certain 

Concrete  and      places  ;  they  are  better  in  colour  than  the  tarred 

asphalt  walks,     walk,  and  more  enduring  if  well  made.     They  are 

clean,  but  they  have  certain  disadvantages  as  com- 
pared with  stone  walks.  They  require  a  much  more  expensive  and 
careful  setting,  and  they  are  certainly  not  more  enduring.  Also,  they 
do  not  allow  us  the  privilege  of  putting  plants  between  the  joints,  one 
of  the  great  charms  of  the  stone  walk,  which  can  be  easily  set  to 
allow  Thyme  and  dwarf-rock  plants  to  come  up  between  them  ;  and 
therefore  in  all  districts  in  which  a  warm-coloured  stone  is  procurable 
or  rough  flagstone  from  quarries,  it  is  very  much  better  to  use  it  as 
we  can  always  have  gravel  for  any  roads  that  have  to  be  traversed 
by  carriages  or  carts  ;  the  space  for  concrete,  asphalt,  or  stone  walks 


WALKS  AND   EDGINGS.  211 

is  not  considerable,  and  the  natural  material  should  be  used  wherever 
it  be  possible. 

Even  small  things  may  mar  the  effect  of  a  flower  garden,  however 

rich  in  its  plants,  and  among  the  things  that  do  so  are  cast  edgings 

of  tiles  or  iron,  often  very  ugly,  and  as  costly  as 

Edgings,  live  and    uglv>  some  of  tne  earthenware  edgings  perishing 

dead-  rapidly  in    frost.     But  if  they  never  perished,  and 

were  as  cheap  as  pebbles  by  the  shore,  they  would 

be  none  the  less  offensive  from    the   point  of  view  of  effect,   with 

their  hard  patterned  shapes,   often    bad   colour,   and   the   necessity 


Stone  edging.     From  a  photograph  by  Mr  A.  Emblin,  Worksop,  Notts. 

of  setting  them  with  precision  in  cement  or  mortar ;  whereas  the 
enduring  and  beautiful  edging  wants  none  of  these  costly  attentions. 
The  seeming  advantage  of  these  patterned  and  beaded  tile  edgings 
is  that  they  appear  permanent,  and  get  rid  of  the  labour  of  clipping 
and  keeping  box  edgings  in  good  order;  but  these  ends  are  met 
quite  as  well  by  perfectly  inoffensive  edgings.  Edgings  may,  for 
convenience  sake,  be  divided  into  dead  and  permanent  ones  and 
living  ones  formed  of  plants  or  dwarf  bushes,  which  involve  a 
certain  amount  of  care  to  keep  in  order,  and  which  will  some  day 
wear  out  and  require  a  change  of  replanting. 

The  true  way  in  all  gardens  of  any  good  and  simple  design  is  to 
get  edgings  which,  while  quite  unobtrusive  in  form  or  colour,  may 
remain  for  many  years  without  attention.  In  all  good  gardens  there 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


is  so  much  to  be  done  and  thought  of  every  day  in  the  year,  that  it 
is  important  to  get  rid  of  all  mere  routine  work  with  edgings  of  Box 
and  other  things  that  want  frequent  trimming  or  re-making,  in  which 
work  much  of  the  labour  of  gardeners  has  been  wasted  in  the  past. 

Natural  stone  is  the  best  of  all  materials  for  permanent  edgings  for 

the  flower  garden,  or  any  garden  where  an  edging  is  required,  and 

no  effort  should   be  spared  to  get  it.     In   many 

Natural  stone,      districts  it  is  quite  easy  to  do  so,  as  in  some  of  the 

home  counties  the  refuse  of  quarries  (in   Surrey 

Bargate  stone,  and  in  Oxfordshire  and  Gloucestershire  the  flaky  stone 

used  for  the  roofs  of  old  time)  is  excellent  for  edgings.    Much  difference 

will  occur  in  stone  in  various 
districts,  and  some  will  not  be  so 
good  in  colour  and  shape  as  the 
stone  just  mentioned,  but  the 
advantage  of  natural  stone  in 
various  ways  is  so  great  that  even 
inferior  forms  of  it  should  be 
chosen  before  any  other  material. 
In  undressed,  or  very  roughly 
dressed  natural  stone,  it  does 
not  matter  in  the  least  if  the 

Edging  of  Foam  Flower.  .  i 

stones  vary  in  size,  as  we  have 

not  to  set  them  rigidly  like  the  cast  tiles.  Sunk  half-way  firmly 
in  the  earth,  after  a  little  time  they  soon  assume  a  good  colour  ; 
green  mosses  stain  them  in  the  winter,  and  if  we  wish  to  grace 
them  with  rock  flowers  they  are  very  friendly  to  them,  and 
Rockfoil,  or  Stonecrop,  or  Thyme  may  creep  over  them,  and 
make  them  prettier  than  any  edging  made  wholly  of  plants, 
like  Box  or  Thrift,  or  Ivy.  Unlike  the  tile,  stones  are  none  the 
worse  if  they  fall  a  little  out  of  line,  as  they  are  easily  reset, 
and  also  easily  removed  by  handy  garden  men  without  expensive 
workmen,  or  any  aid  from  mortar  or  trowel.  In  large  and  stately 
gardens  dressed  stone  may  be  used  to  frame  a  grass  plot  or 
handsome  straight  border,  but  in  most  cases  this  expense  would  be 
thrown  away,  as  we  get  so  good  a  result  with  the  undressed  stone. 
But  in  a  flower  garden  like  that  at  Shrubland  Park,  the  dressed  stone 
of  good  and  simple  form,  and  properly  set  as  it  should  be  in  such  a 
position  near  the  house,  is  quite  rightly  used.  Near  cities  and 
towns  the  removal  of  old  or  half-worn  stone  pavements,  like  the  York 
stone  used  in  London,  often  gives  us  opportunities  of  securing  it  for 
forming  edging  ;  and  being  often  got  in  large  pieces  it  requires  rough 
dressing  to  allow  of  its  being  firmly  and  evenly  set  in  the  ground.  I 
have  used  this  largely  for  edgings,  which  will  last  as  long  as  they  are 


WALKS   AND   EDGINGS.  213 

allowed  to  remain.  The  beautiful  green  stone  of  Cumberland  would 
make  as  good  an  edging  as  one  could  desire,  and  many  kinds  of  stone 
may  be  used. 

In  districts  where  there  is  no  stone  to  be  had,  and  we  have  to  use 
any  kind  of  artificial  stone  or  terra  cotta,  these  should  never  have  any 
pattern  or  beading,  but  be  cast  in  quite  simple  forms,  never  following 
the  patterns  usually  adopted  by  the  makers  of  garden  tiles.  Certain 
inferior  forms  of  dead  edgings  should  be  avoided,  such  as  boards,  that 
soon  rot,  and  are  wholly  unfit  in  all  ways  as  edgings.  Iron,  too,  as 
used  in  continental  gardens  or  in  any  shape,  should  never  be  used 
as  an  edging,  ordinary  bricks  half  set  in  the  ground  being  far  better 
than  any  of  these. 

Grass  edgings  sometimes  are  used  to  flower  borders,  but  are 
always  full  of  labour  and  trouble.  And  they  have  various  drawbacks, 

apart    from    the    mowing   and   edge-cutting,   chief 
Grass  edgings,     among  these  being  that  the  border  flowers  within 

cannot  ramble  over  them  as  they  do  over 
the  stone  edgings  in  such  pretty  ways.  These  narrow  grass 
margins  are  often  used  as  edgings  to  flower  borders  in  the  kitchen 
garden  in  places  where  very  little  labour  is  to  spare  for  the  garden, 
but,  little  as  it  is,  it  has  to  be 
given  throughout  the  season  to 
these  grass  edgings,  which  are 
worse  than  useless  as  a  finish  to 
a  flower  border.  By  these  I  do 
not  mean  the  grass  margins  to 
the  garden  lawns,  or  a  carpet  of 
turf,  as  these  are  easily  attended 
to  when  the  lawn  is  being  mown, 
but  the  foot  wide  grass  edgings 

Which      require      attention      When  Bold  evergreen  edging  to  rough  border. 

time  can  be  badly  spared  for  them,  and  are  often  so  narrow  that  it 
is  not  easy  to  use  a  machine  for  mowing  them. 

Of  all  the  living  things  useful  as  edgings  in  gardens,  the  first 
place  belongs  to  Box,  for  ages  used  and  deservedly  liked  from  its 

neat   habit  and   good   colour.     When   there   were 
Box.  many   fewer   plants  to  look   after   than  we  have 

now,  to  tend  some  miles  of  Box  edging  was  often 
the  pride  of  the  gardener,  and  even  now  we  see  it  sometimes  done, 
though  the  hand  often  fails  through  the  labour  required  to  keep  the 
Box  in  good  order,  and  the  edging  gets  spotty  arid  in  some  soils 
worn  out  and  diseased.  A  Box  edging  must  be  clipped  with 
much  care  and  regularity  every  May  after  the  danger  of  hard  frosts 
is  past,  as  these  sometimes  touch  the  young  growth.  If  cut  in 


214  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

May  the  young  growth  soon  hides  the  hard  mark  of  the  shears. 
Pretty  as  it  is  in  certain  gardens,  the  drawbacks  to  Box  as  a  flower- 
garden  edging  are  serious;  it  requires  much  labour  to  keep  it  in 
order,  and  not  every  garden  workman  can  clip  it  well.  It  is  a 
harbour  for  slugs  and  weeds,  drying  and  starving  the  soil  near, 
whereas  the  stone  edging  keeps  the  soil  moist  and  comforts  the 
rock  flowers  that  crawl  over  it.  We  cannot  allow  dwarf  and  creep- 
ing plants  to  crawl  over  the  Box,  or  they  will  scald  and  injure 
it,  but  with  the  stone,  we  are  free  in  all  ways,  and  get  a  pretty 
effect  when  Pinks  and  other  dwarf  plants,  crossing  the  stone  edging 
here  and  there,  push  out  into  the  walk  itself.  I  like  Box  best  as  a 


[P 


Ivy  edging. 

tall,  stout  edging  or  low  hedge,  used  in  a  bold  way  as  high  Rose- 
mary edgings  are  used  in  southern  gardens  about  18  inches  high, 
or  even  a  little  higher,  to  enclose  playgrounds  or  separate  gardens 
or  to  mark  an  interesting  site  as  that  of  the  old  house  at  Castlewellan. 
Sometimes  old  and  neglected  Box  edgings  grown  into  low  hedges 
are  pretty  in  a  garden,  as  in  George  Washington's  old  home  at 
Mount  Vernon  in  Virginia.  And  low  hedges  of  Box  are  now  and 
then  a  good  aid  near  the  flower  garden,  as  at  Panshanger. 

Among  other   edgings    made  of  woody   or  shrubby   things,  we 
have  the  Yew,  which  bears  clipping  into  edgings  a  foot  high,  and 

which    might  be  worth   using  in   some   positions, 

Ivy,  Rosemary,      though  much  clipping  of  this  sort  causes    much 

and  other  edgings,    labour  and  to  me  sorrow.     Ivy  is  more  precious 

for  its  shoots,  which  garland  the  earth  as  well  as 
wall  or  tree.  It  is  more  used  abroad  than  in  Britain,  the  freshness 
of  its  green  being  more  valued  where  good  turf  is  less  common,  and 
Ivy  is  of  the  highest  value  as  an  edging  in  various  ways,  but  better  as 
a  garland  round  a  plot  or  belt  of  shrubs  than  near  flower-beds,  and  as 


WALKS   AND   EDGINGS. 


215 


graceful  edgings  near  and  under  trees.  Like  the  Box,  it  may  also 
be  used  as  a  bold  hedge-like  garland  to  frame  a  little  garden  or 
other  spot  which  we  wish  to  separate  from  the  surrounding  ground. 
The  Tree  Ivy  is  best  for  this,  but  the  common  Ivy,  if  planted  as 
an  edging  in  any  open  place,  will  in  time  assume  the  shrubby  or 
tree  form,  and  make  a  handsome  and  bold  garland.  Where,  for 
any  reason,  we  desire  Ivy  edgings,  it  is  better  not  to  slavishly 
follow  the  French  way  of  always  using  the  Irish  Ivy  for  edgings. 
The  dark  masses  of  this  in  the  public  gardens  of  London,  Paris, 
and  German  cities  are  very  wearisome,  and  help  to  obscure  rather 
than  demonstrate  the  value  of  the  Ivy  as  the  best  of  all  climbers 
of  the  northern  world.  The  common  Ivy,  of  which  the  Irish  form 
is  a  variety,  is  a  plant  of  wide  distribution  throughout  Europe, 
North  Africa,  and  Asia,  and  varies  very  much  in  form,  there  being 
in  Britain  over  fifty  cultivated  forms  of  it.  The  Irish  variety  seems 
to  have  taken  the  fancy  of  continental  European  gardeners,  and  is 
much  more  cultivated  by  them  than  any  other,  but  many  of  the 
other  varieties  though  less  known  are  more  graceful  and  varied  in 
form,  and  even  colour,  some  of  them  having  in  winter  a  bronzy 
hue,  instead  of  the  dark  look  of  the  Irish  Ivy.  Some,  too,  are  fine 
in  form,  from  the  great  Amoor  and  Algerian  Ivies  to  the  little 
cut-leaved  Ivy.  Even  the  common  Ivy  of  our  woods  is  prettier 
than  the  one  so  much  used. 

Among  the  bold  edging  one  sees  enclosing  the  "  careless "  and 
broad  borders  of  Spanish  or  Algerian  or  other  southern  gardens, 
over-shaded  by  orange  or  other  fruit  trees,  is  the  Rosemary,  clipped 
into  square  topped  bushy  edges,  about  1 5  inches  high.  Though  tender 
in  many  parts  with  us,  it  may  be  used  in  the  same  way  on  warm 
soils  and  in  mild  districts,  and  the  Lavender  may  be  used  in  the 
same  way,  though  in  its  case  it  is  best  not  to  clip  it,  and  there  is  a 
dwarf  form,  which  is  best  for  edgings  to  bold  borders. 

Among  various  evergreen  shrubs  which  may  be  used  as  edgings 
are  the  dwarf  Cotoneasters,  Periwinkles,  smaller  Vacciniums,  Partridge 
Berry,  the  alpine  forest  Heath,  and  some  of  the 
Dwarf  evergreen    smaller  kinds  of  our  native  Heaths,  varying  them 
edgings.  after  the  nature  of  the  soil  and  the  kind  of  plants 

or  shrubs  we  are  arranging ;  Heaths  and  shrubs 
of  a  like  nature  being  best  for  association  with  peat-loving  ever- 
green shrubs,  though  they  need  not  all  be  confined  to  these  or  to 
such  soils.  Such  evergreen  edgings  of  low  shrubs  are  often  very 
useful  where  we  plant  masses  of  select  evergreen  flowering  shrubs, 
and  they  may  be  used  in  free  belts  or  groups  as  well  as  in  hard 
set  lines,  the  last  being  in  many  cases  a  sure  way  to  mar  the  effect 
of  otherwise  good  planting  in  pleasure  grounds. 


216  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

Where  we  are  dealing  with  nursery  or  cut  flower  beds,  borders 
in  the  kitchen  garden  or  elsewhere,  no  such  objection  to  the  con- 
tinuous edging  holds.  And  in  such  cases  those  who  use  plants  have 
a  great  variety  to  choose  from  :  Strawberries,  wild,  Quatre-saison,and 
any  favourite  larger  sort ;  Rockfoils — of  this  rich  and  varied  family 
the  Mossy  Rockfoils  make  soft  and  excellent  green  margins  to  beds 
of  hardy  flowers  ;  Houseleeks,  Stonecrops,  Gentianella,  which  forms 
such  a  fine  evergreen  edging  in  cool  soils  ;  Tufted  Pansies,  Thrift, 
purple  Rock-Cresses  which  are  among  the  most  precious  of  rock 
flowers  for  evergreen  edgin.es,  and  bloom  often  throughout  the  spring  ; 


White  Pink  edging. 

dwarf  Speedwells,  Edelweiss  in  open  country  gardens  where  it  thrives  ; 
alpine  Phloxes,  Sun  Roses,  Arabis,  evergreen  Candytuft,  excellent  as 
a  permanent  margin  to  bold  mixed  groups  of  spring  flowers  and 
shrubs ;  Pinks,  both  white  and  coloured,  pretty  on  warm  and  free 
soils,  but  useless  where  they  are  hurt  in  winter  ;  Daisies  and  Poly- 
anthuses and  garden  Primroses  :  in  Scotland  and  cool  places,  the 
rosy  and  some  of  the  Indian  Primroses  make  beautiful  edgings. 
Dwarf  Hairbells,  and  some  of  the  silvery  or  striped  Grasses  and 
Moneyworts  may  also  be  used.  There  is,  in  fact,  scarcely  a  limit  to 
the  choice  one  may  make  from  the  more  free  and  vigorous  rock  and 
alpine  flowers,  the  choice  being  governed  by  the  nature  of  the  soil, 
rainfall,  and  elevation,  or  closeness  to  the  sea,  which  is  so  often  kind 
to  plants  slow  or  tender  in  inland  situations,  like  some  of  the  grey 
Rock  Scabious  which  form  such  pretty  marginal  plants  where  they 
thrive. 


WALKS  AND   EDGINGS.  217 

Here  is  an  illustration  showing  a  wretched  mud  edging.     These 
miniature  ramparts,  though  less  common  than  formerly,  are  a  blot 

in    London    gardens    and 
Plastered  margins  parks.     They  are  made  of 
to  flower-beds,     muddy  compounds,  and  in 
addition    to    the    offensive 
aspect  of  the  little  walls  when  first  plastered 
up,  there  are  the  cracks  which  come  after— 
well  shown  in  the  cut.     In  a  hot  year,  or  any 
year,  it  is  madness  to  cock  the  beds  upon  a  little  wall  like  this.     The 
proper  way  to  make  a  flower-bed   is  to  let  the    earth  slope  gently 
down  to  the  margin,  as  was   the  practice  for  ages  before  this  ugly 
notion  came  about. 


TRIALS  OF  EDGING  PLANTS  IN  MY  GARDEN. 

These  are  only  well  done  where  there  is  stone  edging  of  some  kind. 
In  my  youth  I  saw  many  miles  of  Box  edgings  being  clipped, 
and  endless  labour  bestowed  upon  such  wasteful  work  done  at  a 
season  when  essential  work  was  pressing.  With  a  garden  of  my 
own  I  made  up  my  mind  to  stop  all  such  waste,  and  got  some  old 
York  stone  paving,  which,  broken  up,  made  edgings  to  last  for 
hundreds  of  years  ;  also,  rough  sandstone  rock  gave  bolder  edgings 
for  shrubs.  Given  these  stone  edgings,  I  enjoyed  much  beautiful 
life  of  alpine  and  rock  plants,  which  liked  the  edging  stone  as  much 
as  any  rock  garden.  In  this  way  may  be  grown  numbers  of  beautiful 
plants  to  give  an  added  grace  of  colour  and  flower.  To  give  an  idea 
of  the  result  of  this  plan  and  of  the  plants  that  have  given  me  the 
most  pleasure  is  the  aim  of  this  chapter. 

The  Wall  Hairbell  (Campanula  muralis). — Of  all  the  plants  used, 
this  is  the  most  long-lived  and  useful.  Other  Hairbells  of  the 
mountains  are  difficult  to  grow,  and  even  in  careful  hands  are  lost, 
but  this  lovely  Hairbell  creeps  up  rocks,  and  even  penetrates  walls, 
flowering  for  years,  and  so  densely  that  the  number  of  bells  in  one 
foot  of  the  line  could  not  be  counted.  Flowering  in  early  summer,  if 
we  cut  off  the  flowers  with  the  shears  the  plants  bloom  again  right 
into  November. 

The  Lancaster  Geranium  (Geranium  lancastriense}. — This  plant, 
native  of  an  island  on  the  coast  of  Lancashire,  has  given  as  much 
pleasure  as  any  plant  of  the  alpine  rocks.  It  is  dwarf,  flowers  all  the 
summer,  is  beautiful  in  colour  and  habit. 

Alpine  Forest  Heath  (Erica  carnea]. — This  is  not  in  the  flower 
garden,  but  bordering  beds  and  walks  in  the  Heath  garden,  where  it 


2i8  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

is  the  best  early  Heath.  Beginning  to  flower  early  in  the  spring,  it 
gives  way  when  the  sun  gets  strong.  It  is  from  a  calcareous  country, 
so  it  may  be  used  in  districts  where  other  Heaths  will  not  grow. 

Australian  Everlasting  (Helichrysum  bellidioides}. — A  newly  come 
plant,  this  surprises  me  by  its  fitness  for  the  work,  being  dwarf, 
abundant  in  bloom,  and  free-growing  too  anywhere  on  dry  walls  and 
as  an  edging. 

Gentianella  (Gentiana  acaulis}. — This  is  the  most  precious  of  all 
edging  plants  in  the  calcareous  soils  of  Ireland  and  Scotland.  In 
the  south  of  England  in  ordinary  soils  it  gives  way  in  dry  weather 
and.  is  difficult  to  establish.  One  gets  over  that  by  placing  it  behind 
a  stone  edging,  when  flowers  may  be  expected,  but  never  quite  so 
fine  as  in  the  soils  it  loves. 

Rocky  Mountain  Phloxes  (P.  subulata  and  other  dwarf  kinds). — 
I  have  had  these  for  many  years  now  on  the  top  of  a  dry  stone  wall 
dividing  the  flower  garden  from  the  rising  ground,  and  their  fine 
colours  and  other  qualities  have  pleased  me  well  in  groups,  which  last 
for  years  in  good  health.  Quick  to  grow,  they  are  among  the  good 
edging  plants  that  help  to  keep  down  the  weeds. 

Gauze  plant  (Gypsophila  repens). — This  has  been  the  best  as  to 
endurance,  good  in  colour  and  long  in  bloom.  It  has  been  more  than 
ten  years  in  one  edging  without  it  ever  showing  a  sign  of  weakness, 
flowering  all  the  summer  and  right  into  the  autumn.  The  pink 
variety  is  as  useful  as  the  white.  Sometimes  other  rock  plants  stray 
into  it,  and  that  is  an  added  charm. 

The  Dwarf  Lavender. — No  edging  meets  with  more  approval  than 
the  Dwarf  Lavender.  It  is  more  compact  than  the  usual  forms,  and 
the  flowers  are  of  a  deeper  colour.  Lavender,  growing  over  a  vast 
area  on  the  warmer  slopes  of  the  Alps  and  in  many  lands  around 
the  great  sea,  varies  much,  and  to  that  habit  we  owe  this  and  other 
forms.  The  Dwarf  Lavender  makes  a  neat  edging  in  the  fruit  or 
kitchen  garden  where  the  large  forms  might  be  in  the  way. 

Turban  Hairbell  (Campanula  turbinata\ — This,  the  true  plant,  is 
a  handsome  Hairbell,  better  for  the  rock  garden  than  as  an  edging. 
I  tried  it  in  ordinary  cool  soil  just  within  the  stone  edging,  where  it 
did  well,  and  in  flower  the  effect  was  fine.  It  does  not,  however, 
meet  my  wants  as  a  good  edging  to  a  flower-bed  ;  it  should  bloom 
throughout  the  summer. 

Mountain  Sandwort  (Arenana  montand}. — This  fine  rock  plant 
makes  the  loveliest  edging  of  the  bolder  sort  that  one  could  desire. 
Behind  a  line  of  sandstone  blocks  it  flowered  beautifully,  and  is, 
so  planted,  very  well  fitted  as  a  frame  for  shrubs,  hardy  and  long- 
enduring. 

The  Blue  Bindweed  (Convolvulus  mauritanicus}. — This  is  the  one 


WALKS   AND    EDGINGS.  219 

plant  I  cannot  do  without  as  an  edging — most  graceful  of  all  in  the 
way  it  arranges  itself,  and  also  on  dry  walls,  which  it  drapes  as  no 
other  Bindweed  could.  It  lives  through  some  winters,  though  in 
others  it  perishes  ;  and  so  I  have  to  keep  some  over  in  a  cool-house. 
A  native  of  the  mountains  of  N.  Africa,  where  I  had  the  pleasure  of 
seeing  it  in  flower  in  a  rocky  waste.  I  generally  in  autumn  take  up 
the  plants  that  have  formed  an  edging  in  summer,  housing  some  and 
planting  others  on  a  sunny  ledge  of  a  retaining  wall,  in  the  hope  they 
may  live  and  flower  thereon.  It  seeds  freely.  Used  with  good  result 
over  a  massive  line  of  Crocus,  it  did  not  harm  them  in  the  least. 

The  Pasque  Flower  (Anemone  Pulsatilla). — This  beautiful  plant 
was,  in  the  carpet-gardening  craze,  lost  to  gardens,  as  all  the  good 
things  that  did  not  fall  in  with  the  false  taste  of  the  day  were  thrown 
on  the  rubbish-heap.  Some  seedlings  were  planted  in  the  cool  loam 
of  the  district,  and  gave  a  charming  variety  of  colour.  This,  the 
finest  edging  1  ever  had,  was  by  a  fruit  garden  walk,  as  in  the  flower 
garden  I  seek  things  that  grace  the  summer  with  their  flower  and 
even  last  well  into  autumn. 

Tufted  Pansies  (hybrids  of  Viola). — A  host  of  these,  of  often 
exquisite  colours,  makes  lovely  margins  to  flower-beds  of  Roses. 
Easy  of  increase  and  culture  in  cool  soils,  and  best  in  the  cool 
northern  hill  land,  many  fine  kinds,  like  John  Quarton  and  Lady 
Knox,  are  well  known.  This  should  not  prevent  us  raising  seedlings, 
as  in  that  way  we  get  vigorous  plants  to  form  edgings  or  carpets.  In 
that  case  choose  seed  of  the  smaller  race  rather  than  the  showy 
garish  Pansy. 

Indian  Cinquefoil  (Potentilla  dubia). — In  its  large  family  there 
must  be  plants  of  value  for  our  purpose,  but  the  one  named  above 
is  the  only  one  that  keeps  with  me  as  if  it  liked  its  task  of  forming 
a  neat  edging  studded  with  clear  yellow  flowers..  Of  easy  culture  in 
any  soil,  it  never  looks  as  if  it  wanted  to  go  back  to  the  Himalayas. 
Some  charming  silvery-leaved  Cinquefoils  should  make  beautiful 
margins,  but  so  far  they  are  not  easy  to  increase. 

An  alpine  Toadflax  (Linaria  pallida). — A  modest,  patient,  and 
delightful  little  creeper  running  in  and  out  of  the  stone  edging,  always 
increasing  and  always  in  flower  bordering  the  Carnation  bed  or  other 
bed ;  not  a  robust  plant,  but  easy  of  increase,  and  grows  as  if  it  enjoyed 
the  garden. 

Pinks  (Dianthus  plumarius}. — The  welcome  fragrance  and  grey 
colour  of  these  make  them  welcome  as  edgings,  and  they  often  give 
us  good  effects.  In  my  soil  they  are  not  so  enduring  as  on  calcareous 
or  free,  sandy  soil.  The  Maiden  Pink  (Dianthus  deltoides)  is  a  hardy 
and  bright-flowering  plant  used  with  some  effect,  but  the  season  of 
bloom  is  not  long.  In  its  vast  family  in  northern  and  alpine  lands 


220  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


there  may  be  some  free  and  hardy  enough  to  make  an  edging  in  the 
choicest  flower-bed. 

The  Siberian  Stonecrop  (Sedum  Ewersi). — A  stout,  grey  plant, 
forming  a  bold  edging,  quite  hardy  and  easy  of  culture  and  increase 
in  any  soil.  The  Japanese  Stonecrop  (S.  Sieboldi)  is  even  more 
graceful,  but  in  my  soil  not  so  free,  and  a  victim  to  slugs.  So  it  gets 
some  comfort  in  a  frame,  and  in  spring  is  promoted  to  a  vase,  in 
which  it  is  happy  and  quite  pleasant  to  see,  even  well  into  autumn, 
when  in  most  places  it  will  be  better  for  some  protection. 

Purple  Rock-Cress  (Aubrittia). — Of  the  multitude  of  rock  and 
alpine  plants  that  come  to  these  islands,  this  is  the  most  useful, 
growing  on  walls,  rocks,  and  wherever  a  few  grains  of  it  are  sown. 
Edgings  formed  with  it  are  beautiful  in  every  way,  those  best  made 
of  rich  purple  kinds.  At  one  time  different  Latin  names  were  given 
to  the  forms  of  the  plant,  but  they  are  all  varieties  of  one  mother 
plant,  though  varying  much  in  lovely  colour,  and  all  as  hardy  as  the 
Dock.  Their  flowering  season  is  early,  and  usually  three  months  long. 
The  growth  is  so  dense  that  the  plants  are  able  to  keep  free  of  weeds, 
and  edgings  made  with  them  may  endure  for  years. 

Rockfoils  (Saxifraga). — The  mossy  kinds  grow  freely  in  cool  soil, 
but  are  apt  to  perish  in  a  dry  one,  and  are  only  useful  in  shade.  The 
Silvery  Rockfoils  I  used  with  good  result,  but  these  are  apt  to  get 
patchy  in  time,  and  the  flowers  are  rather  in  the  way.  Yet  I  am 
grateful  to  them,  for  silvery  bells  of  the  Aizoon  group  often  carried 
me  through  before  getting  so  keen  on  the  plants  that  grace  the  beds 
with  their  flowers  all  the  summer. 

Great  Indian  Rockfoils  (Megasea). — These  I  make  extensive  use 
of  in  margining  large  groups  of  flowering  trees.  Bold,  free,  and 
taking  on  often  a  good  colour,  they  are  excellent  rightly  used,  and 
have  the  good  quality  of  keeping  off  weeds.  They  are  among  my 
friends  for  that  reason,  and  are  valued  not  for  narrow  edgings,  but 
may  well  spread  into  effective  belts  here  and  there  about  the 
shrubbery.  In  very  hard  winters  the  leaves  may  be  injured,  but  they 
soon  recover,  and  have  kept  many  a  corner  at  peace  for  years  in  the 
poorest  soils. 

Barrenworts  (Epimedium). — Having  plenty  of  these,  they  were 
tried  as  a  stout  edging,  framing,  so  to  say,  large  masses  of  shrubs 
and  fruit  trees  in  the  orchard,  and  the  way  they  have  done  it  deserves 
a  word.  Hardy,  strong  growers,  and  with  a  fine  classic  form  of  leaf, 
good  as  winter  colour,  they  formed  a  noble  frame  to  the  groups,  and 
did  not  allow  a  weed  to  come  near.  True  weed-killers,  and  for 
long  years. 

The  Japanese  Stonecrop  (Sedum  spectabile). — Long  an  admirer  of 
this  tall  Stonecrop,  I  tried  it  around  a  mass  of  Rhododendrons  and 


WALKS  AND  EDGINGS.  221 

other  bold  shrubs,  and  there  it  throve  and  made  a  lovely  belt  of 
colour  every  autumn  for  over  twenty  years.  But  in  war-time  the 
shrubs  began  to  encroach,  and  the  unmbwn  Grass  to  come  'in,  and  so 
we  had  to  change  it. 

Thymes  (Thymus). — These  fragrant  turfy  plants  tempt  one  to 
make  edgings  of  them,  and  they  charm  so  used  on  warm  or  calcareous 
soils,  not  so  good  on  cold  soils  except  on  raised  banks  or  rock  garden. 
T.  micans  I  use  as  a  modest  green  edge.  Some  of  my  Thymes 
puzzle  me,  stubby  little  cushions  in  flower,  and  there  must  be  good 
hardy  edgings  among  the  many  species  known  on  the  northern  hills. 

The  Carpathian  Hairbell  (C.  carpaticd). — There  are  several  good 
forms  of  this  fine  plant,  a  white  and  delicate  intermediate  colour, 
between  white  and  blue.  All  mixed  formed  an  attractive  edging  to 
a  bed  of  Rose  Zephirin  on  its  own  roots.  A  good  perennial,  may  it 
remain  long  at  its  post. 

Hepatica  (Anemone  Hepaticd). — Often  too  scarce  for  edgings,  and 
barely  seen  as  poor  forgotten  dots,  I  have  at  last  taken  courage  and 
made  some  edgings  of  it  in  the  past  fine  October  days.  But  as  it  has 
a  poor  chance  in  the  open  sun,  it  is  used  to  border  the  paths  under 
the  pergola,  where  the  shade  will  be  right  for  its  health.  The  plants 
are  all  of  the  wild  blue  kind,  never  having  seen  any  of  the  other 
variations  so  good. 

The  Silvery  Speedwell  (  Veronica  Candida}. — This,  an  old  friend 
of  the  rock  garden,  has  proved  a  good  edging  plant  in  leaf,  effective 
at  all  seasons  and  with  rich  purple  flowers  in  early  summer,  growing 
in  any  soil  and  of  easy  increase.  Among  the  many  New  Zealand 
Speedwells  there  may  be  one  or  more  good  edging  plants,  but  I  never 
found  one,  save  V.  Lyalli,  which  is  hardy,  but  not  very  effective  in 
leaf  or  flower.  Our  dwarf  native  Speedwells  I  tried,  but  they  seemed 
to  sicken  for  the  hills. 

The  Forget-me-nots. — Of  these,  the  best  is  the  true  Forget-me-not 
and  its  forms,  which  make  a  pretty,  broad  edging  to  a  mass  of  shrubs 
in  cool  soils  and  have  been  sometimes  charming  and  free  in  bloom, 
but  a  little  wayward  and  apt  to  get  longing  for  the  streamside,  and 
then  to  get  "  see'dy."  Also  as  soon  as  the  aphides  find  them  in  the 
garden  out  they  swarm  so  as  to  make  them  no  longer  look  like  a 
Forget-me-not.  On  the  waterside  this  does  not  happen,  as  the 
aphides  have  no  love  for  the  water.  The  Swiss  Forget-me-not  makes 
a  pretty  blue  edging,  but  to  keep  it  in  health  it  wants  frequent 
replanting,  which  is  against  its  use. 

The  Dwarf  Partridge  Berry  (Gaultheria procumbens). — This  dwarf 
evergreen  makes  an  admirable  edging  for  beds  of  choice  evergreens. 
It  is  not  fit  for  the  flower  garden,  which  should  be  in  the  full  sun.  It 
is  easy  to  grow  and  increase  in  any  free  soil.  The  larger  Partridge 


222 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


Berry  (G.  Shallon)  is  too  strong  for  edgings,  but  is  a  fine  evergreen 
in  the  wood. 

The  hardy  Leadwort  (Plumbago  Larpentce}. — An  old  inhabitant 
of  our  gardens,  often  neglected,  this  forms  a  beautiful  edging  on  the 
brow  of  a  low  wall,  and  now,  as  I  write,  in  mid -November,  is  fine  in 
colour.  It  will  live  almost  anywhere,  but  I  never  saw  it  so  rich  in  its 
soft  hues  as  after  the  past  fine  October  of  1919.  Of  easy  culture  and 
facile  increase  by  division,  it  has  also  the  added  advantage  of  keeping 
the  weeds  off.  A  close  grower,  even  the  Goutweed  does  not  infringe 
on  its  ground.  An  excellent  frame  for  a  large  bed  in  an  open  sunny 
spot  in  any  poor  soil. 

Sand  Pink  (Tunica  Saxifragd). — This  little  plant  is  always  in 
flower  during  summer  and  autumn,  and  is  a  favourite  of  mine.  It 
is  common  on  the  sand-heaps  in  N.  Italy  ;  is  freely  raised  from  seed 
and  hardy. 

Blue  Gromwell  (Lithospermum). — This  makes  a  beautiful  edging 
where  it  has  room  to  spread  out  over  the  stone  or  where  it  will.  In 
free  soils  it  is  quite  hardy  and  lasting,  and  exquisite  in  colour,  but  not 
so  good  on  cold  soil. 

A  rock  Knot  wort  (Polygonuin  vaccinifolium). — This  free  and  hardy 
plant  is  useful  for  edging  groups  of  the  larger  shrubs,  for  which  it 
answers  well.  Is  easy  to  increase  and  hardy. 

Dwarf  Scabious  (Scabiosa  Webbiana], — This  dwarf  grey  plant  is 
charming  for  light  and  dry  soils.  It  flowers  abundantly  in  close 
cushions,  and  makes  a  very  pretty  edging  best  in  free  sandy  soil  and 
well-drained  spots. 


Kocky  border  with  edging  of  dwarf  plants  in  groups. 


Tufted  Pansies. 

CHAPTER   XXVI. 

THE  FLOWER  GARDEN  IN  THE  HOUSE. 

ONE  of  the  real  gains  in  any  flower  garden  worthy  of  the  name  is 
that  we  have  in  it  lovely  forms  and  delicate  colours  for  the  house,  from 
the  dawn  of  spring  with  its  noble  Lenten  Roses  on  sheltered  borders, 
until  autumn  goes  into  winter  in  a  mantle  of  Starworts.  Many 
English  and  all  German  and  French  flower  gardens  in  parterres  offer 
us  only  Lobelias,  and  various  plant  rubbish  of  purplish  or  variegated 
hues,  very  few  of  them  worth  cutting,  whereas  our  real  flower  garden 
is  a  store  of  Narcissus,  Azalea,  Rose,  Lily,  Tulip,  and  Carnation,  and 
all  the  fairest  things  of  earth.  All  we  have  to  care  about  is  placing 
them  in  simple  ways  to  show  their  form  as  well  as  colour.  Apart 
from  the  good  plan  of  having  a  plot  for  the  culture  of  any  flowers 
we  wish  to  cut  for  the  house,  a  true  flower  garden  will  yield  many 
flowers  worthy  of  a  place  on  an  artist's  or  any  other  table  for  their 
forms,  colour,  or  fragrance.  Many  of  these,  from  the  Narcissus 
to  the  Tea  Rose,  give  flowers  so  freely  that  we  need  not  be  afraid  to 
cut ;  indeed,  in  many  cases,  careful  cutting  prolongs  the  bloom  (as 
of  Roses).  Many  shrubs  we  may  improve  as  we  cut  their  branches 
for  the  house,  for  example  Winter  Sweet,  Forsythia,  and  Lilac. 

It  is  not  merely  the  first  impression  of  flowers,  good  as  it  may  be, 
that  we  have  to  think  of,  but  the  charms  which  intimacy  gives  to 
many  of  the  nobler  flowers — some  opening  and  closing  before  our 

223 


224  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

eyes,  and  showing  beauties  of  form  in  doing  so  that  we  never 
suspected  when  passing  them  in  the  open  air.  In  the  changing  and 
varied  lights  of  a  house  we  have  many  opportunities  of  showing 
flowers  in  a  more  interesting  way,  particularly  to  those  who  do  not 
see  them  much  out  of  doors.  We  have  in  gardens  many  new  flowers 
of  great  beauty  of  form  —  Californian,  Central  Asiatic,  Japanese, 
even  the  mountains  of  China  and  India  giving  precious  things,  as 
well  as  the  rich  flora  of  North  America  as  yet  not  as  much  seen 
in  our  gardens  as  it  deserves  to  be.  So  that  it  will  be  seen  how 
good  is  the  reason  why  care  should  be  given  to  show  the  flowers 
in  the  house  when  we  have  them  to  spare  out  of  doors. 


Rose  in  a  Japanese  bronze  basin. 

At  first  sight  there  may  not  seem  much  against  our  doing  justice 
to  flowers  in  the  house,  but  our  flower  vases  have  shared  the  fate  of 
most  manufactured  things  within  the  past  generation,  and  suffer  from 
the  mania  for  overdoing  with  designs  called  "decorative,"  which  is 
supposed  to  have  some  connection  with  "  art."  Every  article  in  many 
houses  being  overcharged  with  these  wearisome  patterns,  it  was  not 
to  be  expected  that  the  opportunity  of  "  adorning"  our  flower-pots 
would  be  lost,  and  so  we  may  have  ugly  forms  and  glaring  patterns, 
where  all  should  be  simple  in  form,  and  modest  and  good  in  colour. 
The  coal-scuttle,  with  its  "  decoration,"  does  not  stand  in  our  way  so 
much  as  the  flower  vase,  as  in  this  we  have  to  put  living  things  in 
their  delicate  natural  colours  and  shapes,  and  to  look  at  these,  stuck 


THE   FLOWER   GARDEN  IN   THE  HOUSE.  225 

in  vases  with  hard  colours  and  designs,  is  impossible  to  the  artistic 
mind. 

And  when  we  have  seen  the  ugliness  of  much  of  this  work,  what 

is  to  be  done  in  the  way  of  remedy,  as  the  shops  are  so  much  against 

us  ?     The  first   need    is   a   great  variety  of  pots, 

Flower  vases      basins,  and  jars  or  vases  ;  so  that  no  flower  that 

simple  in  form,    garden,  wood,  or  hedgerow  can  give  us,  need  be 

without  a  fitting  vessel  the  moment  it  is  brought 

into  the  house.     What  are  known  as  the  Munstead  glasses  are  a  great 

help,  because  their  shapes  are  carefully  made  to  suit  various  flowers, 

and  they  are  very  useful  and  good  in  form — made,  too,  of  plain  glass  ; 

but,  however  good  this  series  is,  it  is  well  to  use  a  variety  of  other 

things  in  any  simple  ware  that  comes  in  our  way,  very  often  things 

on  the  way  to  the  rubbish  heap,  such  as  Devonshire  cream  jars  in 

brown   ware.     Nassau   seltzer  bottles,   in   the  brown  ware  too,   may 

well  take  a  single  flower  or  branch,  while  old  ginger  pots,  quite  simple 

shallow  basins  in  yellow  ware,  and  other  articles  made  for  use  in 

trade,  come  in  very  well. 

There  is  no  need  to  exclude  finer  or  more  costly  things  than  these 
if  good  in  shape  and  not  outrageous  in  colour,  but  various  reasons 
lead  us  to  prefer  the  simpler  wares,  in  which  the  flowers  look  often 
quite  as  well  as  in  any  others.  A  mass  of  Edith  Giffbrd  Rose  looks 
very  well  in  a  good  old  silver  bowl,  and  good  china,  silver,  or  bronze 
vases  or  basins  may  be  used  for  choice  positions  or  occasions,  though  it 
will  generally  be  best  not  to  submit  fine  or  fragile  vessels  of  this  kind  to 
the' risks  of  constant  use.  Among  the  finest  things  ever  made  in  the 
shape  of  vases  for  cut  flowers  is  the  old  Japanese  work,  which  is  often 
.as  lovely  in  form  and  as  beautiful  with  true  ornaments  as  anything 
made  by  the  old  Greeks ;  but  the  Japanese,  like  others,  have  taken 
to  "  potboiling "  in  bronze,  and  many  of  the  things  now  seen  at 
sales  in  London  are  coarse  in  workmanship.  It  might  be  worth 
while  to  have  good  and  avowed  reproductions  of  some  of  the 
more  useful  old  forms — the  slender,  uprising  ones  are  so  good  for 
many  tall  flowers ;  Italian  bronze  bowls  are  often  useful  too ; 
and  the  darkness  within  the  bronze  vessels  tends  to  keep  the 
flowers  longer  than  when  they  are  in  glass  vessels  exposed  to  the 
light. 

Japanese  ways  of  arranging  flowers  are  extremely  interesting, 
and  may  sometimes  be  practised  with  advantage  ;  but,  with  a  great 
variety  and  good  shape  of  vessels,  the  Japanese  way  is  not  so 
necessary  as  a  system,  for  the  reason  that,  given  a  variety  of  good 
shapes  and  different  materials,  we  can  place  any  single  flower,  branch, 
•or  bunch  in  a  way  that  it  will  look  well  with  very  slight  effort  and 
dn  very  little  time.  Any  way  involving  much  labour  over  the 

P 


226 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


arrangement  of  flowers  is  not  the  best  for  us  or  for  the  result — far 
from  it. 

Having  got  a  good  and  constant  supply  of  flowers,  and  variety 
of  vessels,   the   question    of  arrangement   is   the   only   serious   one 

that  remains  to  be  thought  of,  and  it  is'not  nearly 

Arranging  flowers  so  difficult  if  we  seek  unity,  harmony,  and  simpli- 

in  vases,  etc.      city  of  effect,  rather  than  the  complexities  which 

we  have  all  seen  at  flower  shows  and  in  "table 
decorations,"  many  of  them  involving  much  wearisome  labour, 
while  a  shoot  of  a  wild  rose  growing  out  of  a  hedge,  or  a  wreath  of 


Lenten     Roses,     February. 

Honeysuckle,  would  put  the  whole  thing  to  shame  from  the  point 
of  view  of  beauty.  In  all  such  matters  laying  down  rules  leads  to 
monotony,  and  yet  there  is  much  to  be  said  for  ways  distinctly 
apart  from  the  old  nosegay  masses  and  the  modern  jumble,  and 
generally  it  is  best  to  show  one  flower  at  a  time,  especially  if  a 
noble  one  like  the  Carnation,  which  varies  finely  in  colour.  The 
baskets  and  basins  of  Carnations  arranged  by  the  late  Lady  Henry 
Grosvenor,  at  Bulwick,  were  lovely  to  see,  and  the  best  of  them 
were  of  one  Carnation  of  good  colour.  These  were  the  flowers  from 
her  fine  collection  of  outdoor  Carnations,  so  useful  for  cutting  in 
summer  and  autumn,  when  people  are  enjoying  their  gardens.  But 
the  improved  culture  of  the  Carnation  as  a  plant  for  winter  and 


THE   FLOWER   GARDEN   IN    THE   HOUSE. 


227 


spring  bloom  under  glass  gives  us  quantities  of  this  precious  flower 
for  six  months  more  when  the  outdoor  supply  is  over.  These  are 
among  the  best  flowers  for  the  dinner  table  as  well  as  the  house 
generally,  and  on  the  dinner  table  the  effect  by  artificial  or  by  natural 
light  of  one  or  two  flowers  of  the  season  is  often  better  than  that 
given  by  a  variety  of  flowers.  What  is  just  said  of  the  Carnation 
applies  to  various  noble  groups  of  hardy  flowers,  such  as  the  Tulip, 
Narcissus,  and  Lily. 


Mexican  Orange-flower. 

It  is  not  only  in  vases  we  see  the  good  of  showing  one  flower  or 
group  at  a  time ;  a  good  result  will  often  come  through  a  single 
spray  or  branch  of  a  shrub.  The  Japanese  have  taught  us  to  see 
the  beauty  of  form  and  line  in  a  single  twig  or  branch,  with  its 
natural  habit  shown,  apart  from  any  beauty  and  form  or  colour 
its  flowers  may  have.  This  is  important,  in  view  of  the  many 
shrubs  that  flower  in  our  climate  in  spring,  and  of  which  if  flower- 
ing shoots  are  cut  when  in  bud  the  flowers  open  slowly  and 
well  in  the  house.  They  are  best  placed  in  Japanese  bronze  or 
other  opaque  jars.  The  taller  Japanese  bronze  jars  with  narrow 
necks  are  very  useful  for  these,  and  it  is  an  excellent  practice  to 


228 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


cut  the  bud-laden  shoots  of  Sloe,  Plum,  Apple,  Crab,  and  like  plants, 
and  put  them  in  jars  to  bloom  in  the  house.  By  this  means  we 
advance  their  blooming  time ;  and,  in  the  case  of  severe  weather, 
the  beauty  of  early  shrubs  may  be  lost  to  us  unless  we  adopt  this 
plan.  We  see  how  well  the  French  practice  of  growing  Lilac  in 
the  dwelling-house  prolongs  the  beauty  of  this  shrub,  and  it  is  not 


Foliage  of  Evergreen  hardy  plant  (Epimedium) 

difficult  to  do  something  of  the  kind  for  the  hardy  shrubs  and  early 
trees  that  come  with  the  Daffodils,  but  are  not  so  well  able  to  brave 
the  climate.  These  shoots  of  early  shrubs  are  also  usually  best 
arranged  each  by  itself,  though  some  go  well  together,  and  graceful 
leaves  of  evergreens  may  be  used  with  them.  One  advantage  of 
dealing  with  one  flower  at  a  time  is  that  we  show  and  do  not 
conceal  the  variety  of  beauty  we  have.  For,  if  all  are  thrown  together, 
that  variety  will  be  much  less  evident  than  if  we  make  clear  the 


THE   FLOWER    GARDEN   IN   THE   HOUSE.  229 

colour  and  form  of  each  kind.  Some  proof  of  this  may  be  seen 
in  the  work  of  the  best  flower-painters.  In  the  work  of  M.  Fantin- 
Latour,  for  example,  his  nosegays  of  many  flowers,  evidently  bought 
at  some  country  market  stand,  are  painted  as  well  as  his  simple 
subjects,  but  these  last  are  far  the  best  pictures.  There  is  such 
a  wide  range  of  plants,  shrubs,  and  woodland  and  hedgerow 
flowers,  that  we  must  not  hesitate  to  depart  from  any  general  idea 
if  it  tends  to  keep  us  from  making  the  best  of  things  in  simple  and 
ready  ways. 

Often  the  water  and  the  water-side  will  give  us  fine  things  for  the 
house,  and   the   new  Water-Lilies  of  rare   distinction  if  cut    in  the 

freshly   expanded    state   will   keep   very  well   for 

Water-Lilies  for    some   days   and   give   us    quite   a   new   order   of 

the  house.        beauty.     For   them    we    want    bold    and    simple 

basins,  as,  if  we  can  put  some  of  their  handsome 
leaves  in  with  them,  the  effect  is  all  the  better.  Although  very 
fine  in  the  open  water,  where  they  do  admirably,  the  effect  of 
the  flower  near  at  hand  in  the  house  is  quite  different  and  very 
beautiful,  and  as  these  plants  increase  their  value  as  cut  flowers  for 
the  house  will  be  found  to  be  great.  There  are  also  plants  of  the 
water-side  which  may  help  with  foliage  or  flower ;  one  of  the  best 
being  the  Forget-me-not,  which  flowers  so  well  in  the  house,  and  the 
great  Buttercup. 

Many  as  are  the   flowers  of  the  open    air  excellent   for   house, 
the   leaves   of  the   open   air  tree  or   shrub   or   plant   are   hardly  of 

less   use  for  the   same  end':    notably  the   foliage 
Leaves.  of   evergreen     shrubs    in    warm    and    sea    coast 

districts,  from  evergreen  Magnolia,  Poet's  Laurel, 
Cypress,  Juniper  and  Thuja,  Cherry  Laurel,  and  Bamboo;  even 
in  the  coldest  districts  we  have  the  evergreen  Barberry,  and  more 
than  fifty  forms  of  the  best  of  all  evergreen  climbers,  the  Ivy, 
and  the  Holly  with  its  scarlet,  yellow,  or  orange  berries.  The  trees 
in  autumn  give  us  leaves  rich  in  colour — Maple,  Medlar,  Mespilus, 
Parrotia,  Tulip-tree,  and  many  others.  The  shrubs  and  climbers, 
too,  help — Bramble,. Wild  Roses,  Water  Elder  (Viburnum),  Common 
Barberry,  with  its  graceful  rain  of  red  berries  ;  Vines  in  many  forms  ; 
hardy  flowers,  too,  help  with  Acanthus,  Alexandrian  Laurel, 
Solomon's  Seal,  Iris,  Plantain  Lily.  Rock  plants  are  rich  in  good 
leaves :  Cyclamen,  Heuchera,  Christmas  and  Lenten  Roses,  the  large 
Indian  Rockfoils  and  the  Barrenworts ;  and  then  there  are  the 
hardy  Ferns  of  our  own  country  and  Europe,  and  also  those  of  North 
America  as  hardy  as  our  own. 

A  great  help  in  a  house  is  a  handy  water  supply  in  a  little  room, 
near  the  flower  garden  or  usual  entrance  for  flowers,  where  vessels 


230 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


may  be  stored  and  flowers  quickly  arranged,  used  water  and 
flowers  got  rid  of,  and  so  planned  that  the  mistress  of  the 
house,  or  whoever  arranges  the  flowers,  may  use  it  at  all  times 
without  other  aid.  This  greatly  helps  in  every  way,  and  makes 
the  arrangement  of  flowers  for  the  house  more  than  ever  a  pleasure. 


The  Chimney  Campanula,  Staunton  Court. 


CHAPTER   XXVII. 

EVERGREEN   TREES  AND   SHRUBS. 

"  Oh  the  oak  and  the  ash  and  the  bonny  ivy  tree, 
They  flourish  at  home  in  my  own  country." — Old  Ballad. 

THE  above  lines  might  be  worth  thinking  of  by  those  bent  on 
planting  evergreens,  as  if  it  were  borne  in  mind  that  the  ever- 
greens we  plant  have  to  face  winters  in  an  Oak  and  Ash  land, 
we  should  have  less  of  rampant  but  not  hardy  evergreens  which 
perish  in  numbers  after  hard  winters. 

There  are  no  background  hues  prettier  than  those  afforded  by  some 
evergreens  like  the  Yew,  Box,  and  Ilex ;  but  their  use  requires 
care ;  we  may  have  too  many  of  them,  and  they  should  not  take 
the  place  of  flowering  shrubs  and  flowers  of  many  kinds.  It  is 
outside  the  flower  garden  that  evergreens  are  most  useful,  and  in  a 
cold  country  like  ours,  especially  on  the  eastern  coasts  and  in  wind- 
swept districts,  Holly  banks  and  hedges  of  other  hardy  evergreens 
are  often  a  necessity.  In  our  country  we  have  the  privilege  of 
growing  more  evergreen  shrubs  and  trees  than  continental  countries, 
species  resisting  winter  here  which  have  not  the  slightest  chance 
of  doing  so  in  Central  Europe. 

Into  our  brown  and  frozen  northern  woods  come  a  few  adventurers 

from  southern  lands  that  do  not  lose  their  green  in  winter  but  take 

a  deeper  verdure — Ivy,  Holly,  and  Yew  enduring 

Native  evergreens,    all  but  the  very  hardest  frosts  that  visit  our  isles, 

some  bright  with  berries  as  well  as  verdure — giving 

welcome  shelter  to  northern  and  wind-swept  gardens,  and  in  our  own 

time  each  varying  into  many  noble  varieties.     These  native  evergreens 

and  their  varieties  are,  and  for  ever  must  be,  the  most  precious  of  all 

for  the  British  Isles. 

When  after  a  very  hard  winter  we  see  the  evergreen  trees  of 
the  garden  in  mourning,  and  many  of  them  dead,  as  happens  to 
Laurels,  Laurustinuses,  and  often  even  the  Bay,  it  is  a  good  time  to 
consider  the  hardiness  and  other  good  qualities  of  our  British  ever- 
greens and  the  many  forms  raised  from  them.  If  we  are  fortunate 
enough  to  have  old  Yew  trees  near  us,  we  do  not  find  that  a  hard 

231 


232  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

winter  makes  much  difference  to  them,  even  winters  that  brown  the 
evergreen  Oak.  We  have  collected  within  the  past  two  hundred  years 
evergreen  trees  from  all  parts  of  the  northern  world,  but  it  is  doubtful 
if  any  of  them  are  better  than  the  common  Yew,  which  when  old  is 
often  picturesque,  and  which  lives  for  over  a  thousand  years.  Of  this 
great  tree  we  have  many  varieties,  but  none  of  them  quite  so  good  as 
the  wild  kind  when  old.  In  the  garden  little  thought  is  given  to  it,, 
and  it  is  crowded  among  shrubs,  or  in  graveyards,  where  the  roots  are 
cut  by  digging,  so  that  one  seldom  sees  it  in  its  true  character  when  old, 
which  is  very  beautiful.  The  Golden  Yew  is  a  variety  of  it,  and  there 
are  other  forms,  one  of  which,  the  Irish  form,  is  well  known,  and  too 
much  used. 

After  the  Yew,  the  best  of  our  evergreen  shrubs  is  the  Holly, 
which  in  no  other  country  attains  the  beauty  it  does  in  our  own; 
certainly  no  evergreen  brought  over  the  sea  is  so 
The  Holly.  valuable  not  only  in  its  native  form,  often  attaining 
40-  ft.  even  on  the  hills,  but  in  the  varieties  raised 
from  it,  many  of  them  being  the  best  of  all  variegated  shrubs  in  their 
silver  and  gold  variegation ;  in  fruit,  too,  it  is  the  most  beautiful  of 
evergreens.  Not  merely  as  a  garden  tree  is  it  precious,  but  as  a  most 
delightful  shelter  around  fields  for  stock  in  paddocks  and  places 
which  want  shelter.  A  big  wreath  of  old  undipped  Holly  on  the 
cold  sides  of  fields  is  the  best  protection,  and  a  grove  of  Holly 
north  of  any  garden  ground  is  the  best  evergreen  we  can  plant  for 
shelter ;  the  only  thing  we  have  to  fear  being  rabbits,  which  when 
numerous  make  Holly  difficult  to  establish  by  barking  the  newly- 
planted  trees,  and  in  hard  winters  even  barking  and  killing  many 
old  trees.  As  to  the  garden,  we  may  make  beautiful  evergreen 
gardens  of  the  forms  of  Holly  alone. 

Notwithstanding  the  many  conifers  brought  from  other  countries 
within  the  past  few  generations,  as  regards  beauty  it  is  very  doubtful 
if  more  than  one  or  two  equal  our  native  Fir.  In  any  case  few  things 
in  our  country  are  more  picturesque  than  old  groups  and  groves  of  the 
Scotch  Fir;  few  indeed  of  the  conifers  we  treasure  from  other 
countries  will  ever  give  us  anything  so  good  as  its  ruddy  stems  and 
frost-proof  crests. 

The  best  of  evergreen  climbers  is  our  native  Ivy,  and  the  many 

beautiful  forms  that  have  arisen  from  it.     This  in  our  woods  arranges 

its  own  beautiful  effects,  but  in  gardens  it  might 

Native  Ivy.        be  made   more   use   of,    and  no   other   evergreen 

climber  comes  near  it  in  value.     The  form  most 

commonly  planted  in  gardens — the  Irish  Ivy — is  not  so  graceful  as 

some  others,  and  there  are  many   forms   varying   even   in   colour. 

These  for  edgings,  banks,  screens  covering  old  trees,  and  summer- 


EVERGREEN    TREES   AND    SHRUBS. 


233 


houses,    might    be    made    far    more    use   of.     In    many    northern 
countries  our   Ivy  will  not  live  in  the  open  air,  and  we  rarely  take 


Evergreen  trees  in  natural  forms  (Cedars :   Gunnersbury). 

enough  advantage  of  such  a  possession  in  making  both  shelters, 
wreaths,  and  screens.  Care  is  required  to  keep  it  off  our  houses 
and  off  cottage  roofs  or  it  will  damage  them ;  but  there  are  many 


234  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

pretty  things  to  make  of  it  away  from  buildings,  and  among  them 
Ivy-clad  and  Ivy-covered  wigwams,  summer-houses,  and  covered 
ways,  the  Ivy  supported  on  a  strong  open  frame-work. 

Box,  which  is  a  true  native  in  certain  dry  hills  in  the  south  of 
England,  is  so  crowded  in  gardens  that  one  seldom  sees  its  beauty 
as  one  may  on  the  hills  full  in  the  sun,  where  the  branches  take  a 
plumy  toss.  To  wander  among  natural  groves  of  Box  is  pleasant, 
and  we  should  plant  it  in  colonies  by  itself  full  in  the  sun,  so 
that  it  might  show  the  same  grace  of  form  that  it  shows  wild 
on  the  chalk  hills.  It  is,  I  think,  the  best  of  our  native  evergreens 
for  garden  use,  making  pretty  low  hedges  as  at  Panshanger, 
and  for  dividing  lines  near  the  flower  garden  it  is  better  than 
Yew  or  Holly. 

Also  among  our  native  evergreens  is  the  common  Juniper,  a 
scrubby  thing  in  some  places,  but  on  heaths  in  Surrey,  and  favoured 
heaths  elsewhere,  often  growing  over  twenty  feet  high  and  very 
picturesque,  especially  where  mingled  with  Holly.  The  upright 
form,  called  the  Irish  Juniper,  in  gardens  is  not  nearly  so  good  as 
the  wild  Juniper. 

The  Arbutus,  which  borders  nearly  all   the  streams  in   Greece, 

ventures  into  Ireland,  and  is  abundant  there  in  certain  parts  in  the 

south.      This   beautiful    shrub,   though    tender   in 

Arbutus.          midland  counties,  is  very  precious  for  the  seashore 

and  mild  districts   not  only  as  an  evergreen,  but 

for  the  beauty  of  its  flowers  and  fruit.      Still,  it  is  the  one  British 

evergreen  which  must  not  be  planted  where  the  winters  are  severe 

in  inland  districts,  and  usually  perishes  on  the  London  clay.     It  is 

the  best  of  our  native  evergreens  that  deserve  the  preference,  instead 

of  the  heavy  Cherry  Laurels  and  various  evergreens  not  even  hardy, 

so  that  after  a  hard  frost  we  often  see  the  suburbs  of  country  towns 

black  with  their  dead. 

One  of  the  most  baneful  things  in  our  gardens  has  been  the 
introduction  of  distorted  and  ugly  conifers  which  often  disfigure  the 
foregrounds  of  beautiful  houses.  These  are  often 
Ugly  evergreen  sports  and  variations  raised  in  modern  days,  as  is 
trees.  the  case  with  the  too  common  Irish  Yew.  It  is 

not  only  that  we  have  to  deplore  the  tender  trees 
of  California,  which  in  their  own  country  are  beautiful,  though, 
unhappily,  not  so  in  ours,  but  it  is  the  mass  of  distorted,  unnatural, 
and  ugly  forms,  the  names  of  which  disfigure  even  the  best  cata- 
logues, that  is  most  confusing  and  dangerous.  In  one  foreign 
catalogue  there  are  no  less  than  twenty-eight  varieties  of  the  Norway 
Spruce,  in  all  sorts  of  dwarf  and  monstrous  shapes — some  of  them, 
indeed,  dignified  with  the  name  monstrosa — not  one  of  which  should 


EVERGREEN    TREES   AND    SHRUBS.  235 

ever  be  seen  in  a  garden.  The  true  beauty  of  the  Pine  comes 
from  its  form  and  dignity,  as  we  see  it  in  old  Firs  that  clothe  the 
hills  of  Scotland,  California,  or  Switzerland.  It  is  not  in  distortion 
or  in  little  green  pincushions  we  must  look  for  the  charm  of  the 
Pine,  but  rather  in  storm-tossed  head  and  often  naked  stems;  and 
hence  all  these  ridiculous  forms  should  be  excluded  from  gardens 
of  any  pretence  to  beauty. 

Another  most  unfortunate  tree  in  this  way,  as  helping  to  fill  out 
gardens  with  graceless  things,  is  the  western  Arbor  vitae  (Thuja 
occidentalis).  This,  which  is  a  very  hardy  tree  but  never  a  dignified 
one,  even  where  it  grows  in  the  north  about  Lake  Superior  and 
through  the  Canadas,  is,  unhappily,  also  hardy  in  our  gardens,  and 
we  may  see  in  one  catalogue  no  less  than  twenty-three  forms  of  this 
tree  all  dignified  with  Latin  names.  There  are  plenty  of  beautiful 
things,  new  and  old,  worthy  of  the  name,  without  filling  our  gardens 
with  such  monstrosities,  many  of  which  are  variegated.  Of  all  ugly 
things,  nothing  is  worse  than  the  variegated  Conifer,  which  usually 
perishes  as  soon  as  its  variegated  parts  die,  the  half  dead  tree  often 
seeming  a  bush  full  of  wisps  of  hay. 

In  many  once  well-planted  pleasure  grounds  the  Pontic  Rhodo- 
dendron almost  runs  over  and  destroys  every  other  shrub,  and 
hides  out  the  most  beautiful  tree  effects,  growing 
Evergreen  weeds,  often  a  little  above  the  line  of  sight.  Even  where 
people  have  taken  the  greatest  trouble  to  plant  a 
good  collection  of  trees,  the  monotony  of  it,  always  the  same  in 
colour,  winter  or  summer,  except  when  dashed  by  its  ill-coloured 
flowers,  is  depressing.  The  walk  from  the  ruins  at  Cowdray  to  the 
new  house  is  .an  example  that  might  be  mentioned  amongst  a 
thousand  others  of  a  noble  bank  of  trees,  varied  and  full  of  beauty, 
but,  in  consequence  of  this  shrub  spreading  beneath  them  all  along 
the  walk,  showing  nothing  but  a  dank  wall  of  evergreen.  This 
ugliness  and  monotony  come  about  through  the  use  of  the  Pontic 
as  a  covert  plant,  and  also  owing  to  its  facility  of  growth  the  beauti- 
ful sorts  of  Rhododendron  being  usually  grafted  on  it.  In  a  garden 
where  there  are  men  to  look  after  plants  so  grafted  and  pull  away 
the  suckers,  this  plan  may  do,  but  when  planting  is  done  in  a  bold 
way  about  woods,  or  even  pleasure  grounds,  this  is  not  nor  can  it 
always  be  attended  to,  so  that  the  suckers  come  up  and  in  time 
destroy  the  valuable  sorts.  The  final  result  is  never  half  so  pretty 
as  in  the  most  ill-kept  natural  wood,  with  Bracken  and  Brier  in  fine 
colour  and  some  little  variety  of  form  below  the  trees  ;  therefore 
everybody  who  cares  for  the  beauty  of  undergrowth  should  cease 
this  covering  of  the  ground  with  this  poor  shrub,  not  so  hardy  as  the 
splendid  kinds  of  American  origin  often  grafted  on  it  to  die.  With 


236  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

the  Cherry  Laurel  and  the  Portugal  Laurel  it  is  the  main  cause  of  the 
monotony  and  cheerless  air  of  so  many  pleasure  grounds. 

The  nurseryman  who  grows  rare  trees  or  shrubs  very  often  finds 
them  left  on  his  hands,  so  that  many  nurseries  only  grow  a  few 
stereotyped  things,  mainly  those  that  grow  freely,  and,  owing 
to  the  over-use  of  weed-evergreens  like  Privet,  are  without  beauty, 
and  offensive  in  odour  when  in  flower.  The  presence  of  such 
things  is  one  of  the  causes  of  the  miserable  aspect  of  the  shrub- 
beries in  many  gardens,  which  might  be  very  beautiful  and 
interesting  with  a  varied  life.  Many  shrubs  of  little  or  no  beauty 
in  themselves  very  often  destroy  by  their  vigour  the  rare  and 
beautiful  garden  vegetation,  so  that  we  have  not  only  the  ugliness 
of  a  brake  of  Laurel,  or  half-evergreen  Privet,  or  Pontic  Rhododen- 
dron to  survey,  but  often  the  fact  that  these  shrubs  have  overrun  and 
killed  far  more  precious  things.  And  this  nursery  rubbish  having 
killed  every  good  thing  begins  to  eat  up  itself,  and  hence  we  see  so 
many  shrubberies  worn  out. 

It  is  not  only  the  ill-effect  of  these  all-devouring  evergreens  we 
have  to  consider,  but  that  they  shut  out  the  evergreen  flowering 
shrubs  and  trees  of  the  highest  beauty  of  colour 
The  nobler  ever-  as  we^  as  °f  foliage,  and  the  many  hardy 
green  flowering  Rhododendrons  of  finest  colour.  If  we  would 
shrubs.  only  cease  to  graft  them,  and  instead  get  them 

from  layers  on  their  own  roots,  we  should  not  be 
overcrowded  with  the  R.  ponticum  of  the  present  system.  They 
are  not  only  hardy,  in  the  sense  that  many  of  our  popular  evergreens 
are  hardy  in  favoured  districts  or  by  the  sea,  so  kind  as  it  is  to 
evergreens,  but  they  are  hardy  everywhere  in  England.  I  mean 
the  many  broad-leaved  Rhododendrons  which  have  mostly  come 
to  us  from  the  wild  American  species,  and  are  hardy  in  North 
and  Eastern  America.  Apart  from  the  use  of  such  things,  by  care- 
fully selecting  their  colours  we  may  have  not  merely  an  evergreen 
background  of  fine  and  varied  green,  but  also  the  most  precious 
flowering  shrubs  ever  raised  by  man  and  in  their  natural  forms, 
often  varying  in  fine  colour  and  form  too,  if  we  will  only  cease 
to  compel  them  to  live  on  one  mean  and  too  vigorous  shrub. 

As  to  the  kinds  of  Rhododendron  that  are  raised  from  the  Pontic 
kind,  or  even  from  the  Indian  Rhododendrons,  so  far  as  tried  they 
are  not  in  any  way  so  good  as  the  varieties  raised  from  the  North 
American  kinds,  which  have  the  fine  constitution  of  R.  Catawbiense 
in  them,  and  of  which  many  are  hardy  not  merely  in  Old  England 
but  in  the  much  more  severe  winters  of  New  England.  Apart  from 
plants  of  these  kinds  from  layers  we  may  also  have  them  as  seed- 
lings, though  the  named  kinds  from  layers  give  us  the  means  of  group- 


EVERGREEN   TREES  AND   SHRUBS.  237 

ing  a  finely  coloured  kind  which  may  often  be  desirable.  It  is  also 
very  probable  that  we  shall,  as  various  regions  of  the  northern  world 
are  opened  up,  introduce  to  cultivation  other  fine  wild  species,  and  get 
precious  races  from  them,  so  for  many  reasons  the  sooner  we  get  out 
of  the  common  routine  of  the  nurseries  in  grafting  every  fine  kind  we 
already  have  on  R.  ponticum,  the  better.  And  if  this  plan  be  wrong 
with  the  varieties,  what  are  we  to  say  to  grafting  any  of  the  fine  wild 
species  that  come  to  us  on  the  same  Pontic  kind  kept  in  every  nursery 
for  the  purpose  ?  For  however  vigorous  the  growth  at  first,  the  stock 
is  sure  to  get  its  head  in  the  end,  and  then  good-bye  to  the  precious 
natural  species  it  has  borne — for  no  sound  reason. 

Apart   from   trees   of  poor    forms,    there   are   others   which   are 
stately  in  their  own  country  but  a  doubtful  gain  to  ours,  like  the 

Wellingtonia    and    other    Californian    trees    and 

Greater  evergreen  the    Chili    Pine.     Sometimes  the  foregrounds   of 

trees.  even   fine  old  houses  are  marred   by  such  trees, 

and  unfortunately  people  use  them  in  the  idea 
that  they  are  by  their  use  doing  something  old-fashioned  and 
"  Elizabethan,"  whereas  they  are  marring  the  beauty  of  the  land- 
scape and  of  our  native  trees,  often  so  fine,  beyond  the  bounds  of 
the  garden.  We  ought  not  to  spoil  the  beauty  of  our  home 
landscapes  by  using  such  things,  which  are  so  abundant  in  many 
places  that  the  nobler  exotic  evergreen  trees  like  the  evergreen 
Oak  are  forgotten.  This  European  tree  from  Holkham  in  Norfolk 
to  the  west  of  England  and  in  many  gardens  round  the  coasts 
of  our  islands,  is  a  great  evergreen  tree  and  a  fine  background 
and  shelter. 

This  is   perhaps   the  finest  evergreen  tree  ever  brought  to  our 
country  and  as  hardy  as  our  own  trees.     If  we  use  evergreen  trees 

they  ought  to  be  the  noblest  and  hardiest.     The 
Cedar  of  Lebanon,  loss  of  this  tree  by  storms  could  not  happen  to 

anything  like  the  same  extent  if  people  went  on 
planting  young  trees.  The  many  catalogues  issued,  help  towards 
the  neglect  of  the  really  precious  trees  by  bringing  out  novelties 
from  all  parts  of  the  world — absolutely  unproved  trees  ;  whilst  the 
planting  of  such  grand  trees  as  the  Cedar  of  Lebanon  and  the  Ilex 
of  Europe  are  often  forgotten.  A  mistake  made  in  Cedar  planting  is 
that  of  only  planting  isolated  trees  with  great  branches  on  all 
sides,  an  enormous  surface  exposed  to  strong  wind.  In  their  own 
country,  where  Cedars  are  naturally  massed  together,  although  the 
gales  are  severe,  the  trees  are  not  destroyed  by  wind  in  anything 
like  the  same  degree.  The  Cedar  of  Lebanon  is  beautiful  in  the 
"  specimen  "  way,  but  it  is  at  least  equally  beautiful  massed  in  groups. 
In  their  own  countries,  in  addition  to  being  massed  and  grouped 


238  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

together,  the  soil  is  often  stony  and  rocky,  the  growth  is  slower, 
and  the  trees  take  a  firmer  hold,  whereas  in  our  river  valleys,  where 
the  Lebanon  Cedar  is  often  planted  in  an  isolated  way,  the  growth 
is  softer  and  the  resistance  to  wind  less,  and  a  more  artistic  and 
natural  way  of  planting  would  lessen  the  accidents  to  which  this 
noblest  of  evergreen  trees  is  exposed. 

Few  countries  are  so  rich  in  the  means  of  shelter  as  our  own, 
owing  to  the  evergreens  that  grow  freely  with  us  and  thrive  in 

seashore  and   wind-swept  districts.     Shelter  may 

Shelter  and  wind  be  near  flower-beds  and  distant  or  wind-breaks,. 

screens.          across  the  line  of  prevailing  winds,  and  the  north 

and  east  winds,  and  may  be  of  Yew,  Holly, 
Cedar  of  Lebanon  (never  Deodar),  native  Fir,  a  few  other  hardy 
Firs,  and  the  Ilex. 

In  old  times  shelter  was  often  obtained  from  clipped  hedges  of 
Yews  and  Limes,  but  the  fine  evergreen  shrubs  we  now  possess  make 
it  more  easy  and  effective  to  use  naturally  grown  shrubs  ;  these  soften 
the  wind  better  than  clipped  lines,  while  often  themselves  beautiful 
in  leaf  and  bloom.  There  is,  indeed,  in  gardens  the  danger  of  planting 
too  densely  at  first,  so  that  after  some  years  the  place  becomes  dank 
and  the  very  house  itself  is  made  cheerless.  The  pretty  young  conifers 
planted  are  not  thought  of  as  forest  trees,  and  parts  which  should  be 
in  the  sun  are  gradually  overshadowed — a  great  mistake  in  a  climate 
like  ours. 

Among  the  kinds  of  shelter,  walls,  thickly  clad  with  climbers, 
evergreens  and  others,  are  often  the  best  for  close  garden  work, 
because  they  do  not  rob  the  ground,  as  almost  any  evergreen  tree 
will ;  and  in  doing  their  work,  they  themselves  may  bear  many  of 
our  most  beautiful  flowers.  Half-hardy  evergreens,  like  the  common 
Cherry  Laurel  and  Portugal  Laurel,  should  never  be  planted  to 
shelter  the  garden,  because  they  may  get  cut  down  in  hard  winters. 
Happily,  even  in  the  most  exposed  places,  a  good  many  hardy 
flowers  may  be  grown  with  success,  such  as  Carnations,  Pinks,  and 
many  rock  plants  which  lie  close  to  the  ground,  and  are  therefore 
little  exposed  to  wind,  and  thrive  in  exposed  places  where  soil  and 
cultivation  are  not  against  them.  English  gardens  are  often  well 
sheltered  by  the  house  itself  and  by  old  walls  and  enclosures,  so 
that  in  old  gardens  it  is  easy  to  secure  shelter  for  plants. 

Some  are  doubtful  of  planting  near  the  sea,  considering  the  bleak 
look  of  things  and  the  cutting  winds.  Yet  even  in  places  where  the 

few  trees  that  are  planted  are  cut  sharp  off  by  the 

Planting  near  the  sea  wind  above  the  walls,  as  in  Anglesea,  we  may 

sea.  see  how  soon  good  planting  will  get  over  difficulties 

that  seem  insurmountable.     By  the  use  near  the 


EVERGREEN   TREES   AND    SHRUBS.  239 

sea  of  small-leaved  trees  like  the  Tamarisks,  Sea  Buckthorn,  and 
small  Willows,  we  very  soon  get  a  bit  of  shelter,  and  by  backing 
these  with  the  close-growing  conifers  like  our  common  Juniper 
and  some  of  the  sea-loving  Pines,  like  Pinaster,  and  in  mild  southern 
and  western  districts  the  Californian  Cypress  and  the  Monterey  Pine, 
we  soon  get  shelter  and  companionship  for  our  trees,  and  fifty  yards 
away  we  may  soon  walk  in  woods  as  stately  as  in  any  part  of  the 
country.  Having  got  our  shelter  in  this  way  the  growth  of  the 
hardy  Pines  of  the  northern  world  seems  as  easy  by  the  sea  as 
anywhere  ;  indeed,  more  so,  because  if  there  is  any  one  place  where 
the  rather  tender  Pines  are  grown  well  it  is  near  the  sea  in  places 
around  our  coast,  where  if  the  soil  is  good,  one  has  not  to  be  so 
careful  about  the  hardiness  of  trees  we  select  as  we  have  to  be 
in  inland  places. 

The  Evergreen  Oak  takes  a  lead  among  the  trees  near  the  sea, 
and  it  ought  to  be  largely  used  ;  but  as  it  is  not  very  easily  trans- 
planted  from   nursery-bought  plants,  it  is  just  as 
The  Ilex.          well  to  raise  it  on  the  place  and  plant  it  young. 
Seed   may   be   scattered  with  some  advantage  in 
places  we  wish  it  to  grow  in,  as  it  grows  freely  from  seed. 

The  Evergreen  Oak  withstood  the  great  gales  of  1897  *n  the 
south  and  west  of  England  better  than  any  other  tree.  At  Killerton 
and  Knightshayes,  and  many  other  places  where  the  destruction 
was  greatest,  the  Evergreen  Oak  was  not  among  the  many  victims. 
It  is  a  precious  tree  for  the  south  and  west  and  all  seashore  districts, 
and  should  never  be  forgotten  among  the  crowd  of  novelties.  As 
with  so  many  trees,  it  suffers  from  indiscriminate  planting  with  other 
and  sometimes  coarser  things,  and  is  rarely  grouped  in  any  effective 
way,  although  here  and  there,  as  at  Ham  House,  at  Killerton,  and 
at  St  Ann's,  we  may  see  the  effect  of  holding  this  tree  together. 

In  addition  to  the  common  evergreen  trees  of  Europe,  Scotch  Fir, 

Spruce  and  Silver  Firs,  we  have  the  noble  Corsican  Pine,  which,  from 

its  habitat  in  Calabria  and   in  Corsica,  can  have 

The  Pines.        no  objection  to  the  sea.     The  Pines  of  the  Pacific 

coast,  too,  are  well  used  to  its  influences,  and  we  see 

in  our  country  good  results  from  planting  them  near  the  sea,  as,  for 

example,  Menzies'  Spruce   at    Hunstanton,   the   Monterey   Pine   at 

Bicton,  the  Redwood  in  many  places  near  the  sea.     One  good  result 

of  planting  in  such  places  is  that  we  may  use  so  many  evergreen 

trees,  from  the  Holly  to  the  Cedar,  and  so  get  a  certain  amount  of 

warmth  as  well  as  shelter. 

Though  our  country  generally  is  not  perhaps  fitted  for  the  growth 
of  the  Cork  Oak,  a  fine  evergreen  tree,  it  is  here  and  there  seen  in 
southern  and  sheltered  parts  on  warm  soils,  as  in  certain  parts  of 


240 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


Devonshire  and  on  the  warm  side  of  the  Sussex  Downs,  even  in  good 
condition.  Of  this  fact  we  have  an  example  in  the  Cork  Oaks  at 
Goodwood,  all  that  could  be  desired  in  health  and  beauty.  This  Oak 
naturally  inhabits  the  southern  parts  of  Europe  and  the  northern 
parts  of  Africa,  and  it  is  interesting  to  see  that  it  can  attain  the  size 
of  a  stately  tree  in  our  own  country  in  some  favoured  places,  but 
the  Evergreen  Oak  for  our  islands  is  the  Ilex  and  its  various 
forms. 

Some  Genera  of  Evergreen  Trees  and  Shrubs  Hardy  in  the  British  Isles.1 


Abies 

Aralia 

Araucaria 

*Arbutus 

Arundinaria 

Aucuba 

Azara 

Bambusa 

*Benthamia 

Berberis 

Buxus 

Camellia 

Cedrus 

Chamcerops 

Choisya 


*Cistus 
Cotoneaster 

Euonymus 
*Fabiana 

Cratcegus 

Garrya 

Cryptomeria 

Gaultheria 

Cupressus 

Hedera 

Daphne 

Ilex 

Daphniphyllum 
*Desfontainea 

Juniperus 
Kalmia 

Diplopappus 

Laurus 

Eloeagnus 

Ledum 

*Embothrium 

Leiophyllum 

Ephedra 

Leucothoe 

Erica 

Libocedrus 

*Escallonia 

Ligustrum 

Magnolia 

Myrica 

Olearia 

Osmanthus 

Pernettya 

Phillyrea 

Phlomis 

Phyllostachys 

Pieris 

Pinus 

Quercus 

Kaphiolepis 

Retinospora 

Rhamnus 


Rhododendron 

Rosmarinus 

Ruscus 

Sequoia 

Skimmia 

Smilax 

Taxus 

Thuja 

Thujopsis 

Ulex 

Veronica 

Viburnum 

Vinca 

Yucca 


1  Some  of  those  marked  *  are  hardy  only  in  seashore  districts  or  warm  soils,  and  in  some  genera  named 
few  species  are  evergreen. 


Juniper  showing  natural  growth. 


CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

"  Vous  travaillez  pour  ainsi  dire  a  cote  de  Dieu,  vous  netes  que  les 
collaborateurs  de  la  lot  divine  de  la  vegetation.  Dieu,  dans  ses  ceuvres 
inimitable,  ne  se  prete  pas  a  nos  chimeres ;  la  nature  n'a  pas  de  com- 
plaisance pour  nos  faux  systemes.  Elle  est  souveraine,  absolue  comme 
son  Auteur.  Elle  resiste  a  nos  tentatives  folles ;  elle  dejoue,  et 
quelquefois  rudement,  nos  illusions.  Elle  nous  seconde,  elle  nous  aide, 
elle  nous  recompense,  si  nous  touchons  juste  et  si  nous  travaillons 
dans  son  sens  vrai ;  mais  si  nous  nous  trompons,  si  nous  voulons 
la  violenter^  la  contraindre,  la  fausser,  elle  nous  donne  a  f  instant 
meme  des  dementis  eclatants  en  faits  par  la  sterilite,  par  le 
deperissement,  par  la  mort  de  tout  ce  que  nous  avons  voulu  creer 
en  depit  delle  et  a  ^inverse  de  ses  lots." — LAMARTINE,  DlSCOURS 
AUX  JARDINIERS. 

CLIPPING   EVERGREEN    AND   OTHER   TREES. 

THE   Yew   in   its   natural  form  is  the  most  beautiful  evergreen  of 
our  western  world — finer  than  the  Cedar  in  its  feathery  branching, 
and  more  beautiful  than  any  Cedar  in  the  colour  of  its  stem.      In 
our  own  day  we  see  trees    of  the  same  great   order   as  the   Yew 
gathered    from   a  thousand    hills — from    British    Columbia,  through 
North  America  and  Europe  to  the  Atlas  Mountains,  and  not  one  of 
them  has  yet  proved  to  be  so  beautiful  as  our  native  Yew   when 
undipped    root    or    branch.      But   in    gardens    the    quest    for    the 
exotic   is   so  active   that  few  give  a  fair  chance  to  the  Yew  as  a 
tree,  while   in   graveyards,  where    it    is    so   often    seen    in    a    very- 
old  state,  the  cutting  of  the   roots  hurts  the  growth,  though  there 
are  Yews   in   our  churchyards  that  have  seen  a  thousand   winters. 
It  is  not  my  own  idea  only  that   I  urge  here,  but  that  of  all  who 
have  ever  thought  of  the  beauty  of  trees,  foremost   among  whom 
we  must  place  artists  who  have  the  happiness  of  always  drawing 
natural  forms.      Let  any  one  stand  near  the  Cedar-like  Yews  by 
the    Pilgrim's    Way   on    the    North    Downs,   and,   comparing   them 
with  trees  cut  into   fantastic  shapes,  consider  what  the   difference 
means  to  the  artist  who  seeks  beauty  of  tree  form ! 

What  right  have  we  to  deform   things  so  lovely  in  form?     No 
cramming  of  Chinese  feet  into  impossible  shoes  is   half  so  foolish 

24I  Q 


242  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

as  the  wilful  and  brutal  distortion  of  the  beautiful  forms  of  trees. 
The  cost  of  this  mutilation  alone  is  one  reason  against  it,  as  we 
see  where  miles  of  trees  cut  into  walls  have  to  be  clipped,  as  at 
Versailles  and  Schonbrunn.  This  shearing  is  a  mere  "  survival " 
of  the  day  when  we  had  very  few  trees,  and  they  were  clipped  to 
fit  the  crude  notion  of  "  garden  design "  of  the  day.  The  fact 
that  men  when  they  had  few  trees  made  them  into  walls  to  make 
them  serve  their  ways  of  "  design "  is  no  reason  why  we,  rich  in 
the  trees  of  all  the  hills  of  the  north,  should  go  on  mutilating 
them. 

While  it  may  be  right  to  clip  a  tree  to  form  a  dividing-line  or 

hedge,  it  is  never  so  to  clip  trees  grown  for  their  own  sakes,  as  by 

shaving  such  we  only  get  ugly,  unnatural  forms. 

Unnatural  forms.  Men  who  trim  with  shears  or  knife  so  fine  a  tree 

as   the    Holly  are  dead   to   beauty  of  form    and 

cannot  surely  have  seen  how  fine  in  form  old  Holly  trees  are.     To 

give  us  such  ugly  forms  in  gardens  is  to  show  one's  self  callous  to 

beauty  of  tree  form,  and  to  prove  that  one  cannot  even  see  ugliness. 

The  Cherry  Laurel  in  its  natural  shape  in  the  woods  is  often  fine 

in  form  ;  but  it  is  planted  everywhere  in  gardens  without  thought  of 

its  fitness  for  each  place,  and  as  it  grows  apace,  the  shears  are  called 

in,  and  its  shoots   are   cut   into  ugly  banks  and    formless    masses. 

There  is  no  place  in  which  it  is  clipped  for  which  we  could  not  get 

shrubs  of  the  desired  size  that  would  not  need  the  shears. 

In  the  old  gardens,  when  people  had  very  few  evergreens,  or 
where  they  wanted  an  object  of  a  certain  height,  they  had  to  clip. 
It  is  well  to  preserve  such  gardens,  but  never  to  imitate  them.  If  we 
want  shelter,  we  can  get  it  in  various  pleasant  ways  without  clipping, 
and,  while  getting  it,  we  can  enjoy  the  natural  forms  of  the  ever- 
greens. Hedges  and  wall-like  lines  of  green  living  things  are  useful, 
and  even  may  be  artistically  used.  Occasionally  we  find  clipped 
arches  and  bowers  pretty,  and  these,  when  very  old,  are  worth  keep- 
ing. Besides,  there  is  much  difference  between  evergreen  archways 
or  bowers,  hedges,  and  shelters,  and  the  fantastic  clipping  of  living 
trees  into  the  shapes  of  bird  or  beast  or  coffee-pot. 

Now  and  then  we  see  attempts  on  the  part  of  those  with  more 
knowledge  of  some  half-mechanical  grade  of  decorative  "  design " 
than  of  beautiful  form  to  galvanise  the  corpse  of  the  topiary  art. 
Such  an  idea  would  not  occur  to  any  one  knowing  the  many  beautiful 
things  now  within  our  reach,  nor  to  any  landscape-painter  who  studies 
beautiful  forms  of  earth  or  trees  or  flowers,  nor  to  any  lover  of  Nature  in 
tree  or  flower.  Sometimes  these  puerilities  are  set  into  book  form. 
For  one  author  there  is  no  art  in  gardening,  but  cutting  a  tree  into 
the  shape  of  a  cocked  hat  is  "  art,"  and  he  says  : — 


CLIPPING   EVERGREEN   AND   OTHER    TREES.  243 

I  have  no  more  scruple  in  using  the  scissors  upon  tree  or  shrub,  where  trim- 
ness  is  desirable,  than  I  have  in  mowing  the  turf  of  the  lawn  that  once  represented 
a  virgin  world  .  .  .  and  in  the  formal  part  of  the  garden  my  Yews  should  take  the 
shape  of  pyramids,  or  peacocks,  or  cocked  hats,  or  ramping  lions  in  Lincoln  green, 
or  any  other  conceit  I  had  a  mind  to,  which  vegetable  sculpture  can  take. 

After  reading  this    I   thought   of  some  of  the    true   "  vegetable 

sculpture "  that  I  had  seen  ;    Reed   and   Lily,  models   in   stem   and 

leaf;    the    Grey    Willows    of    Britain    as    lovely 

"  Vegetable  against  our  British  skies  as  Olives  are  in  the 
sculpture."  south  ;  many-columned  Oak  groves  set  in  seas  of 
Primroses,  Cuckoo  flowers,  and  Violets ;  Silver 
Birch  woods  of  Northern  Europe  beyond  all  grace  possible  in  stone  ; 
the  eternal  garland  of  beauty  that  one  kind  of  Palm  waves  for 
hundreds  of  miles  throughout  the  land  of  Egypt — a  vein  of  summer 
in  a  lifeless  world  ;  the  noble  Pine  woods-  of  California  and  Oregon, 
like  fleets  of  colossal  masts  on  mountain  waves — these  and  many 
other  lovely  forms  in. garden  and  wood,  and  then  wondered  that 
any  one  could  be  so  blind  to  the  beauty  of  the  natural  forms  of 
plants  and  trees  as  to  write  as  this  author  does. 

From  the  days  of  the  Greeks  to  our  own  time,  the  delight  of  all 
great  artists  has  been  to  get  as  near  this  divine  beauty  as  what 
they  work  in  permits.  But  this  deplorable  vegetable  sculptors  delight 
is  in  distorting  beautiful  forms  ;  and  this  in  the  one  art  in  which 
we  have  the  happiness  of  possessing  the  living  things  themselves, 
and  not  merely  representations  of  them.  The  old  people  from  whom 
he  takes  his  ideas  were  not  so  foolish,  as  when  the  Yew  was  used  as  a 
hedge  or  was  put  at  a  garden  gate  it  was  necessary  to  clip  it  to  keep 
it  in  bounds.  Apart  from  the  ugliness  of  the  cocked-hat  tree,  or  other 
pantomimic  trees  the  want  of  life  and  change  in  a  garden  made  up 
of  such  trees  should  open  the  eyes  of  any  one  to  its  drawbacks, 
as  in  it  there  is  none  of  the  joy  of  spring,  or  summer's  crown  of 
flowers,  or  winter's  rest. 

In    old   days,  whether  in   a   manor   house  or  castle  garden,  the 

use  of  Yew   hedges   had   some  clear  motive   of  shelter  or  division, 

or  clothing  against  massive  walls  as  at  Berkeley, 

Abuse  of  Yew     or   at    a   cottage   door   as   a   living   shelter.     But 

hedges.  when   we  use  Yew  hedges  from  the  mere  desire 

for  them,  and  without  much  thought  of  the  ground 

or  other  reasons,  we  may  find    ourselves   in   trouble.     At  a   place 

where  Roses  were  earnestly  sought,  the  Rose  borders  were  backed 

up  close  by  Yew   hedges ;   the   Yews  were   not   very   troublesome 

the   first  year  or  two,  but,   as   they   grew,   they   became  merciless 

robbers.     There  are  many  ways  of  growing  Roses,  but  it  would  be 

difficult  to  invent  any  worse  way  than  this,  which  leaves  the  gardener 


244  THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER    GARDEN. 

always  "  between  the  devil  and  the  deep  sea,"  trying  to  keep  back 
the  hungry  Yew  roots  all  the  while,  it  being  quite  easy  to  secure  a 
background  which,  instead  of  eating  up  the  Roses,  would  support 
and  shelter  them  beautifully,  walls,  Oak  palings,  other  trellises,  or 
espaliers  of  bushy  climbers,  like  Honeysuckle  and  Clematis. 

Another  bad  way  is  to  place  lines  of  Yew  hedges  so  close  together 
that  the  sun  can  hardly  sweeten  the  ground  between  them,  this  being 
generally  the  result  of  carrying  out  some  book  plan,  without  thought 
of  the  ground  or  its  use.  More  stupid  still  is  cutting  up  level  lawns 
with  Yew  hedges  across  them,  or  sometimes  projected  into  them  a 
little  way,  with  flower-beds  in  between,  within  a  couple  of  feet  of  the 
all-devouring  Yew,  all  this  very  costly  Yew  planting  working  for 
ugliness,  and  against  the  health,  and  even  life,  of  all  the  flowers 
near. 

It  is  not  only  the  needs  of  our  own  greatly  increased  garden  flora 
— new  races  of  plants  never  known  to  the  old  people,  such  as  our  Tea 
Roses  and  the  rich  collections  of  shrubs  from  Japan  and  other 
countries,  that  will  not  bear  mutilation  or  robbing  at  the  root — that 
should  make  us  pause,  as,  even  in  what  remains  to  us  of  old  flower 
gardens  on  ancient  tapestries  and  pictures,  we  may  see  some 
evidence  that  the  lady  had  room  in  her  flower  garden  to  look 
around  and  work  among  her  flowers,  unencumbered  by  a  maze  of 
robbing  hedges.  Some,  perhaps,  of  these  close  lines  of  Yews,  set 
with  such  little  thought,  owe  their  origin  to  the  maze  idea  ;  but  the 
maze  was  for  a  wholly  different  end,  and  in  it  we  have  only  to  grow 
its  trees  and  the  paths  are  free  for  the  roots.  In  the  Rose  and  flower 
garden  the  cost  and  care  to  get  an  artistic  and  beautiful  result  are  too 
heavy  to  have  them  eaten  up  before  our  eyes  by  the  hungriest  of 
tree  roots. 

A  gardener  with  shears  in  his  hand  is  generally  doing  fool's  work, 

but  there  is  much  difference  between  his  clipping  old  or  sheltering 

lines  of  Yews,  or  even  the  peacocks  in  Box,  and 

Clipped  evergreen  tne  clipping  which  goes  on  in  some  gardens  where 

shrubs.  beds  are  filled  with  small  evergreen  bushes  instead 

of  flowers.     Some  effect  may  be  obtained  in  a  way, 

but  the  bushes  usually  get  far  too  thick,  and  then  the  shears  are  used 

to  keep  them  in  bounds,  and  what  ought  to  be  graceful  groups  of 

flowers  or  shrubs  of  good  form  becomes  flat,  hard,  and  ugly.     The 

clipping  may  have  been  designed  at  first,  but  oftener  it  is  done  to 

repress  overgrowth.      A  more  stupid   way  of  filling  the  beds  of  a 

flower   gardqn  could   hardly  be  imagined,  because  we  lose  all   the 

grace  and  form  of  the  shrubs,  and  also  the  chance  of  seeing  flowers 

growing  among  them.      It  is  one  of  the  prettiest  phases  of  flower 

gardening  when    Lilies,  Gladioli,  and   other  graceful   plants  spring 


CLIPPING   EVERGREEN   AND   OTHER    TREES.  2^5 

from  groups  of  choice  evergreens.  The  end  of  all  this  laborious 
mutilation  is  to  cause  disease  and  overcrowding,  and  the  best  thing 
is  to  clear  the  deformed  things  away  and  plant  in  more  natural  ways. 
If  we  want  flower-beds,  let  us  have  them  ;  by  doing  so  we  can  have 
varied  life  for  more  than  half  the  year.  If  we  want  beds  of  choice  ever- 
greens we  can  have  them  without  destroying  their  forms  by  the  shears. 

Recently  magazines  and  illustrated  journals,  in  the  great  chase 

after  subjects,  have  dealt  with  the  clipped  gardens  of  England,  and 

some  of  the  most  ridiculous  work  ever  perpetrated 

Disfigurement  of    in  this  way  has  been  chosen  for  illustration.     Of 

forest  trees.  English  counties,  Derbyshire  is  the  most  notorious 
for  examples  of  disfigured  trees.  The  Dutch,  who 
painted  like  nature,  and  built  like  sane  men,  left  their  plantations 
to  the  shears,  but  they  always  cut  to  lines  or  had  some  kind  of  plan, 
judging  from  their  old  engraved  books.  British  clipping  has  one 
phase  which  has  no  relation  to  any  plan,  and  in  so  far  exceeds  in 
extravagance  the  methods  of  the  Dutch,  Austrian,  and  French,  and 
that  is  the  clipping  single,  and  often  forest,  trees  into  the  shape  of 
green  bolsters.  A  false  idea  runs  through  all  growers  of  trees  of  the 
Pine  tribe,  the  most  frequent  victims  of  the  practice,  that  these  trees 
should  be  kept  in  a  conical  shape,  the  truth  being  that  all  the  Pine 
trees  in  the  world  in  their  state  of  highest  beauty  lose  their  lower 
branches,  and  show  the  beauty  of  their  stem  and  form  when  growing 
in  their  natural  way.  With  a  few  exceptions,  it  is  the  way  of  these 
trees  to  shed  their  lower  branches  as  other  trees  shed  their  leaves. 
In  countries  where  Pines  often  stand  alone,  as  on  the  foothills  of 
California,  I  have  seen  them  with  100  feet  or  more  of  clean  stem. 

We  are  told  that  Elvaston  is  not  remarkable  for  natural  beauty, 
and  that  the  grounds  there  are  so  flat  that  landscape-gardeners,  in 
despair  of  any  other  planting,  are  compelled  to  have  recourse  to 
topiary  work  ;  that  "  even  that  man  of  fame,  '  Capability '  Brown, 
seems  to  have  shrunk  from  the  work  of  laying  out  the  grounds. 
Whereupon  the  earl  demanded  his  reason,  and  Brown  replied, 
*  Because  the  place  is  so  flat,'  &c." 

Now  level  ground  has  a  great  deal  in  it  that  is  favourable  to  artistic 
ways  of  planting.  With  such  ground  we  may  more  easily  secure 
breadth,  simplicity,  and  dignity,  get  dividing  lines  in  the  easiest  way, 
richer  soil  and  finer  and  more  stately  growth  and  nobler  shelter. 
Many  of  the  most  beautiful  gardens  of  Europe  are  on  level  ground, 
as  Laxenberg  in  Vienna,  the  English  garden  in  Munich,  not  to  speak 
of  many  in  our  own  river  valleys  and  in  counties  like  Lincolnshire. 
What  would  be  said  of  planting  in  all  the  flat  countries  of  Northern 
Europe  if  the  assertion  were  true  that  we  cannot  make  level  ground 
beautiful  by  planting  in  natural  ways,  to  say  nothing  of  the  absurdity 


246  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

of  assuming  that  the  only  way  out  of  the  difficulty  is  in  the  stupid 
disfigurement  of  trees  ? 

First  of  all  is  the  loss  of  tree  form — a  wonderful  and  beautiful 
gift,  so   beautiful,  indeed,  that   the  marvel    is   that  we  should  have 

to  allude  to  it  at  all,  as  in  nearly  every  parish  in 
Loss  of  form.      England  one  has  only  to  walk  one  hundred  yards 

or  so  to  come  face  to  face  with  fine  examples  of 
good  tree  form.  There  is  more  strength  and  beauty  of  line  in  many 
an  Ash  tree  by  a  farmhouse  yard  than  in  all  the  clipped  trees  in 
Britain.  Some  protest  against  the  cropping  and  docking  of  animals' 
ears  and  tails,  but,  when  the  worst  is  done  in  that  way,  the  dog  or 
the  horse  remains  in  full  beauty  of  form  in  all  essential  parts,  but  if 
we  clip  a  noble  tree,  which  in  natural  conditions  is  a  lesson  in  lovely 
form  in  all  its  parts,  we  reduce  it  at  once  to  a  shapeless  absurdity. 

The  second  great  loss  is  that  of  light  and  shade,  which  are  very 
important  elements   of  beauty.     These   are  entirely  neutralised   by 

shaving  trees  to  a  level  surface,  whether  the  trees 
Light  and  shade,   take  the  form  of  a  line,  or  we  clip  them  singly, 

as  in  the  British  phase  of  tree  clipping.  If  we  see 
old  examples  of  the  natural  Yew,  a  forest  tree,  and  the  commonest 
victim  of  the  shears  among  evergreen  forest  trees,  and  if  we  look  at 
them  in  almost  any  light,  we  may  soon  see  how  much  we  lose  by 
destroying  light  and  shade,  as  the  play  of  these  enhances  the  force  and 
beauty  of  all  the  rest. 

The  third  objection  is   the  loss  of  refined  colour.     In   gardens 
we  are  so  much  concerned  with  garish  colour  that  we  often  fail   to 

consider  the  more  delicate  colours  of  nature,  and 
Colour.  such  fine  tone  as  we  see  in  a  grove  of  old  Yews, 

bronzed  by  the  winter,  or  in  Ilex  with  the  beautiful 
silver  of  the  leaf,  or  a  grove  of  coral-bearing  Hollies.  All  the 
favourite  trees  used  for  clipping  are  far  more  beautiful  in  colour  in  a 
natural  state ;  the  loss  of  the  stem  colour  alone  is  a  great  one,  as 
we  may  see  wherever  old  Yews  show  their  stems. 

In  the  movement  of  these  trees  stirred  by  the  wind,  and  the  gentle 
sighing  of  their  branches,  we  have  some  most  welcome  aspects  of 

tree   life.     In   groves   of  Ilex,  as  at  Ham  House, 
Motion.  and  masses  of  the  same  tree,  as  at  St  Ann's,  the 

effect  of  the  motion  of  the  branches  is  to  many 
a  beautiful  one.  This  movement  is  also  of  great  beauty  in  groves  of 
old  Yew  trees,  and  is  seen  in  every  Cedar  and  Pine  that  pillars  the 
hills.  The  voice  of  the  wind  in  these  trees  is  one  of  the  most 
grateful  sounds  in  nature,  and  has  often  inspired  the  poet. 

"  I  see  the  branches  downward  bent, 
Like  keys  of  some  great  instrument." 


CLIPPING   EVERGREEN   AND    OTHER    TREES.  247 

And  even  when  the  storm  is  past  we  hear  delicate  music  in  the 
free  Pine  tips. 

"  What  noise  is  this?  what  low  and  solemn  tone, 

Which,  though  all  wings  of  all  the  winds  seem  furled, 

Nor  even  the  zephyr's  fairy  flute  is  blown, 

Makes  thus  for  ever  its  mysterious  moan 

From  out  the  whispering  Pine-tops'  shadowy  world  ? 

Ah,  can  it  be  the  antique  tales  are  true  ? 

Doth  some  lone  Dryad  haunt  the  breezeless  air, 
Fronting  yon  bright  immitigable  blue, 
And  wildly  breathing  all  her  wild  soul  through 

That  strange  unearthly  music  of  despair? 

Or,  can  it  be  that  ages  since,  storm-tossed, 

And  driven  far  inland  from  the  roaring  lea, 
Some  baffled  ocean  spirit,  worn  and  lost, 
Here,  through  dry  summer's  dearth  and  winter's  frost, 

Yearns  for  the  sharp  sweet  kisses  of  the  sea?" 

The  fifth  objection  is  that  the  constant  mutilation  of  trees  leads 
to  disease  not  unfrequently,  as  may  be  seen  at  Versailles.     In  the 

Derbyshire  examples  the  stems  of  dead  Pines  are 
Death  and  disease,  shown  in  the  pictures !  It  is  simply  an  end  one 

might  expect  from  the  annual  mutilation  of  a 
forest  tree,  which  the  Yew  certainly  is,  as  we  see  it  among  the  Cedars 
on  the  mountains  of  North  Africa,  as  well  as  in  our  own  country  and 
in  Western  Europe.  Other  trees  of  the  same  great  Pine  order  are 
yet  more  impatient  of  the  shears,  and  some  of  them,  like  the  Cedar, 
escape  solely  because  of  their  dignity.  However,  we  distort  the  Yew, 
which  is  in  nature  sometimes  as  fine  as  a  Cedar. 

The  maze  is  an  inheritance  from  a  past  time,  but  not  a  precious 
one,  being  one  of  the  notions  about   gardening  which  arose  when 

people  had  very  little  idea  of  the  infinite  beauty 
The  maze.        of  the  garden  flora  as  we  now  know  it.      Some 

people  may  be  wealthy  enough  to  show  us  all  the 
beauty  of  a  garden  and  at  the  same  time  such  ugly  frivolities  as  this, 
but  they  must  be  few.  The  maze  is  not  pretty  as  part  of  a  home 
landscape  or  garden,  and  should  be  left  for  the  most  part  to  places 
of  the  public  tea-garden  kind.  One  of  its  drawbacks  is  the  death 
and  distortion  of  the  evergreens  that  go  to  form  its  close  lines,  owing 
to  the  frequent  clipping ;  if  clipping  be  neglected  the  end  is  still 
worse,  and  the  whole  thing  is  soon  ready  for  the  fire. 


CHAPTER   XXIX. 

LAWNS   AND   PLAYGROUNDS. 

THE  lawn  is  the  heart  of  the  true  British  garden,  and  of  all  forms 
of  garden  the  freest  and,  may  be,  the  most  varied  and  charming, 
adapted  as  it  is  to  all  sorts  of  areas  from  that  around  the  smallest 
house.  It  is  above  all  things  the  English  form  of  garden  made  best 
in  the  rich  level  valley  land,  and,  with  the  least  amount  of  trouble 
and  labour  to  make  or  keep  it,  certainly  gives  the  best  result  in 
effect.  The  terrace  garden  we  have  seen,  in  its  origin  and  best 
meaning,  arises  from  wholly  different  sort  of  ground  from  that  on 
which  we  make  a  lawn.  If  the  Italians  and  others  who  built  on  hills 
to  avoid  malaria  had  had  healthy  and  level  ground  they  would  have 
been  very  glad  of  it,  and  thought  it  beautiful.  With  the  lawn  there 
is  little  or  no  trouble  in  securing  fine  background  effects,  variety, 
pretty  dividing  lines,  recesses  for  any  favourites  we  may  have  in  the 
way  of  flowers,  freedom,  relief,  air,  and  breadth.  There  is  room  on 
the  lawn  for  every  flower  and  tree,  from  the  Cedar,  and  the  group  of 
fruit  trees  planted  for  the  beauty  of  their  flowers  and  fruit,  down  to 
rich  beds  of  Lilies. 

One  of  the  most  foolish  dogmas  ever  laid  down  about  a  garden  is 
that  made  in  a  recent  book  by  an  architect,  in  which  we  are  told 
emphatically  that  there  is  no  such  thing  as  a  garden  to  be  made 
except  within  four  walls.  Many  of  the  most  beautiful  gardens  in  the 
British  Isles  are  without  any  other  aid  than  a  background  of  trees 
and  evergreens,  with  no  trace  of  walls,  which  are  absolutely  needless 
in  many  situations  to  get  the  most  artistic  results  in  a  garden.  And 
lovely  gardens  may  be  made  around  lawns  without  marring  the 
breadth  and  airiness  which  is  the  charm  of  a  lawn,  or  in  the  least 
interfering  with  the  use  of  its  open  parts  as  a  playground. 

Where  there  is  space  enough  there  are  reasons  in  country  places 

for  cutting  off  by  a  hedge  a  playground  from  the  garden  or  pleasure 

ground,  as  is  done  at  Madresfield  and  Campsey 

Climber- covered    Ash  and  many  of  the  older  gardens ;  and  what  is 

alleys.  used  generally  is  the  Yew  or  Holly,  but  clipped 

hedges  give  little  shade  and  no  flowers.     Now,  in 

the  like  position,  if  we  adopt  the  pergola,  we  get  shade,  and  many 

graceful  flowers.     Clematis,  tall    Roses,  Wistaria,  and  almost  every 

248 


LAWNS  AND   PLAYGROUNDS.  249 

beautiful  climber  could  be  grown  thereon,  some  better  than  on  walls, 
because  we  can  allow  for  more  abandon  than  on  walls,  and  it  is  not 
at  all  so  easy  to  crucify  Vine  or  climber  on  a  pergola.  We  can  have 
evergreens,  too,  if  we  wish,  with  garlands  of  handsome  Ivies  among 
them,  and  players  might  rest  in  the  shade  and  lookers  on  sit  there 
to  see  the  play.  Various  bold  openings  should  be  made  on  the 
play  lawn  side,  and  the  whole  so  arranged  as  to  be  a  sort  'of  living 
cloister.  Well  done,  the  structure  might  be,  apart  from  its  shade 
and  coolness  and  use  as  a  dividing  line,  a  garden  of  a  very  graceful 
kind,  while  the  recent  hot  seasons  lead  one  to  think  that  the  Italian 
way  of  putting  a  roof  of  Vine  leaves  between  one's  self  and  the  sun 
is  worth  carrying  out  in  our  own  country. 

Pergolas  have  various  uses  in  covering  paths  which  are  too  much 
exposed  to  the  sun,  and  are  a  great  aid  in  the  garden,  and  there  is  no 
better  way  of  growing  beautiful  climbing  plants 
Pergolas.  than  a  green  covered  way,  whether  supported  by 
Oak  posts,  or  brick  or  stone  pillars  as  in  Italy. 
The  covered  ways  made  in  England  are  often  too  narrow.  In  forming 
all  such  things  a  certain  amount  of  freedom  is  essential ;  and  we 
cannot  enjoy  the  air  in  the  usual  narrow  covered  way,  which,  apart 
from  its  own  error  as  to  size,  is  also  soon  narrowed  by  growth. 
Where  Oak  is  not  distinctly  preferred,  14  ins.  brick  pillars  are  best, 
and  the  plants  take  to  them  very  soon.  Common  brown  or  rough 
stock  bricks  are  far  better  for  this  use  than  showy  red  bricks.  In 
stone  districts  stone  would  do  better,  and  it  needs  no  fine  dressing  or 
designing  after  any  pattern.  It  is  better  in  fact  done  in  the  free 
way  the  Italians  do  it  ;  but  then  in  Italy  every  man  is  a  mason, 
or  knows  what  to  do  with  stone,  and  also  the  stone  there  comes 
out  in  long  posts  or  flakes,  which  serve  as  posts.  This  is  also  the 
case  in  the  north  of  England,  where  beautiful  posts  of  the  green 
stone  may  be  seen  in  use  on  the  farms. 

The  beautiful  climbing  shrubs  and  other  plants  that  would  find 
a  good  congenial  home  on  such  a  pergola  are  a  good  reason  for 
its  use.  Among  them  various  graceful  forms  of  our  Grape  Vine,  as 
well  as  the  Japanese  and  American  wild  Vines,  a  group  which  now 
includes  the  Virginian  creepers  of  our  gardens,  which  are  also  useful, 
but  not  so  good  as  the  true  Vines  ;  the  lovely  Wistaria,  and  not  only 
the  old  Chinese  kind,  the  best  of  all,  but  the  beautiful  Japanese 
long-racemed  kind  (  W.  multijuga)  ;  and  various  others  too,  though 
we  think  none  come  near  to  these  in  beauty  ;  the  brilliant  Flame 
Nasturtium  in  cool  districts  ;  the  Green  Briar  (Smilax)  of  America 
and  also  the  South  of  Europe,  for  warm  soils  ;  handsome  double 
and  white-stemmed  Brambles  ;  wild  and  single  Roses  ;  Box  Thorn, 
with  its  brilliant  showers  of  berries;  European,  American  and 


250  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

Japanese  Honeysuckles  ;  Jasmines  ;  over  fifty  kinds  of  Ivy,  the 
noblest  of  northern  and  evergreen  climbers  ;  evergreen  Thorn,  with 
its  bright  berries ;  Cotoneasters  of  graceful  habit ;  Clematises, 
especially  the  graceful  wild  kinds  of  America,  Europe,  and  North 
Africa.  In  mild  districts  particularly,  the  winter  blooming  Clematis 
of  North  Africa  and  the  Mediterranean  Islands,  which  flowers  in 
winter  or  early  spring,  would  be  very  pretty  and  give  light  shade. 
The  showy  trumpet  flowers  (Bignonia],  quite  hardy  in  southern  and 
midland  counties;  and  the  Dutchman's  pipe  (Aristolochia),  with  its 
large  leaves,  would  also  be  useful.  The  fine-leaved  Lardizabala 
of  Chili,  the  brilliant  coral  Barberry  of  the  same  country  (Berberi- 
dopsis) ;  the  graceful,  if  not  showy  silk  Vine  (Periplocd)  of  Southern 
Europe ;  the  Chinese  Akebia,  the  use  of  the  rarer  climbers 
depending  much  on  the  climate,  elevation,  soil,  and  nearness  to  the 
sea. 

An  alternative  to  the  Yew  hedge  and  the  covered  way  is  the 

plashed  alley,  but  in  some  Elizabethan  gardens  it  was  often  planted 

with  trees    of  too   vigorous   growth,   such  as   the 

The  plashed  Lime,  which  led  to  excessive  mutilation  and 
alley.  eventual  distortion  of  the  tree.  Now,  with  our 

present  great  variety  of  trees,  some  of  them  very 
graceful  and  light  in  foliage,  it  is  by  no  means  necessary  to  resort 
to  such  ugly  mutilation  ;  and  it  would  be  easy,  as  an  alternative  to 
the  pergola,  the  clipped  hedge  or  the  plashed  alley,  to  have  a  shaded 
walk  of  medium-sized  or  low  trees  only.  These  might  even  be  fruit 
trees ;  but  the  best  would  be  such  elegant-leaved  trees  as  the 
Acacias,  which  preserve  their  leaves  for  a  long  time  in  summer.  One 
drawback  of  the  Lime,  in  addition  to  its  excessive  vigour,  is  the 
fact  that  it  sheds  its  leaves  very  early  in  the  autumn,  and,  indeed, 
we  have  often  seen  the  leaves  tumble  off  in  St  James's  Park  at  the 
end  of  July,  and  in  Paris  also.  It  is  most  unpleasant  to  have  in 
an  alley  a  tree  which  is  liable  to  such  an  early  loss  of  its  leaves. 
The  common  Lime  is  a  tree  of  the  mountains  and  cool  hills  of 
Europe,  and  it  cannot  endure  great  heats  and  hot  autumns  ;  whereas 
some  of  the  trees  of  North  America  and  other  countries  are  quite 
fresh  in  the  hottest  days.  Among  these  none  is  better  than  the 
Acacia,  of  which,  in  France  especially,  a  number  of  elegant  varieties 
have  been  raised,  as  hardy  as  the  parent  species  which  charmed 
William  Cobbett,  but  more  graceful  in  foliage.  Among  the  best  of 
these  is  the  Mimosa-leaved  Acacia,  an  elegant  tree,  which  gives  us  a 
pleasantly  shaded  walk,  and  yet  is  not  likely  ever  to  become  too 
coarse  in  habit. 

Fine  turf  is  essential  in  and  near  the  house  and  garden — turf  wholly 
apart  from  the  open  park  or  playground.  Flower-beds  are  often  set  in 


LAWNS  AND   PLAYGROUNDS.  251 


turf,  or  there  are  small  grassy  spaces  near  the  house  or  the  garden, 
on  the  good  effect  of  which  depends  very  much  the  beauty  of  the 

home  landscape,  as  coming  so  much  into  the  fore- 
Fine  turf.         ground  of  what  should  be  pictures.     One  reason 

why  we  should  take  care  to  get  the  best  turf 
which  the  conditions  of  soil  or  climate  allow  is  that  no  other 
country  but  ours  can  have  such  good  turf.  In  many  countries,  even 
in  Europe,  they  cannot  have  it  at  all,  but  grass  seed  has  to  be  sown 
every  year  to  get  some  semblance  of  turf.  Where,  however,  our 
natural  advantages  are  so  great,  our  care  should  be  to  get  the  full 
benefit  of  them  ;  and  though  in  many  places  the  turf,  through 
the  goodness  of  the  soil,  is  all  that  could  be  desired  even  in 
Britain,  in  others  a  very  poor  turf  is  often  seen,  and  much  effort 
is  often  given  in  vain  attempts  to  get  a  turf  worthy  of  a  flower 
garden. 

Many  people  think  that  any  rough  preparation  will  secure  them  a 
good  sward,  and  merely  trench  and  turf  the  ground  ;  even  experienced 
ground  workmen  fail  to  get  a  fine  turf  for  the  flower  garden,  though 
they  may  lay  turf  well  enough  for  a  cricket  ground.  Others  think 
that  turf  will  come  of  itself,  but  are  often  rudely  disappointed ;  and 
therefore  some  instructions  as  to  the  best  way  of  laying  down  turf, 
where  the  work  has  to  be  done  from  the  beginning,  and  also  for 
repairing  it  when  out  of  order,  may  be  useful  to  some  readers. 
The  following  is  written  by  Mr  James  Burnham,  who  has  made 
for  me  some  of  the  most  beautiful  garden  lawns  I  have  seen, 
some  of  them  laid  in  hot  spring  weather. 

"  Should  the  spot  chosen  be  on  heavy  soil,  such  as  clay,  take 
the  levels  and  fix  them  16  feet  apart  around  the  outside  of  the 

piece   intended    for   a   lawn.      Take   some   levels 

Formation  of      across  the  piece,  then  take  12  inches  of  earth  out 

good  turf .        below  the  levels.     Should  any  of  these  12  inches 

contain  good  soil,  wheel  that  on  to  the  outside 
of  the  piece,  removing  all  the  clay  to  a  place  near  and  burning 
it  into  ballast,  using  slack  coal.  Find  the  natural  fall  of  the 
ground,  and  place  pegs  16  feet  apart  in  lines  from  top  to  bottom 
the  way  it  falls,  then  dig  out  the  soil  in  line  of  pegs  with 
a  draining  tool,  12  inches  deep  at  top  end,  bottom  end  18  inches 
deep.  This  will  give  a  fall  of  6  inches.  Then  lay  in  2-inch  drain 
pipes,  with  a  3-inch  pipe  at  the  bottom  end  for  a  main  to  take 
the  water  that  drains  from  the  sub-soil.  See  that  this  main  is 
taken  to  some  outlet.  Cover  the  pipes  with  3  inches  of  burnt 
ballast,  and  spread  3  inches  of  burnt  ballast  all  over  the  piece  of 
ground.  Dig  the  ground  over  12  inches  deep,  at  the  same  time 
mixing  the  3  inches  of  burnt  ballast  with  the  clay,  taking  care  not 


252  THE  ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 

to  disturb  the  pipes  or  dig  below  them.  After  treading  all  over 
firmly,  place  on  the  surface  2  inches  of  burnt  ballast,  filling  to  the 
level  with  loam  mixed  with  the  good  soil  you  have  laid  on  one 
side  from  the  surface.  If  you  have  no  good  soil,  fill  up  with  loam 
mixed  with  coarse  gravel,  brick  rubbish,  and  burnt  ballast.  Tread 
all  over  again  as  before,  making  it  level  with  a  spade,  pressing  in 
any.  lump  or  stone  that  appears  level  with  the  ground.  No  rake 
should  be  used.  You  have  now  2  feet  of  trenched  earth.  Do  not 
dig  down  deeper  in  one  place  than  another.  A  stick  cut  2  feet  long 
by  the  worker's  side  is  the  best.  He  can,  with  the  stick,  test  his 
depth  from  time  to  time. 

"  In  laying  the  turf  keep  the  joints  of  each  piece  half-an-inch 
apart.  When  it  is  all  laid  down  pat  it  gently  all  over  with  a 
turf-beater.  It  is  better  to  take  up  the  turf  that 
Laying  the  turf,  is  a  little  higher  than  the  rest  and  take  out  a 
little  of  the  soil  than  to  beat  it  down  to  the 
level.  Then  spread  some  burnt  ballast,  ashes  from  the  burnt 
refuse  of  the  garden,  and  the  top  2  inches  of  soil  from  the  wood 
sifted  through  a  half-inch  mesh  sieve,  mixed  well  together,  all  over 
the  grass.  Move  it  about  until  all  the  joints  in  the  turf  are  level. 
Wait  for  rain,  then  go  over  the  lawn  and  take  out  all  weeds.  Give 
another  dressing  of  the  soil  as  before,  adding  to  this  a  little  road 
grit  and  old  mortar.  If  no  old  mortar  is  available,  slaked  lime 
will  answer.  Move  this  about  until  all  is  level  again.  In  the 
month  of  March  or  the  first  week  in  April,  if  the  weather  is 
fine,  sow  all  over  the  lawn  some  of  the  best  lawn  grass  seed. 
Get  some  fine  Thorn  bushes  and  lace  them  together  in  the  shape 
of  a  fan  heavy  enough  for  two  men  to  drag  about  the  lawn 
in  various  ways.  Roll  with  a  light  roller,  and  keep  off  the  lawn 
until  the  grass  has  grown  3  inches,  then  cut  it  with  a  scythe. 
Roll  with  a  light  roller  the  first  season,  and  when  mowing  with 
the  machine  see  that  the  knives  are  not  set  too  close  to  the 
ground. 

"  Should  the  ground  selected  for  turf  not  contain  clay,  so  much 
the  better.  Dig  holes  here  and  there  2  feet  deep  in  the  winter 
months.  If  no  water  lies  at  the  bottom  of  the  holes,  this  shows 
it  will  not  want  artificial  draining;  if  there  is  water  drain  as  on 
heavy  soil.  In  trenching  the  ground,  if  the  sub-soil  be  bad,  take 
3  inches  of  this  away,  filling  up  to  the  level  with  good  soil,  to 
which  have  been  added  half-inch  crushed  bones  in  the  proportion 
of  four  tons  to  the  acre,  fire  brick  rubbish  and  burnt  ballast 
in  the  same  proportions  as  for  the  heavy  soil.  Turf  and  treat 
as  on  heavy  soil.  If  you  have  a  good  grass  field,  take  the  turf 
for  your  lawn,  also  top  spit  away,  replace  with  rough  soil,  and 


LAWNS   AND   PLAYGROUNDS.  253 

place  3  inches  of  the  loam  that  has  been  dug  out  upon  the 
rough  soil  you  have  put  in,  then  sow,  bush  harrow,  and  lightly 
roll." 

"  Weeds,  moss,  and  bare  places  on    lawns  show  that  they  are 

worn  out.     To  remedy  this,  take  off  the  turf  in  rolls  3  feet  long, 

I  foot  wide,  and   I  inch  thick.     If  the  turf  cannot 

Treatment  of  old    be  rolled,  take  6  inches  of  the  surface  away,  then 

lawns.  trench  2  feet  deep,  keeping  the  good  soil  on  the 

top  as  you   proceed.     Tread  firmly  all  over  and 

fill    up   to   the    level    with   good    soil ;    mix   with    the   loam,  burnt 

ballast,    old     brick    rubbish,    half-inch     crushed     bones,    and    road 

sidings    or    sweepings.      Then    turf    and     treat    as     in    the    case 

of   new    lawns.      On    old    lawns    there    are    very   often    handsome 

deciduous  trees  too  close  to  which  it  would  be  dangerous  to  trench. 

To   get   grass   to   grow   under   these,   take   away    2    inches   of   the 

exhausted    soil,   replace   with    good,    and    sow    thereon   grass   seed 

thickly.     Rake  the  seed  in  gently,  roll  it  lightly,  and  water  when 

necessary.     This  may  be  repeated  in   the   same    way   as   often    as 

the  soil  under  the  trees  becomes  bare. 

"  In  some  cases  where  turf  is  scarce,  a  roll  of  turf  3  feet  long 
and  i  foot  wide  may  be  taken  and  cut  in  half  lengthways.  With 
this  form  the  outlines  of  the  beds,  which  have  been  staked  out  pre- 
viously, beat  down  to  the  level  required,  and  bring  up  the  interven- 
ing spaces  to  the  level  of  the  turf  with  good  soil.  Make  this  firm,  rake 
it  level,  and  on  this  sow  some  good  grass  seed.  Bush  harrow  it  over,, 
roll  lightly,  and  protect  from  birds  where  these  are  troublesome.  Cut 
the  grass  when  6  inches  high  with  a  scythe,  and  keep  it  well  watered 
during  the  summer  if  the  weather  is  dry.  In  this  way  a  beautiful 
lawn  may  be  had  at  little  expense  as  compared  with  turfing  it 
completely  over." 

"  In   some    parts    of    Hampshire    and    Surrey,   where   peat   and 

sand    abound,  seeds   are  by   far   the   best   to    use   to   form  a  good 

turf.     Remove    all    peat    from   the  site  you    wish 

Lawns  on  peaty    for   a   lawn,    pile  it    on  the  outside  of  the  work 

and  sandy  soil,     and    cast   plenty   of  water   upon   it.     Then   take 

out    2    or   3   inches    of   the   dark   sand   that   lies 

under  the  peat,  and    cast  this  also   over  the  pile  of  peat.      Take 

out    12  inches  of  the  sand,  dig  all  over  12  inches  deep  and  tread 

it  firmly.     Get  all  the  road  scrapings  and  road  trimmings  to  be  had 

with  a  little  clay  and  stiff  loam,  and  cast  upon  the  peat  pile.     Having 

got  together  the  quantity  you  think  will  fill  up  to  your  level,  cut  up 

small  the  peat  you  have  in  the  pile  and  mix  all  well  together  with 

this,  fill  up  to  the  level,  tread  firmly  all  over,  then  give  everywhere 

a  good  coating  of  cow  manure,  turned  3  inches  under  the  surface,. 


254 


THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER    GARDEN. 


and  tread  firmly  all  over.  In  the  month  of  March  sow  thickly. 
Do  not  let  the  surface  get  dry  the  first  summer,  and  cut  the  grass 
when  6  inches  high  with  a  scythe. 

"  Attention  should  be  paid  to  keeping  all  lawns  free  from  weeds. 
Dress  lawns  once  a  year  with  one  bushel  of  salt  mixed  with  fourteen 
bushels  of  wood  ashes  not  too  much  burnt,  using  for  this  purpose 
refuse,  underwood,  waste  faggots,  old  Laurels  or  other  condemned 
shrubs.  When  you  see  the  wood  is  consumed  spread  the  ashes 
abroad  and  cover  them  with  good  soil.  Break  the  charred  wood 
small,  mix  all  well  together,  do  not  sift,  spread  upon  the  lawn,  and 
roll  it  in." 


Stone  bench  (Dropmore). 


CHAPTER   XXX. 


GARDEN    HOUSES,   BRIDGES,   GATES,   SEATS   AND   FENCES. 

MUCH  effort  is  lost  in  useless  garden  buildings,  and  no  way  of  garden 
overdoing  is  so  full  of  waste  and  ugliness.  Recently  we  have  seen 
attempts  to  revive  the  old  garden  houses,  but  the  result  has  not  often 
been  happy.  In  old  houses  like  Hatfield  and  Montacute  the  little 
houses  near  the  gate  often  had  a  true  use  at  the  entrance  side, 
but  now  we  see  such  things  revived  for  the  mere  sake  of  carrying 
out  a  drawing,  and  as  soon  as  built  the  aimlessness  of  the  work 
is  seen,  and  then  comes  the  difficult  question  of  "planting  it  out" 
from  different  points  of  view.  Isolated  building  in  a  garden  is 
difficult  to  do  with  any  good  result.  At  one  period  the  building 
of  temples  was  very  common  in  pleasure  gardens,  and  many  of 
them  are  still  to  be  seen.  It  is  best,  when  these  are  of  good 
form  and  structure,  to  keep  them  with  care  and  make  some  simple 
use  of  them,  by  removing  at  once  all  suggestion  of  the  grotto  and 
having  simple  Oak  benches  or  other  good  seats.  The  interior  also 
should  be  made  simple  in  colour  and  free  from  covert  for  woodlice 
or  earwigs.  It  is  in  connection  with  the  house,  or  part  of  its  lower 

255 


256  THE  ENGLISH  FLOWER   GARDEN. 

storeys,  that  garden  shelters,  loggias,  and  the  like  may  be  most 
effectively  made  ;  of  this  we  see  examples  at  North  Mymms  and 
Bramshill,  and  where  they  give  shade  or  a  "  garden  room  "  as  part 
of  the  house  they  are  a  real  gain. 

Few  things  about  country  houses  and  gardens  are  worse  in  effect 
and  "construction  than  the  so-called  "  rustic  work."  It  is  complex 
and  ugly,  its  merit  being  that  it  rots  away  in  a 
Bridges.  few  years.  It  is  probably  at  its  worst  in  garden 
chairs,  summer-houses,  and  rustic  bridges.  An 
important  rule  for  bridges  is  never  to  make  them  where  they  are 
not  really  needed,  though  the  opposite  course  is  followed  almost 
in  every  place  of  any  size  where  there  is  water.  On  rustic  bridges 
over  streams,  natural  or  otherwise,  there  is  much  wasted  labour.  A 
really  pretty  bridge  of  a  wholly  different  sort  I  saw  once  with  the 
late  James  Backhouse  near  Cader  Idris  on  a  farm  which  had  a 
swift  stream  running  through  it,  to  cross  which  some  one  had  cut 
down  a  tree  that  grew  near,  and  had  chopped  the  upper  side  flat  and 
put  a  handrail  along  it.  Time  had  helped  it  with  Fern,  Lichen, 
and  Moss,  and  the  result  was  far  more  beautiful  than  is  ever  seen 
in  more  pretentiously  "designed"  rustic  bridges.  It  is  not,  however, 
the  far  prettier  effects  we  have  to  note,  but  the  advantage  which 
comes  from  strength  and  endurance.  It  looked  very  old  and  Moss- 
grown,  and  no  doubt  it  is  there  now,  as  the  heart-wood  of  stout  trees 
does  not  perish  like  the  sap-wood  of  the  "  rustic  "-work  maker.  The 
sound  Oak  tree  bridge  was  the  earliest  footway  across  a  stream, 
and  it  will  always  be  one  of  the  best  if  the  sap-wood  is  carefully 
adzed  off.  Foot-bridges  these  should  be  called,  as  they  are  too 
narrow  for  any  other  purpose,  but  with  a  good  Oak  rail  at  one 
side  the  tree  bridge  is  distinctly  better  than  a  bridge  of  planks. 
Where  stones  are  plentiful,  stone  put  up  in  a  strong,  simple  way 
is  the  best  to  make  a  lasting  bridge,  and  a  simple  structure  in 
brick  or  stone  is  better  in  effect  than  any  rustic  bridge.  Where 
stream  beds  are  rocky  and  shallow,  stepping  stones  are  often  better 
than  a  bridge,  though  they  cannot  be  used  where  the  streams  cut 
through  alluvial  soils  and  the  banks  are  high. 

Some  of  the  worst  work  ever  done  in  gardens  has  been  in  the 
construction  of  needless  bridges,  often  over  wretched  duck -ponds 
of  small  extent.  Even  people  who  have  some  knowledge  of 
country  life,  and  who  ought  to  possess  taste,  come  to  grief  over 
bridge  building,  and  pretty  sheets  of  water  are  disfigured  by  bridges 
ugly  in  form  and  material.  For  the  most  frivolous  reasons  these 
ugly  things  are  constructed,  though  often  by  going  ten  yards  further 
one  could  have  crept  round  the  head  of  the  pond  by  a  pretty 
path  aided,  perhaps,  by  a  few  stepping  stones. 


GARDEN   HOUSES,    BRIDGES,    ETC.  257 

But  there  are  many  cases  where  some  kind  of  bridge  is  necessary 

in    pleasure   grounds    or   woodlands    where    there   might    be   more 

excuse  for  the  rustic-worker's  bridge.    The  difficulty 

Earth-bank        of  the  light  woodwork  bridge  is  that  it  begins  to 

bridges.  rot  as  soon  as  it  is  put  up,  and  we  find  that,  even 

when  done  in  the  best  way,  with  Larch  or  Oak, 

and  by  old-fashioned  workmen,  who  get  as  much  simplicity  of  form 

and  endurance  out  of  it  as  they  can,  the  years  pass  so  rapidly  and 

British  rain  is  so  constant,  that  rot  and  decay  are   all  we  get  out 

of  it,  and  very  often  such  bridges  fall  into  such  a  dangerous  state 

before  we   have   time   to   repair  them,  that  animals  often  get  into 

danger  from  them. 

A  much  better  way  is  the  earth-bank,  with  a  drain  pipe  through, 
and  this  suffices  where  there  is  a  slight,  steady,  or  an  occasional  flow 
of  water,  and  also  to  cross  gorges  or  depressions.  We  can  find  the 
earth  to  make  it  on  the  spot,  and  by  punning,  and  in  the  case  of 
larger  work  of  this  kind,  carting  over  it,  we  can  get  it  to  settle  down 
in  one  winter  to  the  level  we  want  it,  and  soon  have  an  excellent  and 
permanent  way  across.  Such  banks  will  support  any  weight,  and  are 
as  free  from  decay  as  the  best  stone  bridge.  One  of  their  best  points 
is  that  the  sides  and  approaches  and  slope  of  the  earth-bank  can  be 
made  pretty  at  once  by  planting  with  Honeysuckle,  Broom,  Sweet 
Brier,  or  any  other  hardy  things.  Another  advantage  of  the  bank  is, 
that  the  simplest  workman  can  form  it.  The  materials  being  on  the 
spot,  it  is  foolish  to  cart  things  a  long  way.  Even  when  we  have 
stone  or  brick  at  hand  the  labour  has  to  be  considered.  By  making 
a  culvert  of  bricks  and  cement,  the  earth-bank  is  equally  good  to 
cross  constantly  running  streamlets. 

The   summer-house  is  generally  a  failure   and   often   a  heap  of 

decay.     To  make  such  a  structure  of  wood  that  soon  decays  is  labour 

wasted.     It    may  be  possible,   by   using  the  best 

The  summer-      woods  and  good   Oak  slabs,  to  make  a  summer- 
house,  house   which   will    be   picturesque   and    enduring, 
but    it    is    better   to    build   it    of   stone    or    some 
lasting  material  and  cover  it  with  Vines  and  quick-growing  climbers. 

One  can  make  an  enduring  and  charming  summer-house  out  of 
living  trees.  An  old  Yew  or  a  group  of  old  Yews,  or  a  low-spreading 
Oak  (there  is  a  fine  example  of  this  kind  of  living  summer-house 
at  Shrubland),  an  old  Beech  or  a  group  of  evergreen  Oaks  will  make 
a  pleasant  summer-house,  and  with  a  little  care  for  effect,  and  by 
pruning  away  old  and  worn-out  branches,  so  as  to  get  air  and  room 
without  injuring  the  beauty  of  the  trees,  it  is  easy  to  form  cool  tents 
for  hot  days. 

The  iron  fence  destroys  the  beauty  of  half  the  country  seats  in 

R 


258  THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 

England,  and  the  evil  is  growing  every  day.  There  are  various 
serious  objections  to  iron  fencing,  but  we  will  only  deal  here  with  its 
effect  on  the  landscape.  Any  picture  is  out  of  the  question  with  an 

iron  fence   in   the   foreground.      Where  an  open 

Fences  and        fence  is   wanted,  nothing  is  so  fine  in  form  and 

dividing  lines,      colour    as  a  split  Oak   fence   and  rails   made  of 

heart  of  Oak  with  stout  posts.  A  sawn  wood 
fence  is  not  so  good.  As  Oak  is  so  plentiful  on  many  estates,  good 
examples  of  split  Oak  post  and  rail  fences  should  be  more  often  seen. 
Oak  palings  are  often  used,  and  sometimes  where  a  good  live  fence  of 
Holly,  Quick  and  wild  Rose  on  a  good  bank  would  be  far  better ;  but 
Oak  paling  is  often  a  precious  aid  in  a  garden  as  a  dividing  line 
where -the  colour  of  brick  or  other  walls  would  be  against  their  use, 
or  where  for  various  reasons  walls  would  not  be  desirable  or  a  live 
fence  suitable. 

Sunk  fences  of  stone  or  brick  are  often  of  the  highest  value  in 
the  pleasure  ground,  and  sometimes  near  the  flower  garden,  as  they 

help  us  to  avoid  the  hideous  mechanical  fences  of 
Sunk  fences  and  our  day,  and  are  often  the  best  way  of  keeping 
retaining  walls,  open  views,  especially  if  planted  with  a  garland 

of  creeping  plants  or  wild  roses  above.  They 
should  be  strongly  if  roughly  built,  without  mortar,  and  they  may 
be  a  home  for  beautiful  plants.  They  should  be  made  on  a  "  batter" 
or  slightly  sloping  back,  the  stones  packed  close  together,  i.e.  without 
much  earth,  and  layers  of  rock  plants  should  be  put  between  them. 


Simple  form  of  garden  seat,  Warley  Place. 

Retaining  walls  or  sunk  fences  could  be  made  admirably  in  this  way, 
and  where  they  permit  of  it  may  be  made  into  beautiful  alpine 
gardens.  Apart  from  the  sunk  fence,  there  is  often  need  for  low 
retaining  walls,  especially  in  places  of  diversified  surface.  These 
walls  also  may  be  made  the  home  of  delightful  plant  beauty  in  the 
simplest  way.  Particulars  of  these  things  will  be  found  in  fuller 
detail  in  the  chapter  on  Rock  Gardens. 


GARDEN   HOUSES,    BRIDGES,    ETC. 


259 


It  is  rare  to  see  a  garden  seat  that  is  not  an  eyesore.     Few  make 

them  well   and  simply  in  wood,  and  there  is   always   decay  to   be 

considered.     Of  our  own  woods  Oak  is  the  best. 

Garden  seats.  Stout  heart  of  Oak  laths  screwed  into  a  simple 
iron  frame  without  ornament  make  a  good  seat. 
They  are  best  without  paint  and  in  the  natural  colour  of  the  Oak 
wood.  No  seat  is  so  good  as  one  of  good  stone  simply  designed 
and  strongly  made,  and  in  our  country  one  objection  to  stone 
is  met  by  the  use  of  a  mat  or  a  light  trellis  of  Bamboo  or  split 
laths  of  Oak  held  together  by  cross  pieces  and  placed  on  top  of  the 
stone.  In  Italy  and  France  one  often  sees  good  stone  seats,  and 
there  they  are  not  expensive.  Stone  seats  should  always  be  set  on 


Marble  slab  seat  with  lattice  cover. 

stone  supports  bedded  in  concrete.  A  good  Oak  seat  is  one  with 
strong  stone  supports,  the  top  being  a  slab  of  Oak  laid  with  two  bars 
across  its  lower  side  to  keep  it  in  place.  The  top  in  this  form 
being  so  easily  removed,  may  be  stowed  away  for  the  winter,  as 
wooden  seats  should  always  be.  Tree  stems  of  some  size  and 
little  value  may  also  be  cut  into  the  form  of  seats,  and  make 
very  good  ones  for  a  time,  but  they  soon  decay.  The  common 
iron  seats  with  cast  patterns  on  them  are  ugly,  but  iron  seats  need 
not  be  so,  and  some  old  iron  seats  quite  simply  made  of  lath  or  rod 
iron  were  fairly  good,  and  it  is  not  difficult  to  cover  the  seat  with 
bamboo  trellis-work  or  matting  for  the  summer  season.  Some  of  the 
French  wooden  seats  are  simple  and  good  in  form,  and,  painted  a 
nice  carnation-leaf  green,  they  look  very  well.  Bamboos,  which  come 
in  such  quantities  now  in  the  sugar  ships,  might  be  more  used  for 
making  pretty  garden  seats.  Sometimes  old  tree  stumps  help  to 
make  useful  seats,  and  the  bole  of  the  tree,  if  cut,  makes  a  very  good 
rustic  seat.  Where  stone  is  plentiful,  as  in  many  hill  and  other  parts,  it 
is  often  easy  to  make  useful  seats  out  of  blocks  of  stone  in  rocky  places. 


260 


THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER   GARDEN. 


The  covered  way   may   be  a   charming  thing   in   a  garden   and 

make  a  home  for  climbers,  as  well  as  a  shady  way,  and  also  form 

a  valuable   screen.      Shade    is    more  essential    in 

The  covered  way.   other    countries    than    in    ours,    and    the    Italian 

covered   way  is  often   a  very   picturesque  object. 

The  best  material   to  make  the  supports  of  is  rough  stone  or  brick. 


The  Great  Reed,  Westwick  House  Gardens,  Norfolk. 

On  an  enduring  support  like  this  the  woodwork  is  more  easily  con- 
structed afterwards.  Simple  rough  stone  posts  may  be  had  in  certain 
quarries  in  the  north  of  England,  in  the  lake  country,  but  in  the 
absence  of  these  it  will  be  better  to  build  columns  of  brick  or  stone 
than  to  trust  to  any  wood.  In  all  open-air  work  the  enduring  way  is 


GARDEN  HOUSES,    BRIDGES,    ETC.  261 

true  economy,  and  though  we  cannot  all  readily  get  the  hard  green 
stone  gate  posts  stained  with  yellow  Lichen  of  the  farms  about 
Keswick,  or  the  everlasting  granite  fence  posts  that  one  sees  in  Italy, 
we  should  make  a  stand  against  work  which  has  to  be  done  over 
and  over  again.  Of  woods,  Oak  free  of  sap-wood  makes  the  best 
supports  ;  Larch  is  good,  but  best  of  all,  perhaps,  is  the  common 
Locust  tree,  which,  however,  is  seldom  plentiful  in  a  mature  state. 
For  all  the  other  parts  of  covered  ways  nothing  is  better  than  old 
Oak  branches  or  the  stems  of  stunted  Oaks,  or  of  old  stub  Oaks 
that  are  often  found  about  a  country  place,  and  are  of  very  little  value 
as  timber.  Larch  lasts  well  in  the  absence  of  Oak,  but  is  not  nearly 
so  good  in  effect.  By  using  Oak  with  stone  or  brick  supports,  a 
covered  way  may  be  made  which  will  last  for  years  without  falling 
into  decay,  as  is  the  case  with  this  kind  of  work  when  done  with  more 
perishable  woods  and  without  lasting  supports.  It  would  be  far 
better  to  employ  strong  iron  wire  than  wood  of  this  sort.  An 
advantage  which  woodwork  has  over  iron  lies  in  its  good  effect. 
Carefully  done,  a  covered  way  made  as  above  described  may  be 
picturesque  even  before  there  is  a  plant  on  it. 

A  pretty  way  of  supporting  plants  and  forming  covered  ways  is 
to  use  certain  trees  of  a  light  and  graceful  character  for  supporting 

climbers,  just  as  the   Italians  often  support  their 
Living  supports.    Vines  on  living  trees  kept  within  bounds.     Such 

trees  as  the  Weeping  Aspen,  Weeping  Birch,  and 
fruit  trees  of  graceful,  drooping  forms,  like  some  Apples,  would  do 
well,  and  would  be  worth  having  for  their  own  sakes,  while  through 
the  trees  hardy  climbers  could  freely  run. 

Among  the  things   which  are  least  beautiful  in   many  gardens 
and  pleasure  grounds  is  the  boathouse.     Our  builders  are  not  simple 

in  their  ways,  and  are  seldom  satisfied  with  any  one 
Boathouses.        good  colour  or  material  to  make  a  house  with,  or 

even  a  boathouse,  but  every  kind  of  ugly  variega- 
tion is  tried,  so  that  harshness  in  effect  is  the  usual  result,  where  all 
should  be  simple  and  quiet  in  colour,  as  it  is  in  boathouses  on  the 
Norfolk  Broads  made  of  reeds  and  rough  posts.  The  simpler  the 
better  in  all  such  work,  using  local  material  like  Oak,  which  comes 
in  so  well  for  the  posts,  and  reeds  for  the  roof;  but  the  simplest 
brickwork  and  brown  tiles  would  be  far  better  than  the  contrast  of 
ugly  colours  which  the  modern  builder  both  in  France  and 
England  delights  in.  The  place,  too,  should  be  carefully  chosen 
and  the  building  not  conspicuous.  To  avoid  the  cost  of  railway 
carriage  in  the  making  of  simple  structures  like  boathouses,  and  also 
carting,  which  is  such  a  costly  matter  in  many  districts,  it  is  best  to 
use  materials  of  the  estate  or  country.  Ivy  and  living  creepers  may 


262 


THE  ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 


help  to  protect  the  sides  of  airy  sheds.  Larch  comes  in  well  where  Oak 
is  not  to  be  spared,  and  Larch  shingling  for  the  roof  might  be  used, 
as  is  commonly  done  in  farm-houses  in  Northern  Europe  and  America. 
Little  shelters  for  mowing  machines,  tools,  and  the  like  can  be  made 
with  wood  covered  with  Larch  bark,  as  at  Coolhurst,  and  a  very 
pretty  effect  they  have,  besides  being  less  troublesome  to  make 
than  the  heather  or  thatched  roofs,  especially  in  districts  where 
the  good  thatcher  is  getting  rare.  The  chip  roof,  also,  of  the  wooded 
country  around  London  is  an  excellent  one,  lasting  for  half  a  century 
or  so  if  well  made,  but  the  men  who  made  it  so  well  are  now  less 


Vine-shaded  bower. 

and  less  easy  to  meet  with.  And  on  the  whole  the  best  roof 
for  any  structure  that  has  to  last  is  of  tiles  of  good  colour :  tiles 
made  and  tested  in  the  locality  being  often  the  best. 

In  this  moist  climate  of  ours  water  needs  to  be  used  with  great 
discretion.     Above  all  things  it  must  flow  and  not  stagnate.     Bacon, 
who  said  so  many  things  about  gardens,  summed 
Fountains  in      up  the  case  for  fountains  with  his  usual  felicity: — 
gardens.          "  For  fountains,  they  are  a  great  beauty  and  refresh- 
ment ;  but  pools  mar  all."     No  doubt  we  can  all  of 
us  recall  some  pool  of  great  beauty,  some  moat  with  little  broken 
reflections  that  made  almost  all  the  charm  of  the  garden  wherein  it 
lay,  but  as  a  general  rule  Bacon  is  right. 


GARDEN  HOUSES,   BRIDGES,   ETC.  263 

As  nothing  is  drearier  than  a  dry  fountain  except  the  exasperat- 
ing trickle  of  one  that  refuses  to  be  drowned  out  by  the  continuous 
drip  of  the  eaves,  it  is  better  to  place  your  fountain  in  a  part  of  the 
garden  which  you  are  only  likely  to  visit  on  a  fine  day,  and  if  possible 
it  should  be  set  where  its  tossing  spray  will  catch  the  sunbeams  while 
you  repose  in  the  cool  shade  ;  then  the  supply  of  water  may  be  as  it 
should — unfailing.  Fountains  on  such  an  extensive  scale  as  those  of 
Versailles  or  Chatsworth  are  only  to  be  excused,  when,  as  at  Caserta, 
they  run  day  and  night  from  one  .year's  end  to  the  other.  It  is  only 
in  such  great  places,  too,  that  large  and  monumental  fountains,  basin 
above  basin,  adorned  with  sculpture  and  connected  by  cascades,  have 
any  fitness,  and  even  then  they  are  apt  to  cease  very  soon  to  be  fine. 
Lead  is  the  best  material  for  such  fountain  sculpture  in  our  damp- 
laden  atmosphere,  as  it  discolours  more  becomingly  than  stone  or 
marble.  This  tendency  to  discolour  in  blotches  and  afford  a  foot- 
hold for  Mosses  and  Lichens,  though  a  blemish  on  statues,  is 
an  added  charm  to  the  necessary  basins  and  copings  which  should 
confine  the  waters  of  our  fountain.  A  fountain,  is  a  work  of  art,  and 
as  such  should  always  be  placed  in  the  more  formal  portions  of 
the  grounds.  The  feathery  spray  of  a  jet  is  always  a  beautiful  thing 
but  can  be  ill-placed — as,  for  instance,  in  the  centre  of  a  large  stretch 
of  ornamental  water. 


CHAPTER   XXXI. 

THE   ORCHARD   BEAUTIFUL. 

THE  spirit  of  beauty  was  at  the  birth  of  the  trees  that  give 
us  the  hardy  fruits  of  the  northern  world  —  Crab,  wild  Plum, 
Pear,  and  Cherry — yielding  back  for  us  in  their  bloom  the  delicate 
colours  of  the  clouds,  and  lovelier  far  in  their  flowers  than  Fig  or 
Vine  of  the  south.  The  old  way  of  having  an  orchard  near  the  house 
was  a  good  one.  Planted  for  use,  it  was  precious  for  its  beauty,  and 
not  only  when  the  spring  winds  bore  the  breath  of  the  blossoms  of 
Cherry,  Plum,  Apple,  and  Pear,  as  there  were  the  fruit  odours,  too, 
and  the  early  Daffodils  and  Snowdrops,  and  overhead  the  lovely  trees 
that  bear  our  orchard  fruits — Apples,  Pears,  Cherries,  Plums,  Medlars, 
Damsons,  Bullaces,  and  Quinces.  To  make  pictures  to  last  round  the 
year,  I  should  ask  for  many  of  these  orchard  trees  on  a  few  acres 
of  ground,  none  the  worse  if  too  hilly  for  the  plough ;  a  belt  of 
Hollies,  Yew,  and  Fir,  on  the  cold  sides  to  comfort  trees  and 
men ;  with  careless  garlands  of  Honeysuckle,  Rose,  and  fragrant 
Clematis  among  them  here  and  there,  and  in  the  fence  bank  plenty 
of  Sweet  Brier  and  Hawthorn.  If  we  see  fine  effects  where  orchards 
are  poorly  planted  with  one  kind  of  tree,  as  the  Apple  (in  many 
country  places  in  our  islands  there  are  no  orchards  worthy  the  name), 
what  might  not  be  looked  for  of  an  orchard  in  which  the  beauty  of  all 
our  hardy  fruit  trees  would  be  visible  ?  If  we  consider  the  number  of 
distinct  kinds  of  fruit  trees  and  the  many  varieties  of  each,  we  may 
get  some  idea  of  the  pictures  one  might  have  in  an  orchard,  begin- 
ning with  the  bloom  of  the  Bullaces  in  the  fence.  The  various 
Plums  and  Damsons  are  beautiful  in  bloom,  as  in  the  Thames  valley 
and  about  Evesham.  The  Apple  varies  much  in  bloom,  as  may  be 
seen  in  Kentish  and  Normandy  orchards,  where  the  flowers  of  some 
are  of  extraordinary  beauty.  The  Pear,  less  showy  in  colour,  the 
Medlar,  so  beautiful  in  flower  and  in  foliage,  and  the  Quince,  so  pretty 
in  bloom  in  Tulip  time,  must  not  be  forgotten.  The  Cherry  is  often 
a  beautiful  tree  in  its  cultivated  as  well  as  wild  forms,  and  the  Cherry 

264 


THE   ORCHARD   BEAUTIFUL.  265 

orchards  in  parts  of  Kent,  as  near  Sittingbourne,  are  pictures  when  in 
bloom.  There  is  no  better  work  in  a  country  place  than  choosing  a 
piece  of  good  ground  to  form  an  orchard  ;  and  a  dozen  acres  are 
not  too  much  in  a  country  place  where  there  is  land  to  spare. 

Some  may  be  deterred  by  the  fear  that  their  soil  is  too  poor, 
and  planting  is  more  successful  on  the  fruit  tree  soils  of  Devon, 
Hereford,  and  Kent  than  in  some  other  districts ; 
Poor  soil  should  but  the  difference  in  soils  is  no  reason  why  some 
not  hinder.  counties  and  districts  should  be  bare  of  orchards. 
In  many  the  soil  is  as  good  as  need  be,  and 
indeed,  in  the  country  south  of  London,  where  much  of  the  land 
is  taken  up  with  orchards,  we  may  see  the  trees  suffering  more  from 
drought  in  dry  years  than  they  do  on  the  sandstone  soils  of  Cheshire 
or  in  Ireland  and  Scotland,  where  there  is  a  heavier  rainfall.  Few 
of  our  orchard  trees  require  a  special  soil,  and  where  chalky  or  warm 
soil  occurs,  the  best  way  is  to  keep  to  the  kinds  of  fruit  it  favours 
most.  But  though  the  orchard  beautiful  must  be  of  trees  in  all 
their  natural  vigour,  and  of  forms  lovely  in  winter  as  in  spring  and 
summer,  the  trees  must  not  be  neglected,  allowed  to  perish  from 
drought,  or  become  decayed  from  bug,  scale  or  other  pests,  and  it 
should  be  the  care  of  those  who  enjoy  their  beauty  to  protect  them 
from  all  such  dangers.  The  idea  that  certain  counties  only  are  suited 
for  fruit  growing  is  erroneous,  and  need  not  deter  us  from  planting 
orchards  of  the  hardier  trees  and  of  good  local  kinds.  Much  of 
Ireland  is  as  bare  of  orchards  as  the  back  of  a  stranded  whale,  but 
who  could  say  this  was  the  fault  of  the  country? 

Owing  to  the  use  of  dwarfing  stocks,  fruit  gardens  and  orchards 

are  now  beginning  to  show  shapes  of  trees  that  are  poor  compared 

with  the  tall  orchard  tree.     However  much  these 

The  trees  to  take   dwarf  and    pinched    shapes    may   appeal   to    the 

their  natural       gardener    in    his    own    domain,    in    the    orchard 
forms.  beautiful  they  have  no  place.     For  the  natural  form 

of  all  our  fruit  trees  is  good  indeed,  winter  or 
summer.  We  know  what  the  effect  in  flower-time  is  in  the  orchard 
pictures  of  such  painters  as  Mark  Fisher  and  Alfred  Parsons,  if 
we  have  not  taken  the  trouble  to  see  the  finer  pictures  of  the 
orchard  themselves,  seen  best,  perhaps,  on  dark  and  wet  days  in 
flower-time.  Lastly,  the  effect  of  finely-coloured  fruit  on  high  trees  is 
one  of  the  best  in  our  gardens.  Therefore,  in  every  case,  whatever 
thinning  of  the  branches  we  do,  let  the  tree  take  its  natural  form,  not 
only  for  its  own  sake  or  the  greater  beauty  of  natural  form  generally, 
but  also  for  the  interesting  variety  of  form  we  get  even  among 
varieties  sprung  from  the  same  species. 

Clearly  if  we  prune  to  any  one  ideal  type  of  tree  we  can  never  see 


266  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

the  interesting  variety  of  form  shown  by  the  varieties  of  one  species, 
as  the  Apple  and  Pear.  Keeping  to  the  natural  form  of  each  tree, 
moreover,  does  not  in  the  least  prevent  thinning  of  the  branches 
where  overcrowded — the  best  way  of  pruning. 

Never  in  the  orchard,  where  the  true  way  is  to  let  the  tree  take  its 

natural  and  mature  form,  should  the   practice  of  root   pruning   be 

allowed.     Our  orchard  trees — especially  the  trees 

Root  pruning  in    native  of  Britain  like  the  Apple  and  the  Pear — 

the  orchard.  are  almost  forest  trees  in  nature,  and  take  some 
years  first  of  all  to  make  their  growth  and  then 
mature  it.  In  gardens  for  various  reasons  men  try  to  get  in  artificial 
ways  the  fruit  that  Nature  gives  best  at  the  time  of  maturity,  so 
root  pruning  was  invented,  and  it  may  have  some  use  in  certain 
soils  and  in  limited  gardens,  but  one  would  hardly  think  it  would 
enter  into  people's  heads  to  practise  root  pruning  in  the  orchard  ; 
though  the  word  is  a  catching  one  and  leads  people  astray.  I  have 
several  times  had  the  question  seriously  put  to  me  as  to  how  to  root 
prune  forest  trees — a  case  where  all  pruning  is  absurd  in  any  proper 
sense  save  in  the  way  effected  by  the  forest  itself.  The  trees  in  the 
orchard  should  be  allowed  to  come  freely  to  maturity,  and  in  the  way 
the  years  fly  this  is  not  a  long  wait.  By  planting  well-chosen  young 
trees  every  year  the  whole  gradually  comes  into  noble  bearing,  and 
the  difference  between  the  naturally  grown  and  laden  tree  and  one 
of  the  pinched  root-pruned  ones  is  great. 

Cider  orchards  are  picturesque  in  the  west  of  England  and  in 
Normandy,  and  so  long  as  men  think  any  kind  of  fermented  stuff 
good  enough  for  their  blood,  cider  has  on  northern 
Cider  orchards,  men  the  first  claim  from  the  beauty  of  the  trees 
in  flower  and  fruit,  and  indeed  throughout  the 
year.  The  cider  orchard  also  will  allow  us  to  grow  naturally-grown 
trees  and  those  raised  from  seed.  Cider  orchards  are  extremely 
beautiful,  and  the  trees  in  them  take  fine  natural  forms.  They  have 
a  charm,  too,  in  the  brightness  of  the  fruit,  and  also  one  in  the 
lateness  of  the  blooms  of  some,  many  of  the  cider  Apples  flowering 
later  than  the  orchard  Apples.  In  some  cider  orchards  near  Rouen 
(Lyons-la-Foret)  I  saw  the  finest,  tallest,  and  cleanest  trees  were 
raised  from  seed  ;  the  owner,  a  far-famed  cider  grower,  told  me  they 
were  his  best  trees,  and  raised  from  seed  of  good  cider  Apples.  If 
he  found  on  their  fruiting  that  they  were  what  he  wanted  as  cider 
Apples  he  was  glad  to  keep  them  ;  if  not,  he  cut  their  heads  off 
and  regrafted  them  with  good  cider  sorts.  These  were  free  and 
handsome  trees  with  good  grass  below  them,  just  like  the  Cherry 
orchards  in  the  best  parts  of  Kent,  where  the  lambs  pick  the  early 
grass.  But  however  beautiful  such  an  orchard,  clearly  it  will  not 


THE   ORCHARD    BEAUTIFUL.  267 

give  us  the  variety  of  form  and  beauty  found  in  the  mixed  orchard, 
in  which  Cherry,  Apple,  Plum,  Pear,  Medlar,  Quince,  Walnut,  and 
Mulberry  take  a  place ;  there  also  the  various  interesting  trees 
allied  to  our  fruit  trees  might  come  in,  such  as  the  true  and 
common  Service  tree,  Almond,  Cornelian  Cherry,  and  Crab. 

Where  we  made  use  of  grafted  trees — and  generally  there  is  no 
choice  in  the  matter — we  should  always  in  the  orchard  use  the  most 

natural  stock     It   is   much   better  to   graft  Pear 
Grafting.          trees  on   the  wild    Pear   than   on   the   Quince,  a 

union  harmful  to  the  Pear  on  many  soils,  If  we 
could  get  the  trees  on  their  own  roots  without  any  grafting  it  would 
often  be  much  better,  but  we  are  slaves  to  the  routine  of  the  trade. 
The  history  of  grafting  is  as  old  as  the  oldest  civilisations — its  best 
reason,  the  rapid  increase  of  a  given  variety.  In  every  country  one 
or  two  fruit  trees  predominate,  and  are  usually  natives  of  the  country 
like  the  Apple  in  Northern  Europe  and  the  Olive  in  the  South. 
When  men  found  a  good  variety  of  a  native  fruit  they  sought  to 
increase  it  in  the  quickest  way,  and  so  having  learned  the  art  of 
grafting,  they  put  the  best  varieties  on  wild  stems  in  hedgerows,  or 
dug  up  young  trees  and  grafted  them  in  their  gardens.  The  practice 
eventually  became  stereotyped  into  the  production  of  the  nursery 
practice  of  grafting  many  varieties  of  fruit  trees  on  the  same  stock, 
often  without  the  least  regard  to  the  lasting  health  and  duration  of 
the  trees  so  grafted.  In  some  cases  when  we  use  the  wild  form  of 
the  tree  as  a  stock  for  the  orchard  tree  we  succeed  ;  but  grafting  is 
the  cause  of  a  great  deal  of  the  disease  and  barrenness  of  our 
orchards.  Where  we  graft,  it  is  well  to  graft  low;  that  is  to  say, 
in  the  case  of  cider  Apples,  for  example,  it  is  much  safer  and  better 
to  take  a  tree  grafted  close  to  the  ground  than  grafted  standard 
high,  as  the  high  graft  is  more  liable  to  accident  and  does  not  make 
so  fine  a  tree.  In  the  orchard  the  good  old  practice  of  sowing  the 
stone  or  pip  of  a  fine  fruit  now  and  then  may  also  be  followed  with 
interest. 

Even  in  the  good  fruit  counties   like  Kent  one  may  see  in  dry 
years  orchards  starved  from   want  of  water,  and   the  turf  beneath 

almost  brown    as   the   desert.     Where   manure  is 
Starved  orchards,  plentiful  it  is  well  to  use  it  as  a  mulch  for  such 

trees,  but  where  it  is  not,  we  may  employ  various 
other  materials  for  keeping  the  roots  safe  from  the  effects  of  drought. 
Not  only  the  tree  roots  want  the  water,  but  the  roots  of  the 
competing  grass  suck  the  moisture  out  of  the  soil  The  competition 
of  the  grass  could  be  put  an  end  to  at  once,  and  the  trees  very 
much  nourished,  by  the  use  of  any  easily  found  mulching  from 
materials  which  are  often  abundant  in  a  country  place.  Among  the 


268  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

best  of  these,  where  plentiful,  is  the  common  Furze,  if  cut  down  in 
spring  and  placed  over  the  ground  round  the  base  of  young  or  poor 
orchard  trees.  It  prevents  the  grass  from  robbing  the  trees  and  lets 
the  water  fall  through  to  the  ground,  helping  to  keep  it  there,  too, 
by  preventing  direct  evaporation  ;  moreover,  the  small  leaves  falling 
off  nourish  the  ground.  So  again  the  sweepings  of  drives  and  of 
farm  or  garden  yards  are  useful,  and  also  any  small  faggots — often 
allowed  to  rot  in  the  woods  after  the  underwood  is  cleared.  Then 
also  there  are  the  weeds  and  refuse  of  gardens  of  all  kinds  which 
form  detestable  rubbish  heaps  that  would  be  much  better  abolished, 
and  all  cleanings  from  the  garden  placed  directly  over  the  roots 
of  young  orchard  trees. 

Even  rank  weeds,  which  swarm  about  yard  and  shrubberies, 
would  help,  and  one  of  the  best  ways  to  weaken  them  and  help 
towards  their  destruction  is  by  mowing  them  down  in  the  pride  of 
their  growth  in  the  middle  of  summer — nettles  and  docks,  as  the 
case  may  be — and  instead  of  burning  them  or  taking  them  to  the 
rubbish  heap  use  them  over  the  tree  roots.  Even  the  weeds  and 
long  grass  growing  round  the  base  of  the  trees,  if  mown  and  left  on 
the  ground,  will  make  a  difference  in  the  growth  and  health  of  fruit 
trees.  Such  care  is  all  the  more  needed  if  our  orchard  is  upon  poor 
or  shaly  soils  in  the  dryer  counties  ;  in  naturally  rich  and  deep 
soil  we  need  it  less. 

For  fences  living  things  are  at  once  the  most  enduring,  effective, 
and  in  the  end  the  best.     We  see  the  hideous  result  of  the  iron- 
monger's   fence    in  marring    the    foregrounds    of 

Fencing  the  many  landscape  pictures.  Holly,  Quick,  or  Cock- 
orchard.  *  spur  Thorn,  with  a  sprinkling  of  Sloe  or  Bullace 
here  and  there,  give  us  the  best  orchard  fence  ; 
once  well  made,  far  easier  to  keep  up  than  the  iron  fence.  Yew 
is  a  danger,  and  a  hedge  of  it  should  never  be  planted  where  animals 
come  near  as  they  usually  do  the  orchard,  and  if  the  Yew  comes 
by  itself,  as  it  often  will,  it  should  be  cut  clean  out  and  burnt  as  soon 
as  cut  down.  Holly  is  the  best  evergreen  orchard  fence  for  our 
country,  and  we  should  be  careful  about  getting  the  plants  direct 
from  a  good  nursery — clean  seedling  plants  not  much  over  a  yard 
high.  The  best  time  to  plant  Hollies  is  in  May  if  growing  in  the 
place,  but  on  light  soil  plant  in  autumn  ;  all  the  more  need  to  do 
this  if  we  bring  the  plants  by  rail,  l^nless  the  soil  is  very  light  I 
should  make  the  fence  on  a  bank,  because  a  turf  bank  is  itself  such 
a  good  fence  to  begin  with,  and  a  free  Holly  hedge  on  a  good  bank 
with,  perhaps,  a  Sloe  here  and  there  through  it,  is  one  of  the  prettiest 
sights  of  the  land,  and  forms  the  best  of  shelters  for  an  orchard  in  our 
country.  Where  shelter  is  much  sought  the  hedge  should  not  be 


270  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

clipped,  and  is  much  handsomer  if  free-grown.  The  orchard  fence 
should  not  be  cut  in  every  year  to  a  hard  line,  but  Sloe,  and  May 
and  Sweet  Brier,  and  wild  Rose  left  to  bloom  and  berry,  the  hedge 
to  be  a  shelter  as  well  as  a  fence,  and  not  trimmed  oftener  than  every 
ten  years  or  so.  Then  it  should  be  cut  down  and  woven  together 
in  the  strong  way  seen  in  parts  of  Kent  on  the  hills. 

The  English  fruit  garden  is  often  a  museum  of  varieties,  many 
of  them  worthless  and  not  even  known  to  the  owner.  This  is  wrong 
in  the  garden,  and  doubly  so  in  the  orchard,  where 
Kinds  to  plant,  the  fruit  trees  should  be  trees  in  stature  and  none 
of  poor  quality.  Too  many  varieties  is  partly  the 
result  of  the  seeking  after  new  kinds  in  the  nurseries.  In  orchard 
culture  we  should  be  chary  of  planting  any  new  kind,  and  with  the 
immense  number  of  Apples  grown  in  our  own  country  already,  we 
may  choose  kinds  of  enduring  fame.  It  is  the  more  necessary  to 
do  this  now  when  good  Apples  are  coming  from  various  countries, 
where  men  do  not  plant  a  collection  when  they  want  a  crop  of  a  few 
first-rate  kinds.  So  we  should  in  our  orchards  never  plant  single 
trees,  but  always,  having  chosen  a  good  kind,  plant  enough 
to  make  it  worth  gathering.  Local  kinds  and  local  circumstances 
often  deserve  the  first  attention,  and  some  local  kinds  of  fruit 
are  among  the  best.  When  in  doubt  always  end  it  by  choosing 
kinds  of  proved  quality  rather  than  any  novelties  that  may  be 
offered.  Any  fruit  requiring  the  protection  of  walls  or  in  the  least 
tender  should  never  be  put  in  the  orchard.  It  is  probable  that  some 
of  the  fruit  trees  of  Northern  and  Central  Europe,  and  Russia,  would 
be  well  suited  for  our  climate,  but  as  yet  little  is  known  of  these 
except  that  they  are  interesting  and  many  of  them  distinct.  The 
vigour  of  the  tree  should  be  considered  and  its  fertility.  Kinds 
rarely  fertile  are  not  worth  having,  always  bearing  in  mind,  how- 
ever, that  a  good  kind  is  often  spoiled  by  a  bad  stock  or  by  conditions 
unsuited  to  it. 

The  beauty  of  flower  of  certain  varieties  may  well  influence  in 

their  choice.     Once  when  talking  with  Mr  Ruskin 

The  flowers  of     of  the  beauty  of  the  fruit  as  compared  with  the 

fruit  trees.        flower    of    our    northern   fruit    trees,   he   said   in 

reply  to  some  praise  of  the  fruit  beauty :    "  Give 

me  the  flower  and  spare  me  the  stomach-ache!" 

In  view  of  the  confusion  brought  about  by  fat  catalogues,  new 
varieties  of  doubtful  value,  the  number  of  early  kinds  worthless  for 
winter  and  spring  use,  and  the  planting  of  untried  kinds,  a  good  rule 
would  be  to  put  any  kind  we  propose  to  plant  under  separate  study 
as  to  its  merits  in  all  ways,  and  only  plant  one  kind  a  year.  The 
kind  chosen  for  orchard  culture  should  be  of  undoubted  merit  and 


THE   ORCHARD   BEAUTIFUL.  271 


distinction,  and  of  high  quality  when  cooked,  without  which  Apples  to 
keep  are  worthless.  In  fixing  but  one  kind  a  year,  the  first  considera- 
tion should  be  its  quality,  and  the  second  its  constancy  in  bearing,, 
as  to  which  there  is  a  great  difference  in  Apples.  Hardiness  and 
vigour  are  essential,  and  our  judgment  as  regards  orchard  planting 
should  never  be  influenced  by  the  produce  of  trees  grafted  on  the 
paradise  or  other  stocks  which  limit  the  natural  growth  of  the  tree. 
Apples  known  for  many  years,  like  the  Blenheim,  Kentish 
Filbasket,  Wellington,  French  Crab,  Sussex  Forge,  Warner  s  KingY 
Yorkshire  Greening,  Tom  Putt,  Reinette  Grise,  Bramley's  and  Alfriston 
should  never  be  left  out  of  our  consideration  in  this  respect,  as,  how- 
ever they  may  be  affected  by  situation  or  soil,  their  value  has  been 
proved,  and  that  is  a  great  point,  as  in  the  case  of  new  varieties 
chosen  for  some  one  minor  quality,  such  as  colour,  it  is  only  after  they 
have  been  grown  for  years  we  begin  to  find  out  their  bad  qualities. 

Some  of  the  most  beautiful  things  in  our  garden  or  home  land- 
scapes are  the  orchards  of  the  west  of  England,  more  often  planted 
with  the  Apple  than   with  the    Pear.     The  Pear 
Pear  orchards      tree  in  this  country  should  be  much  more  grown 
for  beauty.        as  an  orchard  tree,  for  its  beauty  even  if  not  for  its 
fruit,  which  yearly  grows  in  value.     Some  Pears  of 
our  own  time,  like  Doyenne  du  Cornice  and  Beurre  Dumont,  are  worth 
a  score  of  the  old  kinds.     The  Pear  tree  is  finer  in  form  and  stature 
than  the  Apple,  and  it  is  not  rare  to  see  trees  in  Worcestershire  of  the 
size  of  forest  trees.     Such  trees,  with  their  varied  and   picturesque 
form,  are  worth  thinking  of  when  planting  for  beauty. 

The  use  of  the  Quince  as  a  dwarfing  stock  for  many  years  past  in 
England  has  been  against  the  Pear  as  an  orchard  tree.  No  Pear 
grafted  on  this  stock  ever  succeeds  as  a  standard  tree.  In  our  fertile 
valleys  and  the  rich  soil  of  gardens  the  Quince  is  for  some  kinds  often 
a  good  stock,  but  over  a  large  area  of  poor  sandy  and  chalky  land  it 
is  worthless  ;  and  its  use  has  done  much  harm  to  Pear  cultivation. 
In  using  the  Pear,  or  natural  stock,  we  may  hope  that  it  will  do  well 
on  any  land,  be  it  heavy  Wealden  clay  or  on  upland  soils.  It  is  true 
we  must  wait  for  results  ;  the  standard  Pear  is  a  forest  tree  in  its 
way,  and  must  be  allowed  time  to  mature,  but  it  is  surely  better  to  let 
the  years  run  by  than  to  plant  trees  which  may  never  succeed  as 
standards.  For  trees  so  planted  to  endure  we  should  choose  good 
kinds  that  ripen  in  our  country,  and  see,  in  every  case,  that  they  are 
grafted  on  the  wild  Pear — their  natural  stock — since  we  cannot 
easily  get  them  on  their  own  roots,  though  it  would  interest  me 
much  to  see  them  on  their  natural  roots,  and  I  have  two  Pears  so 
grown  which  look  far  healthier  than  any  others.  The  most  impor- 
tant point  is  that  of  varieties.  We  should  never  plant  any  but  good 


272  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

Pears,  which,  as  standards,  will  ripen  in  our  country  under  any  fair 
conditions,  such  Pears  as  Beurrt  Giffard,  Jargonelle,  Betirre  Goubault, 
Beurre  Dumont,  Beurrt  dAmanlis,  Beurre  Hardy,  Fondante  des  Bois, 
Louise  Bonne,  Rousselet  de  Reims,  Doyenne  du  Cornice,  Marie  Louise, 
Urbaniste,  Soldat  Laboureur,  Triomphe  de  Jodoigne,  Comtesse  de  Paris, 
Nouvelle  Fulvie,  Bergamotte  Saumier,  Charles  Cognee,  Doyenne 
dAlenqon,  Josephine  de  M alines,  Suzette  de  Bavay. 

Much  has  been  said  of  late  about  the  advantages  and  disadvantages 

of  planting  in  grass  ;  but  most  growers  of  Kent  and  other  orchard 

counties  have  long  known  that  in  hop,  arable,  and 

Pear  foliage  anv  other  land,  the  trees  show  quicker  growth  and 
effects.  greater  vigour  at  first.  It  is  not  every  one,  how- 

ever, that  cares  to  break  up  grass  to  plant  an 
orchard,  and  we  can  do  very  well  without  grass  by  mulching  the 
ground  round  each  tree  for  a  few  years,  until  they  have  gained  a 
good  hold. 

These  words  were  fresh  penned  when  I  came  across  the  follow- 
ing notes  by  M.  Charles  Baltet  of  Troyes.  "  The  habit,  the  foliage, 
and  the  fruit  of  the  Pear  tree  will  leave  nothing  to  be  desired,  no 
matter  in  what  soil  or  climate  it  may  be  grown.  Prolific,  large- 
fruited  varieties  such  as  Beurre  de  I  Assumption,  William,  Van 
Marum,  and  others,  will  always  be  a  delight  to  the  fruit  lover, 
but  the  artist  who  looks  for  effect  from  the  natural  appearance  of 
the  trees,  if  he  wishes  for  luxuriant  growth  will  find  it  in  the  Pear 
known  as  the  Cure,  Conseillier  de  la  Cour,  and  others.  Beurre 
Hardy,  Vanquelin,  and  Duke  de  Nemours  have  long,  upright 
branches;  those  of  the  Beurre  d'Amanlis,  Bon  Chretien,  and 
Triomphe  de  Jodotgne  spread  out  more  or  less  horizontally,  or  even 
curve  downwards  ;  Arbre  courbe  and  Nouvelle  Fulvie  would  not 
be  out  of  place  as  drooping  trees  ;  while  we  may  admit  a  group  of 
Pear  trees  which  grow  as  natural  pyramids,  such  as  Fondante  du 
Panisel,  Beurre  de  Nantes,  Fondante  de  Noel,  Beurre  dAngleterre, 
and  a  number  of  others,  including  Charles  Ernest. 

"  The  beautiful  foliage  of  the  Sucree  de  Montlu$on,  Delpierre,  and 
Triomphe  de  Jodoigne  is  rivalled  by  that  of  the  Mikado  and  Daimyo, 
two  varieties  of  Japanese  origin,  with  large,  thick,  and  somewhat 
cottony  leaves.  The  German  Kopertscher,  the  Belgian  Delices  de 
Jodoigne,  the  American  Philadelphia,  the  French  Gil-6-Gile,  present 
the  same  characteristic." 

Mr  Baltet  omits  to  notice  the  fine  colour  of  the  leaves  of  many 
Pear 'trees  in  autumn,  and  I  find  that  this  seems  to  be  intensified 
in  the  few  trees  I  have  on  their  natural  roots. 

"  The  observer  who  notices  the  features  of  each  variety  knows  that 
Marie  Guisse,  Monseigneur  des  Hons,  and  Royal  d'Hiver  are  the  first 


THE   ORCHARD   BEAUTIFUL.  273 

to  show  their  buds  in  the  spring,  while  Martin  sec,  Madame  Loriol  de 
Barny,  and  Herbin,  are  slow  to  shed  their  leafy  clothing  in  the 
autumn.  Bonne  d'Ezee  and  Doyenne  dAlen^on  are  the  earliest  to 
flower,  and  Alexandrine,  Douillard,  Sylvange,  and  Nouvelle  Fulvie  pro- 
tect their  clusters  of  flowers  with  sheltering  rosettes  of  leaves  as  soon 
as  they  open.  If  we  wish  for  Pear  trees  with  double  flowers  we  have 
Comte  Lelieur  and  Betirre  de  Naghin,  with  their  regular  outline,  or  the 
double-flowered  Bergamotte  and  Calebasse  Oberdieck,  with  their  droop- 
ing petals.  Without  being  able  to  compete  with  the  coloured  barks 
of  the  Birch,  the  scarlet  Dogberry,  or  the  veined  Maple,  we  may  be 
content  with  the  ash-coloured  bark  of  the  Best  Dubost,  the  ochrey 
Passe  Colmar,  the  violet  Beurre  Giffard,  the  purple  Doyenne  Flon 
aine,  the  dark  brown  Bon  Chretien  de  Bruxelles,  and  the  bright- 
barked  Fondante  Thirriot.  We  have  beauty  of  stem  in  Van  Mons, 
Deux-Sceurs,  Angelique  Leclerc,  Beurre  Lebrun,  and  others,  the  last 
having  a  stem  which  looks  as  if  spotted  with  carmine.  The  study  of 
local  fruits  has  provided  us  with  the  Poirier  de  Fosse,  which  in  the 
department  of  the  Aube  is  as  large  and  tall  as  an  Oak.  A  group  of 
some  of  these  sorts  in  either  park  or  garden  would  give  us  as  much 
pleasure  as  any  isolated  tree  or  clump  of  trees." 

And  here  we  may  also  say  a  word  for  some  of  the  wild  Pears 
of  Europe,  particularly  the  little-known  species  of  the  region  of  the 

Danube   and    Southern    Russia.     Many   of   these 
Wild  Pears.        eastern  kinds  are  distinct  and  beautiful  in  growth 

and  appearance,  and  their  leaves  take  on  the 
richest  autumn  colouring,  in  shades  of  purple,  crimson,  orange,  and 
gold,  which  would  give  fine  effect  in  the  wild  garden  even  if  valueless 
in  other  ways.  The  autumn  colour  of  some  of  our  orchard  Pears  is 
also  beautiful,  particularly  in  some  soils  ;  an  orchard  of  Pears  is  finer 
in  this  way  than  any  of  our  other  fruits. 

And  apart  from  these  are  the  Pears  grown  for  perry,  an  interest- 
ing group  of  which  we  have  no  knowledge  in  the  home  counties, 
though  in  some  parts  of  the  west  they  are  grown.  So  that  on  the 
whole  there  is  no  lack  of  fine  things  to  go  to  the  forming  of  what 
would  prove  a  charming  addition  to  many  a  country  seat — a  Pear 
orchard  with  the  trees  all  in  their  natural  forms. 

Fruit  trees  grown  in  any  way  are  fair  to  see  in  the  time  of  flower 
and  fruit,  but  our  orchard  must  be  in  turf  if  we  are  to  have  the  best 

expression  of  its  beauty.     In  fruit  gardens  where 

Staking  orchard    the  whole  surface  is   cultivated   with  small  fruits 

trees.  below  and  taller   trees  overhead    we   may  get  as 

good,  or,  it  may  be,  better  fruit,  but  we  miss  the 
finer  light  and  shade  and  verdure  of  the  orchard  in  turf,  the  pretty 
incidents  of  the  ground,  and  the  animal  life  among  the  trees  in  spring, 

S 


274  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

as  sheep  in  Kent,  and  the  interest  of  wild  gardening  in  the  grass. 
Also  the  orchard  turf,  by  its  shade  or  shelter,  or  in  some  way, 
becomes  most  welcome  nibbling  for  lambs  and  calves  in  the  spring. 
A  gain  of  the  orchard  in  turf  is  that  we  can  plant  it  on  any  ground, 
however  broken  or  steep,  and  in  many  parts  of  the  country  there  is 
much  ground  of  this  sort  to  be  planted.  Now,  while  we  may  in  the 
garden  or  the  fruit  garden  plant  trees  without  stakes,  we  cannot  do 
so  in  the  grass  orchard,  because  of  the  incursions  of  animals ;  there- 
fore staking  is  needed,  not  only  to  support  the  tall  and  strong  young 
trees  which  we  ought  to  plant,  but  also  to  guard  against  various 
injuries.  The  best  is  to  use  very  strong  stakes  and  make  them 
protect  and  support  the  trees,  and  also  carry  the  wire  netting  which 
is  essential  wherever  rabbits,  hares,  goats,  or  other  browsing  animals 
exist.  The  way  to  do  this  is  to  have  a  very  stout  stake — Larch 
or  Old  Oak.  Sometimes  in  the  repairing  of  old  sheds  a  number  of 
old  Oak  rafters  are  rejected — excellent  for  staking  young  trees  in 
orchards,  first  digging  the  hole  and  putting  the  stake  firmly  into  a 
depth  of  3  feet  below  the  surface.  Cradles  of  Oak  and  iron  are  much 
in  use ;  the  first  is  very  well  in  an  Oak  country  where  labour  is 
plentiful ;  iron  is  costly  and  ugly,  and  not  so  good  as  the  single 
stout  stake,  which  is  easy  to  get  of  Larch  or  stub  Oak  in  many 
country  places.  The  common  way  of  tying  a  faggot  of  Quicks  or 
any  thorny*  shrub  is  often  good  when  done  by  a  good  fencer.  The 
trees  should  be  tied  with  care  with  soft  ropes  of  straw  or  jute,  and 
when  planted  be  loosely  but  carefully  wired  with  netting  well  out 
of  the  reach  of  browsing  animals.  This  wiring  is  supported  well 
by  the  strong  stake,  and,  well  done,  it  keeps  rabbits  and  hares,  as 
well  as  cattle,  at  bay,  and  worse  than  all  for  trees,  young  horses. 
A  usual  way  in  Kent  is  to  drive  in  three  stout  stakes,  6  feet  or  more 
in  height,  round  the  tree,  and  fasten  cross-bars  to  them.  This  can 
be  done  at  a  total  cost  of  about  lod.  a  tree,  and  should  last  twelve  to 
fifteen  years. 

One  of  the  reasons  for  a  good  orchard,  from  the  point  of  view  of 

all  who  care  for  beauty,  is  its  value  for  wild  gardening.     It  is  so  well 

fitted    for    this,   that    many    times    Narcissi    and 

The  orchard  wild  other  bulbs  from  the  garden  have  even  established 

garden.  themselves   in  its  turf,  so   that    long   years   after 

the    culture    of    the    flowers   has   been   given    up 

in  the  garden,  owing  to  changes  of  fashion,  people  have  been  able 

in    old    orchards   to   find    naturalised    some  of  the   most    beautiful 

kinds  of  Narcissi.     Where  the  soil  is  cool  and  deep,  these  flowers 

are  easily  grown,  and  in  warm  soils  many  of  our  hardiest  and  most 

beautiful   spring  flowers  might  easily  be  naturalised.     On  the  cool 

side  of  the  orchard  bank,  Primrose  and  Oxlip  would  bloom  long  and 


THE   ORCHARD   BEAUTIFUL.  275 

well,  and  on  all  sides  of  it  Daffodils,  Snowflakes,  Snowdrops,  wild 
Tulips,  or  any  like  bulbs  to  spare  from  the  garden  ;  and  from  the 
garden  trimmings,  too,  tufts  of  Balm  and  Myrrh  to  live  for  ever 
among  the  grass  of  the  bank.  The  robin  would  build  in  the  moss  of 
the  bank,  the  goldfinch  in  the  silvery  lichen  of  the  trees,  and  the 
thrush,  near  the  winter's  end,  herald  the  buds  with  noble  song. 

Bold  planters  need  not  hesitate  to  adorn  some  of  their  orchard 

trees  with  graceful  climbing  plants.     A  few  of  these  climbers  would 

be  too  vigorous  eventually  for  the  fruit  tree,  but 

Climbers  on        a  good   many  are  never  so  on  vigorous  orchard 

orchard  trees.  trees.  The  most  picturesque  planting  I  ever  did 
was  to  put  a  number  of  white  Indian  Clematises 
(C.  Montana)  with  some  orchard  trees.  They  grew  in  a  most 
picturesque  way,  and  took  a  different  habit  on  almost  every  tree. 
The  autumn-flowering  Clematis  (flammula)  is  such  a  light  grower 
that  it  would  not  make  much  difference  to  the  tree,  and  there  are  a 
number  of  wild  Clematis  with  the  same  light  character  that  would  not 
hurt  an  orchard  tree.  Some  of  the  fine-leaved  Vines,  too,  would  give 
a  dash  of  rich  colour  in  the  autumn,  and  do  little  harm,  and  some  of 
the  more  fragile  Honeysuckles  might  also  be  tried.  In  the  south  of 
France  the  common  blue  Passion-flower  and  various  kinds  of  climb- 
ing Roses  will  often  reach  out  from  the  garden  hedge  and  take 
possession  of  the  nearest  trees,  and  Olive  and  orchard  trees  may  be 
seen  beautifully  robed  in  this  way.  Even  the  hardy  winter  Jasmine, 
when  crowded  by  other  things  upon  a  bank,  I  have  known  to  clamber 
up  into  the  branches  of  a  little  Cherry  tree,  with  very  pretty  effect. 
One  of  the  prettiest  effects  I  have  every  year  is  from  a  plant 
of  the  white  traveller's  joy  (Clematis  viticella  alba)  growing  on  a 
double  Cherry  tree.  We  first  have  the  bloom  of  the  Cherry,  and  then 
weeks  after  comes  the  fair  white  Clematis,  flowering  for  weeks  all 
over  the  Cherry  and  doing  no  harm. 


CHAPTER    XXXII. 

LABOURS   FOR  GOOD  OR  EVIL:  DRAINING:  ROTATION:  MONOTONY: 
GLASS  :   MOVING   EARTH. 

THE  cost  of  the  making  and  keeping  of  the  gardens  and  pleasure 
grounds  of  the  British  Isles  is  too  vast  to  realise.  No  other  people  in 
the  world  spend  so  generously  on  their  gardens  and  plantations — 
not  a  selfish  end  either,  as  all  noble  planting  and  gardening  add  to  the 
beauty  of  the  land.  In  every  case  it  is  therefore  worth  while  asking, 
does  the  labour  so  freely  given  work  for  good  ends — for  ugliness  or 
beauty,  waste  in  stereotyped  monotony,  or  days  well  spent  in  adding 
to  the  treasures  of  our  gardens  and  plantings,  both  in  enduring  variety 
and  in  picturesque  effects;  pictures,  in  fact,  all  round  the  year? 
There  is  immense  and  hideous  waste  in  misapplied  labour  and  bad  art, 
and  therefore  some  of  these  enemies  of  good  work  deserve  a  little 
thought. 

Most  garden  lovers  strive  for  an  ideal  soil,  but  this  does  not  always 
lead  to  happy  results,  and,  even  if  we  could  have  it,  would  only  lead  to 

monotony  in  vegetation.     No  doubt  many  will  seek 

Soils  good  and     at  all  costs  for  the  soil  called  the  best,  but  the 

bad.  wisest  way  is  rather  to  rejoice  in  and  improve  the 

soil  fate  has  planted  us  on.  A  good  deep  and 
free  loam  is  best  for  many  things,  and  for  high  cultivation 
or  market  work,  deep  valley  soils  are  almost  essential,  but  we  often 
see  poor  peats  giving  excellent  results  from  a  flower  gardening 
point  of  view,  in  enabling  us  to  grow  with  ease  many  more 
kinds  of  plants  than  could  be  grown  on  heavy  soil.  How  fertile 
sand  may  become  with  good  cultivation  is  shown  by  the  fact  that 
some  of  the  very  best  soils  for  hardy  plants  are  those  that  have  been 
poor  sea  sand,  but  improved  by  cultivation,  and  sometimes  such  soils 
are  drought-resisting,  as  on  reclaimed  seashore  lands.  Yet  now  and 
then  we  see  certain  sandy  soils  absolutely  refuse  to  grow  Roses  and 
Carnations,  and  in  such  cases  it  is  often  better  to  give  up  the  struggle. 
Chalky  hills  are  wretched  for  trees  and  some  shrubs,  but  there  are  few 
soils  more  congenial  to  garden  vegetation  than  some  chalky  soils,  and 
chalk  tumbling  into  a  valley  soil  is  often  excellent.  In  limestone 

276 


SOILS   AND   CULTIVATION  IN   THE   FLOWER   GARDEN.         277 

soils  people  often  take  much  trouble  to  get  peat,  in  the  vain  hope 
of  growing  a  few  Rhododendrons,  labour  which  would  be  better 
bestowed  on  improving  the  staple  of  the  natural  soil  of  the  place. 

The  most  hopeless  soils  are  the  true  clays,  but  the  word  "  clay  "  is 
used  in  a  loose  way  by  many  who  have  never  seen  a  real  clay.  In 
the  east  of  England  and  in  Ireland,  for  example,  the  term  is  often 
used  for  dark,  free  soil.  The  true  clay  which  occurs  in  the  northern 
suburbs  of  London  and  near  Horsham  is  not  a  soil  on  which  a  man 
could  get  a  living,  or  if  he  does  so  he  will  get  one  anywhere!  With 
such  a  soil  our  only  hope  is  to  cart  good  earth  on  to  the  ground. 
Whatever  the  nature  of  the  soil  in  a  given  garden,  it  should  to  a  large 
extent  govern  what  we  grow.  If  happy  enough  to  have  a  sandy  peat, 
how  easy  it  is  to  grow  all  the  lovely  evergreens  of  the  northern  moun- 
tains, which  rejoice  in  such  soil — things  which,  if  they  live  on  loamy 
and  heavy  soils,  are  never  really  happy  thereon.  On  such  soil,  too, 
all  the  most  beautiful  kinds  of  hardy  shrubs  may  be  grown  without 
trouble,  and  planted  among  these  shrubs  the  Lilies  and  hardy  bulbous 
flowers  of  Japan  and  America.  If  a  deep  and  at  the  same  time  poor 
sea  sand  comes  in  our  way,  we  can  make  perfect  bulb  gardens  on  it, 
and  also  grow  trees  and  flowering  shrubs  very  well  after  a  time. 

Soil   must   not  always   be   blamed    for   failure,  because  rainfall, 

elevation,  and,  very   often,  nearness   to   the   sea  will    affect   certain 

plants  very  much.     Thus  shrubs  that  do  well  near 

Local  and  natural    the  sea  will,  on  the  same  kind  of  soil,  perish  far 

soils.  inland.     It  is  essential  to  study  the  secret  of  the 

soil  and  find  out  the  plants  that  thrive  best  on  it. 

Once  free  from  the  limits  and  needs  of  the  flower  garden  proper,  the 

best  way  will  often  be  to  use  any  local  peculiarities  of  soil  instead 

of  doing  away  with  them:    A  bog?     Instead  of  draining  it  keep  it 

and  adorn  it  with  some  of  the  often  beautiful  things  that  grow  in 

bogs.     A  sandy  knoll?     Plant  with  Rosemary  or  Rock  Roses.     A 

peaty,   sheltered    hollow  ?    Make  it  into  a   beautiful   Rhododendron 

glade,  and  so  get  variety  of  plant  life  in  various  conditions. 

Then  as  regards  the  soil  and  the  natural  habitats  of  plants,  there 
is  no  doubt  that  it  is  useful  to  know  where  they  come  from,  whether 
plains,  valleys,  or  rocks,  and  what  soil  they  grow  on  ;  but  it  is  a  know- 
ledge that  may  sometimes  mislead,  because  rainfall  and  elevation  and 
other  causes  may  lead  us  to  suppose  results  due  to  soil  which  are 
really  so  to  accident  of  position.  Many  of  the  beautiful  plants  of 
the  mountains  of  the  East,  such  as  Aubrietia,  and  a  number  of  rock 
plants  which  grow  in  any  soil,  would  do  no  better  if  we  tried  to  imitate 
their  actual  conditions  of  life  in  their  native  habitats,  which  are  often 
absolutely  different  from  the  soils  of  our  lowland  gardens  in  which 
many  rock  plants  thrive  and  endure  for  years. 


278  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

Many  think  that  heavy  watering  is  necessary  in  seasons  of  drought, 

and  it  may  be  worth  while  showing  how  such  heavy  labour  may  be 

avoided.     There  are  soils  which  are  so  thirsty,  like 

Cultivation  and    tne  not  sandy   soils   of  Surrey,  that  watering  is 
water.  essential,  and  some  chalky  soils,  too,  are  almost 

hopeless  without  heavy  watering,  while  water  is 
often  extremely  difficult  to  get  enough  of  on  dry  hills.  But  under 
general  conditions  there  is  not  much  trouble  in  getting  rid  of  this 
labour  and  its  attendant  ugliness.  The  essential  thing  is  to  make 
the  beds  deep  enough.  Even  with  the  best  intentions,  many  people 
fail  to  do  this,  and  workmen  in  forming  gardens  are  sometimes 
misled  as  to  the  depth  of  soil  in  beds  made  when  gardens  are 
being  laid  out,  the  soil  when  it  settles  being  really  much  less  than 
it  seems  in  the  making.  The  best  way  for  those  who  care  for  their 
flowers  is  to  dig  the  beds  right  out  to  a  depth  of  30  inches  below 
the  surface  before  any  of  the  good  soil  is  put  in.  Then,  if  for  general 
garden  use  such  beds  are  filled  in  with  good,  rich,  loamy  soil  and 
are  gently  raised,  as  all  beds  should  be  in  wet  countries,  4  inches 
or  6  inches  above  the  surface,  they  will  rarely  be  found  to  fail  in 
any  drought.  Much  depends  on  the  size  of  the  bed;  the  little, 
angular,  frivolous  beds  which  have  too  often  been  the  rule  in  gardens 
cannot  resist  drought  so  long  as  broad  simple  beds.  With  these 
precautions,  and  also  autumn  and  winter  planting,  we  ought,  in  the 
British  Isles,  to  free  ourselves  from  much  of  the  heavy  labour  and  cost 
of  watering,  and  it  would  be  better  to  have  half  the  space  we  give 
to  flowers  well  prepared,  than  always  be  at  work  with  the  water 
barrel. 

To  be  busy  planting  in  autumn  and  early  winter  is  a  great  gain 
too,  because  the  plants  get  rooted  before  the  hot  time  comes,  and  the 
kind  of  plants  we  grow  is  important  as  regards  the  water  question. 
Where  we  have  deep  beds  of  Roses,  Lilies,  Carnations,  Irises, 
Delphiniums,  and  all  the  noble  flowers  that  can  be  planted  in 
autumn  or  winter,  we  may  save  ourselves  the  labour  of  watering  often. 
Well  prepared  beds  of  choice  evergreen  or  other  flowering  shrubs,  with 
Lilies  and  the  choicest  hardy  flowers  among  them,  also  resist  drought 
well.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  how  much  we  gain  in  this  way  alone  by 
the  use  of  right  open-air  gardening. 

What  is  here  said,  although  true  of  the  south  of  England  and  dry 
soils  generally,  is  not  so  as  to  soil  on  cool  hills,  and  in  the  west  country 
where  the  rainfall  is  heavier.  In  such  cases  it  is  not  nearly  so  import- 
ant to  have  the  soil  so  deep,  and  a  good  fertile  soil  half  the  depth, 
with  copious  rain,  may  do.  But,  taking  the  country  generally,  there 
is  no  doubt  that  such  deep  culture  well  repays  the  doing.  The 
farmer  is  often  unable  to  alter  the  staple  of  his  ground  owing 


SOILS  AND  CULTIVATION  IN  THE  FLOWER  GARDEN.  279 

to  its  extent,  but  the  flower  gardener,  dealing  with  a  much  smaller 
area,  should  never  rest  until  he  has  got  a  deep  as  well  as  a  good  soil. 
This  is  given  to  many  by  Nature  in  rich  valley  lands,  and  on  such 
happy  soil  the  flower  gardener's  main  work  as  regards  the  labours  of 
the  soil  is  changing  the  crop  now  and  then,  with  some  modification 
of  the  soil  to  suit  certain  plants. 

Where,  owing  to  the  dryness  of  the  soil  or  subsoil,  or  to  short- 
ness of  the  rainfall,  we  have  to  resort  to  much  artificial  watering,  it 
is  a  great  point  to  save  the  rain  water  as  the 
Soft  water  best,  best  of  -all  water,  not  only  for  household  uses 
but  for  plants.  Next  to  it  comes  river  water, 
but  to  the  gardens  that  want  most  water,  rivers,  unfortunately, 
do  not  come,  so  that  for  garden  use  it  would  often  be  very  wise 
to  do  what  people  do  more  in  other  countries  than  ours,  and 
that  is,  save  all  the  rain  water  we  can  instead  of  letting  it  run  to  waste 
as  it  does  so  often. 

In  our  country,  too,  much  thought  and  labour  are  given  to 
drainage  in  the  flower  garden,  to  the  neglect  of  change  of  plants 
and  deep  cultivation.  During  our  hot  summers 
Drainage.  some  way  to  keep  water  in  the  beds  is  more 
important  than  getting  rid  of  it.  Some  soils  are 
in  little  need  of  artificial  drainage,  such  as  free  sands,  sandy  loams, 
chalky  and  limestone  soils,  and  much  ground  lying  high,  and  much 
alluvial  land.  Houses  are  not  usually  built  on  bogs  or  marshy 
land,  and  in  the  course  of  years  the  ground  round  most  houses 
has  been  made  dry  enough  for  use,  and  hence  elaborate  work  in 
drains,  bottoming  with  brick-rubbish  or  concrete,  is  often  wasted 
labour.  In  some  years  even  in  the  west  country  we  may  see  plants 
lying  half-dead  on  the  ground  for  want  of  water,  and  the  same 
plants  in  deep  soil,  and  where  no  thought  was  given  to  drainage, 
in  perfect  health  at  the  same  time.  There  are  places  where,  owing 
to  excessive  rainfall  and  the  wet  nature  of  the  soil,  we  may  have 
to  drain,  but  it  is  often  overdone. 

Apart  from  the  over-draining  for  ordinary  garden  things,  it  may 
be  well  to  remember  that  flower  garden  plants  in  our  country  are 
often  half-starved  through  drainage,  like  Phlox  and  scarlet  Lobelia, 
which  in  their  own  country  are  marsh  plants,  or  inhabit  the  edges  of 
pools.  In  the  southern  country  they  simply  refuse  to  show  their  true 
character  where  the  ground  is  drained  in  the  usual  way. 

Gardeners'  land  and  farmers'  land  are  usually  wholly  different. 
Drainage  is  often  the  simplest  and  best  way  for  the  farmer  to  alter 
the  tilth  and  texture  of  saturated  and  cold  or  sour  land,  whereas  the 
flower  gardener,  dealing  with  a  small  space  for  his  beds,  has  the  power 
of  altering  the  tilth  and  texture  of  his  land  in  a  thorough  way,  and  so 


280  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

making  it  open  to  the  influence  of  rain  and  air.  The  position  of  the 
flower  garden  is  usually  wholly  different  from  that  of  agricultural 
land.  The  flower  garden  itself  is  frequently  raised,  and  in  a  terraced 
or  at  all  events  often  dry  position,  where  the  main  drainage  is  long 
settled,  and  gently  raising  the  surfaces  of  flower-beds,  to  a  height 
say  of  4  inches  to  6  inches,  enables  us  to  get  rid  of  the  surface  water. 
By  raising  our  beds  slightly — not  in  the  ugly  way  practised  in 
the  London  parks — we  free  the  surface  of  any  water  lying  on 
it,  and  this  is  a  good  plan  to  follow,  except  in  hot  and  shallow 
soils,  where  it  would  be  better  not  to  raise  the  surface  above  the 
level. 

A  cause  of  the  poor  growth  of  hardy  flowers  is  want  of  change 
of  soil,  and    in   addition    the    soils    in    which    they  grow  are  often 

robbed  by  a  network  of  hungry  tree  roots.  There 
Rotation  in  the  are  botanic  gardens  in  Europe  where  the  same 
flower  garden,  wretched  plants  have  been  starving  in  the  same 

soil  for  fifty  years,  and  little  ever  done  to  help  them. 
So,  again,  there  are  favourite  borders  in  gardens  which  are  almost  as 
much  in  want  of  a  change,  but,  owing  to  their  position  sometimes  being 
a  favourite  one,  people  hesitate  to  give  it  to  them.  In  such  cases  we 
should  prepare  a  new  border  for  the  plants  and  remove  them,  and 
trench,  renew  and  improve  the  soil  of  the  old  beds  or  borders,  after- 
wards taking  a  crop  as  different  as  possible  for  a  year  or  two.  If  we 
take  a  crop  of  annual  flowers,  the  annuals  rejoice  in  the  fresh  ground, 
and  they  might  be  followed  by  a  year  of  Carnations,  after  which  a 
return  might  be  made  to  a  good  mixed  border.  When,  however,  we 
do  change  a  border  or  bed,  the  staple  of  the  soil  ought  to  be  made 
deep  enough  and  changed  if  need  be.  In  dealing  with  a  soil  which  is 
too  rich  in  humus,  an  addition  of  lime  will  improve  it,  but  generally 
the  soils  are  too  poor,  and  require  renewing  and  deepening.  Bedding 
plants  have  the  advantage  of  fresh  soil  and  often  a  total  change  every 
year,  and  hence  the  bright  vigour  they  often  show  when  the  seasons 
are  fair.  A  little  of  the  same  generous  change  would  help  Roses, 
Lilies,  and  all  the  finer  things  in  an  equal  degree,  though  many  of 
these  will  be  quite  happy  in  the  same  soil  for  years  if  it  be  well  pre- 
pared at  first. 

Upon  suggesting  once  in   a  beautiful   garden  in  Essex  that  an 
opening  should  be  made  from  a  pleasure  ground  into  a  picturesque 

grove  of  old   Oak   trees,  we   were    met  with  the 

Weeds  and        objection  that  the  rubbish  heap  was  there  ;   and, 

rubbish  heaps,      on  making  our  way  in,  this  was  found  to  cover 

half  an  acre  almost  picturesque  in  its  wild  up 
and  down  heaps  of  rubbish,  earth,  leaves,  branches,  and  broken 
crockery,  etc.  A  fire  was  kept  alight  for  six  months  in  the  year 


SOILS  AND   CULTIVATION   IN   THE   FLOWER   GARDEN.          281 

to  get  rid  of  some  of  this  rubbish,  and,  this  being  very  near  the 
house,  was  a  frequent  nuisance.  This  is  a  common  state  of  things, 
but  as  wrong  as  it  is  unnecessary.  We  gain  nothing  by  destroying 
organic  matter  by  fire,  but  lose  a  good  deal  and  get  only  the  ash. 
The  garden  weeds,  the  good  soil  scraped  up  with  them,  and  the 
many  other  things  that  go  to  make  up  these  rubbish  heaps  would 
be  of  far  more  use  put  over  young  trees  to  protect  and  nourish 
them.  Refuse  of  hard  materials,  such  as  iron  or  delf,  should 
be  buried  separately ;  and  roots  of  bad  weeds  may  be  burned 
at  once  where  they  are.  Yet  there  is  no  practice  more  firmly 
established  than  the  ancient  one  of  the  garden  rubbish  heap,  often 
disfiguring  spots  which  might  be  pretty  with  ferns  or  shrubs, 
encouraging  vermin,  filth,  and  vile  odours,  all  things  that  we  do 
not  want  in  or  near  the  flower  garden  or  pleasure  ground. 
We  may  see  these  heaps  made  even  where  labour  is  scarce 
and  the  gardener  is  over-weighted  with  work,  adding  to  his 
toil  by  barrowing  or  carting  away  weeds  and  earth.  This  means 
moving  the  costly  product  two  or  more  times:  (i)  to  the  rubbish 
heap  ;  (2)  turning  over  and  burning  ;  and  (3),  finally,  again  removing 
the  result  in  ash ;  when  it  might  easily  have  been  got  rid  of 
at  once  by  one  move.  It  acts  in  a  more  useful  way,  even  as 
a  fertiliser,  than  when  we  go  through  the  ugly  labours,  pains, 
and  penalties  of  forming  the  regulation  rubbish  heap.  This  plan 
does  not  in  the  least  prevent  us  burning  where  burning  is  a 
prompt  aid  in  getting  rid  of  the  roots  and  bad  weeds  or  any 
worn-out  branches  or  roots  that  incommode  us ;  but  then  we 
burn  on  the  spot  and  scatter  the  refuse  there  or  thereabouts. 
Here  are  a  few  instances  of  other  ways  of  getting  rid  of  what 
usually  is  carried  or  carted  to  a  rubbish  heap,  that  were  carried 
out  during  one  summer  in  my  own  garden  : 

A  very  fine  group   of  Hollies   was   planted    on   a  slope  facing 
south.     Seedling  trees    of  the  largest   size   that   could   be   planted 

with    safety   were   brought    from    a    distance    by 
Protecting         rail.      These    were    planted    in    May,   and    after- 
Hollies,  wards     any     grass     mowings,     prunings,     weeds, 

clearings,  reeds,  dead  roots  of  shrubs,  etc.,  that 
happened  to  be  near,  were  placed  at  the  base  of  each  Holly 
for  about  3  feet  all  round;  also,  where  any  ground  near  was 
cleared  of  summer  weeds  these  were  also  put  over  the  roots, 
even  branchlets  of  evergreens  being  used,  as  preventing  the  direct 
action  of  the  sun.  Not  one  of  these  Hollies  was  lost  in  spite  of 
the  drought,  though  the  turf  near,  on  the  same  slope,  was  like 
dust,  but  the  covering  of  waste  material  given  kept  the  earth 
about  the  trees  moist  during  the  drought. 


282  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

A  plantation  of  hardy  Bamboos  was  made  in  quite  a  different 

situation   in   mid   June — a  hollow   slightly   shaded    with   trees,  and 

therefore  not  nearly  so  much  exposed  to  danger 

A  Bamboo        as    the    southern    slope     above    mentioned.       It 

plantation.        is  known,  however,  that  Bamboos  are  the  better 

for   mulching  in  any  situation,  and  as  there  was 

no  manure  at   hand,  and    even  if  there   had    been    it   would   have 

needed  a  good  deal    of  carting,   the    waste   and   weeds   near  were 

placed   over   the   surface  of  the   ground.      In    this   case,  mowings, 

dead    flower-stems,    scum    of   a    pond    (which    was   very    bad   this 

year,    coming    off   in    masses    of   most    indestructible    stuff),    were 

laid  over  the  surface  of  the  Bamboo  plantation,  in  which  the  plants 

did  remarkably  well,  and  never  turned  a  leaf. 

An    orchard    of    fine    young    standard    trees    was    planted    in 

1897   on    a   rather   steep   slope   to   the   south,  where   the   soil   was 

not  good.     Faggots  of  little  value,  the  sweepings 

Protecting  young  of   roads,    and    any    vegetable    refuse    about    the 

orchards.          yards  were   put  over  these  4  feet  all  round.     It 

would    be    impossible    to   see    trees    healthier   or 

less  affected   by  the   starving  drought  of  the   hot  year.     Such    aid 

would,  not  be  so  precious   in   good  valley  land,  but   in   many  soils 

it  is  of  the  greatest  help. 

Very  often  weeds  are  removed  from  the  surface  of  garden 
ground  which  would  be  much  more  useful  if  buried  on  the  spot 
if  there  be  room,  or  allowed  to  dry  up  if  cut  off  very  small  as 
they  should  be  if  possible.  The  upper  surface  of  garden  ground  is  the  . 
best  of  it,  owing  to  mulching  and  manuring,  and  to  take  away  the 
best  of  the  ground  is  bad  gardening.  What  would  become  of  the 
farmer  who  systematically  removed  an  inch  of  the  surface  of  his  best 
fields?  It  would  be  folly;  and  it  is  no  less  so  in  the  garden.  The 
winter  being  a  very  mild  one,  encouraged  the  growth  of  weeds  very 
much,  and,  where  there  was  other  work  going  on,  they  got  too  big. 
A  plantation  of  Barberries,  evergreen  and  others,  was  in  this  state  in 
early  summer,  the  weeds  nearly  as  high  as  the  bushes.  They  were 
cut  down  with  much  labour,  and  I  just  came  upon  the  scene  when 
the  carter  was  beginning  to  take  away  the  surface  of  rich  weeds 
and  soil,  and  I  left  the  weeds  and  soil  where  they  were,  spreading 
them  equally  over  the  surface.  As  it  happened,  this  was  followed 
by  many  dry  weeks,  and  the  dead  weeds  formed  a  protection  for 
the  bed  itself,  which  did  not  suffer  in  the  least  during  the  heats. 
To  remove  this  mass  of  stuff  would  have  been  a  costly  labour, 
the  surface  would  have  been  exposed  to  direct  evaporation,  and 
the  plants  starved  by  the  drought. 

Many  people  fidget  at  the  sight  of  beautiful  leaves  in  autumn, 


SOILS  AND    CULTIVATION   IN    THE   FLOWER    GARDEN.         283 

instead  of  enjoying  them,  as  Shelley  did,  and  gardeners  are  often 

sweeping   them    up   when   they   would    be   much 
Fallen  leaves.      better  employed  planting  good  plants  or  shrubs. 

What  are  we  to  do  with  the  garden  leaves  ?  We 
cannot,  it  is  true,  have  them  in  drifts  in  the  flower  garden,  but  it  is 
better  to  let  them  all  fall  before  we  take  much  trouble  in  removing 
them.  In  gathering  them  up  we  may  best  add  them  to  a  place  set 
apart  for  leaf  mould.  But  in  every  case  where  they  may  be  let  alone 
it  is  much  better  to  let  them  stay  on  the  surface  of  wood,  grove, 
shrubbery,  or  group  of  shrubs,  for  protection  and  nourishment  for  the 
ground.  If  any  one  during  the  hot  years  that  we  have  had — as  in 
1 893 — had  stood  on  a  height  in  a  woody  country,  he  would  have  seen 
that,  while  the  fields  were  brown  and  bare,  and  cattle  and  crops 
distressed  for  want  of  water,  the  wood  retained  its  verdure,  and  the 
growth  of  the  year  was  as  good  as  usual.  Why  was  this?  It  is 
explained  by  the  beautiful  function  of  the  leaf,  which  not  only 
does  the  vital  work  of  the  tree,  but  also  shields  the  ground  from 
the  direct  action  of  the  sun.  When  the  leaf  has  fallen  its  work 
is  not  half  done,  as  it  protects  and  nourishes  the  roots  throughout  the 
year,  so  that  in  the  hottest  years  the  fibres  of  the  trees  find  nourish- 
ment in  decaying  leaves.  This  surely  is  a  reason  that  leaves 
should  not  be  scraped  out  from  beneath  every  shrub  or  tree,  and  there 
is  no  reason  whatever  why  they  should  form  part  of  the  rubbish  heap. 
It  is  not  only  the  better  use  of  the  waste  as  a  fertiliser  that 
is  a  gain,  it  is  the  saving  of  very  troublesome  labour,  often  occurring 

in  the  warmest  part  of  the  year,  when  every  hour 
Wasted  labour,     is    precious   over    the    really   important    work    of 

the  garden — getting  in  crops  of  all  kinds  at  the 
right  time  and  in  the  best  way.  Also  we  save  the  disfigurement  of 
the  rubbish  yard  itself,  and  get  rid  of  the  smoke  of  the  fires  kept 
going  to  consume  it — another  nuisance  about  a  country  house  or 
garden.  The  ash,  the  one  result  of  all  the  waste  of  labour  and  filth 
of  the  rubbish  heap,  is  certainly  of  some  use,  but  not  one-sixth  of  the 
good  of  the  stuff  used  in  the  direct  way.  It  is  not  only  the  summer 
aid  we  gain,  but  all  we  put  on  in  this  way  settles  down  in  winter 
to  a  nice  little  coat  of  humus,  which  nourishes  the  roots  and  protects 
them  from  frost  as  well  as  heat. 

The  destruction    of   the  seeds    of  weeds  is  the  only  shadow  of 
reason  for  the  rubbish  heap,  but   it   is  bad  gardening  to  let  weeds 

go  to  seed.     And   though   certain  areas  of  town 

Weeds  and  their    gardens  have  no  neighbours  from  which  seeds  can 

seeds.  be  blown,  this  is  not  so  in  the  country,  where  weed 

seeds  from  woods  and  fields  and  young  plantations 
abound  in  the  air.  There  is  no  good  remedy  for  weeds  except  early 


284  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

and  regular  hoeing  and  cleaning.  There  are  many  conditions  in 
which,  even  if  we  do  allow  weeds  to  go  to  seed,  they  can  be  used  as 
a  mulch  ;  as,  for  example,  in  young  orchard  and  turf  and  other 
planting  in  or  near  turf  where  weed  seeds  can  do  no  harm.  Burning, 
therefore,  should  be  kept  to  a  few  essential  uses.  The  source  of 
success  in  flower  gardening  is  to  be  always  busy  sowing  or 
planting;  there  is  scarcely  a  day  or  a  week  when  some  things 
have  not  been  planted  or  attended  to  if  we  want  a  succession 
of  beauty ;  but  when  the  men  are  from  morn  to  night  busy  hoeing 
and  watering  and  with  other  routine  work,  it  is  difficult  to  get  time 
for  securing  the  successions  of  plants  of  various  kinds  on  which  the 
lasting  beauty  of  a  garden  at  all  seasons  depends. 

The  old  labour  of  grubbing  up  walks,  which  was  so  constant  and 
dreadful  in  the  very  heat  of  summer,  is  got  rid  of  by  weed-killers,  of 
which  one  dressing  a  year  will  sometimes  suffice  to  keep  the  walks 
clean,  and,  better  still,  prevent  us  from  having  to  rip  up  the  surfaces 
of  the  walks,  which  was  common  in  every  garden  until  quite  recently, 
and  is  carried  on  still  in  many  places.  By  abolishing  ignoble  routine 
work,  in  this  and  all  ways  we  can,  we  have  time  for  the  real  work 
of  the  garden,  in  adding  to  its  beauty  with  new  or  beautiful  things 
and  improved  ways  of  growing  and  arranging  them. 

A  fire  on  the  spot  is  a  great  aid  in  the  garden  when  active 
changes  have  to  be  made,  and  foul  borders  or  shrubberies  renovated 
or  replanted.  Where,  in  stiff  soils,  Twitch  and 
Fire  as  a  other  bad  weeds  take  possession,  with  perhaps  a 
cleanser.  number  of  worn-out  shrubs,  the  simplest  way  is 
often  to  burn  all,  not  trying  to  disentangle  weeds 
from  the  soil  in  the  usual  way,  but  simply  skinning  the  surface 
2  inches,  or  more  if  need  be,  and  burning  it  and  the  vital  parts  of  the 
weeds,  first  removing  any  plants  that  are  worth  saving.  In  light 
soils  the  labour  of  cleaning  foul  ground  is  less  than  in  heavy,  adhesive 
soils,  but  fire  is  a  great  aid  in  all  such  cases.  If  we  are  removing 
ugly  and  heavy  masses  of  Laurels,  or  other  evergreens  which  have 
never  given  grace  or  flower  to  the  scene,  we  should  burn  them  root 
and  branch  at  the  same  time.  The  result  will  be  that  we  get  rid  of  our 
worst  weeds,  and  turn  enemies  like  Goutweed  into  ashes.  This  weedy 
surface  of  garden  ground  is  often  some  of  the  best  of  the  soil,  and  it 
is  much  better  to  keep  it  where  it  is,  but  purified.  Regular  cleaning 
will  keep  down  all  young  weeds,  but  it  is  a  struggle  to  get  the  old  and 
bad  weeds  out  of  the  soil,  owing  to  the  broken  roots  of  Bindweed, 
Twitch  and  Goutweed,  which  escape  the  closest  forking  and  sharpest 
eyes.  There  is  no  barrowing  or  carting  to  take  the  weeds  to  some 
rotting  heap,  while,  on  the  other  hand,  the  friendly  fire  eats  up  and 
kills  at  once  the  whole  of  them  and  converts  them  and  the  burnt 


507LS   AND    CULTIVATION   IN    THE   FLOWER    GARDEN.          285 

surface  they  infested  into  good  earth.  Whatever  we  may  think  of 
cremation  for  ourselves,  it  is  a  good  friend  in  fighting  weeds  and  in 
helping  us  to  thoroughly  cleanse  foul  garden  ground.  We  have  not 
even  the  trouble  they  had  with  Don  Quixote's  books,  which  was  to 
carry  them  into  the  yard  to  burn  them. 

Mulching  or   covering    the   surface  with   various  kinds   of  light 

materials,  such   as    leaf  mould,  cocoa   fibre,   manure,   and    sand,  or 

anything,  in  fact,  which  gives  an  inch  or  two  of 

Evaporation.  loose  surface  to  the  earth  and  prevents  evapora- 
tion, is  a  great  aid  on  many  soils,  but  not  so 
important  where  the  beds  have  been  thoroughly  prepared,  at  least 
not  for  Roses,  Carnations,  and  many  of  the  best  flowers,  because,  if 
the  roots  can  go  down  and  find  good  soil  as  far  as  they  go,  they 
really  do  not  want  mulching,  save  on  very  hot  soils.  Mulching  of 
various  kinds  or  loosening  the  surface  of  the  ground  is  much  easier 
to  carry  out  in  the  kitchen  and  fruit  gardens  or  orchard  than  in 
the  flower  garden,  all  the  surface  of  which  should  be  covered  with  living 
things  during  the  fine  season.  This  the  prettiest  way  and  not  difficult 
to  carry  out  we  often  see  in  cottage  gardens,  and  in  nature  itself 
where  the  health  of  the  forest  and  other  fertile  lands  depends  to 
a  certain  extent  on  the  ground  being  covered  with  vegetation,  which  of 
itself  prevents  direct  evaporation.  Taking  a  hint  from  this,  I  am  very 
fond  of  covering  the  surface  with  dwarf  living  plants  of  fragile  nature, 
which  do  not  much  exhaust  the  soil,  and  which  in  very  hot  weather 
may  help  to  keep  it  moist.  This  is  done  in  the  case  of  Roses  and  other 
plants  which,  being  rather  small  and  bare  at  first,  want  some  help  to 
cover  the  ground,  and  a  number  of  very  pretty  plants  may  be  used  for 
this  purpose,  which  will  give  us  bloom  in  spring  and  good  colour  on  the 
ground.  It  of  course  prevents  the  use  of  manure  hitherto  common 
on  the  surface  of  flower-beds,  Roses  especially.  It  is  much  better 
that  the  aid  of  manure  should  be  given  at  the  root  instead  of  the  sur- 
face, and  if  we  have  plenty  of  manure  and  rich  soil,  there  is  no  need  for 
surface  mulching  it.  Covering  the  surface  with  living  plants  is  worth 
doing  for  the  sake  of  the  effect  alone,  even  if  we  have  to  pay  for  it  in 
other  ways.  One  result  of  it  is  that  we  may  have  a  beautiful  spring 
garden  in  addition  to  the  summer  garden — that  is  to  say,  if  our 
garden  is  planted  for  summer  and  autumn  with  Roses  and  the  like, 
by  the  use  of  Tufted  Pansies  and  other  dwarf  plants  in  the  beds 
we  get  pretty  effects  early  in  the  year,  and  through  this  living 
carpet  may  come  up  many  pretty  bulbs.  Thus  we  may  have  in 
the  same  beds  with  a  little  care  and  thought,  two  or  three  different 
types  of  flower  life. 

The  plants  that   may  be   used   in  this  way  are  numerous,  and 
mostly  rock  and  mountain  plants   of  Europe   and   cold   countries, 


286  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

evergreen,  often  bearing  pretty  flowers  and  good  in  colour  at  all 
seasons,  spreading  into  pretty  carpets  easily,  and  quite  hardy,  taking 
often  a  deeper  green  in  winter,  so  that  used  over  permanent  beds 
they  help  to  adorn  the  flower-beds  in  winter.  Through  them  in  the 
dawn  of  spring  the  early  Crocus,  Scilla,  and  Windflower  come  up 
to  find  themselves  in  green  turf  of  Thyme;  Rockfoil ;  Stonecrop  ; 
varying  these  according  to  soil,  altitude  or  position ;  the  cooler 
north  favouring  many  mountain  plants,  though  some  face  the  ardours 
of  the  warmer  sun. 

A  grievous  source  of  wasted  effort  in  gardens  is  monotony  arising 

from  everybody  growing  what  his  neighbour  grows.      Thus  it  comes 

that  the  poor  nurseryman  who  attempts  to  grow 

Monotony.         new  or  rare  trees  or  shrubs  very  often  finds  them 

left  on  his  hands,  so  that  many  country  nurseries 

only  grow  a  few  stereotyped  things,  and  we  see  public  gardens  and 

squares  in  London  given  over  to  the  common  Privet,  the  common 

Lilac  let  to  run  as  a  weed,  and  the  common  Elder,  as  in  Lincoln's 

Inn  Fields. 

Every  lover  of  the  garden  could  do  something  to  check  this  fatal 
monotony  by  taking  up  some  plant,  or  family  of  plants,  for  himself, 
which  perhaps  he  is  unable  to  find  in  the  nursery  gardens  near  at 
hand.  There  are  not  only  many  beautiful  species  of  plant  which 
are  excluded  from  the  ordinary  nurseries,  but  even  special  nurseries, 
as  those  for  Roses,  often  exclude  good  kinds  from  their  collections. 
It  is  not  only  the  introduction  of  new  plants  or  species  we  have  to 
think  of,  but  the  raising  of  new  forms  (hybrids  or  varieties),  the  fine 
cultivation  of  neglected  groups,  as  the  beautiful  forms  of  our  native 
Primrose,  the  making  more  artistic  use  of  old  and  well-known  plants, 
the  skilful  adaptation  of  plants  and  trees  to  the  soil  so  as  to  get  the 
highest  beauty  of  which  it  is  capable  without  excessive  care,  and 
without  the  deaths  visible  in  many  places  after  hard  winters.  Those 
who  seek  to  break  the  monotony  of  gardens  must  be  prepared  to  face 
some  trouble,  and  must  not  take  the  least  notice  of  what  is  thought 
right  in  the  neighbourhood,  or  of  what  can  be  obtained  from  the 
nearest  nursery  garden.  The  further  afield  they  look,  probably 
the  better  in  the  end  it  will  be  for  them  if  they  would  escape 
from  the  trammels  of  monotony. 

Perhaps  the  most  miserable  of  all  garden-work  is  that  of  nailing 

the  shoots  of  trees  to  walls,  on  cold  days,  and  the  value  of  climbing 

plants  now  in  our  gardens  is  so  great,  that  the 

Attaching        best  mode  of  attaching  them  to  walls  is  a  question 

climbers  to  walls,  which,  though  it  may  seem  a  small  one  from  some 

points  of  view,  is   important,  and  by   no   means 

settled  for  the  best.     In  our  self-styled  scientific  age — the  age  also  of 


50/LS   AND    CULTIVATION  IN   THE   FLOWER   GARDEN.          287 

the  galvanised  iron  church  and  the  ironmonger's  fence,  which  is  no 
fence — our  gardens  have  been  invaded  by  galvanised  wire,  which  is 
put  up  at  great  expense  on  garden  and  house  walls,  and  is  thought 
to  be  an  essential  improvement  in  all  new  work.  The  question 
does  not  merely  concern  walls  for  climbers  round  the  house,  but 
also  walls  in  the  fruit  garden.  In  our  cold  country  we  cannot 
ripen  the  Peach  or  the  choicer  fruits  without  the  aid  of  walls ; 
galvanised  wire  is  used  in  many  gardens,  but  many  growers  discover 
that  its  effect  on  the  trees  is  not  good.  There  is  a  foundation  of 
fact  in  these  complaints,  and  they  are  common  to  French  and  English 
gardeners.  In  France,  where  the  cultivation  of  wall  fruit  to  supply 
the  market  with  Peaches  and  fine  winter  Pears  is  carried  out  well,, 
the  best  growers  are  against  the  use  of  galvanised  wire,  and  think 
it  much  better  to  have  the  wooden  lattice  only  against  the  wall  ; 
so  they  keep  to  the  older  and  prettier  way  of  trellising  the  wall. 
For  those  who  care  about  effect  this  is  well,  for  whatever  harm 
the  wire  may  do  to  the  tree,  of  its  ugliness  there  can  be  no  doubt. 
The  old  French  and  English  way  of  fixing  branches  to  walls 
with  trellis-work  made  of  Oak  in  about  i-inch  strips  was  a 
very  good  one.  Chestnut  was  thought  to  be  the  best,  and  is  often 
used  now  in  France.  One  advantage  of  such  woodwork  is  that 
it  looks  well  on  the  walls  even  before  we  get  our  plants  up,  and 
there  is  the  great  facility  of  being  able  to  tie  where  we  wish,  thus 
avoiding  the  use  of  nails  and  the  other  miseries  of  training 
against  walls. 

There  remains  the  question  of  fixing  our  lattice-work  of  Oak, 
Chestnut,  Pine,  or  Bamboo.  In  old  walls  holdfasts  must  be  driven  ; 
in  new  ones  pieces  of  iron  with  strong  eyes  should  be  laid  along 
here  and  there  in  the  courses  of  brick  or  stone  as  the  work 
goes  on. 

It  is  a  great  thing  to  be  relieved  from  the  ugliness  and  injury  of 
the  galvanised  wire.  We  would  like  to  go  a  little  further  and  keep 
to  old  ways  of  tying  things  on  walls.  Those  who  look  through  their 
bills  may  perhaps  come  upon  items,  and  not  small  ones,  for  tarred 
twine  and  other  means  of  tying.  In  old  times  the  shoots  of  the 
Yellow  Willow  did  the  work  of  tying  fruit  trees  to  walls  better  than 
any  tarred  twine  as  far  as  the  main  branches  were  concerned.  To- 
say  that  it  is  impracticable  now  is  nonsense,  as  in  some  great  nurseries 
where  millions  of  plants  are  sent  out  every  year,  every  lot  is  tied  with 
Willow.  The  French  way  of  using  a  Rush  for  tying,  instead  of 
twine  or  matting,  is  an  excellent  one.  It  is  a  Rush  which  is 
harvested  and  dried  carefully,  and  it  is  the  simplest  thing  in 
the  world  to  tie  with  so  as  to  allow  for  the  free  growth  of  the  branch, 
and  yet  keep  the  shoot  quite  secure. 


288  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

Whether  staking  trees  and  shrubs  or  wind-waving  is  the  worst 

evil  is  doubtful,  but  much  harm  is  done  by  staking.     It  is  costly  and 

troublesome,  especially  so  for  those  large  trees  that 

Staking  trees,  are  seen  in  pleasure  grounds,  surrounded  by  a  kind 
of  crinoline  of  galvanised  wire.  The  evil  of  staking 
arises  largely  from  planting  trees  too  big  as  "specimens."  To  plant 
these  is  tempting  to  many,  but  generally  we  get  a  much  better  result 
from  small  trees  that  want  no  staking.  Planting  ornamental  trees  of 
considerable  size  is  so  common  that  staking  is  frequently  done,  and 
very  often  the  trees  are  injured  by  the  stakes,  not  only  at  the  root, 
but  also  much  in  the  stem,  which  sometimes  leads  to  canker.  It  is 
known  that  canker  (as  in  the  Larch)  enters  the  trees  more  readily 
where  the  wounds  are  ready  to  receive  the  spores,  and  we  often  see 
fruit-trees  badly  cankered  through  staking. 

The  wire-roping  business  for  trees  is  a  nuisance,  as  the  ropes 
cut  in  if  in  the  least  neglected,  and  the  tree  often  snaps  there, 
and  when  the  ropes  are  finally  removed  the  trees  often  go  down  in 
gales.  The  best  cure  for  the  waste  and  dangers  of  staking  is  to  plant 
small  trees,  but  often  where  this  is  not  done  for  any  reason  (and  some- 
times there  may  be  good  ones,  as  in  planting  vigorous-growing  Poplars 
to  shut  out  things  we  do  not  care  to  see)  we  may  do  good  by  cutting 
in  the  side  shoots  close  to  the  stem.  This  leaves  the  tree  with  little 
for  the  wind  to  act  upon,  and  the  need  of  staking  is  avoided  without 
injury  to  the  tree.  Transplanting  trees  involves  so  much  injury  to 
the  roots  that  somewhat  reducing  the  tops  does  good  in  all  ways. 

At  Kew,  when  a  large  tree  is  transplanted,  it  is  guyed  up  with 
three  lengths  of  soft  cord  (commonly  called  "  gaskin  ")  if  it  appears 
likely  to  become  loose.  This  is  better  than  a  stake,  cheaper,  and  less 
likely  to  injure  the  stem  by  abrasion.  A  tree  with  branches  low 
enough  can  be  stayed  by  driving  into  the  ground  three  stout  stakes 
at  equal  distances  round  the  tree,  nearly  at  the  circumference  of  the 
branches,  and  tying  a  branch  to  each  of  the  stakes. 

The  picturesque  grouping  of  trees  and  shrubs  is  a  gain  in  the 
avoidance  of  the  trouble  and  danger  of  staking.  The  pinetum,  as 
seen  in  many  country  seats,  is  a  scheme  in  which  trees  are  isolated  and 
dotted  so  as  to  encourage  them  as  "  specimens,"  which  is  the  wrong 
way  and  the  ugly  way.  In  Nature  these  trees  are  almost  always 
massed  and  grouped  close,  so  that  they  shelter  each  other,  and  if  in 
planting  them  we  plant  as  a  wood,  closely,  thinning  them  very  care- 
fully, we  find  them  make  trees  and  give  better  effects  than  in  the 
common  way  they  are  generally  placed,  as  the  trees  protect  and 
comfort  each  other,  and  shade  the  ground.  I  have  planted  true 
pinetums  in  this  way,  the  trees  in  which  have  stood  violent  gales 
without  giving  way,  and  which  were  never  staked,  any  more  than  they 


SOILS   AND    CULTIVATION   IN    THE   FLOWER    GARDEN.          289 

are  on  their  wild  mountain  homes.     But  in  this  case,  as  with  sailors, 
we  must  begin  young. 

Among  the  evils  of  the  "  bedding"  and  "carpet  system"  is  the 

need  of  costly  glass-houses   in   which   to   keep   the   plants   all  the 

winter,  not  one  in  ten  of  these  plants  being  as 

Glass-houses.  pretty  as  flowers  that  are  as  hardy  as  the  grass  in 
the  field — like  Roses,  Carnations,  and  Delphiniums. 
It  is  absurd  to  grow  Alternantheras  in  costly  hothouses,  and  not  to 
give  a  place  to  flowers  that  endure  cold  as  well  as  Lilies-of-the- Valley. 
Glass-houses  are  useful  helps  for  many  purposes,  but  we  may  have  noble 
flower  gardens  without  them.  To  bloom  the  Rose  and  Carnation  in 
midwinter,  to  ripen  fruits  that  will  not  mature  in  our  climate,  to  enable 
us  to  see  many  fair  flowers  of  the  tropics — for  these  purposes  glass- 
houses are  a  precious  gain  ;  but  for  a  beautiful  flower  garden  they 
are  almost  needless,  and  the  numerous  glass-houses  in  our  gardens 
may  be  turned  to  better  use.  It  would  not  be  true  to  say  that  good 
hardy  flower  gardening  is  cheaper  than  growing  the  half-hardy  plants 
that  often  disgrace  our  gardens,  as  the  splendid  variety  of  beautiful 
hardy  plants  tempts  one  to  buy,  and  it  is  therefore  all  the  more 
necessary  not  to  waste  money  in  stupid  ways,  apart  from  the  heavy 
initial  cost  and  ceaseless  costly  labour  of  the  glass-house  system  of 
flower  garden  decoration. 

For  those  who  think  of  beauty  in  our  gardens  and  home  land- 
scapes, the  placing  of  a  glass-house  in  the  flower  garden  or  pleasure 
ground  is  a  serious  matter,  and  some  of  the  most  interesting  places 
in  the  country  are  defaced  in  that  way.  In  the  various  dividing 
lines  about  a  country  house  there  can  be  no  difficulty  in  finding  a  site 
for  glass-houses  where  they  cannot  injure  the  views.  There  is  no 
reason  for  placing  the  glass-house  in  front  of  a  beautiful  old  house, 
where  its  colour  mars  the  prospect  Often,  in  looking  across 
the  land  towards  an  old  house,  we  see  first  the  glare  of  an  ugly  glass 
shed.  If  this  were  the  case  only  in  the  gardens  of  people  lately 
emerged  from  the  towns  to  the  suburbs  of  our  great  cities,  it  would 
not  be  so  notable  ;  but  many  large  country  places  are  disfigured  in  this 
way.  And,  apart  from  fine  old  houses  and  the  landscape  being  defaced 
by  the  hard  lines  and  colour  of  the  glass-house,  there  is  the  result  on 
the  flower  garden  itself;  efforts  to  get  plants  into  harmonious  and 
beautiful  relations  are  much  increased  if  we  have  a  horror  in  the  way  of 
glass  sheds  staring  at  us.  Apart  from  the  heavy  cost  of  coal  or  coke, 
the  smoke-defilement  of  many  a  pretty  garden  by  the  ugly  vomit  of 
these  needless  chimneys  and  the  effect  on  young  gardeners  in  leading 
them  to  despise  the  far  more  healthy  and  profitable  labours  of  the 
open  garden  have  to  be  considered  in  relation  to  the  cost,  care,  and 
ugliness  of  the  glass  nursery  as  an  annual  preparation  for  plants  for  the 

T 


2QO  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN 

flower  garden,  these  plants  being  with  few  exceptions  far  less  precious  in 
every  way  for  flower  garden  or  for  room  than  those  that  are  quite  hardy. 

A  few  years  ago,  before  the  true  flower  garden  began  to  get  a  place 
in  men's  minds,  many  of  the  young  gardeners  refused  to  work  in 
places  where  there  was  no  glass.  A  feeble  race  this  pot  and  kettle 
idea  of  a  garden  would  have  led  to  :  men  to  get  chills  if  their  gloves 
were  not  aired.  I  met  the  difficulty  myself  by  abolishing  glass 
altogether.  Only,  where  we  do  this  we  must  show  better  things  in 
the  open-air  garden,  than  ever  flourished  in  a  glass-house. 

Next  to  moving  heaven,  the  heaviest  undertaking  is  that  of  moving 

earth,  and  there  are  no  labours  of  gardening  men  that  lead  to  more 

wasted  effort,  where  care  and  experience  are  not 

Moving  earth,  brought  to  bear  on  the  work.  Labour  in  many 
parts  of  the  country  has  become  dearer,  and  the 
question  of  moving  earth  without  needless  waste  of  energy  is  a 
serious  one  for  all  who  have  much  groundwork  to  do.  As  instances 
of  misuse  of  labour  we  see  the  soil  from  foundations  carted  far,  and 
then  put  deep  over  the  roots  of  old  trees,  to  their  death  or  injury. 
A  man  of  resource  would  place  this  soil  in  some  well-chosen  spot 
near,  and  having  first  removed  the  surface  soil  and,  resurfaced  with  it, 
plant  it  with  a  handsome  group  of  beautiful  shrubs  or  trees,  so  that  the 
surface  would  in  no  ugly  way  differ  from  the  general  lie  of  the  ground 
near.  Carts  and  horses  very  often  lead  to  waste  of  labour  in  removing 
earth  when  barrows  and  a  few  planks  would  do  the  work  better. 

In  necessary  groundwork  there  is  inevitably  much  moving  of  earth 
in  getting  levels,  carrying  roads  and  paths  across  hollows,  and  for 
various  other  reasons.  We  should  make  a  rule  of  getting  the  soil  in 
all  such  cases  as  near  at  hand  as  possible.  Mistakes  in  levelling  ground 
are  frequent,  and  often  lead  to  twice  moving  of  soil.  The  best  man 
for  groundwork  is  often  a  good  navvy ;  many  such  men  know  how 
to  make  heavy  groundwork  changes  without  putting  a  barrowful  of 
soil  in  the  wrong  place.  Very  often  spare  soil  has  to  be  removed, 
and  in  this  necessary  work  ugly  mounds  are  made,  when,  by  a  little 
care  in  choosing  the  place  well  and  never  leaving  any  ugly  angles, 
and  making  the  ground  take  the  natural  gradation  of  the  adjacent 
earth,  it  could  be  well  planted.  Hardy  trees  take  well  to  such  banks 
if  the  good  soil  is  kept  on  the  top,  as  it  should  always  be. 

The  same  remarks  may  serve  for  the  moving  of  turf,  gravel,  stones, 

and  soil,  save  that  to  get  good  soil  for  the  formation  of  beds,  we  must 

go  where  the  good  soil  is  ;  whereas  for  the  bottoms 

Moving  turf,  etc.    of  roads  and  paths,  the  support  of  banks,  base  of 

terraces  or  mounds,  much  saving  may  be  effected 

by  getting  what  we  want  in  the  nearest  possible  place,  never  fearing 

to  make  a  hollow  if  need  be,  as  that  can  be  so  easily  planted  with 


507L5  AND   CULTIVATION   IN   THE   FLOWER   GARDEN.          291 

some  free-growing  tree  or  shrub ;  the  hardy  Pines,  like  Scotch, 
Corsican,  and  Silver  Firs,  being  excellent  for  this,  as  they  thrive  in 
almost  any  earth,  and  often  on  surfaces  from  which  the  whole  bed  of 
fertile  soil  has  been  removed. 

Apart  from  essential  groundwork,  there  is  the  diversifying  of  ground 
artificially,  as  may  be  seen  in  our  parks,  owing  to  the  false  idea  that 
you  cannot  make  level  ground  picturesque  with  planting.  Proof  that 
this  is  not  impossible  may  be  seen  in  many  a  level  country  planted  by 
Nature,  as  in  the  forest  plain  and  in  many  a  park  and  pleasure  ground 
in  Germany,  France,  and  Britain.  Trees  are  given  to  us  to  get 
this  very  variety  of  broken  surface,  and  the  idea  that  to  make  a  place 
picturesque  we  must  imitate — and  usually  badly  imitate — naturally 
diversified  ground  is  most  inartistic.  No  doubt  broken  ground  has 
many  charms,  but  so  has  the  fertile  plain,  and  the  best  way  is  to 
accept  and  enhance  the  beauty  of  each  variety  of  surface.  To  do  so  is 
the  planter's  true  work.  In  cities  and  suburbs  there  is  often  occasion 
to  conceal  ugly  objects,  and  earth  if  to  spare  may  be  used  well  and 
wisely  in  raising  at  once  the  base  of  a  plantation  of  young  trees ;  but 
an  enormous  amount  of  labour  given  to  making  artificial  mounds 
might  be  saved  without  any  loss,  and  with  much  gain  to  garden  design. 

There  are  yet  certain  landscape-gardeners  who  make  mounds  or 

earth-pimples  everywhere,  regardless  of  the  growth  of  the  plants.     If 

people  would  only  spend  more  on  good  planting 

Artificial  mounds,  and  less  on  trying  to  "  diversify,"  as  they  call  it, 

the  surface,  it  would  be  better    for   our   gardens. 

In  many  cases  when  planting  time  comes,  so  much  effort  has  been 

spent  on  needless  groundwork,  that  there  are  no  means  to  spare  for 

the  best  work  of  all  in  garden  making,  namely,  good  planting.     Any 

one  can  make  earth  dumplings  of  the  sort  we  see  too  many  of, 

while   planting   to   give   enduring   and  beautiful   effects  requires   a 

knowledge  of  trees  and  shrubs. 

The  mania  for  foolish  groundwork  may  be   often   seen,  one   of 

its  results  being  the   burial  of  the  tree  base,  surrounded,  perhaps, 

with  a  brick-lined  pit-hole,  as  in  St  James's  Park. 

In  our  public      Shooting  earth  and  rubbish  to  fill  up  the  hollows 

parks.  on  such  a  precious  space  as  Hampstead  Heath  is 

common,  and  as  the  surrounding  district  is  busy 

in   building,   these    attempts    are,   we    fear,   often   the   occasion    of 

finding  a  shoot  for   earth   and    rubbish.     The  bringing  in  of  such 

rubbish  should  be  absolutely  forbidden,  as  the  only  effect  of  this 

filling  up  of  hollow  places  is  to  destroy  the  incidents  of  the  ground, 

usually  far  prettier  in  form  than  the  results  of  smug  levelling  up,  or, 

worse  still,  the  formation  of  such  artificial  mounds  as  we  see  examples 

of  in  the  parks.    Even  the  squares  in  our  level  Thames  valley  are  not 


292  THE  ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 

exempt  from  outrage  of  this  kind,  of  which,  perhaps,  the  most  hideous 
example  is  that  of  Euston  Square.  A  high  and  ugly  earth-bank 
has  been  put  all  around  the  Square,  so  steep  that  even  the  cheap 
nursery  rubbish  of  the  London  squares — Privet  and  Elder — refuses 
to  grow  upon  it,  and  so  in  the  summer  days,  instead  of  the  grass 
and  tree-stems  and  cool  shadows,  a  bank  of  dusty  rubbish  meets 
the  eye ! 

Another  serious  source  of  waste  of  the  inexperienced  in  ground- 
work is  burying  the  top  surface,  the  most  precious,  and  in  many  cases 
the  result  of  ages  of  decay  of  turf  and  plants.  In  alluvial  land  and 
light  friable  hill  soils  this  mistake  does  not  so  much  matter,  but  in 
heavy  land  where  there  is  a  clay  subsoil  it  is  fatal.  The  first  thing 
in  all  groundwork  is  to  save  the  top  soil  with  the  greatest  care,  for 
the  sake  of  using  it  again  in  its  proper  place ;  and  how  to  save  it,  so 
that  it  may  be  available  at  the  end  of  the  work,  is  one  of  the  most 
essential  things  the  good  ground-worker  has  to  think  of. 

Trenches  for  the  reception  of  pipes,  drains,  and  foundations  should 
not  be  opened  until  the  materials  are  at  hand,  as  in  wet  weather 
doing  so  often  leads  to  the  sides  falling  in  and  much  needless 
labour.  The  direction  of  walks,  roads,  or  designs  for  beds,  borders, 
or  gardens,  should  be  carefully  marked  out  and  looked  at  from  every 
point  of  view  before  carrying  them  out,  having  regard  to  their  use 
and  their  relation  to  all  things  about  them,  and  not  merely  to  any 
plan  on  paper.  Attention  to  this  will  often  save  much  labour  in 
groundwork. 

A  cause  of  much  waste  of  labour  in  moving   soil   is  the  usual 

way  of  treating  mud  after  the  cleansing  of  artificial  ponds — often 

a  poor  inheritance  to  leave  to  one's  children.     The 

Other  causes  of    silting  up  with  mud  goes  on  for  ever,  and  while 

waste.  the  mere  expense  of  getting  this  out  of  the  pond 

bed  in  any  way  is  usually  great,  the  cost  is  often 

increased  through  the  idea  that  the  stuff  is  of  manurial  value.     This 

leads  people  frequently  to  heap  it  up  on  the  banks  to  dry,  then  to 

liming  it,  and  eventually  to  moving  it  on  to  the  land,  these  various 

labours  adding  to  the  disfigurement  of  the  foreground  of  beautiful 

ground  often  for  a  long  time.     Pond  mud  has  very  little  manurial 

value  generally,  though  it  will  differ  to  some  extent  according  to  the 

sort  of  soil  the  supply  comes  from.     Usually,  however,  it  has  very 

slight  value,  and  any  labour  bestowed  upon  it  from  that  point  of  view 

is  nearly  always  wasted.     The  best  and  simplest  way  is  to  put  it 

direct  on  to  some  poor  pasture  near,  or  on  to  any  ground  where  it 

may  be  got  rid  of  with  least  labour  to  man  or  horse.     Where  the 

pond  is  ugly  in  outline  and  not  essential  either  for  its  beauty  in  the 

home  landscape  or  for  its  uses  for  fish  or  water  store,  it  may  often  be 


SOILS  AND  CULTIVATION  IN  THE  FLOWER  GARDEN. 


293 


ScarletQak. 

I   Ouercus 

-ggcoiqgus.  I 

yyVMrnrr  J 

Simplest  label  for  trees. 


worth  considering  whether  the  best  way  would  not  be  to  let  the  water 
off  and  turn  the  mud  bed  into  a  handsome  grove  of  Willows  and 
Dogwoods,  and  an  excellent  covert  at  the  same  time.  I  know  nothing 
among  trees  quite  so  good  in  effect  in  the  landscape,  winter  and 
summer,  as  the  white,  red,  and  yellow  Willows,  with  an  undergrowth 
of  the  red  Dogwoods. 

Where  possible  it  is  best  to  do  without  labels,  except  where  we 

grow  many  kinds  of  things  that  differ  by  slight  shades,  as  Carnations 

and  Roses.     The  contents  of  a  garden  are  usually 

Labels.  in  a  state  of  change  ;  we  are  continually  adding  to 

and  taking  from  them  ;  new  plants  are  introduced  ; 

a  severe  winter  kills  a  number  of  shrubs,  which  we  determine  not 

to  replant.     Fashion  changes  the  garden  vegetation  too,  and  then  the 

permanent  labels,  cast  and  burnt  into  hardware 

and  cemented  in  cast  iron,  are  thrown  aside.     I          rdnr: 7t 

prefer  a  label  which  can  be  used  again,  such  as 

a    cast-iron    label    of  "T    shape"    or,   in    other 

words,  a  slip  of  cast  iron  with  an  oblong  head 

slightly   thrown    back.      These    are   cast   very 

cheaply  in  the  iron  districts.     We  have  to  paint 

them  and  write  the  names  of  the  trees  on  them 

when    they  come   to   hand ;    but   that   can    be 

readily  done  by  a  handy  painter  in  winter.     In 

a  large  garden,  where  much  naming  is  required, 

the  best  way  is  to  train  a  youth  who  is  likely  to 

remain  in  the  place,  by  placing  a  copy  of  the 

desired  kind  of  letters   before   him.     It   is    an 

advantage  to  give   the   label    a   coat   of  copal 

varnish  when  the  letters  are  dry,  and  generally 

to  use  white  letters  on  a  black  or  dark  ground, 

and  give  three  coats  of  black  over  one  of  red 

lead.       These  are  the  best  labels  for  the  shrubs 

and    choice  young   trees   of  a   pleasure   ground    or    flower  garden. 

The  painting  will  last  for  twenty  years,  and  if  we  cease  to  cultivate 

the  plants  to  which  they  belong,  the  labels  may  be  repainted. 

With  big  trees  it  is  always  a  mistake  to  use  a  ground  label.  The 
best  labels  for  large  trees  are  made  of  pieces  of  tin  about  4^  inches 
by  3 \  inches.  About  half  an  inch  of  the  upper  edge  should  be  bent 
at  a  right  angle  so  as  to  form  a  little  coping  for  the  label,  two  holes 
should  be  made  just  beneath  the  little  angle,  through  which  a  strong 
copper  wire  should  be  put  and  firmly  nailed  to  the  tree.  Place  it  so 
as  to  be  easily  read,  at  about  5^  feet  from  the  ground.  Paint  it  dark 
brown  or  black  with  white  letters,  and  it  will  last  for  many  years.  All 
labels  inserted  in  the  grass  in  pleasure  grounds  are  liable  to  be  pulled 


Position  for  tree  label. 


294 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


up  by  mowers  or  others,  and  in  this  way  to  get  lost,  while  the  labels 
on  the  stems  are  safe  from  such  mishaps. 

For  low  trees  and  bushes  to  which  copper  wire  may  be  fixed 
with  ease,  the  simplest  and  most  enduring  labels  are  those  that  are 
made  of  cast  metal  galvanised,  and  as  they  are  very  enduring  they 
are  best  for  hardy  trees  and  shrubs.  The  words  on  them  should  be 
as  few  as  may  be,  and  all  needless  ones  omitted.  Thus  in  fruit-tree 
labels  it  is  needless  to  use  the  word  Pear  or  Apple,  but  simply  the 
variety,  as  "  Ribstone."  This  plan  makes  these  labels  more  legible 
than  when  they  are  crowded  with  letters.  For  half-hardy  plants, 

annuals,  and  plants  of  a  season  only, 
wooden  labels  are  often  the  most 
convenient.  In  most  gardens  it  is 
the  practice  to  write  the  name  at  the 
part  that  goes  in  the  ground,  and  to 
go  on  from  thence  to  the  top — a 
bad  way,  for  the  label  always  begins 
to  decay  at  the  base,  and  thus  the 
beginning  of  the  name  is  lost,  while 
the  end  of  it  may  be  quite  legible. 
After  a  little  practice  it  becomes  as 

easy  to  write  from  the  top  as  from  the  other  end,  and,  in  writing 
the  names,  always  begin  as  near  the  top  as  possible. 

The  use  of  the  wooden  label  should  be  given  up  in  favour  of 
labels  with  raised  or  incised  letters.  The  main  reason  is  that  the 
endurance  of  the  wooden  label  is  too  slight ;  moreover,  some  kinds  of 
good  stamped-metal  label  are  less  conspicuous  in  the  garden  than 
the  wooden  label,  and  any  kind  of  conspicuous  label  is  bad.  At 
Kew  they  now  use  a  lead  label  of  their  own  stamping,  so  that  should 
many  labels  get  out  of  use,  as  is  the  case  in  large  collections,  it  is 
easy  to  melt  them  down  and  use  the  metal  again  for  trees  and 
enduring  plants  of  all  kinds. 


Cast-iron  labels ;  the  simplest,  neatest,  and 
best  form  for  shrubs,  bold  herbaceous  plants, 
and  for  all  cases  where  the  label  has  to  be 
fixed  in  the  ground. 


CHAPTER   XXXIII. 

MY   FLOWER    GARDEN. 

THE  Editor  of  Country  Life  took  a  fancy  to  have  a  plan  of  my  garden, 
and  I  willingly  agreed,  but  now  I  desire  to  say  a  few  words  about  plans 
and  the  harm  they  have  done.  Plans  should  be  made  on  the  ground  to 
fit  the  place,  and  not  the  place  made  to  suit  some  plan  out  of  a  book. 
Infinite  harm  has  been  done  to  the  good  art  of  gardening  by  the  copy- 
ing of  old  plans  by  designers  without  sympathy  or  knowledge  of  the  art 
itself.  Books  are  full  of  these  plans,  and  any  clerk  can  copy  them 
and  suggest  them  for  all  sorts  of  unfitting  situations.  In  this  case  I 
thought  of  nothing  but  the  ground  itself,  its  relation  to  the  house, 
and  what  I  wanted  to  grow  in  it. 

I  am  a  flower  gardener,  and  not  a  spreader-about  of  bad  carpets 
done  in  reluctant  flowers,  and  when  I  had  a  garden  of  my  own  to 
make,  I  meant  it  to  contain  the  greatest  number  of  favourite  plants 
in  the  simplest  way.  I  threw  the  ground  into  simple  beds,  suiting  the 
space  for  convenience  of  working  and  planting,  not  losing  an  inch 
more  than  was  necessary  for  walks.  I  did  what,  so  far  as  we  have 
any  evidence  to  tell  us,  the  Assyrian  king  and  the  mediaeval  chatelaine 
did — that  is  to  say,  I  cut  my  limited  garden  space  into  simple  beds. 
No  plan  of  any  kind  was  used  nor  any  suggestion  sought  from  any 
garden,  the  question  being  decided  in  relation  to  the  space.  Any 
talk  about  styles  in  relation  to  such  a  thing  is  absurd.  Having 
made  my  garden,  one  day  a  young  lady  who  had  been  reading  one 
of  those  mystifying  books  about  formalities  and  informalities  came 
in,  and,  instead  of  warming  her  eyes  at  my  Roses  and  Carnations, 
said,  u  Oh,  you,  too,  have  a  formal  garden  ! "  Just  imagine  what 
Nebuchadnezzar  or  the  mediaeval  Lady  in  their  small  patches  of 
gardens  would  think  of  any  silly  person  who  made  such  a  remark 
instead  of  looking  at  the  flowers ! 

Having  cut  the  space  up  into  the  simple  plan  shown,  the  next 
question  was  to  make  the  walks.  For  these  we  used  Groydon  gravel, 
but  the  best  we  could  get  here  was  unsatisfactory.  In  a  real  flower 
garden  there  must  be  work  to  do  at  midsummer  as  well  as  in 
January,  and  therefore  the  gravel  walk  is  a  serious  hindrance  if  one 

295 


296  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

has  gardening  to  do  all  the  year  round.  I  made  up  my  mind,  there- 
fore, to  pave  the  walks  as  shown  in  the  plan,  using  old  half-worn 
London  York  stone  pavings  for  this  purpose,  which  at  that  time  were 
often  used  in  making  the  bottoms  of  roads,  and  not  of  much  value. 
With  these,  work  all  the  year  round  is  pleasant,  as  sand,  manure, 
plants  or  anything  else  may  be  spread  about  on  the  walks  without 
adding  to  the  labour  or  causing  any  unpleasantness.  Where  the 
whole  flower  garden  is  set  out  in  a  week  as  in  bedding-out  this 
would  not  matter  so  much  ;  but  a  real  flower  garden,  which  is  a 
thing  of  varied  life,  cannot  be  done  in  that  way.  The  stones,  when 
in  irregular  pieces,  are  sometimes  set  at  random,  and  they  are  set  in 
sand  only,  no  cement  or  mortar  being  used. 

Then  came  the  question  of  edgings.     These  in  most  gardens  are 

a  nuisance,  and  a  serious  and  constant  source  of  labour  which  can 

be  very  often  ill-spared.     Imagine  the  labour  of 

Edgings.          keeping  up  a  large  garden  with  Box  or  other  live 

edgings,  harbouring  insects  and  doing  other  harm. 

So    we    had    stone    edgings    made    from    the    same    old    London 

flagstones,    broken    up    into    handy    pieces   about    10    inches   deep. 

These  look  well  at  all  seasons  and  make  a  lasting  edging,  so  that 

the  gardeners  have  time  to  think  of  getting  beautiful  results  instead 

of  being  bothered  with  needless  labours.     Otherwise  the  plan  speaks 

for   itself.     In    planting  we  not  only  seek   to  get  variety,  but  also 

some  difference  in  the  height  of  things,  and  thereby  obtain  a  varied 

surface  and  not  a  flat  hard  one  such  as  is  commonly  sought. 

Another    point    gained    was    that    we    could    devote   the   beds 

to  permanent  planting ;    we  have  not   to  tear   up   the   beds   every 

autumn  to  plant  spring  flowers,  as  is  commonly 

Permanent        done  in  the  gardens  about  London  and  Paris.     The 

planting.          spring  flowers  abound  so  much  in  our  lawns  and 

woods,    and    beyond    a    few   pretty    edgings    of 

Aubrietia,  nothing  else  was  done  to  disturb  the  beds  meant  for  summer 

flowers.     We  can  leave  our  Tea  Roses  and  Carnations  alone  all  the 

winter,  and  prepare  for  the  summer  garden  only.     Many  fine  things  in 

the  flower  garden  will  not  bear  an  annual  or  biennial  disturbance,  and 

therefore  it  is  essential  to  have  beds  that  we  can  plant  with  some 

degree  of  permanence.     When  the  beds  get  tired  of  their  contents, 

we  have  only  to  change  the  plants,  but  it  is  a  great  comfort  to  have 

beds  which  one  can  leave  alone  for  several  years,  instead  of  having 

the  useless  labour  of  disturbing  the  ground  twice  a  year.     This  was 

the  old  way  of  the  ladies'  flower  garden  before  the  detestable  bedding 

and  "  mosaic  "  culture  came  in.     To  this  the  name  "  formal  flower 

garden  "  may  well  be  given.     Only,  we  may  now  carry  out  the  true 

way  better,  having  a  vastly  greater  flora  to  cull  from  ;  and  the  spring 


MY   FLOWER   GARDEN.  297 

garden  being  carried  out  in  turf  and  otherwise,  it  is  an  immense 
relief  towards  the  perfect  enjoyment  of  the  summer  and  early 
autumn  garden,  the  only  seasons  when  we  may  live  among  the 
flowers.  Rich  as  we  may  be  in  spring  flowers,  in  our  climate 
they  are  mainly  to  be  seen  in  the  cold  days,  some  coming  even 
in  midwinter.  So  I  keep  the  flower  garden  itself  for  the  beauties 
of  summer  and  autumn. 

It  will  be  seen  that  these  two  flower  gardens  on  slightly  different 
levels  are  in  intimate  relation  to  the  house.  The  old  hall  door  opens 
into  the  smaller  garden,  and  the  west  garden  door  into  the  larger. 
-The  garden  is,  in  fact,  as  it  should  always  be — a  larger  living-room. 
The  varieties  of  situation  are  so  many  that  it  is  not  always  possible  to 
secure  this  ;  but  it  is  by  far  the  best  way  to  have  the  real  flower 
garden,  where  all  our  precious  flowers  are,  in  close  relation  to  the 
house,  so  that  we  can  enjoy  and  see  and  gather  our  flowers  in  the 
most  direct  way.  The  stone  paths  enable  us  to  do  this  in  all 
weathers  ;  going  for  half  a  mile  to  get  to  the  flower  garden,  or 
scattering  garden  flowers  in  all  directions,  is  not  the  right  way. 
The  wild  garden  is  right  in  that  way,  but  for  the  choice  flowers 
that  need  attention  and  that  charm  us  most,  the  flower  garden  should 
be  within  easy  reach  and  in  the  best  and  sunniest  spot. 

The  view  of  the  Clematis  here  shows  the  ones  that  I  have  put 
in  the  open  sun  or  in  partial  shade,  and  not  among  bushes  or  trees — 
a  favourite  way  of  mine  ;  but  even  thus  we  have  had  great  success, 
and  up  to  the  end  of  September  this  year  they  are  very  beautiful. 
Those,  however,  that  have  done  the  best  were  obtained  on  their  own 
roots  and  were  not  grafted.  The  soil  is  that  of  the  country,  that  is 
loam  with  some  sand,  in  which  these  plants  delight.  The  supports 
are  tripods  of  Chestnut,  grown  on  the  place,  and  trellises  of  Oak  and 
Chestnut,  the  small  fixings  being  of  Rattan.  The  uprights  are  made 
of  iron  posts,  with  Oak  or  Bamboo  stakes  over.  The  kinds  shown 
here  are  mostly  forms  derived  from  the  Japanese  lanuginosa,  crossed 
here  and  there  with  some  noble  kinds,  such  as  Perle  d'Azur,  La 
France,  Nellie  Moser  and  the  larger  forms  generally,  and  the 
charming  coccinea. 


THE  POSITION  OF  THE  FLOWER  GARDEN  IN  RELATION 
TO  THE  HOUSE. 

In  olden  times,  so  far  as  any  evidence  remains  to  us  from  pictures, 
prints,  tapestry,  etc.,  the  place  for  the  flower  garden  was  quite  near  the 
house ;  and  that  is  the  place  for  it  now.  In  the  best  conditions, 
it  should  be  like  an  extension  of  the  house — a  larger  flower  room. 


THE  ENGLISH    FLOWER   GARDEN. 


The  Scottish  way  of  going  half  a  mile  to  the  kitchen  garden  to  find 
the  flower  garden  there,  is  not  the  best.  There  is  no  reason  why 
there  should  not  be  mixed  borders  in  the  kitchen  garden,  but  the  real 
flower  garden,  varied  and  beautiful  as  it  ought  to  be,  should  be  within 
easy  access  of  the  sitting-rooms.  In  all  artistic  things  formulas  are 
dangerous,  and  the  best  way  is  to  study  the  site,  and,  in  a  wide 
sense,  the  more  varied  the  better,  even  as  regards  position.  Always 
the  south  and  warm  sides  of  the  house  should  be  taken  advantage  of, 
and  the  cold  side  reserved  for  the  entrance,  and  usually  it  should  be 
cut  off  from  the  warmer,  or  garden,  sides. 

Sometimes  the  discovery  of  a  vein  of  fine  soil  away  from  the 
house  may  justify  the  making  of  a  garden  there,  in  the  same  way  as 
the  late  Sir  Henry  Yorke  made  a  wood  garden  in  Buckinghamshire. 
Having  found  a  fine  deposit  of  good  peat,  he  made  a  very  beautiful 
shrub  and  flower  garden  in  it.  We  are  in  a  time  of  doubt  about 
this  question,  many  people,  tired  of  bedding-out,  have  turfed  up  their 
gardens,  so  that  we  often  see  what  ought  to  be  a  flower  garden  turfed 
over.  It  is  the  ugliness,  cost,  and  wholly  inartistic  result  of  bedding- 
out  that  tired  people  of  it,  and  in  many  cases  it  would  be  well  to  go 
back  to  the  old  idea  of  the  flower  garden  near  the  house. 

A  great  mistake  has  been  made  in  the  past  in  placing  the  Rose 
garden  away  from  the  house.  This  was  often  done  and  told  in  every 
book.  There  was  reason  for  it,  perhaps,  when 
The  Rose  garden,  we  had  nothing  but  the  red  Roses  —  what  were 
wrongly  called  Hybrid  Perpetuals.  They  flowered 
for  such  a  short  time  that  it  did  not  matter  much  their  being  away 
from  the  flower  garden  proper,  where  we  expect  a  long-continued 
bloom.  The  coming  of  the  Tea  and  China  Roses  of  Indian 
origin,  of  longer  bloom,  has  altered  the  conditions  as  regards  the 
Rose  garden,  and  the  best  Roses  should  be  in  the  flower  garden,  not 
by  themselves  only,  but  combined  with  all  the  other  beautiful  things 
that  one  cares  for  in  a  very  choice  flower  garden.  When  we  have  to 
make  our  Rose  and  flower  garden  together,  which  is  the  right  way, 
that  demands  more  thought  for  the  position  and  the  shape  and  the 
formation  of  the  ground.  In  old  houses  there  are  generally  open  and 
more  or  less  square  places  round  the  house  and  near  it,  which  offer 
good  situations  for  the  flower  garden.  The  walls  that  surround  such 
places  do  not  prevent  us  from  following  the  picturesque  way  of 
gardening.  There  is  unfortunately  an  idea  that,  given  such  square 
spaces,  one  must  put  the  plants  in  geometrical  or  pattern  ways. 
There  is  not  the  slightest  foundation  for  this  plea,  because  nothing 
can  be  more  set  in  its  surroundings  than  the  cottage  or  the  small  town 
garden,  which  often  surprises  us  with  its  picturesque  and  true 
effects. 


300  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

Take  the  lawn-side,  where  the  ground  slopes  gently  away  from 

the  house,  it  may  be,  towards  a  river ;    one  of  the  best  of  gardens 

is  one  on  the  lawn,  with  a  background  of  trees  and 

The  lawn  garden,  shrubs  sometimes  running  in  and  out  of  the  margins 

of  the  lawn.     I  do  not  think  I  know  anything  so 

beautiful  as  such  a  lawn  garden. 

Often  people  are  found  bold  enough  to  put  their  houses  in  all  sorts 
of  situations — on  bluffs,  near  rocks,  and  on  river  banks,  which  may 
limit  their  garden  in  a  sense,  but  give  other,  and,  perhaps,  more 
delightful,  opportunities. 

Sometimes  about  country  houses  there  happens  a  square  garden 
made  at  first  as  a  kitchen  or  front  garden,  which  is  occasionally 
turned  into  a  flower  garden,  often  with  excellent  effect.  The  walls 
and  the  shelter  and  the  drapery  of  climbers  help.  I  think  I  have  had 
more  pleasure  from  the  little  square  garden  at  Warley,  full  of  hardy 
flowers,  both  in  beds  and  borders,  than  ever  I  had  in  any  garden.  In 
such  situations  one  can  get  as  far  away  from  convention  as  one  likes. 
Another  very  pretty  site  of  a  flower  garden  is  an  old  orchard.  The 
trees,  the  light  and  shade,  and  the  form  make  it  enchanting,  as 
compared  with  the  fully  exposed  garden.  In  some  of  these  orchard 
gardens,  the  soil  being  very  good  and  rich,  the  hardy  flowers  grow 
very  finely  indeed,  and  the  effect  in  one  such  garden  I  know  is, 
I  think,  almost  better  than  that  of  any  other  kind  of  garden — I 
mean  as  regards  the  handsomer  kinds  of  hardy  flowers. 


CHAPTER   XXXIV. 

DESIGN    IN    PLANTING. 

IN  a  book  on  the  English  Flower  Garden  and  Home  Landscape  it 
is  quite  in  place  to  deal  with  the  elementary  mistakes  made  in 
landscape  even  in  the  best  parts  of  the  home  counties.  That  little 
thought  is  given  to  so  important  a  matter  is  seen  when  unmeaning 
clumps  are  planted  in  the  middle  of  park-like  spaces,  in  iron  fences 
where  live  fences  should  be,  in  the  laying  down  of  roads  and  walks 
many  times  too  many,  in  stretches  of  fine  landscape  shut  out  by  trees. 
It  is  nothing  extravagant  to  say  that  the  beauty  of  half  the  country 
places  in  England  is  hidden  from  view  by  over-planting  and 
thoughtlessness. 

Who  is  to  help?     I  believe  the  best  results  can  only  be  got  by 
the  owner  who  knows  and  loves  his  ground.     The  greatest  evil  is  the 
stereotyped  plan,  the  results  of  which  are  evident 
Design  in         on  all  sides.     But  the  man    must  love  the  work 
planting.          and  know  one  tree  from  the  other,  and  feel  that 
his  pictures  can  only  come  from  constant  thought 
as  to  the  ground  itself.     Lessons?     Yes,  from   Nature  mainly.     A 
few  days  in  one  of  the  valleys  in  the  Tyrol  or  any  beautiful  mountain 
land  will  tell  us  more  than  many  books,  also  pictures  of  the  great 
landscape  painters  like  Corot,  Daubigny,  Constable,  and  R.  Wilson 
when  free  of  the  conventions  of  his  day.     The  breadth,  air,  forms, 
foreground,   and  values   that   interest   painters,   the   atmosphere   of 
Corot,  skies  of  Diaz,  water  of  Daubigny,  and  Nature's  trees,  land- 
scape, and  atmosphere  should  teach  us  much.     It  is  ours  to  make 
such  use  of  them  as  will  give  us  better   pictures  than   ever  were 
painted. 

This  must  be  studied  in  the  way  of  the  good  leader  of  soldiers, 
and  there  is  also   the  quality  of  the  soil  to  be  thought  of,  as  soil 
useless  for  rich  cultivation  may  give  us  fine  trees. 
The  lie  of  the      With    hardy   trees   in   the  landscape,   views,   air, 
ground.  and  distances  also  must  be  studied,  not  only  in 

the  place  but  from  it  to  the  neighbourhood. 
There  is  no  organised  profession  to  help.  Any  one  may  call  him- 
self a  landscape  gardener ;  a  navvy  who  has  some  experience 

301 


302  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

of  walk  and  road  making,  a  jobbing  gardener,  and  others  without 
any  training  may  offer  to  do  the  work. 

But  how  are  we  to  know  a  landscape  gardener?  By  this  sign 
among  others — that  he  will  study  the  ground  first  and  bring  no 
plan  in  his  pocket.  Office  plans  are  poor  substitutes  for  the  thing 
itself,  but  the  custom  of  plans  on  paper  is  so  fixed  that  it  is  not  easy 
to  get  this  truth  accepted.  There  can  be  no  true  work  in  landscape 
save  by  one  who  knows  trees  by  heart,  and  there  is  no  royal  road 
to  that  knowledge  save  by  life  study. 

The  relationships  of  nurserymen  to  garden  design  is  a  delicate 

one.      A   nurseryman's  business  is  a  wholly  different  one,  and  an 

honourable  one,  and  if  he  does  his  own  work  well 

Nurserymen  and    he  has  not  the  time  to  act  as  a  designer  of  gardens. 

garden  design.      And  in  his  case  where  is  the  control  which  should 

be  exercised  in  all  expensive  work  ? 

The  garden  designer  should  be  free  to  go  anywhere  for  his 
trees  and  plants.  No  one  nursery  has  half  the  plants  or  trees  he 
may  require.  He  should  not  accept  a  fee  from  any  tradesman  and 
should  be  paid  only  by  his  employer,  whilst  free  to  reject  all  goods 
supplied  which  he  does  not  think  as  specified,  just  as  the  trust- 
worthy architect  rejects  all  inferior  building  material.  Professional 
control  is  as  essential  in  this  as  in  any  other  work,  and  happy  is  the 
owner  who  himself  takes  a  living  interest  in  trees  and  landscape 
views,  as  he  will  save  himself  from  stereotyped  designs  and  bad 
planting.  All  trees  have  historical  associations,  form  and  habits, 
likes  and  dislikes,  which  should  be  known  to  one  hoping  to  get  from 
their  use  any  artistic  result. 

The  most  evident  mistake  made  in  design  of  landscape  work 

is   the   want   of  repose   or    breadth    seen    in    so    many   parks   and 

pleasure  grounds.     In  the  Home  Counties  one  can 

Breadth  and       scarcely  see  a  piece  of  modern  park   land  with- 
repose.  out  the  trees  being  in  rings  and  in  dots  here  and 

there  spoiling  all  the  breadth  and  simplicity  of  the 
scene.  Such  planting  spoils  landscape  effect,  does  no  good  to  the 
trees,  and  the  dots  are  too  small  for  shelter.  The  best  way  by  far 
is  to  keep  such  green  spaces  open  and  plant  ground  that  is  no 
good  for  Grass  or  Arable.  Sometimes  a  single  Pine  spoils  the  middle 
of  a  lawn  or  an  oak  tree  the  middle  of  a  ploughed  field.  The 
lawn-like  beauty  of  park  or  garden  is  the  most  precious  thing  we  have 
for  giving  us  air,  sky,  and  space,  and  grouping  and  massing  is  the 
right  way. 

How  to  remove  the  defect  in  park-like  ground  is  difficult,  but  one 
may  unite  two  or  three  groups  into  one  whole,  and  so  get  rid  of  the 
spotty  effect,  but  often  the  best  way  is  to  remove  the  dotted  trees  and 


DESIGN   IN   PLANTING.  303 

replant.  It  is  the  nature  of  trees  on  mountain  or  steppe  to  grow  to- 
gether and  protect  each  other,  and  in  our  wind-swept  isles  it  is  often 
important  to  plant  in  the  teeth  of  the  worst  wind,  and  close  planting 
should  be  the  rule. 

The  planting  without  thought  of  evergreens  is  a  common  evil  in 

British  gardens.     Evergreens  are  often  planted  where  people  do  not 

see  what  they  may  become  after  years  of  growth. 

Rampant          Important    views   are   shut   out   by   coarse   ever- 

evergreens.        greens,  and  even  the  house  itself  may  be  hidden 

by  their  growth. 

In  France  it  has  been  a  practice  to  mar  any  grace  of  public 
squares  and  gardens  by  a  display  of  the  efforts  of  the  sculptor  ;  but 
the  French  begin  to  see  this  mistake,  and  to  cry  out  against  it.  It  is 
now  proposed  to  remove  these  statues  into  one  great  statue  cemetery, 
where  those  who  admire  them  might  worship. 

Close  to  Hyde  Park  Corner  there  is  a  sort  of  fountain  out  of 
place,  which  spoils  a  little  lawn.    Large  memorial  confectionery  groups 
ought  not  to  be  allowed  to  break  up  the  spaces  in 
Things  destructive  the  parks.     Lately,  I  am  told,  the  fantastic  idea  of 
of  repose.          a  playwright  has  been  embodied  in  stone  in  Ken- 
sington Gardens.     If  each  succeeding  decade  is  to 
see  outrages  of  that  sort  committed,  what  will  eventually  become  of 
the  repose  and  quiet  grace  of  parks  ? 

An  effective  way  of  destroying  repose  in  a  public  garden  is  the 
caging  of  animals  there.  This  leads  to  ugly  shanties  and  pathways 
for  cleaning,  feeding,  and  various  purposes  that  need  not  be  named. 

In  the  garden  itself  certain  malformed  trees  are  used  by  designers 
of  architectural  turn  to  give  points — the  Irish  Yew,  close-growing 
Juniper,  and  various  hideous  "  sports  "  of  the  Western  Arbor- Vitae. 
These  are  often  used  from  the  fatuous  idea  that  they  are  old  and 
right  in  the  old  English  garden — the  fact  being  that  they  are  all 
modern  deformities. 

It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  garden  is  but  a  patch  in  many 

a  country  place.     It  is  only  when  we  leave  it  we  begin  to  see  the  real 

opportunity  for  landscape  pictures  in  field,  park, 

Landscape  design  or  woodland.     There  never  was  so  much  teaching 

an  art.  of  art  in  academic  schools  in  every  big  town  or  city 

and  professors  and  books  in  abundance,  and  yet 

there  never  was  so  much  bad  art.     This  is  the  common  opinion  of 

good  judges  in  Paris  and  London.     In  Lord  Redesdale's  book  there 

is  a  passage  which  has  a  bearing  on  this  : — 

"  I  remember  how  once,  when  a  lady  consulted  Lord 
Leighton  about  her  boy,  who  showed  a  great  talent  for  painting, 
his  answer  was  :  '  Let  him  have  the  education  of  a  gentleman 


304  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

in  the  first  place  ;  then,  if  he  should  still  have  an  inclination  for 
art,  let  him  specialise.'" 

There  is  evidence  to  show  that  the  way  advised  by  Lord 
Leighton  is  not  the  right  way.  Excellence  in  art  is  not  to  be  had 
without  early  devotion  to  the  work,  and  the  education  in  colleges 
until  a  man  is  well  over  twenty  precludes  any  full  early  training  in 
art. 

If  we  look  at  the  history  of  our  own  great  landscape  painters  we 
find  that  David  Cox  was  the  son  of  a  blacksmith,  and  he  was  an 
artist  with  a  true  eye  for  the  beautiful  in  nature.  Constable  was  a 
miller's  son,  and  began  his  studies  with  a  painter  and  glazier  friend 
in  the  fields — a  much  better  place  to  study  art  than  any  academy. 
Turner  was  the  son  of  a  barber,  but  even  in  Maiden-lane  a  genius 
arose.  Old  Crome  began  life  as  a  doctor's  errand  boy.  Carolus 
Duran,  whose  portrait  of  Pasteur — a  masterpiece — was  seen  in 
London  some  years  ago,  told  me  he  was  at  work  in  the  Academy  'at 
Lille  at  eight  years  of  age. 

By  far  the  best  landscape  art  in  England  arose  from  conditions 
different  from  those  laid  down  by  Lord  Leighton,  whose  own  work 
does  not  justify  his  teaching.  A  picture  by  one  of  the  old  Dutch 
painters  who,  as  boys,  were  apprenticed  to  their  craft,  was  worth  all 
he  ever  did.  Watts  and  Constable,  among  English  artists,  show 
how  excellence  in  art  is  reached. 

This  may  seem  apart  from  garden  design,  but  it  really  is  not  so, 
because  the  problems  that  confront  the  landscape  planter  are  the 
same  as  those  which  the  landscape  painter  has  to  deal  with — viz. 
beauty,  repose,  breadth,  and  air.  The  man  who  uses  trees  instead  of 
pigments  has  the  nobler  task.  He  has,  too,  ready  to  his  hand  some- 
thing even  better  than  the  atmosphere  of  Corot  and  the  sky  of  Diaz. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

TREES  AND  SHRUBS  FOR  WET  GROUND 

IN  our  isles,  so  well  endowed  with  copious  rainfall  and  in  many 
districts  possessed  of  much  wet  land  in  situations  not  easy  to  drain, 
the  trees  that  might  be  grown  for  beauty  or  profit  in  such  ground  are 
worth  thinking  of.  Even  in  the  southern  counties  we  may  find 
ground  difficult  to  cultivate  owing  to  wet,  and  so  it  is  often  better  to 
plant  than  incur  the  expense  of  draining  in  diversified  land,  often 
difficult  and  costly. 

I  leave  aside  the  larger  question  of  draining  lake  or  marsh  and 
turning  it  to  fertile  ground,  often  with  success,  in  France  and  other 
lands.  We  have  to  plant  with  trees  and  shrubs  that  do  not  fear  the 
water,  but  may  enjoy  it,  and  make  us  in  planting  ugly  hollows  and 
ill-formed  artificial  waters  to  turn  them  into  scenes  of  beauty,  even  of 
profit. 

Willows. — Of  trees,  among  the  best  are  native  trees,  as  the  White 
Willow,  precious  for  its  beauty  and  valuable  for  its  wood.  There 
are  many  Willows  of  other  countries  of  Europe  and  the  northern 
world,  but  few  equal  the  White  Willow  and  its  varieties,  also  the 
hybrids  between  the  white  and  the  crack  Willows,  some  grown  for 
their  timber.  Garden  varieties  with  attractive  names  in  nursery  lists, 
here  have  been  a  failure  in  endurance,  of  far  less  value  than  the 
true  White  Willow,  frequent  in  the  eastern  counties  of  England. 
The  Weeping  Willows  are  graceful  trees  that  charm,  but  we  never 
get  a  good  result  from  them  unless  in  river-borne  soil.  By  artificial 
waters,  often  formed  in  poor  soil,  they  may  fail,  and  never  show  the 
abounding  beauty  we  see  in  valley  gardens  or  beside  Thames  or 
Seine.  Some  of  the  dwarf  Willows  may  well  be  used  as  underwood 
in  wet  ground,  in  which  they  often  come  naturally.  The  effect  of 
some  Willows  is  fine  in  colour  throughout  the  year,  in  the  Golden 
Willow,  the  White  Willow,  and  the  varieties  known  as  the  Huntingdon 
and  Bedford  Willows. 

Poplars. — Much  less  use  is  made  of  Poplars  in  England  than  in 
France,  where  often  stately  effects  are  got  in  a  few  years  from  the 

305  U 


306  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


Canadian  Poplar.  In  our  own  land,  if  one  crosses  the  hills  of  Kent 
or  the  bare  downs  of  Wiltshire  and  then  descends  into  a  wet  hollow 
he  may  see  the  White  Poplar  growing  some  80  feet  high.  The  Black- 
Poplar  and  its  varieties  give  us  stately  trees,  and  some  day  they 
may  be  found  as  useful  here  as  they  are  in  France.  Among  the 
Poplars  that  have  come  of  late  years  the  Black  Cottonwood,  which 
grows  very  freely  here,  is  the  finest.  Our  only  really  native  Poplar, 
the  Aspen,  comes  freely  of  itself  in  many  places.  The  Lombardy 
Poplar  is  ofted  badly  placed  on  hilly  and  poor  ground.  To  get  its 
highest  beauty  it  should  be  grown  in  moist  valleys  or  by  the  sides 
of  rivers. 

Oaks. — Among  the  Oaks  by  far  the  best  of  the  Americans  is  the 
Red  Oak  (Q.  rubra}.  It  is  quite  free  here,  handsome  in  leaf  and 
form,  and  does  well  under  various  conditions.  Another  fine  tree  is 
the  Pin  Oak  (Q. palustris).  In  marshy,  wet  hollows  in  woodland  it  is 
free  and  stately.  In  the  south,  at  least,  our  native  Oak  (Q.  pedun- 
culatd]  is  often  happy  on  the  waterside.  The  best  Oaks  in  England 
as  to  quality,  not  size,  are  those  on  the  cool  side  of  the  hills  between 
Tunbridge  Wells  and  Horsharn,  and  they  grow  in  ground  that  is 
often  wet.  The  Evergreen  Oak,  a  precious  tree  for  the  sea-shore 
lands,  no  matter  how  wet  or  storm  -  tossed,  may  have  a  place 
here. 

Birches. — Seeing  how  well  our  native  Birches  grow  in  wet  soils, 
there  should  be  Birches  of  other  lands  that  do  well  too,  as,  for 
example,  Lyall's  Birch,  the  Grey  Birch  (Betula  populifolia),  and  the 
River  Birch  (B.  nigra).  Seeds  of  these  are  in  trade,  and  where 
people  fear  the  cost  of  plants  it  might  be  worth  their  while  to  scatter 
seed  about.  I  have  done  this  with  the  Yellow  Birch. 

Alders. — The  common  Alder  is  everywhere  by  stream  or  pond, 
but  few  enjoy  the  other  kinds.  The  Grey  Alder  (Alnus  incand}y 
the  Seaside  Alder  (A.  maritimd],  and  the  American  Alder  (A. 
oregana}  are  worth  planting.  The  varieties  of  our  native  Alder  are 
worth  a  place,  growing  as  freely  as  the  wild  kind. 

Liquidambar. — This,  one  of  the  loveliest  of  the  North  American 
trees,  is  not  usually  classed  as  a  marsh-lover,  but  it  grows  freely  in 
my  cool  soil.  To  do  it  full  justice  it  should  be  in  moist  and  also 
rather  deep  soil  in  valleys  and  by  rivers.  It  is  hardy  and  splendid 
in  autumn  colour,  and  there  is  no  difficulty  in  getting  a  stock  of  it. 
Usually  planted  in  the  specimen  way,  the  best  way  is  in  groups,  as 
seeds  and  young  plants  are  plentiful. 

Tupelo  tree  (Nyssa). — This,  the  most  brilliant  of  the  North 
American  trees,  happy  in  our  country,  is  as  fine  in  colour  as  in  its  own 
land,  but  it  is  not  easy  to  get  a  good  supply  of  it  in  our  nurseries.  I 
have  never  succeeded  in  getting  other  than  very  feeble  and  useless 


TREES  AND  SHRUBS  FOR  WET  GROUND.  307 

plants.  The  American  nurserymen  are  careless  about  growing  stocks 
of  their  own  trees,  but  seed  is  offered,  and  so  there  need  be  no  difficulty 
in  getting  a  stock  of  it  for  a  bold  group  to  grow  in  time  into  a  lovely 
picture. 

The  summer-leafing  Cypress. — A  noble  tree  for  deep,  wet  soils 
is  Taxodium  distichum.  In  valley  soil  it  is  superb,  and  always 
the  better  near  water.  It  will  often  grow  in  water  as  well  as 
by  its  side,  and  there  are  many  examples  of  it  doing  well  in  the 
valleys  of  the  Seine  and  Loire,  as  well  as  in  the  Thames  valley. 
To  me  it  is  the  queen  of  the  water-loving  trees  of  the  northern 
world. 

The  Sitka  Spruce. — Among  evergreen  trees  I  have  found  nothing 
so  good  as  this,  a  native  of  the  tree-clad  Pacific  coast.  It  is,  in  our 
climate,  quite  at  home,  and  all  the  better  if  in  a  silty  place.  I  have 
planted  many  with  good  results  in  soils  not  always  very  wet,  at  first, 
5  feet  apart,  with  the  common  Spruce  between,  which  was  cut  out  in 
due  time.  But  its  great  use  is  for  wet  spots  in  wood  or  copse  ;  a 
noble  tree. 

Yew. — Our  native  Yew  is  not  averse  to  a  wet  wood,  one  of  the 
places  where  it  should  be  safe  from  horse  and  cow,  so  often  killed 
by  it  in  the  open.  A  group  is  often  a  favourite  shelter  for  pheasants 
in  bad  weather.  The  nursery  forms  of  the  Yew  should  never  be 
planted,  none  being  so  good  as  the  wild  Yew.  The  "  Irish  "  Yew  is 
a  poor  formless  over-planted  tree,  one  of  the  shoot  variation  that  may 
occur  in  any  group  of  wild  Yews  in  or  out  of  Ireland. 

Hemlock  Spruce  {Abies  canadensis],  a  fine  valley  tree  of  North 
eastern  America,  is  quite  hardy  in  Britain,  and  thrives  in  wet  land. 
Some  I  planted  near  the  lake  thrive  and  are  graceful  trees,  though  it 
is  rarely  the  tree  is  so  good  as  in  its  own  country. 


UNDERWOODS. 

If  underwoods  are  to  be  attractive  there  are  many  good  things  to 
start  with,  apart  from  the  native  shrubs  that  come  of  themselves.  In 
the  wooded  counties  the  native  covert  is  sufficient  for  most  needs,  but 
there  being  total  absence  of  good,  hardy  evergreen  underwood  it  is 
well  to  note  how  we  can  aid  it  from  garden  sources  and  so  get  under- 
wood from  hardy  shrubs.  Good  evergreen  covert  can  be  easily  made 
there. 

Palmate  Bamboo. — A  very  interesting  form  of  evergreen  growth 
has  come  in  our  day,  the  hardy  Bamboos  of  Japan  and  China.  The 
above  is  a  fine  grower,  not  too  high.  For  many  years  in  a  wet  wood 
here  it  has  been  most  effective.  Other  hardy  kinds,  too,  may  thrive, 


308  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

but  this  is  the  best  in  underwood  where  a  clear  air  overhead  is  sought. 
For  colour 

Siberian  Dogwood  (Cornus  alba)  is  a  splendid  northerner  for 
the  waterside  or  wet  wood.  Where  planted  in  close  groups  it  in 
the  end  kills  all  the  weeds  it  is  planted  among.  Good  in  effect 
all  the  year  round,  in  wintry  days  it  is  the  finest  woodland 
shrub  for  colour  by  stream  or  in  copse ;  a  Dogwood  one  can 
hardly  misplace,  hardy  as  a  Siberian  should  be  and  easily 
increased. 

Greater  Partridge  Berry  (Gaultheria  Shallon)  is  a  fine  hardy  ever- 
green bearing  much  fruit.  In  moist  woodland  it  forms  tall  bushes 
as  at  Coolhurst.  It  is  sometimes  seen  in  rock  gardens,  but  its  best 
place  is  in  copse  or  wood.  Many 

Viburnums  are  coming  to  us  from  China  now,  but  I  have 
not  seen  one  so  fine  in  bloom  and  fruit  as  the  so-called  Water 
Elder  ( Viburnum  Opulus)  of  our  Sussex  woods.  In  such  a 
large  northern  family  there  should  be  others  of  value  for  wet 
ground. 

Cherry  Laurel,  cropped,  a  disgrace  to  gardens,  is  for  woodland  a 
fine  evergreen,  tall,  of  good  form  in  the  south  at  least.  In  the  mid- 
lands or  north  it  might  be  cut  to  the  ground  in  a  hard  winter.  The 
smaller-leaved  varieties  of  the  Cherry  Laurel,  distinct  in  effect  from 
the  common  kinds,  grow  freely  in  wet  soil  and  are  well  worth  a  place 
where  evergreen  covert  is  sought,  The  Azores  form  of  the  Portugal 
Cherry  Laurel,  a  handsome  evergreen,  is  quite  free  here.  The  true 
use  for  all  the  Cherry  Laurels  is  as  underwood  in  copse  or  wood  never 
touched  by  the  shears.  Then  we  see  their  fine  grace  of  habit.  A 
beautiful 

Witch  Hazel  (Hamamelis  virgzniana)  is  here  a  hardy  vigorous 
shrub  flowering  in  October.  It  has  been  growing  for  many  years  on 
a  bank  of  wet  soil,  struggling  and  winning  against  other  shrubs  and 
Briars.  Seed  of  this  is  now  offered,  so  there  should  be  no  bar  to 
getting  a  stock  of  it. 

Rose  Bay,  an  English  name  for  Rhododendron,  is  in  its  hardier 
forms  a  fine  evergreen  for  peaty  woods,  in  dry  districts  thriving  in 
woods  better  than  in  the  sun.  Where  layering — the  best  way  of 
increase — is  practised  plants  of  good  sorts  may  be  spared  for  the 
woodland.  Seedling  plants  with  flowers  of  good  colour  often  offer 
a  pleasant  variation  from  the  too  common  R.  ponticum. 

Sweet  Alders  (Clethra), — For  underwood  in  wet  or  marshy  places 
these  are  delightful,  flowering  late  in  the  summer,  easy  of  cultivation, 
and  doing  best  in  peaty  or  leaf  soils,  but  not  averse  to  any  cool 
soil. 

Swamp  Bay  ( Magnolia  glauca). — This,  one  of  the  finest  flowering 


TREES  AND  SHRUBS  FOR  WET  GROUND.  309 

shrubs  of  the  northern  world,  I  saw  in  vast  wet  bogs  in  New 
Jersey  dotted  here  and  there,  though  not  of  the  stature  it  attains  in 
the  warmer  states.  For  a  peaty  bog  in  our  isles  it  is  the  very  plant. 
Stocks  of  it  are  not  frequent  in  nurseries.  The  hybrid  form  that 
takes  its  place  in  some  gardens  is  not  so  good  as  the  true  wild 
shrub,  a  free  seeder  which  there  should  be  no  difficulty  in 
increasing. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

THE  ARCHITECT  IN  THE  GARDEN. 

ARCHITECTS  as  such  have  no  knowledge  of  our  garden  flora,  and  for 
ages  gardens  were  disfigured  owing  to  their  endeavours  to  conform 
trees  to  the  lines  of  buildings. 

We  see  something  of  the  work  of  the  architect  as  a  gardener  in 
front  of  Buckingham  Palace;  in  first  of  all  meaningless  stone  piers, 
and  then  a  flower  garden  out  of  place,  planted  with  one  flower — the 
scarlet  Pelargonium.  The  spot  was  wholly  unfit  for  a  flower  garden. 
There  are  many  flower  gardens  in  the  near  parks.  It  was  planned 
to  cut  up  the  little  park  near  by  and  make  a  spectacular  display  of 
architecture  out  of  place,  but,  fortunately,  some  men  in  the  "  House" 
heard  of  it  and  knocked  the  scheme  on  the  head. 

The  worst  outrage  on  Nature  and  on  Art  is  the  destruction  of  the 
forms  of  our  noblest  trees.  The  old  gardens, 
Loss  of  tree  form,  many  of  which  still  exist,  were  in  the  hands  of 
architects  who  clearly  did  not  know  a  tree  from  a 
shrub,  and  who  planted  forest  trees  in  positions  where  their  beauty 
and  stature  could  not  develop,  and  this  led  to  their  distortion 
through  ceaseless  clipping.  In  Vienna  may  be  seen  men  perched  on 
ladders  50  feet  high  endeavouring  to  clip  Hornbeam  and  Beech  into 
hideous  shapes.  Many  English  and  Scottish  gardens  are  disfigured 
by  our  finest  evergreen  native  tree,  the  Yew,  being  carved  into  ugly 
shapes.  With  our  present  wealth  of  trees  and  shrubs  there  is  not 
the  slightest  reason  for  putting  a  forest  tree  into  the  flower  garden, 
but  every  reason  against  the  practice. 

It  would  be  easy  to  fill  a  comic  journal  with  the  ugly  monstrosi- 
ties of  the  "  Topiarist."  Northiam  and  Levens  are  among  the  many 
gardens  disfigured  by  these  distortions  of  mis- 
Topiary  work.  placed  forest  trees.  Topiary  work,  from  beginning 
to  end,  is  inherited  from  the  architect  and  his 
practice  of  clipping  trees  to  conform  to  the  lines  of  building.  Many 
places  are  spoilt  for  the  artist  by  the  hard  black  lines  of  Yew,  and 
not  a  naturally  grown  Yew  to  be  seen.  It  is  easy  to  get  good 
dividing  lines  without  disfiguring  trees  ;  lines  that  call  for  clipping 
mean  the  destruction  of  all  form  and  grace.  The  labour  and  time 

310 


THE  ARCHITECT  IN  THE  GARDEN.  311 

spent  in  deforming  trees  are  sad  to  think  of  and  a  waste  to  make  the 
earth  hideous.  We  may  see  examples  of  it  on  all  sides  here,  as  well 
as  in  the  Royal  gardens  of  the  great  cities  of  Europe. 

Part  of  the  architect's  effort  was  to  use  the  garden  as  a  dumping 

ground    for   statues,    mostly   of    little   merit.     Statues    of  value   as 

works  of  art  should  in  our  country  be  under  cover. 

Statues  in         The  figures  °f  animals,  too,  are  out  of  place  in  the 

gardens.  garden.     Redundant  ornaments  of  any  kind,  such 

as    vases,   often    spoil    it.     In    a    recent   book    on 

garden   ornament  I  see  a  milestone  figuring   as  an  ornament   in  a 

garden  in  Ireland.     The  use  of  marble  is  objectionable  for  another 

reason.     Sir  A.  Geikie,  in  a  letter  to   The  Times,  nth  June    1919, 

wrote : — 

"  On  no  account  should  white  statuary  marble  be  employed  in 
any  structure  in  the  open  air.  Even  the  purest  air  of  the  country 
contains  carbonic  acid,  which,  dissolved  in  falling  rain,  acts  on  the 
stone  as  a  solvent.  In  our  rainy  climate  only  a  few  years  suffice  to 
remove  the  polish  from  the  surface,  which  gradually  becomes  rough 
and  granular,  so  that  one  can  wipe  off  the  crumbling  powder  with 
the  hand.  In  the  air  of  large  towns  other  acids,  produced  from  the 
burning  of  coal,  are  added  to  the  atmosphere  and  increase  the 
solvent  action  of  the  rain." 

Excessive  use  of  other  stone  is  also  a  mistake,  as  we  may  see  at 
Drayton  Manor,  Witley  Court,  and  many  other  British  gardens,  also 
abroad,  as  at  Potsdam,  and  in  the  Italian  gardens,  where  statues  of 
inferior  merit  mar  any  good  effect  that  one  might  look  for  in  a  true 
garden. 

The  terrace  is  in  place  only  when  it  is  a  matter  of  necessity.     To 

make  holes  in  the  earth  is  to  spoil  the  ground  and  a  wasteful  error. 

I  remember  once  in  Ireland,  near  a  beautiful  bay, 

Terracing  level     seeing  a  huge  formless  mound  of  some  thousands 

ground.  Of  tons  of  earth,  and  learnt  that  it  was  the  earth 

that   had  been  dug   up  to  make  .a  terrace  which 

was  quite   needless  in  the  situation.     Many  a  fine  foreground    has 

been    spoiled    by   the    terrace.     If  terracing   is    really   needed,   the 

stonework  should  certainly  be  left  to  the  good  architect. 

Water   should  reflect   light  and  have  some   relation    to    natural 

conditions,  as  the  lie  of  ground,  but  very  often  in  gardens  designed 

by  architects  it  is  seen  in  petty  stone  basins  near 

The  misuse  of       the  house.     One  in  Surrey  is  cut   up  by  a  little 

water.  canal   18  inches  wide.     Trivial  fountain  basins  are 

a  mistake,  and    bring  the  mosquito.  '  The  recent 

addition  to  the  garden  flora  of  many  noble  hardy  Water  Lilies  is 

some  excuse  for  the  water   basin  ;    but   for  various   good    reasons 


3i2  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

artificial  water  is  best  as  far  away  from  the  house  as  the  ground  will 
allow.  If  a  spot  does  not  invite  water  it  is  far  better  to  devote  it  to 
one  of  the  many  shrubs  we  have  to  give  a  home  to. 

The  pergola  is  the  best  way  of  showing  the  full  beauty  of  many 

climbing  plants,  but,  unless  with  some  definite  motive,  such  as  shade 

to  a  walk  or  a  ready  way  from  one  part  of  a  place 

Pergolas.  to  another,  it  may  be  a  wasteful  mistake,  especially 

if  covered    over   with    the    mechanical    trellising 

which  is  common  abroad.     The  best  kind  of  trellising  is  that  made 

from  the  split  Oak  of  our  own  country.     The  moment  the  pergola 

is  designed  for  theatrical  effect  or  from  the  builder's  point  of  view  its 

beauty  is  lost.     Many  well-covered  pergolas  in  Italy  and  Southern 

France  are  made  of  the  simplest  material  at  hand,  and  are  better  so. 

The  common  British  way  of  using  "  rustic  "  wood  is  a  mistake.     Give 

a  pergola  sound  legs  to  stand  on  and  the  rest  is  easy. 

After  the  disfigurement  of  trees  the  next  most  fatal  defect  in  modern 

gardens  is  the  stereotyped  flower  garden.     There  was  a  time  when 

the  architect,  impatient  of  the  gardener's  labours, 

Parterre  gardening,  attempted   by   means  of  coloured  gravel,  clipped 

trees,  and    various  contrivances,   to   get  a  settled 

and  permanent  effect.     That  meant  death  in  the  flower  garden,  as 

may  be  seen  in  many  old  books  where  gardens  were  traceries  made 

like  panels   in   the  house.     There  was   no   pleasure  in   this   sort   of 

garden,  and  people  eventually  tired  of  it  and  often  put  down  Grass 

instead  as  we  may  see  about  some  of  our  finest  old  houses.     In  a 

book  lately  published  on  garden  ornament,  we  may  see  a  number  of 

such  pattern  gardens  with  as  much  thought  of  life  as  in  designs  for 

wall  papers  or  carpets.     One  might  as  well  attempt  to  stereotype  the 

clouds  of  heaven  as  get  a  stamped  arrangement  of  the  flower  garden. 

The   flower  garden  should  abound  in   life   and   beauty  of  form   all 

through  the  summer  and  be  the  scene  of  the  labours  of  men  every 

fine  day  in  the  winter  and  spring.     In   my  own   flower  garden   of 

moderate  size  not  a  day  passes  for  nine  months  of  the  year  that  does 

not  reveal  a  new  aspect  of  beauty  of  flower,  leaf  or  effects.     How 

stupid  then  to  attempt  to  stamp  all  life  and  change  out  of  a  garden  ! 

Occasionally  one  sees  hardy  trees  put  in  tubs  at  heavy  expense 

and  labour.     Our  native  trees  stand  in  no  need  of  tubs.     In  Wrest 

Park  I  once  saw  wooden  boxes  built  round  hardy 

Hardy  trees  in     trees,  the  huge   boxes  covered  with   Moss.     This 

tubs.  was  intended  to  carry  out  the  idea  of  an   Italian 

garden    in    a   stupid   way.     In    some   old    French 

gardens  the  culture  of  trees  in  large  tubs  is  still  carried  on.     I  have 

seen  six  fine  horses  dragging  a  big  tub  to  its  winter  quarters.     It 

seems    this    tub   culture   is   to   be   carried    on    at    Hampton    Court, 


THE  ARCHITECT  IN  THE  GARDEN.  313 

presumably  to  give  an  antique  air  to  the  flower  garden.  With  our 
present  stores  of  flowering  plants  and  shrubs,  it  is  a  poor  flower 
garden  that  wants  help  of  any  sort  from  the  tub. 

Another  reason  for  architects  keeping  to  their  own  essential  work 
is  the  fact  that  the  building  art  is  in  a  state  of  decadence  in  our  day. 

A  much-trusted  architect  deplored  to  me  the  state 

The  architect's     °f  building  in  all  parts  of  the  country,  saying  that 

true  work.         as   the  years   go   on   the   work    becomes    steadily 

worse.  And  this  in  spite  of  the  number  of 
journals  and  professors,  just  as  in  the  art  of  painting,  there  never 
was  so  much  teaching  and  so  much  bad  painting.  One  may  go 
along  miles  of  road  and  never  see  a  well-built  cottage ;  but,  instead, 
every  variety  of  bizarre  colour  and  flimsy  structure.  London  is 
hideous  with  brick,  and  all  the  beautiful  garden  land  of  the  home 
counties  is  bespattered  with  villas  (not  Italian)  ugly  in  wall  and  roof. 


CHAPTER   XXXVII. 

TOPIARIAN    FOLLIES. 

IN  recent  years  an  attempt  of  nurserymen  has  been  made  to  make 
more  popular  and  harmful  this  outrage  on  natural  form.  I  read  the 
following  in  best  type  in  the  staid  columns  of  the  Observer  under 
the  heading  "  Tree-Sculpture  "  : — 

One  may  see  trees— mostly  Yew  and  Box — whose  foliage  ascends  in  spirals 
round  their  stems,  like  garlands  twisted  round  so  many  Maypoles  ;  trees  cut  into 
the  shape  of  pillars  and  surmounted  with  leafy  halls  one  on  top  of  the  other  ; 
trees  in  the  forms  of  birds  standing,  sitting,  and  flying  ;  trees  shaped  like 
pyramids,  and  even  trees  representing  jugs  and  basins. 

False  forms  of  tree  here,  but  not  a  word  of  the  Yew  in  its  natural 
form,  so  good  that  it  deserves  the  name  of  our  native  Cedar.  This 
true  form  may  not  be  seen  in  many  gardens,  owing  to  the  misuse  of 
the  tree  usually  clipped.  To  see  the  tree  in  its  true  beauty  we  must 
seek  it  along  the  North  Downs  by  the  Pilgrims'  Way  or  in  a  country 
graveyard.  Then  in  the  Times  : — 

Birds,  without  base,  take  about  ten  or  twelve  years  to  grow,  and  dogs  from 
twelve  to  twenty  years,  while  other  subjects,  requiring  anything  from  ten  to 
ninety  years,  include  peacocks,  serpents,  and  serpentine  columns,  tables,  armchairs, 
sitting  hens,  geese  and  ducks,  dogs  (with  and  without  kennels),  ships,  horses,  and 
pigs.  One  man  in  the  North  had  his  crest,  a  pelican  feeding  her  young,  grown 
in  Yew. 

The  fact  is,  a  Dutch  nurseryman  possessing  a  stock  of  these 
distortions  gave  a  dinner  to  the  reporters  of  the  daily  and  other 
journals  ;  these  took  the  man  at  his  own  estimate,  and  so  we  get 
many  Press  puffs  of  the  most  impudent  outrage  ever  perpetrated  on 
natural  beauty  in  our  gardens.  The  infliction  has  come  to  our 
gardens  from  Dutch  William  mainly.  From  his  day  date  most  of 
the  examples  of  tree  spoliation  in  our  land.  Not  only  does  it  mean 
the  ruin  of  tree  form,  but  injury  to  the  gardens  too.  Ask  the  gardener 
at  Northiam,  Elvaston,  Levens,  or  in  any  place  where  this  parody  of 
an  art  is  carried  out  what  they  think  of  its  effect  on  the  growth  of 
flower  and  shrub  and  you  may  hear  the  truth  that  it  is  very  difficult 
to  grow  flower  or  shrub  near  the  misplaced  trees. 


TOPI  ART  AN   FOLLIES.  315 


Ignoble  labour,  too,  to  the  men  who  have  to  carry  it  out.     The 

work  of  disfiguring  was  bad  at  all  times,  now  deplorable  when  the 

flowering  trees  and  shrubs  from  China  and  Japan 

Waste  of  labour,    are  coming  to  us.     This  shaving  of  trees  is  a  pitiful 

and  degrading  thing.     Good  taste  is  a  more  likely 

comrade  of  humility,  and  goes  with  a  childlike  reverence  for  the  work 

of  the  Creator,  as  shown  to   us   in   the  clouds,  the   mountains,  the 

waves,  the  forests,  the  flowers,  and  in  the  flight  of  birds. 

Much  topiary  work  is  inherited  from  the  architect's  practice  of 
clipping  trees  to  conform  to  the  lines  of  building.  Many  places  are 
spoilt  for  the  artist  by  the  hard  lines  of  clipped  Yew,  and  not  a 
naturally-grown  Yew  to  be  seen.  It  is  easy  to  get  good  dividing 
lines  without  disfiguring  trees ;  lines  that  call  for  clipping  mean  the 
destruction  of  all  form.  The  labour  and  time  spent  in  deforming 
trees  are  a  waste  to  make  the  earth  hideous. 

Topiarian   effects  appeal  only   to  those  blind   to  the  grace  and 

movement  of  the  free,  natural  form.     To  artists  of  all  lands  we  may, 

if  need  be,  appeal.     France,  in  its  home  landscapes, 

Effect  on  the      has   for   ages    been    disgraced    by   the    Topiarian 

artist.  practice,    and    here    is    what    one    of   her    gifted 

writers,  Theophile  Gautier,  says  : — 

Les  arbres  du  pare  de  Versailles  portent  des  boucles  et  des  frisures  comme  les 
courtisans  ;  les  poemes  sont  traces  au  cordeau  comme  les  allees.  Partout  la 
regularite  froide  est  substitute  au  charmant  desordre  de  la  vie  ;  et  qui  produit 
une  impression  a  peu  pres  pareille  a  celle  que  vous  donnent  les  jardins  de  Le 
Notre  ou  de  la  Quintinie  ;  partout  du  marbre,  du  bronze,  des  Neptunes,  des 
tritons,  des  nymphes,  des  rocailles,  des  bassins,  des  grottes,  des  colonnades,  des 
ifs  en  quenouille,  des  buis  en  pot-au-feu. 

In  much  of  Northern  Europe  the  evergreen  trees  that  grace  our 
land  in  winter  are  not  to  be  seen  save  in  a  tub  in  a  hall  or  glass- 
house.    Holly,  Ivy,  true  Laurel  are  killed  before 
Origin  of  the      the  winter  frost.     The  true  Laurel  of  the  Greeks 
practice.          is,  in  our  southern  counties  and    near  our  coast, 
as  happy  in  the  open  air  as  by  a  stream  in  Greece. 
To  supply  the  need  in  the  frozen  North  a  large  business  with  ever- 
greens in  tubs  has  arisen  in   Holland  and  Belgium.     The  trees  are 
grown  in  tubs  ;  miles  of  them  may  be  seen  in  nurseries. 

A  great  danger  in   our   isles   arises   from   the  constant   practice 

of    planting   the    Yew   in    gardens    and    by   ap- 

The  deadly  Yew.    proaches,  and  it   is    sad    to   read   this  note  in  a 

daily  paper : — 

More  than  fifty  sheep  out  of  a  large  flock  pastured  in  West  Lothian  died  from 
th,e  effects  of  eating  leaves  of  Yew  trees. 

The  tree  is  deadly  for  stock  in  all  states,  and  if  a  record  could  be 
made  of  its  destructiveness  it  would  amaze.     The  deaths  of  many 


3i6  THE  ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 

animals  are  wrongly  attributed  to  other  causes.  Worse  still,  the 
ignorance  of  the  pretended  landscape  gardeners,  who  scatter  the 
Yew  liberally  about,  even  near  the  approaches  to  the  house,  where 
the  horses  can  scarcely  miss  it 

I  must  write  to  tell  you  of  our  sad  experience  of  the  fatal  effects  of  Yew 
clippings.  About  the  beginning  of  the  year  some  Yew  trees  had  to  be  cut 
and  some  (not  a  large  quantity)  of  the  clippings  were  thrown  on  a  rubbish 
heap  in  what  we  call  the  park.  No  one  seems  to  have  known  the  danger.  A  few 
weeks  after,  our  tenant  turned  seven  bullocks  into  the  park,  and  four  of  the  seven 
died.  We  have  had  to  pay  compensation  for  the  act  of  our  servant.  The  man  did 
not  know,  and  even  a  nursery  gardener  whom  I  had  to  see  in  connection  with  the 
matter  was  ignorant  of  the  danger.  You  cannot  emphasise  too  strongly  the 
necessity  of  keeping  Yew,  alive  of  dead,  out  of  the  reach  of  stock  and  of  horses, 
which  I  am  told  are  even  more  easily  killed. — A.  F.  KIRKPATRICK,  Deanery,  Ely. 

Even  the  arrival  court  to  a  country  house  is  often  bordered  by 
a  line  of  Yew  near  for  any  straying  animal  to  poison  itself.  In  many 
cases  where  the  hard  line  of  the  Yew  hedge  is  used  it  is  to  get  a  less 
artistic  result  than  could  be  got  in  other  ways  by  low  walls,  fences, 
and  evergreens  like  Holly  and  Box,  guileless  of  poisoning. 

Anything  more  inartistic  or  wrong  as  to  planting,  than  the  clip- 
ping of  trees,  could  not  be  conceived  ;  all  the  more  so  when  practised 
upon  shrubs  like  the  Holly,  the  beauty  of  which  depends  on  the 
growth  being  free.  The  graceful  toss  and  growth,  and  the  play  of  light 
and  shade,  and,  last  of  all,  the  finest  effect  of  our  winters,  the  berries 
of  the  Holly.  Unhappily,  when  people  see  this  clipping  practised 
in  public  gardens  they  are  very  apt  to  imitate  it  in  their  own  gardens, 
and  thus  acres  of  beautiful  evergreens  in  the  suburbs  of  London  and 
every  city  in  Britain  are  disfigured  in  the  same  way.  The  common 
idea  that  the  hard  line  of  clipped  Yew  hedge  -is  the  best  background 
for  garden  effects  is  wrong,  and  may  well  be  got  out  of  the  heads  of 
designers  of  gardens. 


CHAPTER   XXXVIII. 

EXTRAVAGANT  FLOWER  GARDENING  IN  THE  LONDON  PARKS. 

FAR  too  much  attention  is  given  to  tender  plants  which,  requiring 
great  and  special  care,  can  give  us  only  a  short  season  of  bloom. 
This  very  summer  of  ours,  between  east  winds  and  cold  nights,  we 
have  had  weather  like  December ;  no  plants  can  face  such  a  clime 
so  well  as  those  of  the  northern  world.  There  are  many  of  that 
region  far  more  beautiful  than  the  poor  plants  we  cultivate  in  many 
hothouses. 

My  own  Cherry  Pie  and  the  other  tender  summer  things  we  have 
worth  planting  are  only  beginning  now  to  show  their  beauty  towards 
the  end  of  the  seventh  month  of  the  year,  and  may  be  nipped  by 
frost  in  September.  Yet  an  English  park  may  be  full  of  beautiful 
colour  in  February — four  long  months  before  we  can  get  the  tenderlings 
out  of  the  house.  It  must  be  clear  to  any  one  who  brings  reason 
into  the  subject  that  it  is  a  mistake  to  give  the  greatest  care  to  the 
least  worthy  things.  Look  at  the  matter  of  endurance  alone.  If  we 
plant  Oaks  or  American  Hawthorns  we  may  have  things  of  value  for 
generations.  Tender  flowers  such  as  Lobelias  and  Petunias  perish 
with  the  first  frost,  and  very  few  of  them  equal  in  beauty  things 
happy  in  our  climate,  from  the  Lily  to  the  Silvery  Willow. 

The  present  system  is  a  survival  of  bedding  out  of  which  people 
have  had  more  than  enough,  and  is  quite  wrong  for  a  climate  like  our 
own.  To  carry  it  out  a  nursery  of  hothouses  is  established  in  each 
park,  involving  much  coddling,  both  of  men  and  plants,  for  over  half 
the  year. 

In   recent  years   one  of  the   prettiest  vales   in    Hyde   Park   was 

spoiled   to    find   room  for  a    large    nursery  of  hothouses,  etc.,  with 

surrounding     shrubbery,    only     harmful     to     the 

Hyde  Park  was     beauty  of  the  park.     The  French  have  a  much 

spoiled.  better  way.     In  Paris   there  is  a   fine  nursery  at 

Auteuil  to  supply  the  parks  of  the  city  with  plants, 

thus  relieving  the  superintendent  of  each  park  of  the  care  of  hothouse 

plants  and  much  work  of  that  sort.     A  like  one  would  be  right  for 

London  and  would  relieve  the  parks  of  these  oftentimes  unsightly 

317 


31 8  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


nurseries.  It  might  be  highly  instructive  in  other  ways  if  open  to 
the  public,  as  it  could  be  used  not  only  for  the  supply  of  tender 
plants,  but  also  of  trees  and  shrubs  for  the  parks.  In  Paris  this 
establishment  is  not  only  instructive  to  the  public,  but  a  capital  school 
for  young  gardeners,  whereas  our  hole-and-corner  nurseries  in  the 
parks  from  which  the  public  are  rigidly  excluded  have  no  such 
merit. 

A  nursery  for  London  parks,  well  planned  and  well  chosen,  just 
outside  London  should  lead  to  economy  and  be  able  to  supply  all  the 
tender  summer  flowers  which  a  better  system  of  gardening  would 
require.  Instead  of  the  greater  part  of  the  cost  being  given  to  tender 
plants  by  far  the  greater  proportion  of  the  cost  and  care  would  be 
given  to  the  open-air  flora  of  tree,  shrub,  and  flower  hardy  at  all 
seasons  and  wanting  no  care.  Some  of  the  best  effects  in  the  modern 
garden  are  never  seen  in  any  parks — effects  which  the  beautiful  hardy 
Water  Lilies  and  noble  coloured  trees  of  the  American  woodlands  in 
autumn  might  give  us. 

The  greatest  charms  of  our  parks  are  repose,  verdure,  and  breadth, 
and  to  secure  these  we  must  stop  cutting  up  the  surface  for  tea- 
houses, nurseries,  monuments,  etc.  The  last  time  I  was  in  Victoria 
Park,  I  saw  what  once  was  the  prettiest  of  lawns  surrounded  by  an 
ugly  iron  railing  to  keep  in  deer.  As  if  the  "  Zoo  "  were  not  enough 
for  London. 

The  area  of  these  noble  parks — the  soil  and  climate  of  London — 

offers  the  best  opportunity  for  such  a  noble  tree  garden  as  one  could 

desire.       All    the    summer  -  leafing    trees    of    the 

A  noble  tree       northern  forest  might  be  grown  in  them,  and  if  we 

garden.  get  rid  of  smoke — which   it  is  quite  within    our 

power  to  do — we  might  grow  all  the   Evergreen 

trees  of  the  northern  world  too.      For  the  natural  climate  of  London, 

in  spite  of  its  bad  repute,  is  a  good  climate  and  the  smoke  our  own 

doing. 

Clear  the  parks  of  these  nurseries.  Let  each  superintendent  have 
his  mind  fixed  on  growing  only  for  the  permanent  adornment  of  the 
park  and  let  him  get  his  tender  stock  from  a  central  nursery.  Vested 
interests  and  stereotyped  plans  are  hard  to  face,  but  it  is  well  to  tell 
the  truth  about  the  matter,  and  perhaps  the  coming  men  will  take 
it  up. 

It  would  be  well  if  the  cost  of  what  is  done  in  the  present  day— 
the  expenses  of  the  present  hothouse  nurseries  as  compared  with  the 
cost  of  the  work  in  the  open  air — were  made  clear  and  open  to  the  public. 
As  to  the  artistic  results  of  the  present  way,  can  anything  be  more 
un-English  or  absurd  than  the  scattering  about  in  an  English  park  of 
Palms  and  other  tropical  plants  in  pots  ?  Such  efforts  may  well  seem 


EXTRAVAGANT  FLOWER  GARDENING  IN  THE  LONDON  PARKS.     319 

incongruous  to  any  one  who  has  seen  the  Palm  with  all  its  dignity 
and  grace  in  its  own  land.  Ugly  themselves  as  they  are  in  the 
London  parks,  they  take  the  place  of  trees  and  shrubs  of  our  northern 
lands,  which  attain  their  full  stature  and  beauty  in  our  own  clime. 

W.  R.,  Times,  24th  July  1915. 


THE 

ENGLISH   FLOWER  GARDEN 

AND   HOME   GROUNDS 

PART    II 

CONTAINING  THE  FLOWERS,  TREES,  FLOWERING  SHRUBS, 
EVERGREENS,  AND  HARDY  FERNS  FOR  THE  OPEN-AIR 
FLOWER  GARDEN  IN  THE  BRITISH  ISLES,  WITH  THEIR 
CULTIVATION  AND  THE  POSITIONS  MOST  SUITABLE  FOR 
THEM  IN  GARDENS 


THE 


ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN 
AND    HOME    GROUNDS 


ABELIA.— Beautiful  shrubs,  of  the 
Honeysuckle  order,  little  grown  in  our 
country,  thriving  in  warm  districts. 
They  form  a  small  group  from  the  hills 
of  China  and  Japan,  the  uplands  of 
India,  and  Mexico.  In  mild  districts, 
with  light  soil,  in  sheltered  corners  or 
on  warm  walls,  they  do  best.  Their 
flowers,  in  drooping  clusters,  last  long, 
and  the  coloured  sepals  retain  their 
beauty  far  into  the  autumn.  Layers  or 
cuttings. 

A.  CHINENSIS  (Rock  A.). — A  pretty 
shrub,  usually  of  dense  growth,  3  to  5  feet 
high.  The  hardiest  kind  to  do  well  needs 
a  warm,  light  soil  and  a  sheltered  spot. 
The  flowers,  about  an  inch  long,  are  in 
clusters  of  a  pale  blush  colour,  fragrant. 
Syn.  A .  rupestris. 

A.  FLORIBUNDA  (Mexican  A.). — A  beau- 
tiful shrub,  but  save  in  warm,  southern 
and  western  parts  must  be  grown  under 
glass.  The  flowers  come  in  spring  as 
drooping  clusters  from  every  joint,  rose  or 
rosy-purple,  about  2  inches  long,  and  hang 
for  many  weeks  upon  the  plant.  Mexico. 

A.  GRANDIFLORA  (Hybrid  A.). — Said  to 
be  a  hybrid,  and  is  handsome  but  not 
quite  hardy,  even  in  the  south.  Best  on 
a  low,  sunny  wall,  on  which  it  flowers  well, 
and  for  a  long  period. 

A.  SERRATA  (Dwarf  A.). — A  dwarf  ever- 
green bush  upon  dry  and  sunny  hillsides 
in  China  and  Japan.  It  is  smaller  in  all 
its  parts  than  the  other  Chinese  species, 
growing  little  more  than  3  feet  high,  with 
solitary  pale  red  flowers,  large  and  sweet. 
Spring. 

A.  SPATHULATA  (Twin-flowering  A.). — 
An  elegant  evergreen  shrub.  Flowers  in 
April  ;  white,  marked  with  yellow  in  the 
tube  ;  in  pairs  from  every  joint,  and  about 
an  inch  long. 

A.  TRIFLORA  (Indian  A.).— A  lovely 
shrub,  best  on  a  wall.  The  flowers, 
coming  in  threes  at  the  end  of  summer, 
are  cream  or  pale  yellow  flushed  with 
pink.  India. 


ABIES  (Silver  Fir}.— Beautiful  ever- 
green trees  of  northern  and  moun- 
tainous regions,  many  hardy  in  our 
country.  Some  of  the  Indian  and 
Japanese  Silver  Firs  in  our  country 
suffer  by  starting  too  early  in  open 
winters  and  harsh  springs.  In  their 
own  frost-bound  mountain  lands  the 
young  shoots  start  when  all  danger  is 
past.  A  remedy  for  this  is  the  selection 
of  exposed  positions  which  will  not 
encourage  early  growth,  and  also  not 
making  the  soil  so  rich  as  is  the  rule. 
As  with  many  of  the  conifers,  the  usual 
way  is  to  put  them  apart  as  "  speci- 
mens," but  that,  from  an  artistic  point 
of  view,  and  that  of  their  health,  is  not 
the  best.  Where  there  is  room,  they 
should  be  grouped. 

There  is  confusion  of  names,  owing 
to  the  American  kinds  having  been  sent 
over  under  various  names.  The  follow- 
ing selection  includes  the  best  for  our 
country  so  far  as  the  trees  are  known. 
There  are  variegated  sorts  which  are 
given  names  ;  they  are  useless  to  those 
who  seek  the  natural  dignity  of  the 
tree. 

A.  BALSAMEA  (Balsam  Fir). — A  slender 
northern  forest  Fir  rarely  attaining  a 
height  of  more  than  80  feet,  and  much 
smaller  in  high  Arctic  regions.  Hardy  in 
our  country.  N.  America. 

A.  BRACHYPHYLLA  (Jesso  Silver  Fir). — A 
handsome  and  hardy  tree,  over  100  feet 
high,  with  bright  green  foliage  and  short 
leaves.  The  densely  crowded  leaves  are 
very  silvery  underneath,  and  the  effect  of 
a  healthy  tree  good.  Japan. 

A.  BRACTEATA  (Santa  Lucia  Fir). — A 
stately  tree,  often  150  feet  high  in  its 
native  country.  The  foliage  is  long  and 
rather  scattered,  sharply  pointed.  It  is 
injured  in  some  districts  by  growing  too 
early  in  the  spring.  N.W.  America. 


322 


Abie.s  magnificat.  (Castlewellan). 


324 


ABIES. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


ABRONIA. 


A.  CEPHALONICA  (Cephalonian  Fir). — A 
vigorous  Fir  of  about  60  feet  high,  hardy 
in  this  country  in  a  variety  of  soils,  best 
planted  in  a  high  position  to  prevent  it 
starting  into  growth  too  early.  Greece. 

A.  CILICICA  (Mount  Taurus  Fir). — A 
graceful  tree,  40  feet  to  60  feet  high,  with 
slender  branches.  It  grows  freely,  but  is 
apt  to  be  injured  by  spring  frosts  ;  the 
leaves  are  soft,  and  of  a  peculiar  shade  of 
green.  Cilicia. 

A.  CONCOLOR  (Hoary  White  Fir).— -A 
whitish  tree  of  medium  height,  with  thick, 
grey  bark.  The  flat  leaves  are  about 
2  inches  long,  and  it  has  small  pale  yellow 
cones.  It  is  hardy  in  Britain,  and  a  rapid 
grower.  Colorado. 

A.  FIRMA  (Japanese  Silver  Fir). — A  tree 
of  sometimes  150  feet  in  height,  with  light 
brown  bark  and  foliage  of  a  glossy  green. 
Hardy  in  Britain,  and  grows  freely  when 
established.  It  is  a  handsome  tree  with 
short  branches  and  stiff  habit.  Japan. 

A.  FRASERI  (Alleghany  Fir). — Reaches 
90  feet  high  in  its'  own  country,  with 
smooth  bark  having  resinous  blisters.  It 
is  allied  to  the  Balsam  Fir,  but  has  shorter 
and  more  oval  cones,  and  leaves  with 
silvery  undersides.  Virginia,  N.  Carolina, 
and  Tennessee. 

A.  GRANDIS  (Puget  Sound  Fir). — A 
stately  tree  200  feet  high,  with  dark  green 
cones  2  to  3  inches  long,  and  dark  shining 
leaves,  white  below.  Hardy  in  various 
parts  of  Britain  ;  best  in  moist  soils. 
N.W.  America. 

A.  LASIOCARPA  (Alpine  Fir). — A  beau- 
tiful spire-like  tree  150  feet  high,  with 
white  bark  and  very  small  cones,  purple, 
2  to  3  inches  long,  and  red  male  flowers, 
the  foliage  gracefully  curved.  Alaska, 
B.  Columbia. 

A.  LOWIANA  (California  White  Fir). — A 
lovely  tree,  often  150  feet  high,  long  leaves, 
and  light  green  cones,  turning  yellow  at 
maturity.  Oregon  to  S.  California. 

A.  MAGNIFICA  (California  Red  Fir). — A 
stately  mountain  tree  of  200  to  250  feet, 
with  brown  bark  (red  within),  and  very 
large  light  purple  cones,  6  to  8  inches  long. 
The  foliage  is  dense  on  the  lower  branches, 
but  thinner  towards  the  top,  of  olive-green. 
N.  California. 

A.  MARIESI  (Maries'  Silver  Fir). — A  tall, 
pyramidal  tree  with  spreading  branches 
and  dark  purple  cones,  4  to  5  inches  long. 
Japan. 

A.  NOBILIS  (Columbia  Fir). — A  mountain 
tree,  200  to  300  feet  high,  with  deep 
glaucous  foliage  and  brown  cones  5  to 
7  inches  long.  Does  not  thrive  in  some 
soils  ;  best  in  deep  soil,  and  with  abundant 
moisture.  Oregon. 

A.  NORDMANNIANA  (Crimean  Fir). — A 
beautiful  dark  green  tree,  with  rigid 
branches  and  dense  dark  green  foliage  and 
large  cones.  Caucasus  and  Crimea. 

A.  NUMIDICA  (Mount  Babor  Fir). — A 
tree  of  medium  height  with  bright  green 


foliage.  Hardy  in  this  country.  Moun- 
tains of  N.  Africa,  growing  with  Cedars 
and  Yew. 

A.  PECTIN  ATA  (Silver  Fir).-^A  noble  tree 
of  the  mountains  of  Central  Europe.  The 
first  of  the  Silver  Firs  planted  in  Britain. 
When  young  it  grows  well  in  the  shade  of 
other  trees,  and  it  is  an  excellent  tree  to 
plant  for  shelter,  as  it  will  grow  in  the  most 
exposed  situations. 

A.  PINSAPO  (Spanish  Silver  Fir). — A 
large  Fir,  with  bright  green  prickly  foliage, 
thriving  in  almost  any  soil  and  in  chalky 
districts.  Often  suffers  from  too  early  a 
start  in  spring,  and  the  usual  method  of 
planting  as  specimens  in  grass,  the  grass 
robbing  the  tree.  Spain. 

A.  SACHALINENSIS  (Saghalien  Silver 
Fir). — A  tall  tree  with  greyish-brown 
bark,  narrow  leaves,  and  small  cones.  It 
is  hardy,  and  of  distinct  and  graceful 
habit.  Japan  and  Saghalien. 

A.  VEITCHI  (Veitch's  Silver  Fir). — A  tall 
tree  of  over  100  feet.  The  bark  is  light 
grey,  and  the  leaves  a  bright  glossy  green 
with  silvery  streaks,  the  cones  being  a 
purplish-brown.  Japan. 

A.  WEBBIANA  (Webb's  Fir). — An  Indian 
Fir,  sometimes  nearly  100  feet  high,  and 
one  of  the  most  distinct.  The  leaves  are 
glossy  green  with  silvery  undersides,  the 
cones  large.  A  variety  Pindrow  is  without 
the  silver  markings.  Both  suffer  much 
from  spring  frosts.  Himalayas. 

As  to  the  growth  and  placing  of  the 
Silver  Firs,  the  usual  way  of  dot  planting 
is  not  the  best.  I  prefer  half  a  dozen  kinds 
known  to  thrive  in  this  country  to  many 
kinds  set  out  in  the  lamp-post  way.  The 
trees  should  shelter  and  help  each  other, 
planting  close  at  first,  with  "  nurses  " 
planted  between,  all  to  be  thinned  off 
in  due  time.  Close  planting  does  not 
imply  that  the  trees  are  not  to  be  allowed 
space  for  their  stately  growth  as  time  goes 
on.  Another  gain  from  the  natural 
grouping  is  that  the  trees  cast  off  their 
branches  as  they  grow  up  and  show  the 
noble  stems.  From  seeds  is  the  true  way 
of  increase. 

ABRONIA  (Sand  Verbena).— Small 
Californian  annuals  or  perennials  of  a 
trailing  habit,  with  blossoms  in  dense 
Verbena-like  clusters.  A.  arenaria,  a 
honey-scented  perennial,  has  trailing 
stems  and  dense  clusters  of  lemon- 
coloured  flowers  ;  A.  umbellata,  also 
an  annual  with  succulent  trailing  stems 
and  clusters  of  rosy-purple,  slightly 
fragrant  flowers  ;  A .  fragrans,  forming 
large  branching  tufts  from  i£  to  2  feet, 
and  white  flowers  which  expand  late  in 
the  afternoon,  and  then  exhale  a  deli- 
cate vanilla-like  perfume  ;  A .  villosa 
has  violet  flowers,  and  A .  Crux  Mastce, 
with  scented  flowers.  A.  arenaria  and 


ABUTILON.  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.      ACANTHOLIMON.      325 


A.  umbellata  should  be  planted  in 
rather  poor,  light  and  dry  soil,  on  open 
well-drained  borders.  The  seeds  often 
remain  dormant  for  some  time  before 
vegetating  ;  those  of  A .  umbellata  ger- 
minate readily.  Abronias  flower  in 
summer  and  autumn,  but  are  not  quite 
happy  in  our  climate. 

ABUTILON.— Plants  mostly  requir- 
ing greenhouse  temperature  in  winter, 
but  growing  freely  out  of  doors  in 
summer,  and  a  graceful  aid  in  the 
flower  garden  in  the  southern  counties. 
A .  Darwini  and  its  forms,  as  well  as 
the  varieties  related  to  A.  striatum, 
grow  from  4  to  8  feet  in  height.  They 
can  be  made  bushy  by  stopping,  and 
they  flower  better  than  if  in  pots. 
They  are  useful  among  the  taller  and 
more  graceful  plants  for  the  flower 
garden,  and  are  easily  raised  from  seed 
and  cuttings.  A.  vitifolium  is  a  hand- 
some plant  in  mild  districts,  and  several 
sorts  may  be  grown  in  the  open  air  in 
gardens  in  warm  sea-shore  districts. 
New  hybrid  varieties  are  often  raised. 

ACACIA  (Tassel  Tree}.— Beautiful 
shrubs  and  trees,  thriving  in  warmer 
countries,  but  a  few  grown  out  of  doors 
do  well  in  parts  of  our  country.  A . 
Julibrissin. — By  reducing  this  to  a 
single  stem  and  using  young  plants,  or 
those  cut  down  every  year,  one  gets  an 
erect  stem  covered  with  leaves  as 
graceful  as  a  Fern,  and  pretty  amidst 
low-growing  flowers.  A.  lophantha, 
though  not  hardy,  grows  freely  in  the 
open  air  in  summer,  and  gives  graceful 
verdure  among  flowers.  It  may  easily 
be  raised  from  seed  sown  early  in  the 
year  to  give  plants  fit  for  putting  out 
in  early  summer.  In  Cornish  and 
South  Devon  gardens  various  kinds 
thrive  in  the  open  air.  A .  affinis  is  the 
most  common.  Ln  many  cases  A. 
affinis  is  grown  as  A .  dealbata.  A .  ver- 
ticillata  flowers  later  in  the  spring.  It 
reaches  a  height  of  15  feet  in  a  few 
years,  growing  in  the  form  of  a  broad 
based  cone,  with  its  lower  branches  but 
a  foot  or  so  from  the  ground. 

ACZENA.— Alpine  and  rock  plants 
of  the  Rose  family.  Though  not  pretty 
in  flower,  if  we  except  the  crimson 
spines  that  give  a  charm  to  the  little 
New  Zealand  A.  microphylla,  these 
plants  are  useful  as  very  dwarf  carpets 
in  the  rock  garden,  and  now  and  then, 
to  cover  dry  parts  of  borders,  among  the 
most  so  being  argentea,  millefolia,  pul- 
chella,  ovalifolia,  and  sarmentosa,  all 
of  free  growth. 


ACANTHOLIMON  (Prickly  Thrift}. 
— Dwarf  mountain  plants  of  the  Sea 
Lavender  order,  extending  from  the 
east  of  Greece  to  Thibet,  and  having 
their  headquarters  in  Persia.  The 
flowers  are  like  those  of  Statice,  the 
plants  forming  cushion-like  tufts  ;  the 
leaves  rigid  and  spiny.  They  are 
dwarf  evergreen  rock  garden  and  choice 
border  plants.  Cuttings  taken  off  in 
late  summer  and  kept  in  a  cold  frame 
during  winter  make  good  plants  in  two 
years,  but  by  layering  one  gets  earlier 
and  larger  plants.  All  are  hardy,  and 
prefer  warm,  sunny  situations  in  sandy 
loam.  There  are  only  a  few  kinds  in 
cultivation,  such  as  A.  glumaceum, 
venustum,  and  androsaceum.  A.  Kot- 
schyi  is  handsome,  with  long  spikes 
rising  well  above  the  leaves,  and  white 
flowers  ;  A .  melananthum  has  short, 
dense  spikes,  the  limb  of  the  calyx 
being  bordered  with  dark  violet-  or 
black ;  and  there  are  other  pretty 
species,  not  all  in  cultivation  perhaps, 
which,  so  far  as  we  know  them,  thrive 
best  on  the  sunny  rock  garden,  in  light 


AcfintJiolhnon,  gluinaceum. 


soil.  Where  large  plants  of  the  rare 
kinds  exist,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  work 
some  cocoa-nut  fibre  and  sand,  in  equal 
parts,  into  the  tufts  in  early  autumn, 
but  before  doing  this  some  of  the  shoots 
should  be  gently  torn  so  as  to  half  sever 
them  at  a  heel  ;  water  to  settle  the 
soil.  Many  of  the  growths  thus  treated 
will  root  by  spring. 


326     ACANTHOPANAX.     THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


ACER. 


ACANTHOPANAX.  --A.  ricini- 
folium  is  the  most  striking  of  the 
shrubby  Araliads,  hardy  in  our  coun- 
try. Curious  and  picturesque  in  form, 
these  are  not  of  proved  garden  value. 
Professor  Rein,  of  the  University  of 
Bonn,  mentions  trees  90  feet  high,  with 
stem  9  to  12  feet  in  circumference  in 
the  forests  of  Yezo,  the  great  northern 
island  of  Japan.  A.  sessiliflorum 
is  a  native  of  China  and  Japan.  It 
has  wrinkled,  dark  green  leaves  of  three 
to  five  leaflets,  the  mid-ribs  having 
a  few  scattered  bristles.  A.  spino- 
sum. — A  shrub  with  leaves  divided 
into  segments.  They  are  both  hardy 
in  sheltered  positions.  A.  palmatum 
atro-sanguineum,  with  very  rich  crim- 
son foliage,  and  pinnatifidum,  in  which 
the  leaves  are  much  divided,  are  the 
finest  of  the  Japanese  kinds.  A. 
Henryi  is  a  Chinese  kind  worth  growing 
for  its  fruit  effect  in  autumn.  The 
plants  should  not  be  grafted. 

ACANTHUS    ( Bear'  s-breech) .  - 
tately    perennials    with    fine    foliage, 


Acanthus. 


mostly  coming  from  the  countries 
round  the  Mediterranean,  and  hardy. 
On  rocky  banks,  borders  of  the  bolder 
sort,  and  in  almost  any  position  among 


the  more  vigorous  hardy  plants  they 
look  well,  and  will  thrive  in  partial 
shade,  yet  to  flower  well  should  have 
full  sun.  Acanthuses  succeed  best  on 
warm,  deep  soil,  though  they  will  live 
in  almost  any.  They  are  easily  in- 
creased by  division  of  the  roots  in 
winter,  and  may  be  raised  from  seed. 

There  are  several  hardy  kinds  : —  A . 
hispanicus,  A .  longifolius,  A .  moll  is, 
A.  m.  latifolius  (A.  lusitanicus) ,  A. 
niger,  and  A.  spinosissimus. 

ACER  (Maple}. — Trees,  mostly  of 
northern  regions,  often  of  the  highest 
value,  some  of  the  species  breaking 
into  a  great  number  of  varieties. 
Among  the  best  are  the  Silver  Maple 
(A.  eriocarpum) ,  a  beautiful  tree, 
though  we  get  from  it  other  forms 
which  are  not  of  much  value.  The 
Norway  Maple  (A.  platanoides]  has 
many  varieties.  The  common  Syca- 
more Maple  (A.  pseudo-platanus]  has 
also  varieties,  though  none  of  them 
better  than  the  natural  tree.  It  is 
doubtful  if  there  is  any  finer  tree  than 
this  when  old.  It  is  the  best  of  forest 
trees  to  face  the  sea,  as  in  Anglesey 
and  many  other  windy  places.  Our 
Native  Maple  ( A .  campestre)  is  also  a 
pretty  tree,  seldom  planted  in  gardens. 
The  Virginian  ( A .  rubrum)  is  a  beauti- 
ful tree,  as  is  also  the  Sugar  Maple  ( A . 
saccharinum)  and  the  Colchic  Maple 
(  A.  Icetum).  The  Japanese  Maples  are 
beautiful,  but  not  quite  robust,  except 
in  favoured  districts.  A.  Negundo 
has  given  us  the  much  over- valued,  too 
variegated  Maple  common  in  gardens. 
A .  Ginnala  is  a  low  tree  whose  leaves 
die  off  a  rich  red  in  colour.  The 
N.  American  and  European  species 
are  hardy  as  forest  trees,  and  thrive 
in  almost  any  soil,  but  the  Southern 
American  and  Japanese  kinds  want 
warmer  soils  to  thfive  in  our  climate. 
A  number  of  kinds  have  of  recent  years 
come  to  us  from  China  and  Japan  and 
other  northern  regions,  but  as  yet  we 
have  little  evidence  of  their  value  in 
the  home  landscape.  The  best  effects 
so  far  are  from  the  northern  forest 
kinds,  like  the  Norway  Maple,  the 
Virginian  Maple,  and  even  the  brown 
forms  of  the  Sycamore  Maple,  which 
come  freely  from  seed,  and  so  may 
escape  the  mistaken  labour  of  the 
grafter  who  does  not  look  to  the  results 
of  the  practice  on  the  life  of  the  tree. 
The  evil  result  of  this  is  frequent  in 
the  varieties  of  the  Japanese  Maple, 
attractive  in  colour,  the  Japanese  often 
grafting  on  other  and  more  vigorous 


ACHILLEA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


ACHILLEA. 


327 


kinds,  and  plants  so  increased  are  not 
worth  planting.  In  such  a  noble 
family  of  trees,  often  fine  in  form  and 
colour,  the  planting  of  variegated  kinds 
is  a  mistake. 

Among  the  less  planted  kinds  are 
carpinifolium,  circinatum,  Davidii, 
griseum,  Heldreichii,  insigne,  Laetum, 
Lobellii,  macrophyllum,  Myaboyii 
nikcense,  opalus,  saccharum,  and  Vol- 
zemi,  worthy  of  a  place  where  there  is 
space  to  spare. 

ACHILLEA  (Milfoil,  Yarrow}.— 
Hardy  herbaceous  and  alpine  plants 
spread  through  Northern  Asia,  S. 
Europe,  and  Asia  Minor,  varying  in 
height  from  2  inches  to  4  feet,  their 
flowers  being  pale  lemon,  yellow,  and 
white,  but  rarely  pink  or  rose.  They 
thrive  in  most  soils,  and,  with  the 
exception  of  the  dwarfer  mountain 
species,  increase  rapidly.  Some  of  the 
large  kinds  are  fine  plants  for  groups, 
as  A.  Eupatorium.  The  alpine  kinds 
are  for  the  rock  garden,  or  margins  of 
choice  borders. 

The  best  of  the  larger  kinds  are 
excellent  for  large  groups  in  mixed 
borders,  and  also  in  shrubberies  ; 
among  the  best  being  A.  Eupatorium, 
A.  Filipendula,  A.  millefolium 
roseum  (a  rose-coloured  variety  of  a 
native  plant),  and  A.  Ptarmica  (the 
Sneezewort),  the  double  variety  being 
one  of  the  best  perennials. 

The  dwarfer  species  come  in  for 
groups  for  the  rock  garden  or  the  mar- 
gins of  rock  borders,  and,  occasionally, 
as  edging  plants,  most  of  them  growing 
freely  and  being  easy  of  increase  ;  but 
some  of  the  higher  alpine  kinds  are 
not  very  enduring  in  our  open  winters. 
The  dwarf  kinds  are  the  most  precious 
for  the  flower  garden,  and  these  are 
described  by  Mr  E.  H.  Jenkins  in 
Gardening  Illustrated  : — 

A.  AGERATIFOLIA. — As  Anthemis  Aizoon 
this  was  one  of  the  many  silvery-leaved 
plants  tried  in  the  "  carpet-bedding " 
gardening  forty  odd  years  ago.  It  had  no 
possible  chance,  however,  against  the 
sward-like  Antennaria  tomentosa.  As  a 
rock-gardening  subject,  it  is  at  once  good 
and  choice,  the  narrow,  silvery  foliage  and 
glistening  white  flower-heads  rendering 
it  at  once  distinct.  A  Grecian  species, 
4  inches  to  6  inches  high.  Likes  well- 
drained,  sandy  loam. 

A.  ARGENTEA. — It  is  one  of  the  gems  of 
the  silvery  set,  the  short,  bluntly  ter- 
minated leaves,  minutely  pinnate,  with 
pretty  rosettes,  above  which,  to  4  inches 
or  so  high,  rise  the  pure  white  flower-heads. 


Habit    very    neat    and    compact.     Asia 
Minor. 

A.  CLAVENN^E. — The  pronouncedly 
forked  and  jagged  leaves  of  this  silvery- 
leaved  kind  separate  it  from  all.  Six 
inches  or  8  inches  high,  free  and  vigorous 
in  growth,  and  of  striking  whiteness,  it  is 
a  plant  for  all.  Both  stems  and  leaves  are 
endowed  with  a  felt-like  covering  of  silky 
hairs.  Flower-heads  white  in  a  corymbose 
cyme.  Common  on  calcareous  rocks, 
E.  Alps,  etc. . 

A.  GRIESBACHI. — This  distinct  and  good 
sort  is  of  garden  origin,  the  deeply-notched 
leafage  being  of  a  hoary- grey  or  glaucous 
tone,  the  flowers  pure  white  and  freely 
produced  in  corymbs  6  inches  to  9  inches 
high. 

A.  HOLOSERICEA. — A  good  silvery-leaved 
sort  of  a  neat,  erect  habit  of  growth,  whose 
6-inch  long  leaves  approximate  to  the 
common  Milfoil  in  outline.  The  leaflets 
are  usually  five-parted.  Flowers  golden- 
yellow.  Greece. 

A.  HUTERI. — A  silvery  species  of  tufted 
habit,  and  with  distinctly  notched  leaves, 
growing  6  inches  or  more  high.  A  good 
carpeter  of  the  soil.  Flower-heads  white, 
Switzerland. 

A.  JABORNEGGI. — A  pretty  and  interest- 
ing hybrid  between  A.  Clavennce  and  A. 
moschata,  of  compact  habit,  with  hoary 
foliage,  and  rather  large,  pure  white 
flower-heads.  A  free-growing  sort  worthy 
of  inclusion  in  any  collection. 

A.  KELLERERI. — Of  hybrid  origin,  and 
certainly  one  of  the  indispensables  of  the 
race,  though  by  no  means  common.  In 
established  examples  the  linear  leaves  are 
6  inches  to  9  inches  long,  tapering  to  a 
point,  and  about  J  inch  broad.  Leaflets 
minute,  isolated,  and  usually  obscurely 
three-lobed  at  their  extremities.  Flower- 
heads  white.  Quite  a  gem  among  silvery- 
leaved  sorts  of  the  first  rank,  and  an  ideal 
subject  for  the  rock  garden. 

A.  OBRISTI. — A  species  having  small, 
hoary,  grey  leafage  in  tufts,  the  white 
flower-heads  attaining  about  6  inches  high. 
It  is  not  one  of  the  most  distinct,  attrac- 
tive, or  vigorous.  Europe. 

A.  RUPESTRIS. — An  Italian  species  with 
evergreen,  and  usually  entire  leaves, 
though  in  free  growth  they  are  frequently 
toothed  at  their  extremities.  The  pure 
white  flowers,  which  are  freely  produced 
at  4  inches  to  6  inches  high,  contrast 
sharply  with  the  foliage.  An  excellent 
rock-garden  subject,  preferring  a  good  bed 
of  sandy  loam. 

A.  SERBICA. — A  tufted  species  of  free 
growth,  having  short,  narrow,  finely-pin- 
nate, more  or  less  silvery,  leaves,  and  a 
wealth  of  pure  white  flowers.  An  excellent 
rock  or  wall  plant.  So  placed,  the  plant 
is  usually  very  free  flowering.  On  level 


328 


ACIPHYLLA.         THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


ACTINIDIA. 


ground  it  is  less  silvery  and  flowers  less 
freely.     Four  to  6  inches  high.     Servia. 

A.  TOMENTOSA. — Of  carpeting  habit,  and 
one  of  the  best  known,  forms  dense  patches 
of  woolly-green  foliage,  from  which  spring 
numerous  corymbs  of  golden-yellow 
flower-heads  about  9  inches  high.  Suc- 
ceeds well  in  loamy  soils,  while  growing 
most  freely  in  those  of  a  sandy  nature. 
It  flowers  in  May  and  June,  and  frequently 
later  on  in  the  season.  Europe  and  N. 
Asia. 

A.  UMBELLATA. — A  Grecian  species,  and 
quite  one  of  the  prettiest  and  most  dis- 
tinct. It  dislikes  strong  loamy  soils  or 
anything  approaching  wetness,  and  is 
happiest  in  a  hot,  dry,  or  poor,  stony  soil. 
In  such  it  ranks  with  the  best  of  the  silver- 
leaved  sorts.  Admirably  suited  to  a 
dryish  wall  with  sunny  aspect.  Height 
6  inches  to  9  inches,  or  even  more  occasion- 
ally. Flowers  white. 

ACIPHYLLA  (Bayonet  Plant).— Sin- 
gular New  Zealand  plants.  A .  Colen- 
soi,  forming  a  spiny  bush.  A.  Lyalli 
is  similar  in  habit,  but  is  smoother  in 
all  its  parts,  the  leaves  being  divided 
into  sharp  spines.  A.  squarrosa  is  the 
best-known  species,  thriving  in  free 
soil  and  sunny  parts  of  the  rock  garden  ; 
they  are  more  curious  than  attractive. 

ACONITUM  (Monkshood).—  Tall  and 
handsome  herbaceous  plants,  of  the 
Buttercup  order,  dangerous  from  their 
poisonous  roots.  There  are  many 
names,  but  not  so  many  species  of  value 
for  our  gardens.  They  should  not  be 
planted  where  the  roots  could  be  by 
any  chance  dug  up  by  mistake  for 
edible  roots,  as  they  are  deadly  poison  ; 
almost  all  the  kinds  may  be  easily 
naturalised  in  shrubberies  away  from 
the  garden,  or  in  openings  in  rich 
bottoms. 

The  best  kinds  are  A .  Napellus  and 
its  forms,  versicolor,  and  others  ;  chin- 
ense,  autumnale,  japonicum,  and  tauri- 
cum ;  Fischeri,  Wilsoni,  Vilmorinia- 
num,  volubile.  They  are  from  3  feet 
to  5  feet  high,  and  flower  from  July 
to  September.  A.  Fortunei,  the  old 
chinense  of  gardens,  is  the  best  for  late 
blooming.  It  is  best  to  keep  them  all 
out  of  the  flower  or  kitchen  garden. 

ACORUS  (Sweet  Flag)  .—Waterside 
plants  of  the  arum  order,  easily  culti- 
vated. A .  Calamus  is  now  naturalised 
in  most  parts  of  Europe.  A .  gramineus 
has  a  slender  creeping  rhizome  covered 
with  numerous  grass-like  leaves,  from 
4  to  6  inches  in  length.  This  plant  is 
often  seen  in  the  little  bronze  trays  of 


water-plants     in     Japanese     gardens. 
China. 

ACROCLINIUM.—  A.  roseum  is  a 
pretty  half-hardy  annual  from  Western 
Australia,  growing  over  i  foot  high 
with  rosy-pink  flowers,  used  as  "  ever- 
lasting "  flowers.  Seeds  should  be 
sown  in  frames  in  March,  and  the  seed- 
lings planted  at  the  end  of  April  or 
early  in  May  in  a  warm  border  ;  or  the 
seeds  may  be  sown  in  the  open  ground 
in  fine  rich  soil  at  the  end  of  April. 
If  the  flowers  are  to  be  dried,  it  is  best 
to  gather  them  when  fresh  and  young — 
some  in  the  bud  state. 

A  C  T  2E  A  ( Baneberry). — Vigorous 
perennials  of  the  Buttercup  order,  3  feet 
to  6  feet  high,  thriving  in  free  soil  ; 
flower  spikes,  white  and  long,  with 
showy  berries.  The  white  Baneberry 
has  white  berries  with  red  footstalks. 
The  var.  r ubra  of  A .  spicata  has  showy 
fruit.  The  plants  are  best  suited  for 
rich  bottoms  in  the  wild  garden,  as 
though  the  foliage  and  habit  are  good, 
the  flowers  are  short-lived  in  the 
ordinary  border,  and  somewhat  coarse 
in  habit.  A.  spicata  (common  Bane- 
berry  or  Herb  Christopher),  A.  race- 
mosa  (black  Snakeroot),  A.  alba  (white 
Baneberry),  having  white  berries  with 
red  stalks,  and  one  or  two  American 
forms  of  the  common  Baneberry  are 
in  cultivation.  The  flowers  have  often 
a  very  unpleasant  smell,  which  lessens 
their  value  as  garden  plants. 

ACTINELLA.  —  North  American 
composites  of  which  there  are  three 
kinds  in  gardens,  dwarf-growing  plants 
with  yellow  flowers.  The  finest  is  A. 
grandiflora  (Pigmy  Sunflower),  a  native 
of  Colorado,  an  alpine  plant  with 
flower-heads  3  inches  in  diameter,  grow- 
ing from  6  inches  to  9  inches  high.  The 
other  species,  A .  acaulis,  A.  Brandegei, 
and  A.  scaposa,  are  somewhat  similar. 
They  are  all  perennial,  and  thrive  in  a 
light  soil. 

ACTINIDIA.  —  Climbing  summer- 
leafing  shrubs  of  the  Camellia  order 
from  Japan  and  China,  thriving  in 
warm  soil.  They  all  have  climbing 
or. twining  stems,  and  bear  waxy  white 
flowers.  Some  grow  freely  in  cold, 
poor  soil,  and  are  excellent  on  pergolas 
or  climbing  up  old  tree  stems  and  bold 
fences.  A.  argenta  is  a  very  vigorous 
climber  in  its  own  country,  and  grows 
freely  here.  A  native  of  Japan  and 
the  Amur  region  and  quite  hardy.  A . 


ADENOCARPUS.     THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.     ^GLE  SEPIARIA.     329 


chinensis  is  also  a  fine  climber  of 
vigorous  growth,  the  fruit  large — about 
the  size  of  a  walnut — and  of  agreeable 
flavour.  A .  Henry  i  is  a  tall  climber  ; 
native  of  the  high  mountain  forests  of 
China.  A.  Kolomikta  is  a  very  strik- 
ing plant  in  its  foliage,  occasionally 
half  the  leaf  being  whitish.  It  is  not 
the  strongest  grower,  and  is  better  on 
walls  in  sunny  places.  Manchuria  and 
Japan. 

ADENOCARPUS  DECORTICANS.— 

A  pea-flowering  shrub,  not  common, 
with  flowers  like  Gorse.  According  to  Mr 
Bean  in  Trees  and  Shrubs,  p.  165,  it  is 
a  native  of  Spain,  and  only  hardy  in 
the  milder  parts  of  Great  Britain, 
needing  at  Kew  wall  protection,  but 
in  the  gardens  at  Grayswood  Hill,  near 
Haslemere,  thriving  splendidly.  Mr 
Bean  has  seen  shrubs  there  in  May  and 
early  June  6  to  8  feet  high,  with  golden 
blossom  from  end  to  end  of  their 
branches,  and  making  most  gorgeous 
pictures.  "  Like  so  many  of  its  race, 
this  shrub  is  not  long-lived,  and  care 
should  be  taken  to  sow  a  few  seeds 
occasionally,  to  renew  the  stock  if 
needed.  It  should  have  the  sunniest 
position  available,  and  is  suitable  for 
a  hot  bank  in  gardens  where  it  can 
thrive  in  the  open.  For  colder  locali- 
ties a  place  on  a  south  wall  is  neces- 
sary." 

ADENOPHORA   (Grand   Bellflower}. 

—Hardy  perennials  of  the  Bellflower 
family,  18  inches  to  over  3  feet  high. 
They  are  mostly  from  Siberia  and 
Dahuria,  with  flowers  generally  blue  in 
colour.  Some  of  the  most  distinct 
species  are  A.  coronopifolia,  A.  denti- 
culata,  A.  Lamarckii,  A.  liliiflora,  A. 
polymorpha,  A.  stylosa,  and  A.  mega- 
lantha.  In  these  occur  slight  varia- 
tions in  colour  and  size  of  flower. 
Their  thick  fleshy  roots  thrive  in  a 
rich  loam,  and  like  a  damp  subsoil  ; 
impatient  of  removal,  and  should  not 
be  increased  by  division.  Seed  freely, 
and  are  easily  increased.  In  The 
Garden,  23rd  August  1919,  Sir  Herbert 
Maxwell  praises  this  plant  as  doing 
well  in  Scotland. 

ADIANTUM  (Maidenhair  Fern}.— 
Elegant  ferns,  few  hardy,  growing  best 
in  a  rough  fibry  peat,  mixed  with  sand 
and  lumps  of  broken  stone  or  brick. 
A.  pedatum,  the  N.  American  kind,  is 
charming  among  shade-loving  plants 
in  the  wild  garden  with  the  more  beau- 
tiful wood-flowers,  such  as  Trillium, 


Hepatica,  and  blue  Anemone,  in  moist 
soil.  A.  Capillus  veneris,  the  British 
Maidenhair  Fern,  is  best  in  a  sheltered 
nook  at  the  foot  of  a  shady  wall,  and 
in  the  southern  warmer  countries 
might  be  found  near  fountain  basins 
and  moist  corners  of  the  rock  garden 
and  hardy  fernery,  though  our  climate 
is  not  warm  enough  for  its  full  growth. 

ADLUMIA  (Climbing  Fumitory}.— 
Climbing  biennial  plants.  One  species 
only  ( A .  cirrhosa}  is  known,  a  rapid 
grower.  Its  Maidenhair  Fern-like 
leaves  are  borne  on  slender  twining 
stems  with  abundant  white  blossoms, 
about  |  inch  long.  There  is  a  variety 
with  purple  flowers.  It  thrives  in  a 
warm  or  peaty  soil,  and  is  best  seen 
trailing  over  shrubs.  In  peaty  or  leaf 
soil  sometimes  sows  itself.  North 
America. 

ADONIS  (Pheasant's  Eye}.— Beau- 
tiful perennial  or  biennial  plants, 
belonging  to  the  Buttercup  order, 
chiefly  natives  of  cornfields  in  Europe 
and  Western  Asia,  dwarf,  with  finely- 
divided  leaves,  and  red  or  yellow 
flowers.  A.  vernalis  (Ox-eye]  is  a 
handsome  alpine  herb,  forming  dense 
tufts  8  inches  to  15  inches  high,  of 
finely-divided  leaves  in  whorls  along 
the  stems,  blooming  in  spring,  with 
large,  yellow,  Anemone-like  flowers,  3 
inches  in  diameter.  Of  A.  vernalis 
there  are  several  varieties,  the  chief 
being  A .  v.  sibirica,  which  differs  in 
having  larger  flowers.  A.  apennina  is 
a  later-blooming  form,  and  is  a  good 
plant  for  moist  spots  on  the  rock 
garden.  A.  pyrenaica  is  from  the 
Eastern  Pyrenees,  but  with  broader 
petals.  A.  amurensis,  from  Man- 
churia, has  finely-cut  leaves,  blooming 
with  the  Snowdrop.  A.  Davurica  is 
a  very  early  kind.  A.  aiitumnalis  is 
a  pretty  bright-coloured  annual.  The 
rock  garden  or  borders  of  sandy  loam 
suits  the  perennial  kinds  well.  Divi- 
sion, or  by  seed  sown  as  soon  as 
gathered. 

3EGLE  SEPIARIA  (Hardy  Orange}.— 
An  interesting  shrub  of  the  Orange 
family,  hardy  in  the  country  round 
London.  It  thrives  in  ordinary  loam, 
and  flowers  very  prettily  in  spring, 
like  a  large  Almond.  With  me,  the 
flowers  bear  small  fruits  like  Oranges. 
It  is  used  by  the  Japanese  as  a  fence 
plant,  and  with  its  spines  and  stout 
habit  is  quite  a  good  one.  This  has 
proved  quite  free  and  hardy  in  my 


330        ^SCULUS.         THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.          AGAPANTHUS. 


garden,  and  it  will  some  day  prove  a 
good  fencing  plant. 


(  Buckeye)  .—Mostly 
medium-sized  trees,  hardy  and  excel- 
lent for  park  or  garden.  The  common 
variety  is  an  exception  as  to  size,  and 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  flowering 
trees.  There  is  at  least  one  handsome 
variety  of  it  with  very  long  spikes. 
The  red  Buckeye  (JE.  Pavia)  is  a  small 
tree,  with  dense  and  large  foliage, 
together  with  bright  red  flowers  in 
large  loose  clusters  in  early  summer. 
Sometimes  it  rises  from  15  to  20  feet 
high,  but  some  of  its  varieties  are  only 
low-spreading  or  trailing  shrubs.  JE. 
humilis,  pendula,  arguta,  and  laciniata 
are  forms  of  M.  Pavia,  and  the  plants 
are  useful  for  grouping  with  taller 
trees.  JE.  flava  (the  yellow  Buckeye) 
is  sometimes  40  feet  high,  with  some- 
thing of  the  habit  of  the  red  Buckeye 
(IE.  rubicunda),  but  smoother  leaves. 
A  variety  called  purpurascens  (some- 
times JE.  discolor)  has  much  showier 
flowers,  larger,  and  of  a  reddish  tint. 
The  JEsculi,  named  in  gardens  and 
nurseries  as  JE.  neglecta,  hybrida,  pubes- 
cens,  Lyoni,  rosea,  and  pallida,  may  be 
included  in  one  of  the  foregoing  species. 
They  are  all  low  trees  or  large  shrubs, 
coming  into  leaf  early  and  losing  their 
foliage  in  early  autumn,  especially  in 
light  or  dry  soils.  One  of  the  best  of 
the  forms  is  the  JE.  Brioti.  The  Cali- 
fornian  Buckeye  (JE.  Californica)  in  this 
country  does  not  usually  rise  above 
shrub  height.  It  has  slender-stalked 
leaves,  broad  leaflets,  and  in  early 
summer  dense  erect  clusters  of  pinkish 
fragrant  flowers  ;  a  valuable  hardy 
tree.  The  N.  American  SE.  parviflora 
(dwarf  Buckeye)  is  a  handsome  shrub, 
6  to  10  feet  high,  flowering  in  late 
summer.  Its  white,  fragrant  flowers 
are  in  long,  erect  plumes.  JE.  macro- 
stachya  is  an  August-blooming  N. 
American  shrub  of  great  beauty.  The 
growth  is  spreading  and  bushy,  with 
creamy  white  flowers  in  dense  plumy 
spikes. 

RL.  INDICA,  the  Indian  Horse  Chestnut, 
is  as  handsome  as  IE.  Hippocastanum,  and 
flowers  about  the  end  of  June.  In  the 
Himalayas  it  sometimes  grows  100  feet 
high.  The  leaves  are  larger  and  smoother 
than  those  of  other  tall-growing  kinds, 
whilst  the  panicles  of  flowers  are  sometimes 
a  foot  long.  The  fruits  are  free  from 
spines. 

JE.  WILSONI,  a  Chinese  species,  is  closely 
allied  to  the  Indian  kind.  It  is  remarkable 
for  its  large,  leaves,  the  centre  leaflet  some- 


times exceeding  a  foot  in  length,  and  for 
its  long  panicles  of  small  white  flowers. 
There  are  other  species  not  yet  introduced 
or  tried  in  Britain. 

2ETHIONEMA. — A  beautiful  group 
of  alpine  and  rock  plants  found  on  the 
sunny  mountains  near  the  Mediterra- 
nean. They  grow  freely  in  borders  of 
well-drained  sandy  loam,  but  their 
home  is  the  rock  garden.  The  tall 
M.  grandiflorum  forms  a  spreading  bush 
about  a  foot  high,  from  which  springs 
racemes  of  pink  and  lilac  flowers.  It 
also  grows  well  in  borders  in  ordinary 
soil,  and,  when  in  flower  in  summer,  is 
among  the  loveliest  of  plants.  As  the 
stems  are  prostrate,  a  good  effect  will 
come  from  planting  them  where  the 
roots  may  descend  into  deep  earth,  and 
the  shoots  fall  over  the  face  of  rocks 
at  about  the  level  of  the  eye.  Easily 
raised  from  seed,  and  thrive  in  sandy 
loam.  There  are  many  species,  but 
few  are  in  gardens.  All  the  cultivated 
kinds  are  dwarf,  and  may  be  grouped 
with  alpine  plants.  The  other  best 
kinds  are  A.  coridifolium,  A.  pulchel- 
lum,  A .  persicum. 

#!THIOPAPPUS  PULCHERRIMUS. 

— A  charming  pink,  Centaurea-like 
flower,  the  blooms  borne  singly  on 
stems  each  about  18  inches  in  height. 
The  foliage  is  greyish- white.  I  first 
planted  this  in  the  mixed  border,  but 
it  was  not  happy  in  that  position,  so  it 
was  moved  to  a  warm,  sunny  bank, 
where  it  is  more  at  home.  The  centre 
of  the  flower  is  creamy- white,  outside 
pink.  A  rather  rare  and  most  desirable 
plant  for  the  alpine  garden. 

AGAPANTHUS  (African  Lily).— 
|  Beautiful  plants  from  S.  Africa,  with 
blue  or  white  flowers  in  umbels  on 
stems  1 8  inches  to  4  feet  high.  A. 
umbellatus,  the  old  kind,  is  hardy  in 
some  mild  seashore  districts,  and  a 
fine  plant  in  rich  warm  soil,  but  better 
for  the  protection  of  leaves  round  the 
root  in  winter.  It  is  worth  growing 
for  the  flower  garden  and  vases  in 
summer,  but  should  be  protected  in 
winter  by  storing  under  stages,  in 
sheds  or  cellars.  It  likes  plenty  of 
water  during  out-of-door  growth,  and 
is  easily  increased  by  division.  Of  the 
best- known  kind,  A.  umbellatus,  there 
are  several  varieties  ;  major  and  maxi- 
mus  are  both  larger  than  the  type,  and 
of  maximus  there  is  a  white-flowered 
variety.  There  is  a  smaller  one  with 
white  flowers,  one  with  double  flowers, 


AGATH^A. 


ENGLISH  FLOWER  GARDEN.      AILANTHUS. 


and  variegated  -  leaved  kinds.  A. 
Saundersonianus  is  a  distinct  variety, 
with  deeper-coloured  flowers  than  the 
type. 

The  largest  is  A.  umbellatus  gigan- 
teus,  with  high  flower-spikes  3  to 
4  feet,  with  umbels  bearing  from  150 
to  200  flowers.  The  colour  is  a  gentian 
blue  ;  the  buds  of  a  deeper  hue. 
Pallidus  is  a  pale  porcelain  blue,  a 
short-leaved  variety.  A.  u.  minor  is 
a  dwarf  variety.  Of  A.  umbellatus 
there  is  a  double-flowered  variety,  a 
distinct  plant.  There  is,  moreover,  A. 
u.  atrocceruleus,  a  dark  violet  variety. 
A .  u.  maximus  has  flower-stalks  4  feet 
long,  and  full  heads  of  flowers,  one  set 
opening  while  a  second  is  rising  to 
fill  up  the  truss  as  the  first  crop  fades. 
A.  Mooreanus  is  hardy,  from  12  inches 
to  1 8  inches  high,  has  narrow  leaves, 
and  comes  true  from  seed.  Although 
the  African  Lily  exists  in  the  south  in 
certain  spots,  in  a  large  part  of  our 
islands  it  is  not  hardy,  and  therefore 
requires  to  winter  in  the  greenhouse. 
When  out  of  doors  it  used  to  be  much 
grown  in  tubs,  but  this  I  found  to  be 
laborious  and  unprofitable,  in  view  of 
the  many  hardy  things  we  had,  and  so 
gave  it  up. 

AGATH.3EA  (Blue  Daisy}.— A. 
ccelestis  is  a  tender  spreading  Daisy- 
like  plant,  with  blue  flowers  useful  for 
the  margins  of  beds.  It  is  among  the 
prettiest  of  the  half-hardy  bedding 
plants,  but  is  not  so  good  on  cold 
soils.  Cuttings  or  seed. 

AGAVE. — Tropical-looking  succu- 
lent plants  of  the  Amaryllis  order ; 
of  slight  value  for  our  country.  The 
common  kind,  A.  americana,  and  its 
variegated  varieties,  are  useful  for 
placing  out  of  doors  in  summer  in  vases 
plunged  in  the  ground.  When  the 
plant  flowers,  which  it  does  only  once, 
and  after  several  years'  growth,  it 
sends  up  a  flowering  stem  from  26  to 
nearly  40  feet  high.  The  flowers  are  a 
yellowish-green,  and  are  numerous  on 
the  ends  of  the  branches.  It  may  be 
placed  out  of  doors  at  the  end  of  May, 
and  should  be  brought  in  in  October. 
Easily  increased  from  suckers.  A. 
Deserti,  utahensis,  ccerulescens ,  and 
Shawi  have  lately  come  into  cultiva- 
tion, and  are  supposed  to  be  hardy 
on  the  rock  garden.  N.  America.  A. 
applanata  var.  Parry i  is  said  also  to 
be  hardy. 

AGERATUM  (Floss  Flower}. —Ten- 
der herbs,  varying  in  height  from  6 


inches  to  24  inches,  with  pale-blue, 
lavender,  or  white  blossoms.  The 
dwarf  Ageratums  are  among  the  best, 
but  all  are  over-valued,  though  they 
are  among  the  most  lasting  of  summer 
bedding  plants.  There  are  numerous 
varieties  of  varying  merit,  some  in  good 
soil  2  feet  high,  and  others  not  more 
than  6  inches.  The  dwarf  kinds  are 
disappointing  ;  they  flower  so  freely, 
and  the  growth  of  the  plants  is  so  sparse 
that  they  always  appear  stunted.  For 
back  lines  in  borders,  or  for  grouping 
in  mixed  flower  borders,  there  is  no 
variety  better  than  the  oldest  kind,  A . 
mexicanum.  They  strike  best  when 
placed  on  a  gentle  bottom-heat,  and 
will  winter  in  any  position  where  there 
is  plenty  of  light,  and  the  temperature 
does  not  go  below  40°.  Cuttings. 


AGROSTEMMA  (Rose  Campion}.— 
A.  coronaria  is  a  beautiful  old  flower, 
of  the  Pink  family,  hardy  and  free, 
most  at  home  in  chalky  and  dry  soils. 
It  is  a  woolly  plant,  2  feet  to  3  feet 
high,  bearing  many  rosy-crimson 
flowers  in  summer  and  autumn  ;  easily 
raised  from  seed,  excellent  for  borders, 
beds,  and  naturalisation  on  dry  banks. 
It  is  biennial  and  often  perishes  on 
some  soils.  There  is  a  white  variety 
and  a  double-red  one.  A.  Githago  is 
a  large  annual,  occasionally  grown  in 
botanic  gardens.  A.  Walker i  is  a 
hybrid  between  A.  coronaria  and  A. 
Flos  -  Jovis,  very  compact,  free  flower- 
ing, and  rich  in  colour. 

AGROSTIS  (Cloud  Grass}.—  A  family 
of  grasses,  the  annual  kinds  graceful 
when  dried.  There  are  some  half  a 
dozen  kinds  grown,  the  best  A.  nebu- 
losa,  forming  delicate  tufts  about  15 
inches  high,  and  is  useful  for  rooms. 
If  cut  shortly  before  the  seed  ripens 
and  dried  in  the  shade,  it  will  keep  for 
a  long  time.  The  seed  may  be  sown 
either  in  September  or  in  April  or  May, 
and  lightly  covered.  A .  Steveni,  multi- 
flora,  and  plumosa  require  the  same 
treatment.  A.  Spicaventi  is  very 
graceful,  especially  if  grown  from  self- 
sown  seeds.  A.  pulchella  is  also  useful 
for  the  same  purpose,  dwarfer  and 
stiffer  than  A .  nebulosa. 


AILANTHUS  (Tree  of  Heaven}.— A 
Chinese  hardy  tree,  thriving  in  the 
southern  parts  of  our  country.  Cut 
down  every  year  gives  a  good  effect. 


33* 


AIRA. 


THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER    GARDEN. 


ALISMA. 


Vigorous  young  plants  and  suckers  in 
good  soil  will  produce  handsome  arch- 


Young  Ailanthus  tree  with  Cannas. 

ing  leaves  5  feet  long.  Cuttings  of  the 
roots. 

A.  VILMORINIANA. — Like  the  older 
species,  a  native  of  China,  and  remark- 
able for  long,  handsome,  pinnate  leaves. 
It  differs  from  A.  glandulosa  chiefly 
in  its  spiny  bark  and  in  the  red  midribs 
of  its  leaves.  The  leaves  are  fully 
4  feet  long  on  vigorous  specimens,  and 
clothed  with  soft,  silky  hairs. 

AIRA  ( Hair  Grass}.  —  Graceful 
grasses,  of  which  one  of  the  prettiest  is 

A.  pulchella,  with  hair-like  stems, 
growing  in  light  tufts  6  inches  high. 
It  is  useful  for  edgings,  amongst  plants 
in  borders,  or  for  pots  for  rooms.  Its 
panicles  give  a  charm  to  the  finest 
bouquets.  A.  c.  vivipara,  with  its 
panicles  of  graceful  viviparous  awns, 
resembles  a  miniature  Pampas  Grass. 

A .  flexuosa  (the  Waved  Hair  Grass)  is 
a  graceful  perennial.  Of  easy  culture 
in  ordinary  garden  soil.  Seed. 

AJUGA  (Bugle}.—  A  small  family  of 
dwarf  herbs  of  the  Sage  order,  flowering 
in  spring  and  early  summer,  and  having 
purplish  flowers.  They  grow  on  moun- 
tain or  lowland  pastures,  and  are  easily 
increased  by  division.  A.  genevensis 


is  among  the  best,  and  is  distinguished 
from  the  common  native  Bugle  (  A  . 
reptans}  by  the  absence  of  creeping 
shoots.  The  flower-stems  are  erect, 
from  6  inches  to  9  inches  high  ;  the 
flowers  deep  blue,  and  in  a  close  spike. 
Useful  for  the  mixed  borders.  There 
is  a  white  variety  of  A.  reptans,  also 
a  form  with  variegated  leaves,  and 
another  with  purplish  ones,  this  being 
finer  than  the  type. 

AKEBIA.  —  Of  these  climbing  or 
twining  shrubs  of  the  Barberry  order, 
A.  qninata  is  best  known.  It  comes 
from  China,  hardy,  is  a  good  climber 
for  a  trellis,  pergola,  or  wall.  It  is  best 
to  let  it  run  over  an  Evergreen,  being 
then  better  protected  against  cold 
winds.  It  has  long,  slender  shoots, 
and  fragrant  claret  purple  flowers  of 
two  kinds  —  large  and  small,  which  are 
produced  in  drooping  spikes.  The 
Japanese  A.  lobata  is  a  climber  of 
elegant,  habit,  the  leaves  pretty  in 
form,  the  flowers  small,  dull,  and 
fragrant. 

Albizzia,  Julibrissen.     See  ACACIA. 


ALISMA   (Water  Plantain).— 
plants,    of    which    two    are    fitted    for 


growing     with     hardy     aquatics.      A. 
Plantago    is    rather    stately    in    habit, 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.     ALSTROMERIA.      333 


having  tall  panicles  of  pretty  pink 
flowers.  When  once  planted  it  sows 
itself  freely,  often  becoming  a  weed. 
The  other  kind  is  A.  ranunculoides,  a 
few  inches  high,  in  summer  bearing 
many  rosy  blossoms.  Both  are 
adapted  for  wet  ditches,  margins  of 
pools,  and  lakes.  A.  natans  is  a  small 
floating  pretty  British  plant.  There 
are  one  or  two  Chinese  kinds,  single 
and  double. 

ALLIUM  (Garlic,  Onion}. — Lilia- 
ceous bulbs  not  often  of  value  for  the 
garden,  and  with  a  strong  odour  when 
crushed.  To  growers  of  collections 
there  are  a  few  worth  growing.  They 
thrive  in  ordinary  soil,  the  bulbs 
increasing  rapidly,  some  giving  off 
little  bulblets,  which  in  some  soils 
make  them  too  numerous.  Among 
the  kinds  worthy  of  culture  are  :  A . 
neapolitanum,  paradoxum,  ciliatum, 
subhirsutum,  Clusianum  pulchellum, 
triquetrum  (all  with  white  flowers), 
azureum  and  cceruleum  (blue),  pede- 
montanum  (mauve),  Moly  and  flavum 
(yellow),  fragrans  (sweet-scented),  oreo- 
phyllum  (crimson),  descendens  (deep 
crimson),  narcissiflorum  (purplish), 
Murrayanum,  acuminatum,  and  Mac- 
nabianum  (deep  rose).  These  mostly 
grow  from  i  to  18  inches  high,  some 
2  or  3  feet. 

ALLOSORUS  (Parsley  Fern}.— A. 
crispus  is  a  beautiful  little  British  Fern 
found  in  mountainous  districts.  It 
requires  abundance  of  air  and  light, 
but  should  be  shaded  from  the  hot 
sun.  In  the  rock  garden  in  cool  spots 
it  does  well  between  large  stones,  with 
broken  stones  about  its  roots. 

ALNUS  (Alder}. — A  neglected  group 
of  trees  of  some  value  in  moist  places, 
and  to  help  to  bind  the  banks  of 
streams.  Of  the  native  kind,  A.  gluti- 
nosa,  there  are  several  varieties,  and 
of  the  cut-leaved  one  there  are  fine 
specimens  at  Wynnstay  and  many 
other  places.  A.  incana  has  also 
several  varieties  seldom  of  more  value 
than  the  wild  tree.  Among  other 
cultivated  kinds  are  japonica,  viridis, 
cordifolia,  barbata,  occidentalis ,  oregona, 
and  serrulata,  all  of  easy  culture. 

ALONSOA  (Mask- flower}.—  Mostly 
Peruvian  annual  plants,  of  the  Snap- 
dragon order.  The  best  species  are  A . 
Warscewiczi,  having  small  bright 
orange-red  flowers  ;  A .  linifolia  and  A . 
aciitifolia — a  slender-growing  herb  ;  A . 


incisifolia,  also  a  pretty  kind  ;  similar 
to  this  is  A.  myrtifolia,"  of  vigorous 
habit,  with  flowers  larger  than  any 
other  kind,  and  of  a  more  intense 
scarlet  than  those  of  A .  linifolia  ;  A . 
albiflora  has  pure  white  flowers,  yellow 
in  the  centre,  and  A .  linearis  has  light 
scarlet  flowers.  All  are  easily  grown, 
both  in  pots  and  the  open  ground. 
Seed  in  spring  ;  also  by  cuttings. 

ALOYSIA  (Sweet  Verbena}.— A.  cit- 
riodora  is  a  fragrant-leaved  bush  with 
small  and  not  showy  flowers.  Its  pale 
green  foliage  goes  well  with  any  flower, 
and  it  may  be  grown  against  a  sunny 
wall,  where,  if  protected  by  a  heap  of 
ashes  over  its  roots  and  a  warm  straw 
mat  over  its  branches,  it  will  pass 
through  the  winter  safely.  If  un- 
covered too  soon  in  spring,  the  young 
growths  get  nipped  by  late  frosts.  It 
is  increased  from  cuttings,  and  is  a 
hardy  wall  plant  in  mild  seashore 
districts,  but  not  so  common,  owing  to 
the  cold  in  inland  districts.  Verbena 
order.  Chili.  Syn.  Lippia. 

ALSTROMERIA  (Peruvian  Lily}.— 
Handsome  tuberous  plants  of  the 
Amaryllis  order,  which  require  a  rich 
manured  and  well-drained  soil,  the  best 
place  being  a  south  border,  or  along  the 
front  of  a  wall  having  a  warm  aspect, 
where,  if  the  soil  is  not  light,  it  should 
be  made  so.  They  are  best  planted  in 
autumn  when  dormant,  arranging  the 
dry  roots  (tubers)  6  inches  deep  at 
least.  When  established  they  descend 
deeply,  and  are  not  then  affected  by 
frost.  A.  aurantiaca  is  the  hardiest 
kind,  and  freshly-planted  groups  of  the 
others  should  be  mulched  in  winter  in 
all  but  the  more  favoured  parts  of  these 
islands.  The  plants  are  increased 
readily  by  division  when  dormant,  and 
also  by  seeds,  which  are  freely  pro- 
duced. 

Grown  in  masses  they  are  very 
beautiful,  varying  much  in  their  colour 
markings.  While  blooming  they 
should  have  waterings,  otherwise  they 
get  too  dry,  and  ripen  off  prematurely. 
When  going  out  of  flower  remove  the 
seed-heads,  where  these  are  not  re- 
quired, otherwise  the  plants  may 
become  exhausted.  No  trouble  is 
involved  in  staking  and  tying,  for  the 
stems  are  strong  enough  to  support 
themselves,  unless  in  very  exposed 
situations.-  They  last  long  when  cut. 

The  kinds  in  cultivation  are  : — 

A.  AURANTIACA  (A.  auved). — A  vigorous 
growing  Chilian  kind,  2  feet  to  4  feet  high, 


334     ALTERNANTHERA.     THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


ALTHAEA. 


flowering  in  summer  and  autumn.  The 
flowers  are  large,  orange-yellow,  streaked 
with  red,  and  umbels  of  from  10  to  15 
blooms  terminating  the  stems. 

A.  BRASILIENSIS. — A  distinct  kind  with 
red  and  green  flowers,  and  dwarfer  than 
the  preceding.  Known  also  as  A.  psitta- 
cina. 

A.  CHILENSIS. — A  quite  hardy  kind  from 
Chili,  with  many  varieties  that  give  a  wide 
range  of  colours  from  almost  white  to  deep 
orange  and  red. 

A.  PELEGRINA. — Not  so  tall  or  robust 
as  the  last ;  but  the  flowers  are  larger, 
whitish,  and  beautifully  streaked,  and 


have  been  used  in  our  gardens  to  an 
extent  far  beyond  their  merits.  The 
varieties  range  in  colour  of  foliage  from 
dull  purple  to  bad  yellow,  and  why 
they  are  used  in  flower  gardens  is  a 
question.  They  have  never  had  a 
place  in  mine. 

ALTH2EA  (Hollyhock). — Biennial  or 
perennial  plants  of  the  Mallow  family, 
consisting  chiefly  of  coarse-growing 
plants.  Some,  such  as  A.  rosea,  from 
which  the  Hollyhock  has  sprung,  are 
showy  garden  flowers.  The  other  wild 


Alstromeria  (Peruvian  Lily). 


veined  with  purple.  There  are  several 
varieties,  including  a  white  one  (A.  p. 
alba],  which  requires  protection.  When 
well  grown  it  is  a  fine  pot  plant,  compact, 
and  crowned  with  almost  pure  white 
flowers.  It  is  called  the  Lily  of  the  Incas. 
A.  peregrina  is  synonymous. 

Other  good  kinds  are  the  hardy  variable- 
coloured  A.  versicolor  (A.  pemviana)  and 
St  Martin's  flower  (A.  pulchra)  ;  this, 
however,  requiring  protection. 

ALTERNANTHERA  (Joy-Weed).— 
Little  Brazilian  weeds  of  the  Amaran- 
thus  order,  which,  owing  to  their  colour, 


species  are  generally  characterised  by 
great  vigour,  and  hence  are  not  very 
suitable  for  the  choice  flower  garden. 
They  thrive  in  almost  any  situation  or 

soil. 

A.  ROSEA  (Hollyhock).— One  of  the  best 
hardy  plants,  valuable  for  bold  and 
stately  effects  among  or  near  flower-beds. 
Cottage  bee-keepers  would  do  well  to  grow 
a  few  Hollyhocks,  for  bees  are  fond  of  their 
flowers.  They  demand  deep  cultivation, 
much  manure,  frequent  waterings  in  dry 
weather,  with  occasional  soakings  of  liquid 
manure,  to  secure  fine  spikes  and 
flowers.  They  require  good  garden  soil, 


ALTH^A. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER  GARDEN. 


ALYSSUM. 


335 


trenched  to  the  depth  of  2  feet.     A  wet 
soil  is  good  in  summer,  but  injurious  in 
winter,  and  to  prevent  surface  wet  from 
injuring  old  plants  left  in  the  open  ground, 
remove  the  mould  round  their  necks,  filling 
up  with  about   6  inches  of  white  sand. 
This  will  preserve  the  crowns  of  the  plants. 
It  is   best,    however,    if  fine   flowers   are 
desired,  to  plant  young  plants  every  year, 
as  one  would  Dahlias,  putting  them  3  feet 
apart  in  rows  at  least  4  feet  apart ;    or,  if 
grouped  in  beds,  not  less  than  3  feet  apart. 
In  May  or  June,  when  the  spikes  have 
grown  i  foot  high,  thin  them  out  accord- 
ing to  the  strength  of  the  plant  ;    if  well 
established  and  strong,  leaving  four  spikes, 
and  if  weak  two  or  three.     By  topping  we 
increase  the  size  of  the  flower,  but  shorten 
its  duration.     Stake  them  before  they  get 
too  high,  tying  them  securely,   so  as  to 
induce   them  to   grow   erect.     The   most 
robust  will  not  require  a  stake  higher  than 
4  feet.     Hollyhocks  may  be  propagated 
by  single  eyes,  put  in  in  July  and  August, 
and  also  by  cuttings  put  in  in  spring,  on 
a  slight  hot-bed.     Plants  raised  in  summer 
are   best   preserved   by   putting   them   in 
October  into  4-inch  or  5-inch  pots  in  light, 
rich,  sandy  earth,  and  then  placing  them 
in  a  cold  frame,  giving  them  plenty  of  air. 
Thus  treated  they  will  grow  a  little  in 
winter.     In  March  or  April  turn  them  out 
into  the  open  ground,  and  they  will  bloom 
as  finely  as  if  planted  in  autumn.     Plants 
put  out  even  in  May  will  flower  the  same 
year.     In  October  lift  all  it  is  desired  to 
save,   and  lay  them  close  together  in  a 
slanting  direction,   at  an  angle  of  about 
45°,  in  a  warm,  mellow  soil  at  the  foot 
of  a  wall  or  hedge,  where,  in  hard  weather, 
shelter  can  easily  be  given.     Choice  and 
scarce  varieties  may  be  either  potted  up 
or  planted  out  in  a  frame.     Some  of  the 
stools  will  have  numerous  growths  starting 
from  them,  and  unless  the  plants  have  a 
little  heat  early  in  the  year,  many  of  the 
cuttings  cannot  flower  the  same  season. 
Owing  to  the  Hollyhock  disease  it  is 
often  a  better  plan  to  abandon  the  named 
kinds  increased  from  cuttings  and  resort 
to   seedlings  only.     This  way  is   all  the 
more  sure,  as  seed  growers  of  late  years 
have  fixed  and  separated  the  colours  so 
that  a  fine  variety  of  good  ones  may  be 
secured  in  this  way,  while  the  plants  are 
more  vigorous,  and  in  any  case  will  often 
start  free  from  the  disease.     Red  spider 
and  thrips  are  both  very  troublesome,  but 
the  first  does  most  injury.     It  appears  on 
the  undersides  of  the  leaves  as  soon  as  the 
hot  weather  sets  in,   and  is   difficult  to 
dislodge.     If  -there   is   any   trace   of   red 
spider    before    planting    out,    the    whole 
plant,  except  the  roots,  should  be  dipped 
in  a  pail  of  soft  soapy  water,  to  which  a 
pint  or  so  of  tobacco  liquid  has  been  added. 
It  will  be  well  to  syringe  the  undersides  of 
the  leaves  with  the  mixture  if  the  plants 
have  been  planted  out  before  the  pest  is 


perceived.  Thrips  may  be  destroyed  in 
the  same  way,  and  it  is  well  to  syringe  the 
plants  every  day  in  hot  weather. 

The  Hollyhock  Fungus  is  very  destruc- 
tive to  it.  When  once  it  seizes  a  collec- 
tion, the  best  way  is  to  destroy  all  the 
plants  affected.  Those  that  do  not  appear 
to  be  attacked  should  be  washed  with 
soapy  water  in  which  flowers  of  sulphur 
has  been  dissolved.  The  sulphur  will 
settle  at  the  bottom  of  the  vessel,  and 
must  be  frequently  stirred  up  when  the 
mixture  is  being  used.  Sulphur  seems  to 
destroy  almost  any  fungus,  and  may 
destroy  this  in  its  very  earliest  stages,  but 
will  not  when  established. 

ALYSSUM  (Madwort}.— Rock  and 
alpine  plants.  A.  saxatile  (the  Rock 
Madwort)  is  one  of  the  best  of  yellow 
spring  flowers,  hardy  in  all  parts  of 
these  islands.  It  is  often  grown  in 
half-shady  places,  but  should  be  fully 
exposed.  It  is  well  fitted  for  the 
spring  garden  and  the  mixed  border, 
and  for  growing  with  evergreen  Candy- 
tufts and  Aubrietias.  In  winter  it 


A  lyssutn  niontanutn. 

perishes  in  heavy,  rich  clays  when  on 
the  level  ground.  A  native  of  Southern 
Russia,  it  flowers  with  us  in  April  or 
May.  There  is  a  dwarfer  variety,  which 
differs  little  from  the  old  plant.  A. 
Gemonense  has  the  habit  of  A .  saxatile, 
but  larger  flowers.  A.  montanum  is  a 
dwarf  plant,  spreading  into  compact 
tufts,  3  inches  high.  A.  podolicum  is 
a  small  hardy  alpine  from  S.  Russia. 
It  has  in  early  summer  a  profusion  of 
small  white  blossoms,  and  is  suited  for 
the  rock  garden  or  the  margins  of 
borders.  -  A.  pyrenaicum  is  a  neat 


336        AMARANTHUS.      THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.          AMARYLLIS. 


rock  plant  with  white  flowers.  A. 
spinosum  is  a  silvery  little  bush  with 
white  flowers,  and  there  is  a  pink  form, 
A.  spinosum  roseum.  A.  serpylli- 
folium  is  a  grey-green  leaved  form, 
with  yellow  flowers.  Small  plants 
quickly  become  Lilliputian  bushes, 
3  inches  to  6  inches  high,  and  when 
fully  exposed  are  almost  as  compact 
as  Moss. 

Among  other  kinds,  A.  Wiersbecki 
and  A.  olympicum  are  not  quite  so 
good  as  the  common  kind.  The  alpine 
and  rock  kinds  are  of  easy  culture  in 
light  or  dry  soil,  as  indeed  are  all  the 
species.  A.  maritimum  is  the  Sweet 


Easily  raised  as  any  annual,  they 
deserve  to  be  well  thinned  out  and  put 
in  rich  ground.  The  foliage  of  some 
varieties  is  rich  in  colour,  and  planted 
with  Canna,  Wigandia,  Ricinus,  Sola- 
num,  the  effect  is  good.  The  varieties 
of  A .  tricolor  require  a  light  soil  and  a 
warmer  place.  Sow  the  seed  in  April 
in  a  hot-bed,  pricking  out  the  seedlings 
in  a  hot-bed,  and  plant  about  the  end 
of  May. 

AMARYLLIS.— Showy  bulbous  trop- 
ical plants,  few  of  the  species  of  which 
are  hardy,  though  the  beautiful  Bella- 
donna Lily  ( A .  belladonna)  may  be 


A  group  of  the  Belladonna  Lily. 


Alyssum,  a  small  annual  with  white 
flowers.  It  grows  on  the  tops  of  walls 
in  the  west  country,  and  in  sandy 
places.  In  these  situations  it  is  peren- 
nial ;  in  gardens  is  grown  as  an  annual. 
AMARANTHUS  (Prince's  Feather, 
Love-lies-bleeding) .  —  Annual  plants, 
some  of  distinct  habit  and  colour. 
The  old  Love-lies-bleeding  (A.  cauda- 
tus),  with  its  dark- red  pendent  racemes, 
is  a  fine  plant  when  well  grown,  but 
A.  speciosus  and  some  other  varieties 
are  finer.  The  more  vigorous  species 
grow  from  2  to  5  feet  high.  It  is  best 
to  give  them  room  to  spread,  otherwise 
much  of  their  picturesque  effect  is  lost. 


grown  well  in  the  open  air,  and  is,  in 
fact,  almost  too  free  in  some  soils  in 
Cornwall.  It  is  a  noble  bulbous  plant 
from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  from 
1 1  feet  to  3  feet  high,  blooming  late  in 
summer,  the  flowers,  as  large  as  the 
white  Lily,  and  of  delicate  silvery  rose 
in  clusters  on  stout,  leafless  stems, 
arising  from  the  large  pear-shaped 
bulbs.  To  grow  it  in  irfland  and  less 
favoured  districts,  choose  a  place  on 
the  south  side  of  a  house  or  wall,  take 
out  the  whole  of  the  soil  to  the  depth 
of  3  feet,  and  place  about  6  inches  of 
broken  brick  in  the  bottom.  Over  this 
put  some  half-rotten  manure  to  keep 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        AMPHtcOMfe.         337 


the  drainage  open,  and  feed  the  plant. 
If  the  natural  soil  is  not  good,  add  some 
sandy  mellow  loam,  or  if  stiff  a  few 
barrow-loads  of  leaf  mould,  and  one 
or  two  of  sharp  sand  mixed  with  it. 
Tread  this  firm,  plant  the  bulbs  in  small 
groups,  about  i  foot  apart,  and  if  the 
border  is  of  such  a  width  as  to  take  a 
double  row,  the  plants  in  the  second 
should  be  alternate  with  those  in  the 
first.  Place  a  handful  or  so  of  sharp 
sand  round  the  bulbs  to  keep  them 
from  rotting.  If  planted  in  autumn, 
or  at  any  time  during  the  winter,  it 
will  be  well  to  protect  them  from  severe 
weather  by  half-rotten  leaves,  cocoa- 
nut  fibre,  or  fern.  The  plants  begin 
to  push  forth  their  new  leaves  early  in 
spring,  and  upon  the  freedom  with 
which  they  send  forth  these  during 
summer  the  bloom  in  the  autumn 
depends.  During  dry  weather  give  an 
occasional  soaking  of  water,  and  with 
liquid  manure  once  or  twice.  As  soon 
as  the  foliage  ripens  off,  remove  it, 
and  clean  the  border  before  the  blooms 
begin  to  come  through  the  soil.  A.  B. 
blanda  is  a  variety  with  larger  bulbs, 
bearing  noble  umbels  of  white  flowers, 
turning  to  pale  rose  in  summer,  and 
there  are  other  varieties. 

Amberboa.     See  CENTAUREA. 

AMELANCHIER  (Snowy  Mespilus}. 
— Pretty  hardy  shrubs  and  low  or 
medium-sized  trees.  A.  canadensis  is 
one  of  the  best  of  our  flowering  trees, 
and  long  before  it  comes  into  flower  it 
is  pretty  with  its  soft  brown-grey 
masses.  -It  is  more  slender  in  habit 
than  many  of  our  flowering  trees,  and 
often  weakened  in  the  crowded  masses 
of  the  shrubbery.  In  its  own  country 
it  varies  very  much  in  size,  some  forms 
being  mere  shrubs,  whilst  others  make 
trees  40  feet  and  even  more  in  height. 
In  botanic  gardens  and  nursery  cata- 
logues we  find  the  names  of  several 
other  trees  of  this  genius,  but  there 
seems  to  be  little  distinction  among 
them,  and  none  is  quite  so  good  as  this, 
though  the  one  which  grows  in  the 
Maritime  Alps  (A.  vulgaris}  should  be 
worth  a  place.  The  Americans  have 
selected  some  forms  of  the  shad  bush, 
which  bear  better  fruit  than  the  com- 
mon form  ;  if  they  would  bear  it  in 
our  own  country  it  would  make  the 
bush  more  valuable.  It  has  also  the 
advantage  of  being  raised  very  easily 
from  seed,  and  increases  rapidly  by 
suckers.  Other  American  kinds  as 
yet  little  grown  in  our  gardens  are 


Botryapium,  alnifolia,  oligocarpa,  spic- 
ata,  and  utahensis. 

AMELLUS. —  A.  annuus  is  a  pretty 
dwarf  hardy  annual,  with  Daisy-like 
flowers  of  a  deep  purple,  but  with 
white,  rose,  scarlet,  and  violet  varieties, 
which  are  named  injcatalogues  alba, 
rosea,  kermesina,  and  atro-violacea.  It 
forms  a  compact  tuft,  suitable  for 
groups  or  masses,  if  sown  in  the  open 
in  April,  flowering  in  June.  It  makes 
a  pretty  ground  or  "carpet"  plant 
with  taller  plants  here  and  there  through 
it.  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  Compositae. 
Syn.  Kaulfussia  amelloides. 

AMI  CIA. —  A.  zygomeris  is  a  quaint 
plant  from  Mexico.  Mr  E.  H.  Woodall 
praises  it  for  those  who  like  a  bold  and 
distinct  plant  in  a  warm  situation  in 
summer,  and  have  means  to  protect  or 
take  it  up  and  pot  it  in  winter.  The 
flower,  though  bright,  is  not  effective. 

AMMOBIUM  (Winged  Everlasting}.— 
A.  alatum  is  a  handsome  everlasting 
from  New  Holland,  i|  to  3  feet  high, 
bearing  white  chaffy  flowers  with 
yellow  discs  from  May  till  September. 
In  sandy  soil  it  is  perennial,  but  on 
heavy  and  damp  soils  must  be  grown 
as  annual  or  biennial.  Seed. 

AMORPHA  (Bastard  Indigo}.— 
Hardy  shrubs  of  the  Pea  order,  thriv- 
ing in  ordinary  garden  soil,  but  requir- 
ing a  sheltered  situation  in  bleak 
localities.  increased  by  layers  or 
cuttings  in  autumn,  or  from  suckers. 
A.  canescens  (the  Lead  Plant)  is  a 
native  of  Missouri.  It  has  clusters  of 
blue  flowers  and  hoary  leaves.  A. 
fruticosa  (the  False  Indigo)  comes  from 
California,  and  there  are  many  forms 
of  it,  differing  but  slightly,  all  having 
bluish  or  dark  purple  flowers.  I  have 
not  seen  any  good  effects  from  these 
plants. 

Ampelopsis.     See  VITIS. 

AMPHICOME.  —  Dwarf  shrubby 
plants  allied  to  Incarvillea,  with  trum- 
pet-shaped flowers  and  elegant  foliage. 
In  A .  arguta  the  flowers  are  red,  coming 
as  drooping  racemes  during  August, 
and  the  finely-cut  leaves  are  deeply 
serrated.  A.  Emodi  is  dwarf er  and 
hardier,  its  pale-red  flowers  with  an 
orange  throat  being  2  inches  long  and 
held  erect.  Freely  produced  from 
August,  they  are  very  showy,  and  con- 
tinue for  weeks  in  a  genial  autumn. 
They  grow  well  in  loam  or  leaf  mould, 
but  are  not  hardy  enough  for  per- 
manent cultivation  in  the  open  air. 


338         ANAGALLIS.          THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         ANDROSACE. 


Increase  by  seeds,  or  cuttings  of  the 
shoots  in  spring.  Bignonia  order. 
Himalayas. 

ANAGALLIS  (Pimpernel)  .—Pretty 
half-hardy  annuals  of  the  Primrose 
family.  The  best  known  is  the  Italian 
Pimpernel  (A.  Monelli),  with  large 
blossoms,  deep  blue  shaded  with  rose. 
There  are  several  varieties — rubra, 
grandiflora,  Wilmoreana,  bright  blue- 
purple,  yellow  eye  ;  Phillipsi,  deep 
blue,  rose-coloured  centre  ;  Breweri, 
intense  blue  ;  linifolia,  fine  blue,  very 
dwarf  ;  and  sanguined,  bright  ruby — 
all  flowering  from  July  to  September. 
The  Indian  Pimpernel  ( A .  indica]  has 
small,  bright  blue  flowers.  Pimpernels 
grow  well  in  ordinary  garden  soil,  and 
are  used  with  good  effect  in  borders  or 
edgings  to  beds.  The  pretty  little  bog 
Pimpernel  (A.  tenella)  is  a  native 
creeping  plant,  with  slender  stems  and 
myriads  of  tiny  pink  flowers.  A. 
grandiflora  I  find  one  of  the  best  annual 
flowers. 

ANCHUSA  (Alkanet}.— Stout  her- 
baceous and  biennial  plants  of  the 
Forget-me-not  family ;  some  worth 
growing,  amongst  the  best  being  A. 
italica,  which  is  vigorous,  3  to  4  feet 
high,  with  beautiful  blue  blossoms. 


Androsace  sarmentosa. 


The  Dropmore  variety  is  a  valuable 
plant,    and    there    are    several    other 


forms,  2  feet  high,  with  flowers  of 
rich  violet.  A.  capensis  has  large, 
bright  blue  flowers,  rather  tender  ;  it 
should  be  planted  in  a  sheltered,  well- 
drained  border.  Opal,  of  sky-blue 
tone,  is  equally  valuable.  In  planting 
these  two  should  be  kept  well  apart. 
These  italica  forms  of  Anchusa  do  not 
come  true  from  seeds,  and  should  be 
increased  periodically  by  means  of 
root  cuttings.  Root- pieces,  12  inches 
long,  are  ample,  and  inserted  in  boxes 
of  sandy  soil  soon  make  growth.  The 
work  may  be  done  almost  any  time 
from  September  to  March.  With 
growth  made,  the  young  plants  may 
be  potted  for  a  time  and  put  out  in 
permanent  positions  in  early  spring. 
A.  sempervirens  is  a  British  perennial, 
1 1  to  2  feet  high,  with  blue  flowers, 
worth  a  place  in  the  wild  garden. 
Seeds  or  division. 

ANDROMEDA.— Handsome  dwarf 
hardy  shrubs  of  the  Heath  family, 
thriving  in  peaty  soils.  Various  shrubs 
usually  called  Andromedas  in  gardens 
belong  to  other  genera,  and  there  is 
only  one  true  species  of  Andromeda 
known,  viz.,  A.  pplifolia  (Moorwort) , 
a  native  of  Britain  and  N.  Europe, 
growing  from  about  6  to  18  inches  high, 
and  bearing  purplish- red  flowers  from 
May  to  September.  It  is  best  grouped 
in  peat  beds  or  in  the  bog  garden.  For 
allied  plants  usually  known  as  Andro- 
meda see  Cassandra,  Cassiope,  Leuco- 
thoe,  Lyonia,  Oxydendrum,  Pieris,  and 
Zenobia. 

ANDROSACE.— Alpine  plants  of 
great  beauty,  belonging  to  the. Primrose 
order.  Other  families,  like  Primroses 
and  Hairbells,  come  down  to  the  hill- 
pastures,  the  sea-rocks,  or  the  sunny 
heaths,  but  these  are  more  alpine  than 
the  Gentians,  and  as  they  are,  among 
flowering  plants,  those  most  confined 
to  the  snowy  peaks,  so  they  are  the 
dwarfest  of  this  class.  Here  they  must 
endure  intense  cold,  which  would 
destroy  all  shrub  or  tree  life  exposed 
to  it.  And  here  in  spring  they  flower. 
Androsaces  in  cultivation  enjoy  small 
fissures  between  stones,  firmly  packed 
with  pure  sandy  peat,  or  very  sandy 
or  gritty  loam,  not  less  than  15  inches 
deep.  They  should  be  so  placed  that 
no  wet  can  gather  or  lie  about  them, 
and  so  planted  in  between  stones  that, 
once  well  rooted  into  the  deep  earth — 
all  the  better  if  mingled  with  pieces  of 
broken  sandstone — they  never  suffer 
from  drought.  It  is  easy  to  arrange 
rocks  and  soils  so  that,  once  the  mass 


ANDROSACE.        THE   EtiGLlSti   FLOWER    GAkDEti.        ANDROSACE. 


33$ 


below  is  thoroughly  moistened,  ordin- 
ary drought  has  little  effect. 

A  few  kinds  such  as  A.  lanuginosa 
and  sarmentosa  do  well  in  ordinary 
conditions  of  soil  ;  but  many  of  the 
dwarf  kinds  rarely  thrive  except  in 
northern  or  hilly  districts.  When  out 
of  flower,  it  is  easy  to  forget  such  tiny 
plants,  so  that  they  may  suffer  neglect 
while  making  the  summer  growth.  A 
constant  watch  is  needed  for  aphis, 
slugs,  and  red  spider.  Towards 
autumn  syringing  them  with  clear 
water  does  good,  and  a  surface-dressing 
of  soil  and  stone-chips  helps  before 
winter,  and  should  be  renewed  in 
spring,  if  need  be,  when  all  planting 
should  also  be  done.  When  this  top- 


ward  to  the  Pyrenees,  where  four  others 
occur  peculiar  to  that  country.  A 
large  group  belongs  to  the  Himalayas, 
and  reaches  thence  to  China.  They 
may  be  divided  into  two  groups  ;  one 
including  such  easily  grown  kinds  as  A . 
lanuginosa,  and  a  second  group  forming 
stemless  tufts,  and  found  only  in  rocky 
clefts.  The  following  list  gives  the 
best  kinds  in  cultivation  and  of  value 
for  the  rock  garden  : — 

A.  ALBANA. — One  of  the  mossy  kinds, 
forming  small  rosettes  of  deeply-toothed 
oval  leaves  and  dense  heads  of  pale  pink 
flowers  from  April  to  July. 

A.  ALPINA. — A  gem  for  the  rock  garden, 
not  easily  grown.  Its  tiny  tongue-shaped 
leaves  are  in  crowded  rosettes,  forming 


Androsacc  sarmentosa  (engraved  from  a  group  on  rock  garden  at  Friar  Park). 


dressing  is  well  done,  fresh  roots  are 
often  made  from  the  underside  of  the 
prostrate  stems,  and  this  is  a  great 
gain.  The  woolly-haired  kinds,  which 
often  fail  from  damp  in  our  winters, 
should  be  planted  in  the  crevices  of 
upright  rocks,  or  under  ledges.  The 
rocks  among  which  they  are  planted 
should  be  well  sunk  in  the  ground  with 
thin  layers  of  good  soil  and  broken 
stone  between  them  ;  the  roots  delight 
in  the  layer  of  moist  earth  just  under 
stones.  Most  kinds  thrive  in  full  sun, 
the  best  aspects  being  south  and  west. 
Over  forty  species  are  known,  and 
others  may  be  found  when  the  moun- 
tains of  India,  Thibet,  and  China  are 
fully  explored.  About  twenty  kinds 
are  found  in  the  Alps,  some  extending 
eastward  by  way  of  Austria,  or  south- 


cushions  of  2  or  3  inches  high,  covered  in 
June  with  flowers — one  from  each  rosette 
— rosy-purple  with  a  yellow  centre.  It 
needs  peat  soil,  moisture  at  the  root,  and 
a  rather  shady  spot.  Syn.  A .  ciliata, 

A.  BRIGANTIACA. — Apretty  plant  thriving 
only  in  sandy  or  granite  soils  and  upon 
slopes  shaded  from  strong  sun.  It  comes 
very  near  A .  carnea,  but  with  leaves  of 
deeper  green,  and  pure  white  flowers. 

A.  CARNEA. — One  of  the  best  kinds,  early 
in  flower,  free,  and  easily  grown  in  light 
soils  without  lime.  It  does  not  form 
rosettes,  but  little  spreading  shoots  covered 
with  narrow-pointed  leaves  of  grey-green, 
and  heads  of  rosy  or  pink  flowers  with  a 
yellow  eye.  Water  freely  in  dry  weather, 
and  shelter  from  the  sun  in  summer.  Alps 
and  Pyrenees.  Seeds  sown  as  soon  as 
ripe. 

A.  CARNEA  var.  EXIMIA. — A  form  of  the 
last,  hardier,  more  robust,  and  with  larger 


340        AriDROSACE. 


bNGLtSti 


GARDEti.         ANDROSACE. 


flowers.  It  grows  quickly  into  tufts  3 
inches  high,  and  if  given  dressings  of  light, 
gritty  soil  the  prostrate  shoots  send  roots 
from  the  underside. 

A.  CHARPENTIERI. — One  of  the  best, 
free  in  flower,  and  of  strong  growth  in 
sandy  soils.  Rosettes  of  tiny,  downy 
leaves  in  crowded  masses,  and  rich  rosy 
flowers  hardly  rising  above  the  leaves  in 
June  and  July,  after  other  kinds  have 
done  flowering.  Thrives  best  in  crevices 
of  sandstone  or  granite  rock,  facing  south- 
west. Seed.  Alps. 

A.  CILIATA. — A  scarce  plant  from  the 
Pyrenees,  growing  in  small,  dense  columns 
of  deep  green  leaves  fringed  along  the 
edges,  and  crowned  in  April  and  May  by 
large  stemless  flowers  of  bright  rose. 
Granite  soils. 

A.  CYLINDRICA. — Though  classed  as  a 
species,  this  little  plant  is  very  like  the 
last,  and  comes  from  the  same  region.  It 
forms  mossy  tufts  of  rounded  cone-like 
columns  less  than  an  inch  high,  covered 
thickly  with  hairs,  with  white  flowers 
nestling  in  the  centre  during  April  and 
May.  Pyrenees. 

A.  FOLIOSA.— One  of  the  Himalayan 
kinds,  beautiful  and  of  free  growth  when 
well  established.  The  leaves  are  not 
crowded  into  rosettes,  but  are  large  upon 
erect  or  trailing  stems,  grey  with  pale 
hairs,  and  turning  reddish-purple  in  the 
autumn.  The  rosy-red  flowers  come  upon 
long  stems  from  June  to  September,  and 
are  large  and  in  clusters  sometimes  of  fifty 
flowers,  lasting  for  a  long  time  in  beauty. 
It  thrives  in  limestone  soil,  made  light  with 
leaf  mould  and  grit,  and  mixed  with  plenty 
of  broken  fragments  ;  in  full  sun,  with 
moisture  to  the  root  in  summer. 

A.  GLACIALIS. — In  its  wild  state  one  of 
the  most  beautiful,  growing  in  loose,  flat 
tufts  of  branching  stems  clothed  in  downy 
leaves,  and  covered  during  early  spring 
with  flowers  of  pink  paling  to  white. 
Thrives  in  clefts  of  sandstone  rock,  in  full 
sun.  Seeds.  Alpine  summits  (always 
granite)  at  6000  to  9000  feet. 

A.  HELVETICA. — A  charming  plant  of  the 
mossy  section,  growing  in  neat  rounded 
cushions  of  grey-green,  hairy  leaves  set 
in  rosettes,  and  lovely  white  flowers  with 
a  yellow  eye.  The  flowers  are  so  large 
as  often  to  overlap.  Thrives  in  gritty 
soil  and  partial  shade,  planted  between 
limestone  rocks  closely  set  and  deeply 
buried  to  secure  moisture  and  drainage  at 
the  same  time.  Seeds.  Alps  and  Car- 
pathians. 

A.  HOOKERIANA. — A  little-known  kind 
from  the  Himalayas,  at  a  height  of  15,000 
feet.  Though  hardy,  it  is  apt  to  damp  off 
in  our  winters,  and  should  be  planted  in 
a  mixture  of  peat  and  sand  among  rocks 
sheltered  from  wet.  It  has  rosettes  of 
oval,  shining  green  leaves,  and  in  spring 
deep  pink  flowers  in  small  clusters. 


A.  IMBRICATA. — Pretty  in  leaf  and 
flower,  coming  very  near  A .  helvetica,  but 
of  denser  growth,  leaves  narrower  and 
silvery  white  with  fine  hairs,  and  white 
flowers  set  off  by  a  bright  rosy  eye. 
Thrives  in  granite  or  sandstone  grit  in 
full  sun.  Seeds. 

A.  LACTEA. — A  free,  strong-growing 
plant,  making  rosettes  of  shining  green 
leaves,  and  in  spring  large  white  flowers 
with  a  yellow  centre,  in  broad  loose  clusters 
of  five  or  six.  Easily  grown  in  light  lime- 
stone soil,  in  sun  or  partial  shade.  Seeds. 
Limestone  rocks  from  3000  to  4500  feet, 
from  the  Cevennes  through  the  Alps  into 
Austria. 

A.  LAGGERI. — With  clusters  of  narrow- 
pointed  leaves,  and  flowers  of  bright  pink 
paling  towards  the  centre,  gathered  into 
showy  little  heads  of  six  or  eight.  Very 
hardy,  it  is  one  of  the  earliest  alpine  flowers 
to  open,  starring  the  green  tufts  like  a 
miniature  Thrift.  Sandy  soil  in  partial 
shade,  and  no  lime.  Seeds  or  cuttings. 
Pyrenees. 

A.  LANUGINOSA. — A  lovely  and  distinct 
plant  with  trailing  silvery  shoots,  leaves 
covered  with  silky  hairs,  and  flower  clus- 
ters of  soft  rose  colour.  It  does  best  in 
warm  places  near  the  sea,  planted  in  sunny 
corners  of  the  rock  garden.  Where  the 
soil  is  free  and  open,  it  thrives  as  a  border 
plant.  It  has  a  long  season  of  flower, 
even  lasting  into  October,  growing  best 
in  south  and  west  aspects,  in  sandy  loam 
with  a  generous  addition  of  mortar  rubble. 
Cuttings  2  inches  long  of  the  unflowered 
shoots  root  readily  in  sandy  soil  in  July 
and  August.  Seed  (which  ripens  only  in 
good  years),  layers,  and  cuttings.  A  good 
form  of  this  is  Leichtlini,  with  larger 
flowers  of  deeper  colour  with  a  conspicu- 
ous eye.  From  7000  to  10,000  feet. 
Himalayas. 

A.  OBTUSIFOLIA. — Robust  and  easily 
grown,  with  large  rosettes  of  spoon-shaped 
leaves  fringed  by  fine  hairs,  and  short 
downy  stems  carrying  from  one  to  six 
white  or  rosy  flowers  with  a  yellow  eye. 
It  is  nearly  6  inches  high,  and  may  be 
gathered  by  the  handful  upon  the  alpine 
slopes  at  midsummer.  With  us  it  flowers 
earlier,  planted  in  peaty  soil  and  in  full 
sun.  Alps  and  Carpathians. 

A.  pubescens. — A  mossy  kind  with 
leaves  turning  red-brown  in  autumn.  It 
may  be  known  by  a  small  swelling  on  the 
very  short  flower-stem,  just  below  the 
flower.  These  are  white,  rather  large, 
with  a  faint  yellow  eye,  and  come  singly 
just  above  the  little  cushion  of  hoary 
leaves  covered  with  star-like  hairs.  Of 
easy  culture  in  crevices  of  sandy  soil. 
Alps. 

A.  PYRENAICA. — One  of  the  same  mossy 
group,  with  tiny  grey  rosettes  in  dense 
tufts,  one  flower  from  every  centre,  white 
like  helvetica  but  less  pure,  not  so  well 
formed,  and  upon  short  stems.  It  is  not 


ANDROSACE. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        ANEMONE. 


341 


easy  to  grow  well,  but  does  best  in  deep 
fissures  between  upright  rocks  ;  it  may 
also  be  grown  on  the  flat,  in  peat  and 
sandy  loam  between  buried  stones.  Cen- 
tral Pyrenees. 

A.  SARMENTOSA. — Leaves  silvery  with 
hairs,  in  dense  rosettes,  from  which 
spring  a  few  larger  spoon-shaped  leaves 
around  the  base  of  the  flower-stem,  and 
slender  runners  which  spread  and  root  in 
all  directions.  This  kind  spreads  fast, 
when  kept  from  damping  by  a  layer  of 
fine  stones  under  the  shoots  and  a  glass 
shade  in  winter.  It  thrives  in  free  lime- 
stone soil,  firmly  wedged  between  masses 
of  rock  in  a  sunny  spot.  The  runners  are 
easily  layered  and  detached  when  rooted. 

A.     SEMPERVIVOIDES. — A     rare     plant, 


Androsace  Villosa. 


Plant  firmly  in  good,  free  soil,  with  lime 
rubble  and  sandstone  fragments  to  keep 
it  well  drained.  The  downy  leaves  need 
shields  of  glass  in  winter.  Seed. 

A.  VILLOSA  var.  CHAM^JASME. — A  beau- 
tiful alpine  plant  known  as  the  Rock  Jas- 
mine, inhabiting  a  vast  range  through 
Europe,  Asia,  and  the  Arctic  regions. 
Though  like  villosa  in  flower  it  differs  from 
it  in  leaf  and  habit,  with  a  branching  root- 
stock,  spreading  clusters  of  fringed  leaves, 
and  stout  flower  stems  several  inches  high, 
bearing  three  to  six  flowers.  These  change 
from  white  to  yellow,  pink,  and  crimson, 
opening  from  May  to  June,  and  borne  in 
long  succession.  It  is  one  of  the  best  and 
easiest  of  rock  plants  to  grow  in  open  soil, 
mixed  and  surfaced  with  broken  lime 
rubbish  or  slate  dust, 
thriving  in  full  sun. 

A.  VITALIANA  (Syn., 
Douglasia). — Like  a  tiny 
Furze  bush,  hardly  an 
inch  high,  with  silvery 
leaves  dusted  over  with 
white  powder,  and  many 
flowers  borne  singly.  Dis- 
liking dry  or  heavy  soils,  it 
does  best  in  full  sun,  set 
in  buried  stones  and  free 
sandy  loam  mixed  with 
pebbles  and  heath  soil. 
Runners  and  seeds.  Alps, 
Pyrenees  and  Sierras  of 
Spain. 

Androsaces  are  often 
high  alpine  plants,  and 
it  is  only  on  the  well- 
formed  and  cared-for 
rock  gardens  that  one 
may  grow  more  than  a 
few  kinds. 


pretty,  easily  grown,  spreading  by  runners, 
and  bearing  clusters  of  pink  or  purplish 
flowers  upon  a  stout  stem  in  May  and 
June.  Its  tiny  leaves  curl  in  dense  cone- 
like  rosettes,  at  times  only  half  an  inch 
across,  but  often  larger  in  gardens  ;  the 
new  snoots  only  take  this  curled  form  as 
they  mature.  This  is  one  of  the  best  of 
the  Indian  kinds,  quite  hardy,  and  growing 
well  upon  mounds  of  granite  soil  packed 
with  stones.  Kashmir  and  W.  Thibet,  at 
11,000  feet. 

A.  VILLOSA. — A  plant  of  wide  range, 
from  the  Alps  and  Pyrenees  eastward  to 
Kashmir  and  the  Himalayas,  where  it 
grows  at  elevations  of  12,000  to  17,000 
feet.  The  Western  form  is  dwarf,  with 
neat  rosettes  of  shaggy  leaves  so  thickly 
set  with  white  or  pale  pink  flowers  that  for 
the  time  the  plant  lies  hidden.  The  Indian 
variety  is  of  larger  growth  and  blooms 
later,  its  leaves  silvery  with  long,  white 
hairs,  and  loose  heads  of  flowers  with  a 
raised  ring  of  darker  colour  at  the  centre. 


ANDRYALA.— Small  plants  of  the 
Dandelion  order  ;  some  with  woolly 
leaves.  The  shrubby  A .  mogadorensis 
forms  snowy  masses  on  a  little  islet 
on  the  Morocco  coast,  and  has  not 
been  found  elsewhere.  It  bears  flowers 
as  large  as  a  half-crown,  of  a  bright 
yellow,  the  disc  being  bright  orange. 
Little  is  known  of  its  culture  and  hardi- 
ness. A.  lanata  has  woolly  silvery 
leaves,  and  grows  well  in  any  soil  not 
too  damp. 

ANEMONE  (Windflower}.—K  noble" 
family  of  tuberous  alpine  meadow  and 
herbaceous  plants,  of  the  Buttercup 
family,  to  which  is  due  much  of  the 
beauty  of  spring  and  early  summer  of 
northern  and  temperate  countries.  In 
early  spring,  or  what  is  winter  to  us  in 
Northern  Europe,  when  the  valleys  of 
Southern  Europe  and  sunny  sheltered 
spots  all  round  the  great  rocky  basin 


342 


ANEMONE. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


ANEMONE. 


of  the  Mediterranean  are  beginning  to 
glow  with  colour,  we  see  the  earliest 
Windflowers  in  all  their  loveliness. 
Those  arid  mountains  that  look  so 
barren  have  on  their  sunny  sides  car- 
pets of  Anemones  in  countless  variety. 
Later  on  the  Star  Anemone  begins,  and 
troops  in  thousands  over  the  terraces, 
meadows,  and  fields  of  the  same 
regions.  Climbing  the  mountains  in 
April,  the  Hepatica  nestles  in  nooks  all 
over  the  bushy  parts  of  the  hills. 
Farther  east,  while  the  common  Ane- 
mones are  aflame  along  the  Riviera 
valleys  and  terraces,  the  blue  Greek 
Anemone  is  open  on  the  hills  of  Greece  ; 
a  little  later  the  blue  Apennine  Ane- 
mone blossoms.  Meanwhile  our  Wood 
Anemone  adorns  the  woods  throughout 
the  northern  world,  and  here  and  there 
through  the  brown  grass  on  the  chalk 
hills  comes  the  purple  of  the  Pasque- 
flower. The  grass  has  grown  tall 
before  the  graceful  alpine  Windflower 
flowers  in  all  the  natural  meadows  of 
the  Alps  ;  later  on  bloom  the  high 
alpine  Windflowers,  which  soon  flower 
and  fruit,  and  are  ready  to  sleep  for 
nine  months  in  the  snow.  These  are 
but  few  examples  of  what  is  done  for 
the  northern  and  temperate  world  by 
these  Windflowers,  so  precious  for  our 
gardens  also. 

A.  ALPINA  (Alpine  Windflower). — On 
nearly  every  great  mountain  range  in 
northern  climes,  this  is  one  of  the  hand- 
somest plants,  growing  15  inches  to 
2  feet  high.  Seed  is  the  best  way  to 
increase  it.  Sow  this  in  November  in  a 
rather  moist,  peaty  bed  out  of  doors,  and 
allow  the  seedlings  to  remain  for  two 
years.  When  growth  begins  in  spring  trans- 
plant to  where  they  are  to  flower.  Full 
exposure,  good  drainage,  and  moisture  in 
summer  are  essential. 

A.  ANGULOSA  (Great  Hepatica). — Larger 
than  the  Hepatica,  with  sky-blue  flowers 
as  large  as  a  crown-piece,  and  five-lobed 
leaves.  In  rock  gardens,  or  near  them, 
it  will  succeed  in  spaces  between  choice 
dwarf  shrubs  in  beds.  Seed  and  division. 
Transylvania. 

A.  APENNINA  (Apennine  Windflower). — 
A  blue,  hardy,  tuberous  kind.  This  makes 
pictures  with  Daffodils,  and  adds  a  new 
charm  to  our  spring.  It  is  readily 
increased  by  division,  and  grows  about 
4  inches  to  9  inches  in  height.  Besides  a 
white  form  there  are  others,  not  so  impor- 
tant, however,  as  the  wild  one.  Italy. 

A.  BLAND  A  (Blue  Winter  Windflower). — 
A  lovely  plant  from  the  hills  of  Greece, 
of  a  fine  blue,  and  blooming  in  winter  and 
early  spring.  It  should  be  grown  in  every 
rock  garden,  planted  on  banks  that  catch 
the  early  sun.  It  has  irregular  tuberous 


roots  ;  increased  by  division  and  seed,  and 
varies  in  size  and  colour.  There  are 
white,  rose,  and  pink  varieties.  Excellent 
for  naturalising  in  sandy  ground.  Sow 
the  seed  in  drills  in  the  open  as  soon  as 
ripe.  Greece,  Asia  Minor. 


The  Blue  Apennine  Windflower. 


A.  CORONARIA  (Poppy  Anemone). — One 
of  the  most  admired  flowers  of  our  gardens 
from  earliest  times.  There  are  many 
varieties,  single  and  double.  The  single 
sorts  may  be  readily  grown  from  seed 
sown  in  the  open  air  in  April,  and,  being 
varied  in  fine  colour,  they  deserve  to  be 
cultivated  even  more  than  many  of  the 
doubles.  The  planting  of  the  double 
varieties  may  be  made  in  autumn  or  in 
spring,  or  at  intervals  all  through  the 
winter,  to  secure  a  continuity  of  flowers  ; 
but  the  best  bloom  is  secured  by  October 
planting.  The  Poppy  Anemone  thrives 
in  warm  loam,  and  the  roots  of  the  more 
select  kinds  may  be  taken  up  when  the 
leaves  die  down.  They  are  seldom  worth 
this  trouble,  as  many  fine  varieties  may 
be  grown  from  seed  sown  in  June.  Prick 
out  the  plants  in  autumn  ;  they  will  flower 
well  in  the  following  spring,  so  that  the 
plant  is  as  easily  raised  as  an  annual. 
Apart  from  the  old  florists'  or  double 
Anemones  and  the  single  ones,  there  are 
certain  races  of  French  origin  of  much 
value,  as  the  Caen  Anemones.  These  are 
raised  from  the  same  species,  but  are 
more  vigorous,  and  have  larger  flowers  than 
the  older  Dutch  kinds.  Of  the  Caen  Ane- 
mones there  are  both  single  and  double 
kinds,  and  the  Chrysanthemum-flowered  is 
another  fine  double  race,  whilst  ope  may 
also  note  the  deep  scarlet  double  form — 
Chapeau  de  Cardinal,  and  the  double 
Nice  Anemones.  The  fine  variety  of  the 
Poppy  Anemones  leads  to  mixed  collec- 
tions being  grown.  While  it  is  well  to 
plant  mixtures  now  and  then,  it  is  better 
to  select  and  keep  true  some  of  the  finer 
forms  in  any  desired  colour.  A  fine  scar- 


ANEMONE. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


ANEMONE. 


343 


let,  purple,  or  violet  kind  should  be  grown 
by  itself,  as  a  greater  aid  to  the  garden 
artist.  All  kinds  thrive  in  light  garden 
soils  of  fair  quality,  and  in  many  districts 
there  is  no  trouble  in  their  culture  ;  in 
cold  soils  this  plant  never  does  well,  and 
is  often  killed  in  winter.  The  St  Bridgid 
Anemones,  like  those  of  Caen  and  Nice, 
are  selections  from  the  Poppy  Anemone, 
depending  for  their  value  on  care  in  selec- 
tion, and  also  on  good  culture  in  the  warm 
limestone  soil  the  plants  enjoy  so  well. 

A.  FULGENS  (The  Scarlet  Windflower). — 
A  brilliant  flower  of  the  south  of  France. 
In  good  well-drained  soils  it  will  thrive, 
but  is  best  in  a  rich  manured  loam  in  a 
northern  aspect  and  in  a  shaded  situation. 
Division  is  the  surest  way  of  increasing 
it,  as  it  is  liable  to  sport  if  raised  from 
seeds.  Roots  may  be  transplanted  almost 
all  the  year  round,  though  the  resting 
time  extends  only  from  June  to  August, 
and  to  ensure  early  and  good  flowers  plant 
the  roots  as  early  as  possible  in  the 
autumn.  With  me  it  thrives  in  meadow 
turf,  and  dies  out  in  garden  borders. 

The  Greek  form  of  A .  fulgens  is  larger, 
and  very  intense  in  colour.  A  fine  strain 
was  raised  by  the  late  Rev.  J.  G.  Nelson, 
and  called  by  him  A .  fulgens  major.  The 
Peacock  Anemone  (A.  Pavonina)  is  a 
double  form  of  this. 

A.  HEPATIC  A  (Alpine  Hepatica). — A 
beautiful  early  hardy  flower.  In  sheltered 
spots  on  porous  soil  the  foliage  will  remain 
through  the  winter.  The-  Hepatica  is  a 
deep  rooter,  hence  it  thrives  so  well  upon 
made  banks,  and  it  will  do  as  well  as 
Primroses  or  Violets  in  any  good  garden 
soil.  Where  let  alone,  and  not  often 
pulled  to  pieces,  it  makes  strong  tufts. 
The  best-known  kinds  are  the  double  red 
and  single  blue,  both  amongst  the  hardiest 
of  the  section.  Then  there  are  the  single 
white  ;  single  red  ;  double  blue,  rich  in 
colour  ;  Barlowi,  a  rich-coloured  sport 
from  the  single  blue  ;  splendens,  a  single 
red  ;  lilacina,  a  pretty  mauve  kind  ;  and 
some  others — every  variety  being  worthy 
of  culture.  I  prefer  the  single  wild  blue 
kind  to  any. 

A.  JAPONICA  (Japan  Anemone). — A  tall 
autumn-blooming  kind,  2  feet  to  4  feet 
high,  with  fine  foliage  and  large  rose- 
coloured  flowers.  The  variety  named 
Honorine  Jobert,  with  pure  white  flowers, 
is  a  beautiful  plant  ;  and  all  good  forms 
of  the  plant  should  be  cultivated  where 
cut  flowers  are  required  in  autumn.  By 
having  some  on  a  north  border,  and  some 
on  a  warm  one,  the  bloom  may  be  pro- 
longed. The  secret  of  success  seems  to 
be  to  prepare  at  first  a  deep  bed  of  rich 
soil,  and  to  leave  the  plants  alone.  They 
abhor  frequent  disturbance. 

The  various  forms  of  the  Japan  Ane- 
mone are  useful  for  borders,  groups,  fringes 
of  shrubberv  in  rich  soil,  and  here  and 


there  in  half-shady  places  by  wood  walks. 
I  like  best  the  single  forms. 


Anemone  japonica  alba. 

A.  NEMOROSA  (Wood  Anemone). — In 
spring  this  native  plant  adorns  our  woods, 
and  also  those  of  nearly  all  Europe  and 
N.  Asia,  but  so  abundant  in  the  British 
Isles  that  there  is  no  need  to  plead  for  its 
culture.  There  are  double  varieties,  and 
the  colour  of  the  flower  is  occasionally 
lilac,  or  reddish,  or  purplish.  A  sky-blue 
variety,  A .  Robinsoniana,  is  of  easy  culture 
and  much  beauty,  especially  if  seen  when 
the  noon-day  sun  is  on  the  flowers.  It  is 
useful  for  the  rock  garden  in  wide-spread- 
ing tufts,  or  for  the  margins  of  borders,  or 
as  a  ground  plant  beneath  shrubs,  or  for 
the  wild  garden  or  for  dotting  through  the 
grass  in  the  pleasure-ground  in  spots  not 
mown  early.  Other  forms  worth  growing 
are  Connubiensis,  the  blue  wild  Welsh 
form,  and  a  large  white  form.  There  are 
also  other  blue  forms  raised,  though  not 
yet  proved,  Alleni  and  Bluebonnet  and 
purpurea. 

A.  PALMATA  (Cyclamen-leaved  Ane- 
mone).— A  distinct  kind,  with  leathery 
leaves  and  large  handsome  flowers  in  May 
and  June,  glossy  yellow,  only  opening  to 
the  sun.  Native  of  N.  Africa  and  other 
places  on  the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean. 
Planted  in  deep  turfy  peat,  or  light  fibrous 
loam  with  leaf-mould,  not  on  the  face  of 
rocks,  but  rather  on  level  spots,  where  it 
can  root  deeply  and  grow  into  strong  tufts. 


344 


ANEMONE. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


ANOPTERUS. 


There  is  a  double  variety.     Division  or 
seeds. 

A.  PULSATILLA  (Pasque-flower). — There 
are  few  sights  more  pleasant  to  the  lover 
of  spring  flowers  than  the  Pasque-flower 
just  showing  through  the  dry  grass  of  a 
bleak  down  on  an  early  spring  day.  It  is 
smaller  in  a  wild  than  in  a  cultivated  state, 
forming  in  the  garden  strong  healthy  tufts, 
but  it  is  one  of  the  plants  more  beautiful 
in  a  wild  state  than  in  a  garden.  I  grow  it 
freely  as  an  edging  plant.  There  are 
several  varieties,  including  red,  lilac,  and 


Pasque-flower  (Anemone  pulsatilla). 

white  kinds,  but  they  are  not  common, 
and  there  is  also  a  double  variety.  A.  p. 
rubra  is  of  vigorous  habit,  whilst  'A .  pulsa- 
tilla Van  der  Elsh,  a  recent  introduction, 
with  clear  rose  flowers,  is  also  a  valuable 
addition. 

A.  RANUNCULOIDES  (Yellow  Wood  Ane- 
mone).— Not  unlike  the  Apennine  and  the 
Wood  Anemone  in  habit,  this  is  distinct 
in  its  yellow  flowers  in  March  and  April. 
It  is  S.  European,  and  less  free  on  common 
soils  than  the  Apennine  A.,  and  is  happier 
on  chalky  soil. 

A.  RUPICOLA  (Rock  Windflower). — For 
sheer  beauty  this  species  ranks  with  the 
choicest  of  its  race,  the  flowers  comparable 
only  perhaps  to  the  alpine  Windflower 
(A.  alpind)  in  their  shell-like  form,  sub- 
stance, and  velvety  texture.  They  are 
of  a  snowy  whiteness,  in  pleasing  contrast 
with  the  clusters  of  yellow  stamens.  The 
outer  petals  are  tinged  with  pale  blue, 
the  colour  early  attracting  the  cultivator. 
Less  than  a  foot  high,  the  glistening  cups 
rising  well  above  the  foliage  are  protected 
from  harm  by  a  spreading  tuft  of  pale 
green  much-divided  leaves,  which  also 
constitute  a  perfect  setting  for  the  flowers. 
Happily  the  plant  is  easily  cultivated  in 
light  loam,  leaf  soil,  and  grit.  A  first-rate 
plant  in  every  way,  it  is  at  home  in  the 
rock  garden  in  a  sunny  position  and  a 
good  depth  of  soil.  Perfectly  hardy,  it  is 
readily  increased  by  seeds  or  division  of 


the  roots.  Native  of  China,  where  it  was 
discovered  by  Mr  George  Forrest. 

A.  STELLATA  (Star  Windflower). — The 
star-like  flowers  of  this,  ruby,  rosy,  purple- 
rosy,  or  whitish,  vary  in  a  charming 
way,  and  usually  have  a  large  white  eye 
at  the  base,  contrasting  with  the  delicate 
colouring  of  the  rest  of  the  petals.  It  is 
not  so  vigorous  as  the  Poppy  A.,  and 
requires  a  sheltered  warm  position,  a  light, 
sandy,  well-drained  soil.  Division  and 
seeds.  Syn.  A.  hortensis.  S.  Europe. 

A.  SYLVESTRIS  (Snowdrop  Windflower). 
— A  handsome  plant,  about  15  inches 
high,  with  large  white  flowers  in  spring 
and  beautiful  buds.  Hardy  and  free  on 
all  soils,  but  fails  to  bloom  on  some  cool 
soils.  The  aspect  of  the  drooping,  un- 
opened buds  suggested  its  English  name — 
the  Snowdrop  Anemone.  Division  and 
seeds.  A .  sylvestris  major  is  the  best  form. 

A.  THALICTROIDES  (Thalictrum  ane- 
monoides). 

A.  VITIFOLIA. — A  bold  perennial  some- 
what like  the  Japan  Anemone,  but  dis- 
tinct in  foliage  and  hardy  in  the  Southern 
Counties.  The  beauty  of  trie  newer  forms 
of  A .  japonica  makes  this  of  less  value. 

The  previously  named  Anemones  are 
the  most  beautiful  of  the  family,  which, 
however,  contains  many  other  interest- 
ing plants,  but  many  of  the  'higher 
alpine  kinds  are  grown  and  increased 
with  difficulty,  and  only  in  carefully 
chosen  situations.  Some,  again,  how- 
ever distinct  as  species,  are  not  strik- 
ingly so  in  gardens,  and  for  the  flower 
gardener  the  best  way  is  to  make  good 
use  of  the  proved  species.  Lovers  of 
alpine  flowers  will  no  doubt  look  out 
for  the  wild  species,  while  many  un- 
known species  must  adorn  the  vast 
solitudes  of  Asia,  Arctic  America,  and 
other  countries. 

ANOMATHECA  (Flowering  Grass}. 
—  A.  cruenta  is  a  pretty  little  South 
African  bulb  of  the  Iris  order,  from  6 
to  12  inches  high,  flowers  |  inch  across, 
carmine,  crimson,  three  of  the  lower 
segments  marked  with  a  dark  spot  ; 
in  loose  clusters  on  slender  stems  and 
grass-like  leaves.  Hardy  on  warm 
soils,  but  in  others  it  should  be  planted 
on  slopes,  in  very  sandy  dry  soil,  or 
on  warm  borders  ;  the  bulbs  planted 
rather  deep.  In  many  soils  it  increases 
rapidly.  Syn.  Lapeyrousia. 

ANOPTERUS  GLANDULOSA  (Tas- 
manian  Laurel}. — A  vigorous  ever- 
green shrub  with  dark,  shining  green 
leaves,  bearing  long,  erect,  terminal 
racemes  of  white  cup-shaped  flowers, 
resembling  the  blossoms  of  Clethra 
arbor ea,  but  larger.  Tasmania, 


ANTENNARIA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


ANTIRRHINUM. 


345 


ANTENNARIA  ( Cat's-ear)  .—Mostly 
hardy  alpine  or  border  flowers.  A. 
margaritacea  is  a  North  American 
plant,  2  feet  high,  with  flowers  in  clus- 
ters, white  and  chaffy,  hence  kept  in  a 
dry  state  and  dyed  in  various  colours. 
The  pretty  but  rare  A .  triplinervis  from 
Nepal  is  closely  allied  to  this  plant. 
The  Mountain  Cat's-ears,  A.  dioica  and 
A.  alpina,  and  such  forms  as  A. 
minima,  are  neat  little  plants  with 
whitish  foliage,  used  as  carpeting.  All 
are  of  simple  culture  in  ordinary  soil 
in  exposed  positions.  These  are  good 
rock  garden  plants,  and  the  pretty 
little  rosy  heads  of  one  form  of  the 
Mountain  Everlasting  may  often  be 
seen  in  the  cottage  gardens  of  War- 
wickshire. A.  tomentosa  has  been 
much  used  as  a  dwarf  silvery  plant 
in  the  flower  garden. 

ANTHEMIS  (Rock  Camomile}.— 
Vigorous  perennials  and  rock  plants. 
Of  the  kinds  in  cultivation,  A.  Aizoon 
is  a  dwarf  silvery  rock  plant,  2  to  4 
inches  high,  with  Daisy-like  flowers. 
A .  Kitaibeli  is  pretty  in  the  mixed  bor- 
der, with  large,  pale,  lemon-coloured, 
Marguerite-like  flowers.  A.  tinctoria  is 
similar,  and  both  are  excellent  for 
cutting,  growing  very  freely  in  ordinary 
soil.  The  double-flowered  form  of  the 
Corn  Camomile  (A .  arvensis}  is  some- 
times cultivated  among  annual  plants. 


Ant /lean's  M acedonica, 

A .  M  acedonica  is  a  neat  species  with 
white  flowers,  excellent  as  a  rock 
garden  plant.  There  is  also  a  variety 
called  A.  nobilis. 

ANTHERICUM  (St  Bruno's  Lily).— 
Bulbous  plants  of  the  Lily  family,  con- 
taining a  few  species  hardy  in  this 
country.  These  are  the  European 
kinds,  among  the  most  beautiful 
of  hardy  flowers.  A.  Hookeri  (Syn. 
Chrysobactron)  is  a  distinct  New  Zea- 
land plant,  15  to  20  inches  high,  with 


bright  yellow  flowers,  in  long  spikes 
in  early  summer.  It  grows  best  in 
moist,  deep  soils.  A.  Liliago  (St 
Bernard's  Lily)  is  about  2  feet  high, 
with  white  flowers  in  early  summer. 
A.  ramosum  has  flower-stems  about 
2  feet  high,  much  branched,  and  small 
white  flowers.  A.  Liliastrum  (St 
Bruno's  Lily)  is  a  graceful  alpine 
meadow  plant  in  deep,  free,  sandy  soil, 
in  early  summer  throwing  up  spikes  of 
snowy- white  Lily-like  blossoms.  Divi- 
sion of  the  roots  in  autumn,  or  it  may 
be  raised  from  seed.  The  major 
variety  of  the  St  Bruno's  Lily  has  much 
larger  flowers.  It  grows  3  feet  high 
in  good  soil,  and  is  a  fine  border  plant. 
Replant  when  dormant.  Increased  by 
division  and  seeds. 

ANTHOLYZA.— These  South  Afri- 
can plants  occur  sometimes  in  cata- 
logues, but  they  are  not  such  good 
garden  plants  as  the  nearly  allied 
Montbretia,  much  improved  as  these 
have  been  of  late. 

ANTHYLLIS  (Silver  Bush).—Dwari 
mountain  plants  of  the  Pea  family,  of 
which  there  are  some  half  a  dozen 
species  in  cultivation.  As  far  as  now 
known,  few  are  worth  growing  on  the 
rock  garden. 

A.  MONTANUS,  the  Mountain  Kidney 
Vetch,  is  a  very  hardy  rock  plant ;  dwarf, 
about  6  inches  high,"  the  leaves  pinnate, 
and  nearly  white  with  down,  the  pinkish, 
flowers  in  dense  heads,  rising  little  above 
the  foliage,  and  forming  with  the  hoary 
leaves  pretty  little  trailing  tufts.  I  have 
never  seen  any  alpine  plant  thrive  better 
on  the  stiff  clay  of  North  London.  Resist- 
ing any  cold  or  moisture,  it  is  among  dwarf 
plants  of  the  first  order  of  merit  as  a  rock 
plant.  The  variety  rubra  has  darker  red 
flowers.  Alps  of  Europe.  Division  and 
seeds. 

A.  BARBA-JOVIS  (Jupiter's  Beard)  is  a 
shrubby  plant  of  erect  growth,  with  sil- 
very, silky  leaves  and  creamy-yellow 
flowers  in  spring.  Coming  from  Spain,  it 
is  suited  to  a  hot,  dry  place  in  the  rock 
garden,  and  in  cold  places  is  sometimes 
grown  against  a  wall. 

A.  ERINACEA  is  a  singular-looking,  much- 
branched,  tufty,  spiny,  almost  leafless 
shrub,  about  i  foot  high,  with  purplish 
flowers. 

A.  HERMANNS. — Not  so  pretty  in 
colour,  is  a  grey  bush  of  pleasant  aspect, 
flowering  in  summer  and  fitted  for  a  sunny 
place  in  the  rock  garden.  S.W.  Europe. 

ANTIRRHINUM  (Snapdragon).  —  A 
numerous  family  of  rock  plants  and 
perennial  herbs,  mostly  hardy  and 
many  of  them  from  mountainous 
regions,  but  none  so  popular  in  gar- 


346     APIOS  TUBEROSA.     THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        AQUILEGIA. 


dens  as  the  Snapdragon  (A.  majus), 
which,  like  the  Wallflowers,  often  grows 
on  walls  and. stony  places.  There  are 
many  species,  but  they  do  not  take  a 
large  place  in  gardens,  among  the  best 
being  A.  Asarina  and  A.  rupestre.  Of 
the  common  Snapdragon,  the  garden 
varieties  are  now  numerous,  and  often 
showy  in  effect,  the  best  being  the  pure 
colours.  Sandy  and  free  soils  suit 
them.  They  are  sown  :  (i)  in  August 
in  the  place  where  they  are  to  grow, 
or  preferably  in  seed-beds,  in  which 
latter  case  plant  close  to  a  south  wall, 
sheltering  from  continued  frosts  with 
dry  leaves  or  straw,  planting  out  in 
spring  1 6  inches  to  24  inches  apart  ; 
(2)  in  July,  in  seed-beds  in  a  well- 
exposed  position,  planting  out  the 
seedlings  in  the  spring  ;  (3)  in  seed- 
beds (March  to  April)  at  the  foot  of 
a  south  wall.  By  means  of  successive 
sowings  it  is  possible  to  obtain  an 
almost  uninterrupted  bloom  from  June 
until  frost  comes.  They  are  also  pro- 
pagated by  cuttings  made  in  the  spring 
or  summer,  and  even  during  the  whole 
of  flowering  time. 

APIOS  TUBEROSA  (Ground  Nut).— 
A  graceful  tuberous-rooted  perennial  of 
twining  habit,  with  leaves  cut  into  five 
lance-shaped  leaflets,  and  fragrant 
brown  flowers  in  dense  clusters  from 
July  to  September.  It  climbs  over 
bushes  to  a  height  of  4  to  8  feet,  and 
may  be  planted  to  cover  a  trellis  or  to 
roam  among  the  shrubs  at  the  back  of 
a  sunny  rock  garden,  several  tubers 
being  planted  together  to  secure  the 
best  effect.  To  do  well  the  soil  should 
be  light  and  warm,  with  full  sun  and 
some  shelter.  The  roots  are  eaten  in 
winter  by  the  Indians.  N.  America. 


Aponogeton  (Cape  Pond-flower). 

APONOGETON   (Cape   Pond- flower}. 
is    a    beautiful    and 


fragrant  water-plant  from  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,  hardy  in  many  parts  of 
these  islands.  Near  London,  during 
severe  winters,  it  is  interesting  to  see 
the  profuse  bloom  of  this  plant  in 
spring,  and  in  cold  districts  it  is  neces- 
sary, for  its  perfect  culture  in  the 
open  air,  to  grow  it  in  spring  or  other 
water  that  does  not  freeze  ;  in  mild 
districts  this  is  not  needed.  Failures 
often  result  from  putting  it  in  too 
shallow  water.  There  is  a  rosy-tinted 
variety  (roseus). 

AQUILEGIA  (Columbine).  —  Alpine, 
rock,  and  meadow  perennials  of  the 
Buttercup  order,  often  beautiful  and 
widely  distributed  over  the  northern 
and  mountain  regions  of  Europe,  Asia, 
and  America.  Of  great  variety  in 
colour — white,  rose,  buff,  blue,  and 
purple,  and  also  stripes  and  inter- 
mediate shades,  the  American  kinds 
having  yellow,  scarlet,  and  most 
delicate  shades  of  blue  flowers.  Fre- 
quently taller  than  most  of  the  plants 
strictly  termed  alpine,  they  are  true 
alpine  plants,  and  among  the  most 
singularly  beautiful  of  the  class.  On 
the  sunny  hills  of  the  Sierras  in  Cali- 
fornia, one  meets  with  a  large  scarlet 
Columbine,  that  has  almost  the  vigour 
of  a  Lily,  and  in  the  mountains  of  Utah, 
and  on  many  others  in  the  Rocky 
Mountain  region,  there  is  the  Rocky 
Mountain  Columbine  (A .  ccerulea) , 
with  its  long  and  slender  spurs  and 
lovely  cool  tints,  and  there  is  no  family 
that  has  a  wider  share  in  adorning  the 
mountains.  The  rarer  alpine  kinds 
should  be  planted  in  sandy  or  gritty 
though  moist  ground,  and  in  well- 
drained  ledges  in  the  rock  garden,  in 
half-shady  positions  or  northern  ex- 
posures. Most  rare  Columbines  fail  to 
form  enduring  tufts  in  our  gardens, 
and  they  must  be  raised  from  seeds  as 
often  as  good  seed  can  be  got.  It  is 
the  alpine  character  of  the  home  of 
many  of  the  Columbines  which  makes 
the  culture  of  some  of  the  lovely  kinds 
so  uncertain,  and  which  causes  them 
to  thrive  so  well  in  the  North  of  Scot- 
land while  they  fail  in  our  ordinary 
dry  garden  borders.  No  plants  are 
more  capricious  ;  the  charming  A . 
glandulosa,  grows  like  a  weed  at  Forres, 
in  Scotland,  and  is  so  short-lived  in  most 
gardens.  The  best  soil  for  them  is 
deep,  well-drained,  rich,  alluvial  loam. 
As  probably  many  of  the  species  are 
biennial,  it  is  necessary  to  raise  them 
from  seed  frequently  ;  and  to  avoid 
the  results  of  crossing  it  is  better  to 


AQUILEGIA.          THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


AQUILEGIA. 


347 


get  the  seed,  if  we  can,  from  the  wild 
home  of  the  species.  Sow  early  in 
spring,  and  prick  the  young  plants  out 
into  pans  or  into  an  old  garden  frame 


A  Columbine. 


as  soon  as  they  are  fit  to  handle, 
removing  them  early  in  August  to  the 
borders.  Choose  a  cloudy  day  for  the 
work,  and  give  them  a  little  shading 
for  a  few  days. 


A.  ALPINA  (Alpine  C.). — A  beautiful 
high  mountain  plant  i  foot  to  2  feet  high, 
with  showy  blue  flowers,  and  there  is  a 
lovely  variety  with  a  white  centre  to  the 
flower.  In  the  rock  garden  it  should  have 
a  rather  moist  and  sheltered,  but  not 
shady,  spot  in  deep  sandy  loam  or  peat. 
Seed  or  division. 

A.  CALIFORNICA  (Californian  C.). — One 
of  the  finest  of  the  American  species,  with 
one  bold  woody  stem,  3  feet  high,  and 
bright  orange  flowers.  The  seeds  should 
be  carefully  looked  after,  as  having  once 
blossomed  the  old  plant  may  perish. 
Thrives  best  on  a  deep  sandy  loam  and 
moist. 

A.  CANADENSIS  (Canadian  C.). — The 
flowers  are  smaller  than  the  W.  American 
kinds.  This  is  compensated  for  by  the 
brilliancy  of  the  scarlet  colour  of  the 
sepals  and  of  the  erect  spurs,  and  by  the 
bright  yellow  of  the  petals.  The  true 
plant  is  a  slender  grower,  i  foot  in  height. 
A  plant  for  borders,  or  placing  here  and 
there  among  dwarf  shrubs  and  plants  in 
the  rougher  parts  of  the  rock  garden. 

A.  CHRYSANTHA  (Golden  C.). — This  tall 
and  beautiful  species  is  perennial  on  many 
soils  where  the  other  kinds  perish,  thriving 
even  on  the  stiff  clay  soils  north  of  London. 
It  comes  true  from  seed,  which  is  most 
safely  raised  under  glass. 

A.  COZRULEA  (Rocky  Mountain  C.). — 
This  is  very  beautiful,  the  green-tipped 
spurs  of  the  flower  being  as  slender  as  a 
thread,  and  having  a  tendency  to  twist 
round  each  other.  It  is  hardy,  flowering 
early  in  summer,  from  12  inches  to  15 
inches  high,  worthy  of  the  best  position 
on  the  rock  garden,  and  in  choice  mixed 
borders,  where  the  soil  is  free  and  deep. 
Unlike  the  Golden  Columbine,  it  is  not 
perennial  on  many  soils,  though  longer- 
lived  in  cool  hill  gardens.  To  get  healthy 
plants  that  will  flower  freely,  seeds  should 
be  sown  annually. 

A.  GLANDULOSA  (Altaian  C.). — A  beau- 
tiful plant  of  tufted  habit,  flowering  in 
early  summer — a  fine  blue,  with  tips  of 
petals  creamy-white,  the  spur  curved 
backwards  towards  the  stalk,  the  sepals 
dark  blue,  large,  with  a  long  footstalk. 
It  is  a  native  of  the  Altai  Mountains,  and 
one  of  the  most  precious  flowers  for  the 
rock  garden,  in  deep  sandy  soil.  Seed 
and  division. 

A.  SKINNERI  (Skinner's  C.). — A  distinct 
plant,  the  flowers  produced  later  on  slender 
pedicles,  the  sepals  greenish,  the  petals 
small  and  yellow  ;  the  spurs  are  2  inches 
long  and  bright  orange-red.  Though 
from  Guatemala,  it  comes  from  mountain 
districts,  and  is  nearly  hardy.  While  the 
name  is  often  seen,  the  true  plant  is  rare. 

A.  VIRIDIFLORA. — A  fragrant  Siberian 
Columbine,  the  sage-green  of  the  flower 
and  the  delicate  tint  of  the  leaf  offering 
a  delicate  harmony.  In  tjie  border  it 


348 


ARABIS. 


THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


ARALIA. 


may  not  be  noticed,  but  if  a  spray  or  two 
are  put  in  a  glass  its  beauty  is  seen.  Seed. 

A.  VULGARIS  (Common  C.). — There  are 
many  forms  of  this,  and  double  kinds, 
flowering  from  May  till  towards  the  end 
of  summer.  Its  varieties,  and  some  hybrid 
forms,  may  well  be  used  in  the  more  pic- 
turesque parts  of  large  pleasure  grounds, 
by  streams  and  in  copses.  Where  bare 
places  occur,  and  seedlings  have  a  chance 
of  coming  up  without  being  strangled  by 
other  plants,  seed  may  be  scattered  as 
soon  as  ripe. 

ARABIS  (Rock  Cress).— A  large 
family  of  hill-plants,  few  of  which  are 
grown.  A.  albida  (White  Rock  Cress) 
will  grow  in  any  soil,  where  its  sheets 
of  snowy  bloom  may  open  in  early 
spring.  The  double  white  form  is  a 
favourite.  Both  are  easily  increased 
by  seed  or  cuttings,  and  are  useful  for 


Aralia.  spinosa. 

the  mixed  border,  the  spring  garden, 
and  for  naturalising  in  bare  or  rocky 


spots.  There  is  now  a  pale  rose  form. 
It  is  closely  allied  to  the  alpine  Rock 
Cress  (A.  alpina),  so  widely  distributed 
on  the  Alps,  but  is  distinct,  and  the 
best  kind.  A  variegated  form  is  the 
dwarfest  and  whitest  of  the  Rock 
Cresses.  A.  blepharophylla  (Rosy 
Rock  Cress)  is  not  unlike  the  white 
Arabis,  but  the  flowers  are  rosy-purple. 
It  varies  a  good  deal,  but  there  is  no 
difficulty  in  selecting  a  strain  of  the 
deepest  rose,  its  healthy  tufts  being 
effective  in  April.  There  are  varie- 
gated forms  of  the  commoner  species, 
but  none  have  much  value.  A.  are- 
nosa,  from  the  south  of  Europe,  is  a 
pretty  annual  in  the  spring  garden  or 
naturalised  on  old  ruins  or  dry  bare 
banks.  A.  petrcea,  a  neat,  sturdy  little 
plant,  with  pure  white  flowers,  is  a 
native  of  some  of  the  higher  Scottish 
mountains,  rare,  but  very  pretty  when 
well  grown  on  a  moist  well-exposed 
spot  on  the  rock  garden.  A.  S teller i, 
a  Chinese  species,  is  a  much  freer 
flowering  plant  than  A .  blepharophylla, 
ripening  seed  freely,  and  easily  grown 
in  the  rock  garden. 

ARALIA. — Shrubs  or  stout  her- 
baceous plants  of  the  Ivy  order,  of 
diverse  aspects,  few  fitted  for  open 
air,  except  A.  canescens  and  A.  spinosa, 
which  thrive  in  our  gardens,  and  which 
in  size  and  beauty  of  leaf  are  far  before 
many  "  fme-foliaged  plants  "  grown  in 
hothouses.  The  Aralias  described  are 
now  placed  under  Fatsia,  but  we  retain 
the  older  name  as  better  known  in 
gardens.  A .  papyrifera  (Chinese  Rice- 
paper  Plant),  though  a  native  of  the 
hot  island  of  Formosa,  is  useful  for  the 
greenhouse  in  winter  and  the  flower 
garden  in  summer.  It  is  handsome  in 
leaf,  but  is  only  suited  for  southern  or 
very  warm  gardens. 

A.  CHINENSIS. — A  hardy  shrub,  with 
very  large,  much-divided,  spiny  leaves, 
resembling  those  of  the  Angelica  Tree  of 
N.  America.  In  this  country  it  attains 
the  height  of  from  6  to  12  feet.  In  deep 
loam  it  thrives  vigorously.  May  be  useful 
in  a  garden  where  tender  fine-leaved 
plants  will  not  thrive.  Syn.  Dimorphan- 
thus  mandschuricus. 

A.  SIEBOLDI. — A  shrubby  species,  with 
fine  green  leaves,  nearly  hardy,  and  a 
handsome  bush  on  dry  soils  and  near  the 
sea.  It  may  be  used  in  the  flower  garden 
or  the  pleasure  ground,  but  it  soon  turns 
yellow  and  unhappy  looking  if  exposed  to 
much  sunshine.  It  is  hardier  in  the  shade, 
its  foliage  browning  badly  if  caught  too 
suddenly  by  the  sun  after  hard  frosts. 
Syn.  Fatsia  Japonica. 

A.  SPINOSA  (Angelica  Tree). — This  fine 


AkAitCARiA. 


ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


ARC±O*IS         349 


shrub  has  often  been  put  in  exposed  places, 
but  it  is  better  where  its  great  leaves  will 
not  be  torn,  and  in  every  size  may  be  used 


alia  c/iliiensis. 


in  the  pleasure  ground.  Its  small  white 
flowers  appear  in  autumn  in  great  panicles. 
Cuttings  of  the  roots.  N.  America. 

ARAUCARIA  (Monkey-  Puzzle}.—  A 
noble  group  of  cone-bearing  trees, 
most  of  them  too  tender  for  our  winters. 
A.  imbricata  is  a  native  of  Chili,  and 
the  only  species  which  does  at  all  well 
on  high  ground.  It  was  killed  by 
thousands  in  the  nurseries  and  gardens 
in  the  severe  winter  of  1860,  and  it  is 
no  way  suitable  for  the  garden,  being 
a  forest  tree  of  a  climate  very  different 
from  ours. 

ARAUJIA  SERICOFERA.—  A  bold 
and  distinct  evergreen  climber,  not 
hardy  everywhere,  but  where  it  suc- 
ceeds in  a  southern  county  flowers,  and 
in  late  summer  bears  curious  fruits. 
Syn.  Physianthus  albens.  S'.  America. 

ARBUTUS  (Strawberry  Tree}.—  Ever- 
green shrubs  of  much  beauty,  both  of 
flower  and  form  of  leaf  or  bush,  coming 
from  warmer  countries  thrive  best  on 
our  sea-shore  or  warmer  districts.  The 
beautiful  A  .  Unedo  grows  20  feet  high 
or  more  in  the  coast  districts,  but  inland 
it  is  cut  down  in  severe  winters.  There 
are  varieties  of  it,  one  of  the  best  being 
A.  Croomei,  which  has  longer  and 
broader  leaves  than  the  common  kind. 
The  variety  rubra  has  almost  bright 
scarlet  flowers  in  autumn.  S.  Europe, 
and  also  wild  in  the  south  of  Ireland. 
The  other  species  are  not  so  important 


as  flowering  trees,  though  good  ever- 
greens where  they  will  face  the  climate. 
A.  Andrachne,  with  smooth,  ruddy- 
tinged  bark,  is  hardy  in  the  south  and 
coast  districts.  It  grows  wild  in 
Greece,  and  is  a  very  old  tree  in  gar- 
dens. The  fine  Calif ornian  Arbutus 
Menziesii  is  hardy  with  us.  These 
shrubs  succeed  best  in  a  deep  light 
loam,  and  will  thrive  on  chalky  soils 
much  better  than  many  other  ever- 
green shrubs.  In  the  south  and  west 
of  England,  and  in  Ireland,  the  fruits 
are  freely  borne. 

ARCTOSTAPHYLOS  (Bear-berry}.— 
Mostly  trailing  alpine  evergreen  of  the 
Heath  order,  of  which  few  are  in  culti- 
vation. Of  this  group  A.  alpina  is 
useful  for  rocky  banks  or  edging  bog- 
beds.  A.  Uva-ursi  (Bear-berry)  is  a 
dwarf  evergreen  mountain  shrub,  i  foot 
high,  sometimes  grown  with  rock 
plants.  It  has  small  rose  flowers  in 
early  summer  and  red  berries  in 
autumn.  A.  alpina,  the  Black  Bear- 
berry,  has  trailing  stems  and  white  or 
flesh-coloured  flowers.  It  is  abundant 
in  hilly  places  in  Europe  and  N. 
America.  Grows  in  any  soil,  but 
prefers  a  moist  border  or  ledge.  Divi- 
sion. A.  nitida  is  a  Mexican  half- 
hardy  evergreen  with  shining  green 
leaves  and  white  flowers.  The  dwarf, 
much  branched  A.  pungens  is  also  a 
native  of  Mexico  ;  while  the  shrubby, 
hardy  A.  tomentosa  comes  from  N.W. 
America. 


Arctotis  arborescens. 


ARCTOTIS.  — .Showy        half-hardy 
composites  from  "the  Cape,  numbering 


35°        ARENARlA. 


THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN.  ARGEMONE. 


between  forty  and  fifty  species,  for  the 
most  part  little  known.  The  bright 
colours  of  many  are  more  intense  in  the 
open  air  than  when  the  plants  are 
cramped  in  pots  in  a  greenhouse.  Dry 
sunny  banks  often  devoid  of  plant  life 
might  be  clothed  with  them.  Although 
true  sun-loving  plants,  they  may  be 
used  as  a  groundwork  in  spots  where, 
in  the  shade  if  not  too  dense,  they 
flower  almost  as  freely  as  in  the  sun. 
They  require  warm  greenhouse  treat- 
ment in  winter. 

A.  ACAULIS  is  a  variable  dwarf  species  ; 
the  flowers  are  large,  attractive,  and  of  a 
deep  rich  orange.  It  does  not  ripen  seed 
freely,  but  is  easily  propagated  from  side 
shoots. 

A.  ASPERA  is  a  half-shrubby  species, 
with  deeply  cut  and  wrinkled  leaves  and 
creamy  flowers,  purplish  outside.  It  may 
be  used  in  vases  and  hanging  baskets,  the 
pink  buds  being  pretty.  Cuttings  strike 
readily  in  heat. 

A.  AUREOLA  is  of  shrubby  habit,  i  to 
2  feet  in  height,  with  handsome  orange 
flowers  towards  the  end  of  the  branches. 
Cuttings.  Syn.  A .  grandiflora. 

A.  GRANDIS. — A  handsome  kind  from 
the  Cape,  with  grey  or  silvery  leaves  and 
stems,  and  showy  white  flowers,  2  inches 
or  more  across,  with  a  gold-banded  pale 
mauve  centre,  and  shaded  with  lilac  on 
the  outside.  It  forms  a  bushy  plant  of 
about  2  feet  high,  flowering  freely  and 
through  a  long  season,  and  the  long- 
stemmed  flowers  are  useful  for  cutting  if 
gathered  on  first,  expanding,  though  they 
close  up  each  evening.  Seed  should  be 
sown  under  glass  in  early  spring,  and  the  I 
seedlings  planted  in  rich  light  soil  and  in 
the  hottest  part  of  the  garden,  as  soon  as 
danger  from  frost  is  over. 

A.  LEPTORHIZA. — A  showy  annual,  with 
rich  orange  flowers,  as  is  also  A .  breviscapa, 
which  likes  a  sunny  position.  The  seeds 
may  be  sown  in  the  open  air,  the  plant 
being  treated  as  a  hardy  annual.  A  sunny 
spot  should  be  chosen,  and  the  seedlings 
well  thinned. — K. 

ARENARIA  (Sandwort). — A  numer- 
ous family  of  rock  and  mountain  plants, 
of  vast  distribution  over  northern  and 
alpine  ranges,  and  in  temperate  coun- 
tries. Few  kinds  are  in  gardens,  and 
these  are  dwarf  plants,  easy  to  grow. 

A.  BALEARICA  (Creeping  Sandwort). — A 
pretty  little  plant,  which  covers  rocks  and 
stones  with  verdure,  and  scatters  over  the 
green  mantle  countless  white  starry 
flowers.  Plant  firmly  in  any  common  soil 
near  the  stones  or  rocks  it  is  to  cover,  and 
it  will  soon  begin  to  clothe  them.  Flowers 
in  spring.  Division.  Corsica. 

A.  MONTANA  (Mountain  Sandwort). — A 
pretty  rock,  plant,  with  fine  large  white 


flowers.  It  is  the  best  of  the  large  Sand- 
worts,  and  should  be  in  every  collection 
of  rock  plants,  being  hardy  and  free. 
France.  Seed  or  division. 

A.  NORWEGICA  is  one  of  the  best  kinds, 
forming  dense  cushions  about  6  inches  in 
diameter,  and  covered  with  large  white 
flowers  throughout  the  summer.  A  fine 
alpine  plant.  Norway. 

A.  PURPURASCENS  (Purplish  Sandwort). 
— An  interesting  kind  with  purplish 
flowers,  on  a  dwarf  tufted  mass  of  smooth- 
pointed  leaves.  It  is  plentiful  over  the 


Mountain  Sandwort  (A reiiaria  nwntana). 

Pyrenean  Mountains.  Seed  or  division. 
It  should  be  associated  in  the  rock  garden 
with  the  smallest  plants. 

There  are  many  species,  but  not 
among  them  plants  of  much  garden 
value. 

ARETHUSA. — A.  bulbosa  is  a  beau- 
tiful American  hardy  Orchid,  which 
grows  in  wet  meadows  or  bogland, 
blossoming  in  May  and  June.  Each 
plant  bears  a  bright  rose-purple  flower 
that  shows  well  on  its  bed  of  Sphag- 
num, Cranberry,  and  Sedge.  The  little 
bulbs  grow  in  a  mossy  mat  formed  by 
the  roots  and  decaying  herbage  of 
plants  and  moss.  A  shady  moist  spot 
with  a  northern  exposure  is  best,  and 
the  soil  should  be  a  mixture  of  well- 
rotted  manure  and  Sphagnum.  Dur- 
ing winter  protect  the  bed  with  some 
cover. 

ARGEMONE  (Prickly  Poppy}.— 
Handsome  Poppy-like  plants,  said  to 
be  perennial,  but  perishing  on  moist 
soils  after  the  first  year.  As  they  come 
from  the  warmer  parts  of  California  and 
Mexico,  and  even  there  grow  on  dry 
hill-sides  and  in  warm  valleys,  their 
perishing  here  may  be  understood. 
Usually  about  2  feet  high,  they  have 
large  white  flowers  4  inches  across,  with 


ARISTOLOCHIA.        THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


ARNICA. 


351 


a  bunch  of  yellow  stamens  in  the  centre. 
They  require  a  warm  loam,  and  go 
with  the  choicest  annual  flowers. 
Mostly  grown  are  A.  mexicana,  A. 
grandi flora,  and  A.  hispida  ;  so  much 
alike  in  habit  as  not  to  need  separate 
description.  Seed  end  of  April  in 
open. 

ARISTOLOCHIA  (Dutchman's  Pipe}. 
— Climbing  Birthworts  of  curious  form 
of  flower,  and  effective  in  foliage.  A. 
Sipho  is  generally  used  as  a  wall-plant, 
but  is  finer  for  covering  bowers,  or  for 
clambering  up  trees  or  over  stumps. 
A.  tomentosa  is  smaller,  distinct  in  its 
tone  of  green,  and  useful  in  like  ways  ; 
both  plants  are  N.  American,  growing 
with  freedom  in  ordinary  garden  soil. 
The  family  is  a  large  one,  mainly 
tropical,  but  some  of  the  forms  go  into 
northern  countries.  Cuttings. 

ARISTOTELIA. — A.  macqui  is  a 
hardy  Chilian  shrub  of  the  Lime  Tree 
family,  chiefly  esteemed  for  its  hand- 
some evergreen  foliage.  The  pea-like 
berries  are  at  first  dark  purple,  but 
eventually  black.  There  is  a  varie- 
gated form,  but  not  quite  so  hardy  as 
the  species.  Commoner  in  southern 
Ireland  than  in  England. 

ARMERIA  ( Thrift]  .—Rock  and 
shore  plants  of  the  Statice  order,  of 
which  the  best  known  is  the  common 
A .  vulgar  is  (Thrift) .  This  native  of 
our  shores,  and  of  the  tops  of  the 


The  Tufted  Thrift  {Armenia  ccespitosci). 

Scottish  mountains,  is  very  pretty, 
with  its  flowers  of  soft  lilac  or  white 
springing  from  cushions  of  grass-like 
leaves  ;  but  the  deep  rosy  form,  rarely 


seen  wild,  best  deserves  cultivation. 
It  is  useful  for  the  spring  garden,  for 
banks  or  borders  in  shrubberies,  for 
edgings,  and  for  the  rock  garden,  and 
is  easily  increased  by  division.  As  old 
plants  do  not  bloom  so  long  as  young 
ones,  occasional  replanting  is  desirable. 
In  addition  to  the  white  variety  and 
the  old  dark  red  one,  there  are  Crimson 
Gem  and  Laucheana,  the  flowers  intense 
pink.  A.  ccespitosa  is  a  rose-coloured 
kind  from  the  south  of  Europe,  5000  to 
8000  feet  above  sea-level.  Its  flower- 
heads,  each  from  f  inch  to  i  inch  in 
diameter,  are  borne  on  slender  stems 
i  to  2  inches  high  from  June  to  Sep- 
tember. A.  cephalotes  (Great  Thrift) 
is  one  of  the  best  hardy  flowers  from 
S.  Europe,  and  should  be  in  every 
collection.  A.  setacea  is  an  alpine 
species,  with  little  globose  heads  of 
pink  flowers  so  numerous  as  almost  to 
conceal  the  plant  on  flower-stems  from 
i  to  3  inches  high.  This  and  A .  juncea 
are  found  in  the  south  of  France  on 
barren  stony  mounds. 

A  R  N  E  B  I  A  (Prophet-flower] .—A 
handsome  and  distinct  perennial,  i 
foot  to  1 8  inches  high.  A.  echioides 
has  flowers  of  a  bright  primrose-yellow, 
with  five  black  spots  on  the  corolla, 
which  gradually  fade  and  finally  dis- 
appear. It  is  hardy  either  on  the 
rock  garden  or  in  a  well-drained  border, 
and  prefers  partial  shade.  A  native  of 
the  Caucasus  and  Northern  Persia,  and 
though  long  introduced  is  still  among 
the  rarest  of  hardy  flowers.  Young 
plants  bloom  long,  which  adds  to  their 
charms.  Increased  by  seeds  and  by 
root  cuttings  in  winter. 

ARNICA  (Lamb's-skin).—A  small 
group  of  perennial  herbs  of  the  Daisy 
order,  with  clustered  leaves  and  neat 
yellow  flowers  on  long  stems.  They  do 
well  in  the  ropk  garden  or  border,  in 
open  sandy  soils.  Increase  by  divi- 
sion, or  seed  when  obtainable.  A. 
Chamissonis  from  N.  America  is  a 
pretty  plant  of  i  to  2  feet,  with  woolly 
leaves  and  yellow  flowers  2  inches 
across,  from  July  to  September.  A. 
montana  (Mountain  Tobacco)  is  a 
European  plant  about  12  inches  high, 
with  smooth,  lance-shaped  leaves  and 
yellow  flowers  2  inches  across  in  sum- 
mer, the  blooms  gathered  into  threes 
and  fours  on  hairy  stems.  This  pretty 
rock  plant  is  of  slow  growth,  and 
should  have  a  place  in  sandy  peat  and 
partial  shade.  A.  foliosa,  from  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  is  not  unlike  the 


ARONIA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         ARTEMISIA. 


last,  but  taller,  with  smaller  flowers, 
and  needs  a  damp  place.  A.  sachalin- 
ensis  from  the  Far  East  grows  18 
inches  high,  with  abundant  yellow 
flowers. 

ARONIA. — A  group  of  shrubs  allied 
to  Pyrus,  but  distinct  in  aspect,  and 
when  grouped  effective  in  colour,  but 
so  fragile  that  mixed  in  the  ordinary 


rarely  for  their  flowers.  A.  anethi folia 
is  one  of  the  most  elegant  herbaceous 
perennials,  5  feet  in  height.  A .  annua 
is  a  graceful  plant  with  tall  stems  5  or 
6  feet  high,  the  foliage  fine,  and  the 
flowers  not  showy  in  elegant  panicles. 
The  hue  is  a  fresh  and  pleasing  green, 
and  the  plant  is  a  graceful  centre  of  a 
flower-bed  or  group.  Other  kinds,  like 


Arum  crinitum  (Dragon's  Mouth). 


way  they  give  little  effect,  whereas 
massed  they  are  charming  both  in 
flower  and  in  fine  colour  of  leaf  in 
autumn.  Three  kinds  of  easy  culture 
are  nigra,  arbutifolia,  and  floribunda. 

ARTEMISIA  (Wormwood}.  —  Herbs 
and  low  bushes  covering  a  large  part 
of  the  surface  of  northern  and  arid 
regions.  Though  often  poor  weeds, 
some  have  a  use  in  gardens,  though 


A .  alpina  and  A .  frigida,  belong  to  an 
alpine  group,  which  is  at  home  in  the 
rock  garden,  while  there  are  many 
taller  herbaceous  and  half-woody 
plants  of  a  silvery  hue,  such  as  A .  Stel- 
leriana,  A .  cana,  A .  maritima,  and  some 
with  handsome  Fern-like  foliage,  as  A. 
tanaceti folia.  A .  lactiflora,  from  China, 
has  stately  Spiraea-like  plumes  oi 
creamy  flowers,  6  feet  high.  It  is 
valuable  for  grouping. 


ARUM. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


ASIMINA. 


353 


ARUM  (Cuckoo  Pint).— Tuberous 
rooted  plants  of  distinct  form ;  some 
are  hardy.  They  thrive  best  in  warm 
borders  and  about  the  sunny  side  of 
garden  walls.  Some  nine  or  ten  kinds 
are  found  in  S.  Europe.  They  have, 
when  in  bloom,  a  very  offensive  odour. 

A.  CRINITUM  (Dragon's  Mouth). — In 
flower  this  is  very  grotesque,  from  the 
singular  shape  of  its  broad  speckled  spathe. 
The  leaves  are  cut  into  deep  segments, 
and  the  leaf-stalks  overlapping  each  other, 
form  a  sort  of  spurious  stem  i  foot  or 
14  inches  high,  marbled  and  spotted  with 
purplish-black.  Warm  borders,  fringes  of 
shrubberies,  or  beds  of  the  smaller  sub- 
tropical plants  suit  it  best.  Division  of 
tubers. 

A.  DRACUNCULUS  (Dragons,  Snake 
Plant),  from  S.  Europe,  attains  a  height 
of  2  to  3  feet ;  the  leaves  large  ;  the  stalks 
and  stem  of  a  fleshy  colour,  deeply  mottled 
with  black.  It  loves  best  a  corner  to 
itself  in  sandy  loam  at  the  foot  of  a  south 
wall.  Has  a  disagreeable  odour.  Divi- 
sion. 

A.  ITALICUM  (Italian  Arum)  is  larger 
than  our  native  Arum  ;  the  veins  blotched 
with  yellow.  As  the  leaves  come  very 
early  in  the  season,  they  are  attractive. 
In  the  autumn,  when  they  have  died  away, 
the  clusters  of  scarlet  berries,  on  foot- 
stalks 10  inches  or  12  inches  long,  are 
showy. 

Arundinaria.     See  BAMBUSA. 

ARUNDO  (Great  Reed) .—Important 
grasses  of  fine  form,  sometimes  of  great 
height.  A.  conspicua  (New  Zealand 
Reed)  is  a  grass  of  noble  form — a  com- 
panion for  the  Pampas  Grass,  especially 
in  the  western  and  southern  countries 
and  on  light  soils.  In  fine  deep  loams 
it  reaches  a  height  of  nearly  1 2  feet,  but 
perishes  from  cold  or  other  causes  on 
many  soils.  It  flowers  earlier  than 
the  Pampas  Grass.  It  likes  plenty  of 
water  nearly  all  the  year  round,  and 
may  be  increased  by  seeds  or  division. 
A.  Donax  is  the  "  Great  Reed  "  of  the 
south  of  Europe,  a  noble  plant  on  good 
soils,  in  the  south  of  England  making 
canes  10  feet  high,  in  rich  soil,  but  in 
our  country  it  has  suffered  much  in 
recent  severe  winters.  A.  Phragmites 
(Common  Reed)  is  the  native  marsh 
plant,  6  feet  or  more  high,  bearing 
when  in  flower  a  large,  handsome, 
spreading,  purplish  panicle.  It  is  an 
excellent  cover  for  water  birds. 

ASARUM  (Asarabacca). — Curious 
little  plants  resembling  Cyclamens  in 
their  leaves,  but  of  little  value  except 
as  curiosities.  A.  canadense  is  the 


Canadian  Snakeroot,  which  bears  in 
spring  curious  brownish-purple  flowers, 
the  roots  being  strongly  aromatic,  like 
Ginger.  A.  virginicum  is  the  Heart 
Snakeroot,  its  leaves  thick  and  leathery, 
with  the  upper  surface  mottled  with 
white.  A.  caudatum  is  from  Oregon, 
and  much  like  the  others  in  habit,  but 
the  divisions  of  the  flower  have  long 
tail-like  appendages.  A.  europceum  is 
the  Asarabacca,  the  flowers  greenish, 
about  ^  inch  long,  and  close  to  the 
ground. 


ASCLEPIAS  (Milk-weed,  Silk-i 
— A  large  genus  of  strong  -  growing 
herbaceous  perennials,  few  of  them 
adapted  for  the  flower  garden,  as  they 
require  a  good  deal  of  room,  and  are 
not  attractive.  They  thrive  in  a  light 
or  peaty  soil,  and  may  be  increased  by 
division.  A.  acuminata  has  red  and 
white  flowers.  A.  amcena,  purple; 
A.  Cornuti  (the  common  Milk- weed) — 
also  known  as  A .  syriaca — grows  vigor- 
ously to  a  height  of  4  feet,  and  bears 
umbels  of  deep  purple  fragrant  flowers, 
of  which  bees  seem  to  be  fond.  A. 
incarnata  (the  Swamp  Milk-weed)  is  a 
good  waterside  plant  with  rose-purple 
flowers.  A.  quadrifolia  (Four-leaved 
Milk-weed)  bears  fragrant  terminal 
heads  of  lilac-white  flowers  early  in 
the  summer.  A.  purpumscens  is  also 
a  waterside  plant  with  purple  flowers. 
A.  rubra  (the  Red  Milk- weed)  is  a  dis- 
tinct tall-growing  plant  with  long 
bright  green  foliage,  and  large  umbels 
of  purple-red  flowers.  A.  tuber  osa 
(the  Butterfly  Silk-weed)  is  the  pretti- 
est species,  with  its  clusters  of  showy 
bright  orange-red  flowers  in  the 
autumn.  Good  flowering  plants  may 
be  obtained  from  seed  in  three  years, 
but  is  mostly  increased  by  dividing 
the  tubers.  This  species  likes  sandy 
soil  and  a  warm  situation.  A.  varie- 
gata  (Variegated  Milk-weed)  has  dense 
umbels  of  handsome  white  flowers  with 
a  reddish  centre.  The  downy  stems 
reach  a  height  of  2  to  4  feet,  and  are 
mottled  with  purple. 

ASIMINA  (  Virginian  Papaw). — A 
N.  American  shrub,  or  low  tree  of 
the  Custard  Apple  family.  A.  triloba 
forms  a  small  tree,  with  dull  purple 
flowers,  about  2  inches  across.  It  bears 
fruit  eaten  by  the  inhabitants  of  the 
Southern  States ;  hence  the  name. 
Sometimes  grown  against  a  wall  in 
this  country,  but  hardy  in  the  southern 
counties. 


354         ASPARAGUS.          fHE    ENGLISH  FLOWER    GARDEN.  ASPLENIUM. 


ASPARAGUS.— Herbaceous  plants 
or  climbers  of  the  Lily  order,  of  fine 
habit  with  elegant  leaves.  The  vigor- 
ous and  tall  A.  Broussoneti  is  quite 


A  Climbing  Asparagus. 

hardy  in  warm  sandy  soil,  and  so  are 
A.  tenuifolius  and  others.  The  com- 
mon Asparagus  is  as  good  as  any,  and 
a  tuft  or  group  of  it  is  graceful  in  a 
border  of  flowers  or  a  bed  of  fine-leaved 
plants. 

ASPERULA  (Sweet  Woodruff).— A. 
odorata,  which  belongs  to  the  same 
family  as  the  Coffee  Plant,  is  abundant 
in  many  parts  of  Britain,  and  worthy 
of  the  garden  or  shrubbery,  especially 
in  districts  where  it  does  not  occur 
wild.  Its  stems  and  leaves  give  off  a 
fragrant  hay-like  odour  when  dried  ; 
and  in  May  the  small  white  flowers, 
dotted  over  the  tufts  of  whorled  leaves, 
are  pretty.  A .  azurea  setosa  (A .  orien- 
talis]  is  a  pretty  hardy  blue  annual, 
flowering  in  April  and  May.  Sow  seed 
in  the  previous  autumn.  A.  cynan- 
chica  is  a  rosy-red  perennial,  and  a 
good  bank  or  rough  rock- plant.  A. 
hexaphylla  is  a  tall  slender  white- 
flowered  species. 

ASPHODELINE.  —  Plants  nearly 
allied  to  the  following,  but  the  stems 


of  Asphodelus  are  leafless,  while  in 
Asphodeline  the  leaves  are  produced  on 
erect  stems.  About  six  kinds  are  in 
cultivation,  the  best  known  being  A. 
lutea,  which  grows  about  3  feet  high, 
with  yellow  flowers  in  dense  clustered 
spikes.  A.  taurica  has  white  flowers, 
on  stems  i  to  2  feet  high.  A.  liburnica 
(A .  cretica)  and  A .  tenuior  have  yellow 
flowers  in  loose  racemes.  A.  damas- 
cena  has  white  blossoms  in  dense 
racemes,  and  A.  brevicaulis  has  yellow 
flowers  in  loose  racemes.  These  all 
thrive  in  ordinary  soil. 

ASPHODELUS  (A sphodel)  .—Tuber- 
ous plants  of  the  Lily  order,  with 
spiked  flowers,  and  not  of  a  high  order 
of  beauty,  thriving  in  any  free  garden 
soil.  The  best  known  is  the  bold  A. 
ramosus,  a  S.  European  species,  familiar 
in  most  old  herbaceous  plant  borders. 
Other  kinds  are  A .  fistulosus  and  tenui- 
folius, with  white  flowers,  the  plant 
growing  from  i-J-  to  3  feet  high.  The 
last-named  kind"  has  delicate  feathery 
foliage.  A .  creticus,  the  Cretan  Aspho- 
del, has  yellow  flowers,  and  is  an  easily 
cultivated  border  plant. 

ASPIDIUM  (Shield  or  Wood  Fern].— 
This  family  now  embraces  the  Poly- 
stichum  and  some  species  of  Lastrea. 
There  are  numerous  hardy  kinds, 
among  them  the  Male  Fern  (A.  Filix- 
mas)  and  the  Prickly  Shield  Fern. 
Either  alone  or  in  groups  they  have  a 
fine  effect,  as  an  undergrowth  to  trees 
in  the  pleasure  garden  or  in  the  shadier 
parts  of  the  garden,  and  are  evergreen. 
There  are  no  fewer  than  a  hundred 
named  sorts  of  A .  aculeatum  and  fifty  of 
A .  Filixmas  being  enumerated  in  trade 
lists.  The  smaller  and  more  delicate 
kinds  require  some  care.  A .  aculeatum 
is  best  in  rich  loam,  with  sand  and  leaf- 
mould,  well-drained,  and  so  does  the 
Male  Fern.  The  border  Ferns  of  this 
group  give  fine  cool  effects  in  rightly 
chosen  spots  in  and  near  the  flower 
garden. 

ASPLENIUM  (Spleenwort).—The  fine 
dark  green  colour  and  free-growing 
character  of  most  of  the  Spleenwort 
Ferns  give  them  distinct  value.  The 
best  soil  for  them  is  a  well-drained 
mixture  of  peat,  sand,  and  loam,  in 
which  the  finer  kinds  of  flowering 
shrubs,  such  as  Kalmias  and  Andro- 
medas,  thrive.  A.  Adiantum  nigrum 
(the  Black  Spleenwort)  when  wild, 
fringes  copses  or  is  found  on  hedge- 
banks,  where  it  gets  a  little  protection 
from  the  summer  sun.  The  various 
smaller  species  of  this  genus  belong 


ASTER. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN".          ASTRAGALUS.       355 


more  to  the  choice  fernery  than  to  the 
flower  garden,  unless  when  we  are 
happy  in  having  old  walls  near  or 
around  it,  often  so  congenial  a  home 
for  the  smaller  rock- ferns. 

ASTER  (Starwort,  Michaelmas 
Daisy}.  —  Hardy  perennial  plants. 
There  is  a  quiet  beauty  about  the  more 
select  Starworts,  which  is  charming  in 

•  the  autumn  days,  and  their  variety  of 
colour,  of  form,  and  of  bud  and  blos- 
som is  delightful.  For  the  most  part 
Starworts  are  regardless  of  cold  or 
rain.  Even  where  not  introduced  into 
the  flower  garden,  they  should  always 
be  grown  for  cutting  ;  and  they  aie 

i  excellent  for  forming  bold  groups  to 
cover  the  bare  ground  among  newly- 

I  planted  shrubs.  Nothing  can  be  more 
easy  to  cultivate.  The  essential  point 

1  is  to  get  the  distinct  kinds,  of  which 
the  following  are  amongst  the  best  that 
flower  in  early  October  : — Aster  amel- 

I   lus,  acris,  cassubicus,  turbinellus,  Chap- 

!  mani,  versicolor,  pulchellus,  cordifolius, 
elegans,  Reevesi,  discolor,  laxus,  horizon- 
tails,  ericoides,  Shorti,  multiflorus,  dumo- 
sus,  Curtisi,  l&vis,  longifolius,  coccineus, 
sericeus,  Nova-Angler,  Ncvo  -  Belgii, 
puniceus,  and  vimineus.  Every  year 
adds  to  our  autumn-blooming  hardy 


Aster  Strackeyi. 

plants,  and  a  choice  of  Starworts  may 
be  made  by  autumn  visits  to  collec- 
tions. 

ASTILBE  (Goat's  Beard}.— A  vigor- 
ous group  of.  chiefly  tall-branching 
herbaceous  perennials.  The  robust 
kinds  resemble  the  Spiraeas  of  the 
Aruncus  group,  but  are  bolder,  and 
perhaps  better  suited  for  the  margin 
of  water.  There  are  eight  kinds  in 
cultivation,  the  best  known  of  which 
are  A.  japonica  and  A.  rivularis. 
Moist  places  in  the  wild  garden  are 


most  suitable  for  A.  decandra,  A. 
rivularis,  A.  rubra,  A.  Lemoinei,  and 
A.  Thunbergi,  the  last  being  also 
known  as  Spiraea.  These  plants  group 
well,  and  the  handsome  foliage  makes 
healthy  undergrowth,  over  which  the 
tall  plumes  of  white  or  red  flowers 
tower  with  good  effect.  The  new. 
hybrid  Astilbes,  raised  by  crossing  A. 
Davidii  and  other  species,  are  important 
gains,  and  may  be  used  with  good 
effect,  particularly  in  cool  or  moist 
situations  where  a  rich  soil  obtains. 
Their  habit  is  that  of  an  enlarged  A. 
japonica,  both  in  foliage  and  flower, 
the  chief  colours  being  pink,  rose, 
salmon,  and  carmine.  They  are  of  a 
uniform  height  of  3  feet.  Ceres,  rosy- 
lilac  ;  Gloria,  rich  rose  ;  Kriemhilde, 
salmon  ;  opal,  purplish  -  pink  ;  Sieg- 
fried, carmine  ;  Venus,  rosy-purple  ; 
Queen  Alexandra,  pink;  and  Salmon 

gueen,    are    a   selection    of    the   best, 
ivision  of  the  roots,  and  some  by  the 
runners. 

A  recently  introduced  kind  is  the 
vigorous  and  handsome  A.  Davidii, 
with  crimson-purple  flowers  on  stems 
about  6  feet  high.  It  is  a  fine  peren- 
nial. A .  Simplicifolia,  a  new  perennial 
Alpine  species  of  the  highest  beauty 
and  omament  from  Japan.  Rarely  a 
foot  high,  with  somewhat  hairy,  palin- 
ately  lobed  leaves  in  cushion-like  form. 
It  produces  graceful  pamiles  of  creamy 
white  flowers  in  July  and  August  with 
the  greatest  freedom.  A  first-class 
plant  for  cool  or  moist  places  in  the 
rock  garden  in  rich  vegetable  soils. 
^There  is  also  a  rose-coloured  variety, 
the  twain  unequalled  for  dainty  grace. 
A  most  amiable  and  easily  grown  plant, 
it  produces  seeds  freely  and  may  be 
quickly  had  in  quantity.  Quite  an 
acquisition. 

ASTRAGALUS  (Milk  Vetcfo.—A 
large  family  of  alpine  and  perennial 
leguminous  plants,  not  many  of  which 
are  valuable  for  the  garden.  The  best 
are  rock  plants,  but  they  grow  freely 
on  the  level  ground  in  borders.  A. 
monspessulanus  is  useful  for  the  front 
of  borders  and  for  the  rock  garden. 
The  vigorous  shoots  are  prostrate, 
so  that  it  is  seen  to  greater  advantage 
when  its  long  heads  of  crimson  and 
rosy  flowers  droop  over  rocks.  It  grows 
well  in  any  soil.  Ther£  are  several 
varieties.  A.  Onobrychis  (Saintfoin 
Milk  Vetch)  is  a  handsome  species 
from  S.  Europe  and  Siberia  (in 
some  varieties  spreading,  and  in  others 
about  1 8  inches  high),  with  racemes  of 


356         ASTRANTIA.          fHE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.          AUBRIETIA. 


purplish-crimson  flowers  in  June.  It 
thrives  well  on  any  good  loam.  A. 
dasy glottis  is  well  suited  for  the  rock 
garden.  Its  numerous  showy  flower- 
heads,  of  a  clear  bright  purple,  are  set 
off  by  the  fresh  green  foliage.  A. 
adsurgens  is  dwarf,  with  numbers  of 
violet-carmine  flowers.  A.  vaginatus 
succeeds  in  an  exposed  position  in  any 
ordinary  border.  The  showy  deep 
violet-purple  flowers  are  borne  in  dense 
erect  clusters  for  a  long  time. 

ASTRANTIA  (Master-wort}.  —  Um- 
belliferous plants,  natives  of  the  moun- 
tains of  S.  Europe.  The  most  distinct 
are  A.  major  and  A.  helleborifolia.  A. 
helleborifolia  is  from  the  Caucasus,  with 
the  largest  flower  of  any,  the  colour 
clear  pink  ;  but  the  habit  of  the  plant 
is  straggling,  and  the  flowers  smell 
unpleasantly  of  sour  milk.  The 


of  water  during  their  growing  period, 
but  not  in  winter,  because  all  the 
varieties  are  deciduous,  the  ground  at 
that  period  being  wet  enough  naturally. 
Among  many  fine  hardy  evergreen  and 
herbaceous  plants  Lady  Ferns  might 
be  planted  with  advantage  ;  they  will 
thrive  in  a  little  shade  where  protected 
from  drying  winds.  There  are  many 
beautiful  forms. 

Atragene.     See  CLEMATIS. 

ATRAPHAXIS      (Goat     Wheat}.  - 
Plants     allied     to     the     Polygonums. 
There  are  two  or  three  kinds,  but  not 
attractive  plants  for  the  garden. 

AUBRIETIA  (Purple  Rock  Cress).— 
A  charming  group  of  rock  plants  from 
the  mountains  of  S.  Europe.  There 
are  many  varieties  in  gardens,  the 
majority  descendants  probably  from 
A .  deltoidea.  Of  these  the  best  of  the 


Aster  elegnns  (Lilac  Starwort) 


Astrantias  have  a  quaint  beauty  of 
their  own  ;  they  are  not  showy,  nor 
particular  about  soil  or  aspect.  They 
are  easily  established  in  woodland 
walks  where  the  growth  of  weeds  is 
not  too  rank. 

ATHROTAXIS. — A  little  group  of 
tender  trees  from  Tasmania,  which  do 
well  in  the  southern  parts  of  our 
islands  near  the  sea,  but  of  slight  value 
elsewhere. 

ATHYRIUM  (Lady  Fern).— Beau- 
tiful hardy  Ferns,  which  A.  Filix- 
femina  may  be  taken  to  represent. 
They  like  a  compost  of  loam,  leaf- 
mould,  and  peat,  mixed  in  about  equal 
proportions,  with  the  addition  of  some 
sharp  sand.  They  require  abundance 


older  sorts  are  Campbelli,  graca,  grandi- 
flora,  Hendersoni,  and  violacea.  Some, 
like  Dr.  Mules,  Beauty  of  Baden, 
Souvenir  de  W.  Ingram,  and  LeicJiUini, 
are  of  more  recent  date  and  higher 
garden  value  ;  while  such  as  Lavender, 
Fire  King,  Aubrey  Prichard,  Prichard's 
Ai,  Violet  Queen  and  Lloyd  Edwards, 
represent  the  most  recent  additions  to 
this  valuable  and  easily-grown  class  of 
hardy  plants. 

The  Aubrietia  is  excellent  as  a  wall- 
plant.  We  need  only  sow  the  seed  in 
any  mossy  or  earthy  chinks  in  autumn 
or  spring  ;  indeed  they  will  sow  them- 
selves on  walls,  and  often  bloom  on  the 
sunny  sides  in  February.  Rock  gar- 
dens, stony  places,  and  sloping  banks 
suit  Aubrietias  perfectly.  They  make 


AUCUBA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


AZALEA. 


357 


neat  edgings,  and  may  be  used  as  such 
with  good  effect.  There  are  one  or 
two  variegated  varieties.  Aubrietias 
are  easy  to  naturalise  in  rocky  places, 
and  may  be  easily  got  from  seeds, 
cuttings  (young  unflowered  pieces 
being  the  best),  or  by  division. 

AUCUBA  (Himalayan  Laurel). — A 
noble  evergreen  which  came  into  this 
country  in  a  curious  way.  Like  the 
young  man  from  the  country  fas- 
cinated by  the  painted  lady  on  the 
stage,  the  man  who  first  brought  it  to 
this  country  selected  a  poor  spotted 
form.  People  who  love  variegation 
were  delighted  with  this  for  years,  and 


perfect  health,  and  fruiting  yearly. 
Where  it  fruits  well,  it  is  very  pretty 
for  indoor  decoration.  The  natural 
plant  varies  much  in  form  of  leaf,  and 
sometimes  names  are  given  to  these 
forms,  but  they  have  little  value. 
Where  an  evergreen  covert  is  desired 
under  trees  it  might  be  well  to  use 
Aucubas — it  is  so  easily  increased,  that 
it  would  not  be  difficult  to  get  a  stock. 
The  Himalayan  kind  is  thought  by 
Mr  Bean  not  to  differ  very  much  from 
the  Japanese  kind. 

AZALEA  (Swamp  Honeysuckle). — 
Beautiful  upland  and  bog  shrubs  from 
N.  America,  and,  if  only  as  a  relie 


Purple  Rock  Cress  (Aubrietia). 


it  took  long  to  find  out  the  really  good 
things  under  this  name.  As  with  so 
many  other  plants,  variegation  is  a 
disease.  The  natural  plant  is  the  best 
evergreen  yet  introduced.  It  is  fine 
in  colour  and  hardier  than  the  true 
Laurel,  and  has  good  qualities  in  all 
ways  for  garden  or  woodland.  I  began 
with  the  spotted  kind,  but,  not  loving 
variegation  in  any  form,  I  went  to  a 
good  nursery,  where  I  picked  out  a 
number  of  green  forms,  which  differed 
so  much  in  leaf  that  I  had  the  greatest 
pleasure  in  using  them.  Fully  exposed, 
the  foliage  is  very  attractive,  and  the 
plant  has  the  precious  quality  of  grow- 
ing under  Pines  or  various  trees  in 


from  the  heaviness  of  Rhododendrons, 
their  graceful  growth  is  precious. 
Nothing  in  the  open  garden  is  so  charm- 
ing as  old  Azalea  bushes  in  flower,  with 
their  branches  in  table-like  tiers  ;  but 
the  brilliant  tints  always  seem  most 
effective  in  the  subdued  light  of  a 
shady  wood,  and  happily  few  shrubs 
flower  better  in  partial  shade  than 
Azaleas.  They  like  shelter,  even  from 
southerly  winds,  and  peaty  soil  suits 
them  best,  though  they  grow  well  in 
loam. 

The  hardy  Azaleas,  called  Ghent 
Azaleas,  have  sprung  chiefly  from 
the  wild  kinds  of  N.  America — A. 
nudi  flora,  'A.  calendulacea,  and  A. 


353 


AZALEA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


viscosa.  These  and  A.  ponlica  have 
been  so  hybridised  with  the  wild 
Azalea  of  S.  Europe  that  we  have  a 
race  in  which  the  colours  of  the  various 
species  are  blended  and  diversified  in 
a  great  variety  of  tints,  and  they  all 
intercross  so  freely  that  it  is  difficult 


Flowers  of  Azalea  awllis. 

to  single  out  a  variety  identical  with 
any  of  the  wild  species.  Fifty  years 
ago,  Latin  names  were  given  to  every 
fine  variety,  but  they  could  soon  be 
numbered  by  the  hundred  from  Belgian 
gardens  alone.  Now  very  few  soits  are 
named.  Every  variation  of  tint,  from 
the  most  fiery  scarlets  to  delicate  pinks, 
whites,  and  dark  and  pale  yellows,  is 
to  be  had  in  Ghent  Azaleas,  a  very 
beautiful  one  being  the  pure  white 
Mrs  Anthony  Waterer.  Of  late  years 
there  has  sprung  up  a  new  race  with 
double  Hose-in-hose  flowers,  collec- 
tively called  the  Narcissi-flora  group, 
the  chief  sorts  of  which  number  about 
a  score  —  Graf  von  Meran,  one  of 
the  first,  being  still  among  the  best 
yellows.  A  Calif ornian  species,  named 
A.  occidentalis ,  is  distinct  from  the 
deciduous  Azaleas,  as  it  flowers  after 
the  others  are  past.  It  has  bunches 
of  fragrant  white  flowers  and  broad 
foliage.  A.  mollis,  a  dwarf  deciduous 
shrub  from  Japan  and  China,  has  given 
rise  to  a  variety  of  kinds,  yellow, 
salmon-red,  and  orange-scarlet  being 
the  prevailing  colours.  It  is  hardy, 
and  being  dwarf  may  be  grouped  as  a 
foreground  to  a  mass  of  the  tall  kinds. 
The  Chinese  A.  amcena,  with  small 
magenta  flowers,  common  enough  in 
greenhouses,  is  quite  hardy  in  mild 
localities  and  rich  in  bold  masses.  The 
Chinese  4;  indica,  the  ordinary  Azalea 


of  greenhouses,  is  hardy  in  many  places, 
especially  the  white  variety,  which, 
even  in  mid-Sussex,  thrives  in  the  open 
air.  The  Ledum-leaved  Azalea  (A. 
ledifolia]  is  a  hardy  evergreen  shrub, 
also  from  China,  with  white  flowers, 
large  and,  open,  like  A.  indica.  It 
grows  from  5  to  6  feet  high,  and 
London  states  that  in  Cornwall,  on 
Sir  Charles  Lemon's  estate  at  Carclew, 
it  was  planted  in  hedges,  which  flowered 
magnificently  without  the  slightest 
protection.  Though  Azaleas  are  now 
in  botanical  books  made  synonymous 
with  Rhododendrons,  I  have  preferred 
to  deal  with  them  separately  here. 

AZARA. — Distinct  and  graceful 
Chilian  shrubs,  or  low  trees,  nearly 
hardy  in  many  parts.  On  east  or 
west  walls  they  flower  freely  ;  while 
in  the  southern  counties,  at  least,  they 
do  well  in  the  open.  Well-drained 
loam  and  the  partial  shade  of  taller 
shrubs  suit  them.  A.  Gillesi  is  prob- 
ably the  most  handsome,  its  toothed 
leaves  resembling  in  colour  and  texture 
those  of  the  Holly,  with  the  branches 
tinged  with  red.  Both  in  the  open  air 
and  under  glass  it  blooms  in  late 
autumn  and  winter,  the  flowers  small, 
and  resembling  golden  catkins.  A. 
celastrina  has  rather  smaller  leaves, 
and  yellow  blossoms.  A.  integrifolia 
has  drooping  spikes  of  fragrant  yellow 
blossoms,  which  form  a  dense  bush  a 
few  feet  in  height.  A.  microphylla  is 
a  graceful  evergreen  shrub,  with  many 
small  flowers,  succeeded  in  autumn  by 
small  orange-red  berries.  Even  quite 
near  London  it  makes  a  good  hedge, 
and  its  elegant  sprays  of  glossy  leaves 
are  valuable  for  cutting  in  winter. 
Among  other  kinds  are  A.  dentata,  a 
quick  grower  ;  and  A .  serrata,  with 
prettily  serrated  leaves,  and  umbels  of 
yellow  blossoms. 

AZOLLA. — A .  Caroliniana  is  a  very 
small  and  curious  water-plant,  which 
floats  on  water  quite  free  of  soil,  the 
tufts  of  delicate  green  leaves  like  tiny 
emeralds.  During  summer  it  will 
grow  out  of  doors,  and  then  becomes 
bronzed,  and  perhaps  it  is  prettier 
when  light  green,  as  it  is  in  the  green- 
houses or  window.  Syn.  A.  rubra. 
A.  pinnata  is  a  distinct  species. 

BABIANA  (Baboon-root]. — Charming 
bulbs  of  the  Iris  order,  from  S.  Africa, 
allied  to  Sparaxis  and  Tritonia,  but 
having  broader  foliage,  often  hairy 
and  plaited  ;  they  grow  from  6  to  12 
inches  high,  with  spikes  of  sometimes 
sweetly-scented  brilliant  flowers  rang- 


BACCHARIS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


BAMBUSA. 


359 


ing  in  colour  from  blue  to  crimson- 
magenta.  The  bulbs  should  be  planted 
from  September  to  January,  about  4 
inches  deep  and  2  to  4  inches  apart,  in 
light  loamy  soil  thoroughly  drained, 
with  a  due  south  aspect.  The  early 
plantings  make  foliage  in  autumn,  and 
require  protection  of  mats  against 
frost.  Those  planted  later  will  only 
require  a  covering  of  Fern,  which 
should  be  removed  as  the  foliage 
appears.  In  wet  soils  surround  the 
bulbs  with  sand,  and  raise  the  beds 
above  the  level.  Many  varieties  are 
in  catalogues,  but  in  the  open  air  their 
growth  is  not  satisfactory  save  in 
favoured  spots. 

BACCHARIS.  —  Curious  evergreen 
shrubs  mostly  from  S.  America,  and 
not  always  hardy  with  us  inland, 
though  excellent  for  seaside  places, 
where  they  thrive  down  to  the  water's 
edge.  They  do  best  in  rather  poor 
soils  and  upon  dry  stony  banks,  grow- 
ing rapidly  and  giving  distinct  effect 
both  of  leaf  and  flower.  The  various 
kinds  differ  widely  from  one  another, 
B.  halimifolia  (Sea  Purslane),  the  best 
known,  attaining  a  height  of  6  to  12 
feet.  B.  patagonica  (Groundsell  Tree) 
is  handsome  in  foliage,  with  white 
flower-heads,  borne  in  profusion.  It  is 
said  to  make  an  effective  hedge-plant. 
B.  salicina,  a  shrub  of  about  6  feet, 
from  Colorado,  comes  near  halimifolia, 
but  is  hardier.  B.  Xalapensis  and  B. 
trimera  are  seldom  seen,  but  well  worth 
a  place  in  coast  gardens. 

BAMBUSA  (Bamboo}.—  There  are 
some  forty  or  more  varieties  of  these 
graceful  woody  grasses,  which  are 
hardy  in  all  but  the  coldest  parts  of 
our  islands,  though  best  in  sheltered 
places. 

ARUNDINARIA  RACEMOSA. — This  grows 
about  15  feet  high  in  its  own  country. 
Stem  smooth  and  round.  Internodes 
about  2  inches  apart,  leaves  2  to  4  inches 
in  length  and  narrow,  cross  veins  well 
defined.  After  the  trying  winter  of  1895, 
quite  green  and  fresh  at  Kew.  Himalayas. 

A.  HUMILIS. — About  2  feet  to  3  feet  high, 
with  round  and  green  stem,  bright  ever- 
green leaves  smooth  on  both  sides,  4^ 
inches  long,  three-quarters  of  an  inch 
broad,  and  tapering  to  a  point.  A  very 
pretty  plant  to  form  a  carpet  or  isolated 
group  near  rocks. 

BAMBUSA  PUMILA  (Arundinaria). — A 
very  pretty  dwarf  Bamboo  somewhat  like 
Arundinaria  humilis,  but  smaller  in  habit, 
the  leaves  are  less  broad,  shorter,  and  do 
not  taper  so  gradually  to  a  point.  The 
teeth  of  the  serrated  edges  are  less  con- 


spicuous, and  the  lower  sheaths  are  not 
so  hairy. 

ARUNDINARIA  HINDSII. — A  distinct  and 
beautiful  species.  In  its  first  year  with 
me  it  has  grown  to  a  height  "of  6  feet 
3  inches,  but  will  evidently  attain  a 
greater  stature.  The  young  dark  green 
stems  have  a  lovely  white  wax  on  them 
like  the  bloom  on  a  Grape.  The  leaves 
are  6  inches  long  by  about  five-eighths  of 
an  inch  across  ;  they  are  thicker  than  in 
most  Bamboos. 

A.  JAPONICA. — A  fine  and  valuable 
plant,  generally  grown  in  gardens  under 
the  name  of  Bambusa  Mttakt.  The  leaves 
are  from  8  inches  to  I  foot  in  length  by 
about  i£  inches,  sometimes  more,  broad. 
The  upper  surface  is  smooth  and  shining, 
the  lower  side  paler,  rather  glaucous  and 
wrinkled  ;  the  edges  are  finely  serrated. 

A.  SIMONI. — Of  this  fine  species,  at  Kew, 
old-established    plants    have    reached    a 
height  of  1 8  feet.     The  leaves  are  from 
10  inches  to   I  foot  long,  slightly  hairy, 
lanceolate,   longitudinally  ribbed,   ending 
in  a  long  narrow  point.     So  far  as  experi- 
ence at  present  goes,  this  is  the  greatest 
runner   of   all   the   hardy   Bamboos.     Its 
young  shoots  will  appear  at  a  great  dis- 
tance from  the  parent  plant.     It  should 
be  planted  apart  in  the  wild  garden,  where 
it  may  wander  at  pleasure  without  injury 
to  any  neighbour. 

BAMBUSA  PALMATA  (Arundinaria). — A 
beautiful  species,  about  5  feet  high,  con- 
spicuous from  the  size  of  its  leaves,  which 
are  often  used  by  Japanese  peasants  to 
wrap  up  the  bit  of  salt  fish  or  other  con- 
diment which  they  eat  with  their  rice. 
These  are  the  chief  beauty  of  the  plant, 
each  from  i  foot  to  13  inches  long  and 
3  inches  to  3^  inches  broad,  tapering 
rather  suddenly  to  a  very  fine  point ;  the 
colour  a  vivid  green  on  the  upper  surface, 
glaucous  on  the  lower. 

B.  TESSELLATA.  —  A     very     beautiful 
species  having  the  largest  leaves  of  any 
of    the    hardy    Bamboos.     The    stem    is 
about  i\  feet  high,  round,  slightly  flattened 
at  the  top,  the  colour  a  purplish-green, 
much     hidden     by     persistent     withered 
sheaths.     The  slender  new  culms  spring 
gracefully    from    the    carpet    of    arching 
foliage. 

ARUNDINARIA  NITIDA. — A  very  lovely 
species  from  N.W.  Szechuan.  The  culms 
are  purple-black,  very  slender  and  round. 
The  leaves  are  small,  lancet-shaped,  and 
tessellated.  Quite  the  hardiest  of  all  our 
Bamboos. 

A.  MARMOREA. — A  pretty  and  distinct 
little  Bamboo,  for  which  I  have  chosen 
the  name  marmorea  on  account  of  the  very 
peculiar  appearance  of  the  young  stems, 
which  are  folded  in  purple  sheaths,  deli- 
cately marbled  with  a  pinkish  silver-grey, 
through  which,  near  the  knots,  peep 
glimmers  of  the  bright  emerald-green  or 
dark  purple  of  the  stem  itself.  The  leaves, 


360 


BAMBUSA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


BAMBUSA. 


which  are  bright  green,  are  about  4^  inches 
long  by  three-eighths  to  five-eighths  of  an 
inch  broad. 

PHYLLOSTACHYS  HETEROCYCLA. — This  is 


and  partially  suppressed  internodes  at  the 
base  of  the  stem,  which  sheathe  it  in  plate 
armour  like  the  scales  on  a  tortoise's  back. 
At  about  2  feet  or  3  feet  from  the  ground 


called  by  the  Japanese  Kiko-chiku,  or 
the  "  tortoiseshell  Bamboo,"  from  the 
curious  arrangement  of  the  alternately 


the  nodes  are  regularly  denned,  as  in  other 
Bamboos. 

P,     MARLIACEA. — A     rare,     handsome 


BAMBUSA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


BAPTISIA. 


36l 


species.  The  only  plant  of  it  I  possess 
has  in  its  third  year  grown  to  a  height  of 
8  feet,  and  promises  to  become  very  tall 
and  vigorous.  The  stem  is  a  dark  green, 
shining  like  enamel ;  the  internodes  at  the 
base  are  very  close  together,  not  more  than 
i^  inches  to  2  inches. 

"P.  FASTUOSA. — A  very  stately  and 
beautiful  plant,  quite  conspicuous  among 
its  fellows.  The  leaves  are  from  5  inches 
to  7  inches  long  by  three-quarters  of  an 
inch  to  i  inch  in  width,  tapering  to  a  sharp 
point,  and  markedly  constricted  at  about 
an  inch  from  the  end,  which  has  the 
appearance  of  a  little  tongue.  Tall, 
spreading,  gracefully  plumed  with  foliage, 
which  for  richness  and  beauty  of  colour  is 
without  a  rival. 

P.  AUREA. — The  distinctive  name  aurea 
is  not  very  happily  chosen,  for  there  is 
nothing  golden  about  the  plant,  unless  it 
be  the  yellow  stems,  and  these  are  not 
peculiar  to  the  variety  named. 

P.  MITIS. — This  is  the  tallest,  and  in 
that  respect  the  noblest,  of  all  the  Bamboos 
capable  of  being  cultivated  in  this  coun- 
try. At  Shrubland  the  culms  of  plants 
imported  seven  years  ago  are  19  feet 

5  inches  high  and  4^  inches  in  circumfer- 
ence.    In  China  and   Japan  it  grows  to 
60  feet  high.     The  stems,  some  of  which 
spring  out  of  the  ground  like  spears,  are, 
when  fully  developed,  beautifully  arched. 

P.  QUILIOI. — A  very  distinct  Bamboo, 
introduced  from  the  north  of  Japan.  To 
me  it  appears  to  have  a  character  alto- 
gether its  own,  and  the  many  botanists 
and  gardeners  to  whom  I  have  shown  it 
have  without  exception  come  round  to  my 
opinion.  Altogether  a  notable  Bamboo, 
growing  at  Shrubland  to  a  height  of  18  feet 

6  inches.    Syn.  Phyllostachys  Mazeli. 

P.  VIRIDI-GLAUCESCENS. — A  most  ele- 
gant and  graceful  Bamboo,  growing  to  a 
great  height — nearly  18  feet  at  Shrub- 
land.  The  root-stock  is  very  active,  the 
plant  being  a  great  runner,  while  many  of 
the  culms  come  almost  horizontally  out 
of  the  ground,  giving  the  plant  a  very 
wide  spread. 

P.  VIOLESCENS. — This  is  sometimes  said 
to  be  a  variety  of  P.  viridi-glaucescens,  but 
quite  different  both  in  appearance  and 
behaviour.  It  is  somewhat  more  tender, 
the  leaves  being  apt  to  be  cut  by  frost, 
which  gives  the  plant  an  ugly  appearance 
in  winter,  but  with  the  spring  the  culms 
are  clothed  with  new  foliage,  and  after  all 
it  is  only  those  shoots  which  come  into 
existence  in  the  late  autumn  which  suffer. 

P.  HENONIS. — To  my  taste  this  is  the 
loveliest  of  all  our  Bamboos,  and  it  is 
perfectly  hardy,  bearing  up  bravely 
against  our  coldest  weather.  The  slender 
tall  stems  are  green  at  first,  growing  yel- 
lower with  age,  slightly  zigzagged.  The 
root-stock  runs  rather  freely,  but  it  is 
to  its  habit  that  this  Bamboo  owes  its 
surpassing  loveliness.  The  two-year-old 


culms,  borne  down  by  the  weight  of  their 
own  foliage,  bend  almost  to  the  earth  in 
graceful  curves,  forming  a  pretty  ground- 
work from  which  the  stems  of  the  year 
spring  up,  arching  and  waving  their 
feathery  fronds,  the  delicate  green  leaves 
seeming  to  float  in  the  air. 

P.  BORYANA. — One  of  the  handsomest 
and  most  vigorous  of  the  hardy  Bamboos, 
very  graceful  in  its  habit.  Like  P.  nigra, 
the  stems  are  green  during  their  first  year, 
but  change  colour  the  second  year  to  a 
dull  brown  splashed  with  large  deep  purple 
or  black  notches. 

P.  CASTILLONIS. — A  most  lovely  plant. 
The  foliage  is  larger  than  it  is  in  most  of 
the  Bamboos,  some  of  the  leaves  being  as 
much  as  between  8  inches  and  9  inches 
long  by  nearly  2  inches  broad.  When 
they  first  appear  they  are  striped  with 
bright  orange-yellow,  which  in  time  fades 
to  a  creamy  white.  As  the  sheaths  of  the 
branchlets  are  of  a  very  pretty  pink,  the 
plant  has  a  tricoloured  effect. 

ARUNDINARIA  ANCEPS. — A  very  beau- 
tiful Bamboo  discovered  by  Mr  Jordan, 
superintendent  of  Regent's  Park,  in  the 
stock  of  a  dead  nursery  gardener,  whose 
books  being  lost,  it  was  impossible  to 
trace  its  origin.  It  is  probably  a  Chinese 
species.  The  culms  are  brown  when  ripe  ; 
the  leaf-sheaths  are  hairy,  and  the  petiole 
of  the  leaf  is  yellow. 

A.  NOBILIS. — A  grand  Bamboo,  probably 
of  Chinese  origin,  growing  to  a  height  of 
24  feet  at  Menabilly,  in  Cornwall.  It  is 
quite  hardy,  only  losing  its  leaves  in  early 
summer  when  the  new  ones  are  ready  to 
appear.  The  tall  stems  are  yellowish  in 
colour,  with  very  dark  purplish  nodes,  of 
which  the  lower  rim  is  broadly  marked 
with  grey. 

BAMBUSA  DISTICHA. — A  pretty  little 
dwarf  Bamboo.  Stem  about  2  feet  high, 
round,  very  slightly  zigzagged  ;  branches 
and  leaves  distichous  ;  leaves  hairy,  especi- 
ally at  the  base,  and  serrated  at  the  edges 
about  i£  inches  long  by  three-quarters  of 
an  inch  broad,  tapering  to  a  point ;  leaf- 
sheaths  hairy  ;  rhizome  inclined  to  run. 
A  very  distinct  little  plant,  most  useful 
for  a  choice  corner  in  a  rock  garden. 

BANKSIA. — Handsome  Australian 
plants,  shrubs,  and  trees,  at  one  time 
much  grown  under  glass,  some  of  them 
brilliant  in  flower.  A  few  kinds  are 
found  to  thrive  in  the  open  air  in  Devon 
and  Dorset.  The  kinds  so  far  proved 
to  live  in  the  south  of  England,  at 
Tresco  and  Abbotsbury,  are  grandis, 
serrata,  and  quercifolia.  They  should 
be  given  warm  soil  and  the  most  favour- 
able position. 

BAPTISIA  (False  Indigo}.— A  vigor- 
ous Lupine-like  group  of  perennials 
from  N.  America,  forming  strong  tufts 


BARBAREA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


BELLIS. 


3  to  5  feet  high,  with  sea-green  leaves  ; 
the  flowers,  mostly  of  a  delicate  blue, 
in  long  spikes.  B.  australis,  exaltata, 
and  alba  are  the  best-known  kinds, 
and  should  be  placed  in  the  mixed 
border  in  any  garden  soil,  but  their 
value  is  not  high. 

BARBAREA. — Mountain  and  marsh 
cruciferous  herbs  of  the  Old  World,  few 
of  much  garden  value,  only  two  varie- 
ties being  worth  growing.  The  finest 
is  the  double  yellow  Rocket  (B.  vulgar  is 
fl.-pl.},  which  is  a  beautiful  and  curious 
plant.  It  is  about  18  inches  high, 
flowers  bright  yellow,  from  June  till 
late  summer,  and  often  till  autumn. 
It  succeeds  in  almost  any  soil,  prefer- 
ring a  rich,  light  loam.  Division. 

Barkhausia.     See  CREPIS. 

Bartonia  aurea.     See  MENTZELIA. 

BEGONIA  ( Elephant' s  Ear] .  —  A 
large  tropical  and  sub-tropical  family 
of  plants,  many  of  them  of  much  value 
in  our  hothouses,  and,  of  recent  years, 
in  our  open  gardens.  The  Tuberous 
Begonia  is  the  most  familiar  to  flower 
gardeners,  and  now  plays  a  large  part 
in  summer  bedding.  Grouped  together 
in  beds  a  fine  effect  is  produced,  and 
the  colours  vary  from  the  darkest 
scarlets  and  crimsons  to  the  various 
shades  of  rose  and  pink  ;  also  white  and 
blush-coloured  kinds. 

The  cultivation  of  the  Begonia  is  not 
difficult.  Seedlings  raised  in  March 
will  make  good  plants  for  planting  early 
in  June.  One  can  just  prick  them  off 
into  pans  ;  from  these,  when  large 
enough,  they  are  put  in  shallow  boxes, 
and  not  disturbed  again  until  planted 
out,  unless  getting  overcrowded.  The 
beds  should  be  well  prepared  for  them, 
if  the  soil  is  heavy,  using  plenty  of 
well-decomposed  leaf-mould,  and  fail- 
ing this  old  Mushroom  manure.  Dur- 
ing the  first  year  those  of  inferior 
quality  should  be  discarded  when  lifted, 
marking  the  finest  for  another  year. 
For  the  second  and  after  season's  dis- 
play start  the  tubers  in  a  gentle  heat 
in  boxes  in  March,  transferring  them 
to  a  cold  frame  or  pit  in  May.  A  north 
frame  is  best,  as  the  plants  make  very 
free  growth,  and  get  a  good  size  for 
planting  out  the  first  week  in  June. 
The  beds  should  be  surfaced  with  either 
a  dwarf  kind  of  plant  or  with  Cocoa-nut 
fibre.  When  planted  thickly  together 
use  the  fibre,  which  will  soon  be  covered 
by  the  foliage.  Begonias  planted  in 
dry  positions  should  always  be  kept 
moist  at  the  root.  Damping  the  beds 


overhead  as  the  sun  leaves  them  in  the 
after  part  of  the  day  when  the  weather 
is  dry  and  warm  will  greatly  refresh 
them.  W7hen  lifted,  the  tuberous 
varieties  require  careful  attention  so 
as  to  prevent  the  decaying  stems  from 
imparting  any  ill-effects  to  the  tubers. 
Remove  these  stems  as  soon  as  they 
can  be  twisted  out  without  any  trouble. 
Some  growers  expose  the  tubers  in  a 
light,  dry,  and  airy  house  until  the 
stems  are  quite  dried  up.  Later  on 
the  bulbs,  when  quite  at  rest,  should 
be  kept  in  a  cool  place,  neither  too 
dry  nor  too  moist,  but  where  frost 
cannot  reach  them,  being  stored  in 
either  Cocoa-nut  fibre  or  silver  sand 
in  shallow  boxes  until  again  required 
for  starting.  It  is  better  to  have 
single  than  double  flowers  for  bedding 
out,  and  there  is  no  want  of  good 
colours. 

A  class  getting  more  popular  each 
year  is  that  called  the  shrubby  set, 
these  being  known  as  forms  of  B. 
semper florens.  They  are  neat  and 
shrubby  in  growth,  with  an  abundance 
of  rather  small  leaves,  varying  in  shade. 
Conspicuous  is  Vernon's  variety,  the 
leaves  deep  crimson  to  light  green,  and 
pinky  blossoms.  There  are  many 
varieties,  and  as  easily  and  similarly 
raised  as  the  tuberous  kinds.  The 
plants  are,  when  in  beauty,  a  mass  of 
bloom,  the  small  flowers  almost  hiding 
the  leaves.  But  many  of  the  kinds  are 
very  dull  in  colour,  and  get  shabby 
towards  the  end  of  summer.  There  are 
many  uses  for  them  in  gardens — as 
distinct  groups,  or  as  a  groundwork  to 
beds  filled  with  taller  plants. 

Bellevallia.     See  HYACINTHUS. 

BELLIS  (Daisy}.  —  B.  perennis 
needs  only  simple  culture,  increases 
rapidly,  and  in  the  spring  garden  is  of 
great  service  in  large  clumps  or  masses. 
Growers  adhere  most  closely  to  the  old 
flat-petalled  white  and  the  old  quilled 
red,  but  besides  these  there  are  the 
flat-petalled  Pink  Beauty,  a  charming 
pink  of  the  quilled  class  ;  Rob  Roy, 
a  deep  rich  red  or  crimson  quilled 
kind  ;  White  Globe,  with  large  white 
quilled  petals,  and  many  others.  Of 
the  yellow-blotched  or  Aucuba-leaved 
kinds,  one,  aucubfcelia  is  pretty,  but 
rather  tender.  It  will  do  well  in  winter 
on  a  free  porous  soil,  and  in  summer  in  a 
cool  shady  border,  if  transplanted 
there.  The  giant  or  crown-flowered 
Daisies,  though  vigorous,  are  much  less 
free  of  bloom.  They  are  best  suited 
for  mixed  borders. 


BELLIUM. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.          BERBERIS. 


Propagation  is  simple,  and  may  be 
done  in  spring  and  autumn.  Pull  the 
plants  to  pieces,  dibbling  them  in  six 
inches  apart,  or  a  little  closer. 

BELLIUM. — Plants  of  the  same 
order  as  the  Daisy  (Compositae),  of 
which  some  three  or  four  forms  are 
in  cultivation.  Although  from  the 
south  of  Europe  they  are  hardy  on  the 
rock  garden,  but  are  apt  to  exhaust 
themselves  in  flowering.  B.  belli- 
dioides,  B.  crassifolium,  and  B.  minu- 
tum  are  much  alike  and  are  easily 
grown  in  light  soil.  B.  rofundifolium 
ccerulescens  (Blue  Daisy)  is  a  native  of 
Morocco,  and  a  pretty  rock  plant. 
Division  or  by  seed. 

BERBERIDOPSIS  (Coral  Barberry}- 
— B.  corallina  is  a  beautiful  evergreen 
climbing  shrub  from  Chili,  hardy 
enough  for  open  walls  in  the  southern 
counties.  It  has  large  spiny  leaves 
very  much  like  some  Barberries,  the 
flowers  bright  coral-red,  hanging  in 
clusters  on  slender  stalks,  and  borne 
for  several  weeks  in  summer.  It  is 
charming  for  a  wall,  preferring  partial 
shade,  such  as  that  of  a  wall  facing 
east  or  west,  and  does  best  in  peaty  or 
sandy  soil.  Seed  or  layers. 

BERBERIS  (Barberry}. — A  brilliant 
family  of  shrubs  so  numerous  that 
perhaps  no  one  garden  can  show  a 
half  of  their  beauty.  From  many 
parts  of  the  world  the  variety  is  almost 
amazing  of  summer  leafing  Barberries, 
each  group  containing  plants  of  the 
highest  value,  hardy  in  our  islands,  too, 
as  some  native  plants,  and  not  only 
for  the  garden  or  rock  garden,  but  also 
for  copses  and  woodland,  in  which 
some  evergreen  kinds  may  be  used 
with  fine  effect.  The  fruits  also  are 
among  the  most  brilliant  in  colour  and 
graceful  in  form  we  have,  as  is  shown 
in  our  one  native  kind,  the  foliage  of 
which  is  often  fine  in  colour  and  form 
too.  The  summer  leafing  kinds  take 
on  a  splendid  colour  in  autumn. 

B.  AQUIFOLIUM. — A  sturdy  evergreen  of 
N.W.  America  and  parts  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  quite  hardy  in  our  islands, 
and  useful  both  for  the  pleasure  garden 
and  as  a  cover  plant  in  woods.  It  is  easy 
of  increase  in  most  soils,  but  does  best  in 
peaty  or  leafy  soils.  There  are  several 
forms,  and  all  valuable. 

B.  DARWINI  (Darwin's  B.). — A  plant  of 
Chili  of  great  beauty,  vigorous,  tall,  and 
charming  in  flower,  and  in  my  own  garden 
often  brilliant  in  fruit.  No  more  beautiful 
hardy  shrub.  It  may  not  be  hardy  in  all 
districts,  but  is  so  beautiful  that  it  deserves 
a  place  in  all  where  it  thrives.  Seed. 


B.  DICTYOPHYLLA. — Under  cultivation 
it  is  a  spreading  bush,  4  feet  to  5  feet  high/ 
with  glaucous  stems.  The  yellow  flowers 
appear  singly,  or  in  pairs,  from  the  leaf- 
axils  in  May,  and  they  are  succeeded  in 
autumn  by  bright  red  fruits.  China. 

B.  DULCIS. — Generally  a  dwarf  bush, 
quite  hardy  and  free.  There  is  a  tall  as 
well  as  a  dwarf  form.  Both  are  easily 
grown,  but  are  not  quite  as  attractive  as 
some  of  the  newer  kinds. 

B.  EMPETRIFOLIA. — A  dwarf  and  grace- 
ful shrub,  very  hardy  and  excellent  for 
rock  gardens  or  banks,  and  interesting  as 
one  of  the  parents  of  the  handsome 
stenophylla. 

B.  FORTUNE:. — A  distinct  evergreen 
species,  but  though  said  to  do  well  in 
southern  districts,  I  have  found  it  rather 
tender  and  a  poor  kind. 

B.  GAGNEPAINII. — Forms  a  dense  bush 
4  feet  to  6  feet  high,  with  narrowly  lanceo- 
late, prickly  leaves,  each  i£  inches  to 
-z\  inches  long,  and  about  \  inch  broad. 
The  bright  yellow  flowers  borne  in  dense 
racemose  clusters  are  followed  by  black 
fruits.  When  seen  in  good  condition  this 
is  one  of  the  handsomest  of  the  Berberis. 
China. 

B.  JAPONICA. — A  noble  evergreen  with 
very  fine  foliage  in  our  country.  It  thrives 
best  in  peaty  or  leaf  soil  and  partial  shade, 


Berberis  japonic  a. 

in  which  conditions  it  is  often  very  hancj- 
some  for  effect. 


BERBERIS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


BERCHEMIA. 


B.  NEPALENSIS  (Nepal  Barberry)  is  dis- 
tinct from  the  last,  and,  being  much  rarer, 
one  cannot  be  sure  of  its  hardiness  for 
northern  districts.  It  is  a  very  fine  plant 
in  foliage,  but  seems  a  bit  tender  in  the 
south ;  if  tried  in  woods,  might  have  a 
better  chance.  It  is  a  noble  evergreen, 
best  tried  in  half-shaded  spots. 

B.  PINNATA. — A  very  handsome  upright 
^evergreen  bush,  profuse  in  flower,  and 
growing  well  in  most  soils.  A  great  plant 
for  garden  or  covert.  I  am  not  quite  sure 
if  this  ought  to  be  accepted  as  a  distinct 
species  or  as  a  variety  of  the  Rocky 
Mountain  one,  but  in  my  own  garden  it 
has  proved  a  very  handsome  and  vigorous 
evergreen,  full  of  flower  in  the  spring.  It 
is  a  good  plant  for  the  copse  and  the  wild 
garden  anywhere.  N.W.  America. 

B.  POLYANTHA. — This  grows  from  5  to 
10  feet  high,  erect  and  much  branched  ; 
the  flowers  rich,  clear  yellow,  freely  pro- 
duced iii  pendulous  lax  panicles  each  6 
inches  to  9  inches  long.  The  fruits  oblong, 
dull  salmon-red,  with  a  pale  glaucous 
bloom.  Native  of  Szechuan,  W.  China. 

B.  SARGENTIANA  (Sargent's Barberry). — 
A  hardy  evergreen  kind  with  yellow 
flowers  and  black  fruit,  as  yet  not"  much 
known,  but  well  deserves  a  trial. 

B.  STAPFIANA. — This  is  somewhat  sug- 
gestive of  the  charming  Berberis  Wilsonts, 
but  is  quite  distinct  therefrom.  The 
specimen  shown  was  a  dense  bush,  some 
4  feet  high  and  more  through,  the  shoots, 
from  which  the  greater  number  of  leaves 
had  fallen,  being  freely  furnished  with 
roundish  berries  of  a  bright  red  translu- 
cence. 

B.  STENOPHYLLA. — A  garden  hybrid 
between  B.  Darwini  and  B.  empetri folia. 
The  long  slender  branches  droop  gracefully 
on  all  sides,  the  bush  being  profusely  laden 
with  yellow  blossoms.  It  is  much  hardier 
than  B.  Darwini,  and  seldom  suffers  from 
severe  frosts,  and  grows  freely  in  ordinary 
soils. 

B.  *THUNBERGI. — A  Japanese  Berberis 
well  worth  planting  for  the  sake  of  its 
coral-red  berries  and  the  brilliant  tints 
of  the  leaves  previous  to  falling  in  autumn. 
The  leaves  are  small,  and  turn  to  a  bright 
orange-scarlet  towards  the  end  of  Sep- 
tember. It  is  an  easy  flowerer,  and  the 
blossoms  are  usually  at  their  best  about 
mid-May.  The  fruits  are  smaller  than 
those  of  the  common  Barberry,  and  a 
little  deeper  in  colour.  It  thrives  in  any 
ordinary  garden  soil.  China. 

B.  VERRUCULOSA  is  a  dwarf-growing 
plant  i  foot  to  2  feet  high  ;  semi-prostrate 
in  habit,  with  ornate  prickly  leaves, 
shining  above  and  glaucous  below,  the 
golden  yellow  flowers  being  followed  by 
violet-black  fruits, 


B.  VIRESCENS. — A  handsome  upright 
shrub  with  showy  leaves  that  take  on 
fine  colour  in  autumn.  The  young  bark 
is  also  a  good  colour,  which  makes  it  an 
excellent  plant  for  grouping.  It  grows 
very  well  in  any  soil.  Is  a  native  of  the 
mountains  of  India. 

B.  VULGARIS  (Common  Barberry)  is, 
when  in  fruit,  very  attractive,  the  long, 
drooping  racemes  of  bright  scarlet  berries 
being  produced  very  abundantly.  There 
are  several  named  varieties  of  it.  A  selec- 
tion should  include  the  white  and  violet- 
berried  kinds,  sanguinolenta,  and  the 
purple-leaved  kind,  a  very  ornamental 
shrub,  the  foliage  of  which  is  of  a  purple 
hue.  It  is  a  very  effective  shrub  when 
grouped.  It  is  the  only  native  kind  of 
our  country,  and  is  found  wild  over  a 
large  part  of  Europe,  N.  Africa,  and  C. 
Asia  also.  It  is  an  interesting  shrub  in 
any  position,  but  its  full  beauty  is  never 
seen  unless  it  is  grouped  in  the  full  sun. 

B  WALLICHIANA.— Has  glossy  evergreen 
foliage,  with  which  the  clear  yellow 
flowers  contrast  finely.  It  is  hardy, 
though  liable  to  be  injured  by  very  severe 
frost.  It  thrives  in  ordinary  soil  and  in 
any  position. 

B.  WILSON^E  (Wilson's  B.). — This  came 
to  us  from  China  in  recent  years,  and  is 
one  of  the  most  brilliant  shrubs  we  have 
ever  had  for  the  rock  or  choice  shrub 
garden,  flowering  and  fruiting  early,  and 
very  graceful  in  form. 

BERCHEMIA. — A  small  group  of 
shrubby  climbing  plants  or  low  trees, 
of  the  Buckthorn  order,  found  in  parts 
of  Asia,  Africa,  and  N.  America,  and 
for  the  most  part  too  tender  for  our 
gardens,  though  the  following  are 
worth  growing  : — • 

B.  VOLUBILIS  (Supple  Jack)  from  Caro- 
lina. A  vigorous  and  graceful  summer- 
leafing  climber  of  10  to  20  feet,  with  bright 
glossy  green  oval  leaves,  sharply  pointed 
and  slightly  waved.  Inconspicuous  green 
and  white  flowers  appear  from  the  leaf- 
axils  and  the  tips  of  the  shoots,  in  June, 
and  these  are  followed  by  oval  fleshy  fruits 
of  a  bluish-black  colour.  This  species  is 
hardy  almost  anywhere  in  Britain. 

A  nearly  allied  plant,  B.  racemosa,  from 
Japan,  is  less  freely  climbing  in  habit, 
with  more  rounded  leaves,  greenish  flowers 
and  showy  fruits  turning  from  bright  red 
to  black.  There  is  a  form  of  this  kind  in 
which  the  leaves  are  heavily  variegated, 
but  this  is  tender  and  needs  partial  shade. 

The  Berchemias  grow  in  any  good 
garden  soil,  and  may  be  used  to  cover 
tree-stumps  and  roots,  arbours,  trellis, 
and  the  like.  Increase  by  seeds,  root- 
cuttings,  layers,  or  cuttings  of  the 
ripened  shoots,  rooted  under  glass  in 
the  autumn, 


6ESCHORNERIA. 


THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


BETA. 


365 


Berkheya.     See  STOB^A. 

BE  SCHORNERIA.— Mexican  plants 
allied  to  the  Agaves,  but  hardier  and 
more  easily  grown.  They  perish  in- 
land, but  in  warm  shore-gardens  several 
kinds  thrive  in  the  open  air,  their  fine 
bluish-green  leaves,  like  those  of  a 


crimson  as  to  make  a  striking  picture. 
They  need  all  the  sun  they  can  have,  a 
light  rich  soil,  and  a  dry  place  such  as 
the  crest  of  a  sheltered  bank  or  the  foot 
of  a  warm  wall.  Several  kinds  have 
been  tried  successfully,  such  as  B. 
yuccoides,  B.  bvacteata,  and  B.  tonelii, 
but  all  are  similar  in  effect,  though 


Weeping  Birch. 


Yucca  but  more  fleshy,  without  spines, 
and  often  a  yard  long  and  several 
inches  wide,  create  an  effect  unlike  any 
other  hardy  plant.  When  well  estab- 
lished they  bloom  freely,  and  though 
the  flowers  are  only  small  and  mostly 
green  in  colour,  the  large  leafy  bracts, 
the  flower-stalks,  and  the  great  arching 
stems  themselves,  are  of  so  vivid  a 


seldom  seen  except  in  the  shore-gardens 
of  the  south  and  west. 

BETA  (Cilian  Beet}. — B.cicla  varie- 
gata  is  a  variety  of  common  Beet,  the 
leaves  being  more  than  3  feet  long, 
vivid  in  colour,  their  midribs  varying 
from  dark  waxy  orange  to  vivid  crim- 
son. The  plant  should  be  sown  in  a 


366 


BETULA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.      BILLIARDIERA. 


gently  heated  frame,  and  afterwards 
planted  out  in  rich  ground.  It  varies 
much  from  seed,  and  the  most  striking 
individuals  should  be  selected  before 
the  plants  are  put  out.  Used  sparingly, 
its  effect  is  often  perhaps  more  telling, 
but  it  is  a  mistake  to  use  this  or  any 
such  vegetables  in  the  flower  garden. 
Other  varieties  of  the  common  Beet 
are  misused  in  the  garden  for  the  sake 
of  their  dark  colours,  but  no  artistic 
flower  gardening  is  possible  where  such 
vegetables  out  of  place  are  used. 

BETTJLA  (Birch}. — Trees  of  cold  and 
Arctic  regions,  often  forming  vast 
forests.  Sometimes,  in  the  extreme 
north,  even  the  tall  and  graceful 
Birches  of  more  temperate  lands  take 
a  bushy  form,  and  there  are  also 
Arctic  and  northern  species  which  are 
small  and  give  us  little  effect  or 
interest  except  for  botanic  gardens. 
The  Birches,  generally,  are  easy  to 
grow  and  should  be  raised  from  seed, 
in  which  way  they  come  very  easily, 
excepting  what  are  called  the  garden  or 
nursery  varieties.  These  are  grafted, 
and  might  be  propagated  by  layers,  if 
anybody  would  take  the  trouble,  and 
in  this  way  might  be  longer  lived  and 
useful  in  some  ways.  Owing  to  the 
beauty  of  our  native  species  in  all  sorts 
of  positions  north  and  south,  we  have 
not  lost  so  much  by  neglecting  the 
American  species,  but  it  would  be 
difficult  to  expect  any  of  them  to  show 
anything  finer  in  effect  than  such 
woods  as  we  see  in  Northern  and  Cen- 
tral Europe,  of  Birch  alone,  the  silvery 
stems  rising  out  of  heath  or  Ferns. 
Among  the  greater,  or  tree,  Birches 
after  our  own  (including  its  varieties 
or  allies,  verrucosa  and  pubescens)  are 
the  Canoe  Birch  (B.  papyri/era)  or 
Paper  Birch,  a  forest  tree  of  N. 
America,  which  is  hardy  in  Britain  ; 
the  River  Birch  (B.  nigra),  also  a  tall 
tree  of  N.  America  ;  the  Cherry  or  Sweet 
Birch  (B.  lento),  which  is  sometimes 
80  feet  high  and  also  of  northern  dis- 
tribution (Canada,  Newfoundland)  ; 
the  Yellow  Birch  (B.  lutea),  sometimes 
100  feet  high  ;  the  Western  Birch  (B. 
occidentals),  a  medium-sized  tree  of 
W.  America  and  British  Columbia, 
and  the  White  Birch  (B.  populifolia), 
also  a  slender  tree  of  Canada  and  the 
Northern  States,  with  tremulous  leaves 
like  some  of  the  Aspens.  B.  maxi- 
mowiczi  is  a  distinct  and  fine  Japanese 
kind  which  grows  very  high  and  with 
a  trunk  2  to  3  feet  in  diameter,  the 
bark  orange-coloured,  the  leaves  very 


large.  B.  ermani  is  also  a  common 
kind  in  Japan. 

Having  got  a  collection  from 
America,  I  planted  them  by  some 
ponds  where  I  thought  they  might 
have  a  better  chance,  as  they  often 
grow  well  near  water  in  their  native 
country.  I  lost  a  good  many  of  them, 
not  knowing  the  cause  until  I  happened 
to  pull  up  some  of  the  dead  young 
trees,  when  I  found  the  main  roots 
were  all  barked  round  by  the  common 
water-rat,  working  below  the  line  of 
the  snow  during  a  hard  winter. 

As  regards  the  positions  of  Birches 
in  a  pleasure-ground,  there  is  not  a 
more  graceful  lawn  tree  than  the  cut- 
leaved  and  weeping  kinds,  the  more 
so  where  trees  of  light  shade  are 
desired.  The  American  tree  kinds 
might  take  their  places  in  the  mixed 
woodlands  of  a  country  place,  or  by 
streams  or  pools. 

BIGELOVIA  (Plumed  Golden  Rod).— 
Shrubby  or  half-shrubby  perennials 
coming  from  the  dry  plains  and  moun- 
tain slopes  of  the  'Western  States  of 
America,  as  yet  little  tried  in  Britain. 
They  thrive  in  dry  soils  and  sunny 
places,  where  they  are  not  overgrown 
by  stronger  plants. 

B.  ARBORESCENS  is  a  shrubby  plant, 
covered  with  long,  narrow  leaves,  and 
crowded  heads  of  yellow  flowers  6  to  8  feet 
high,  and  rather  pretty. 

B.  BOLANDERI  is  about  a  foot  high  with 
viscid  stems  covered  with  dense  white 
wool ;  its  flowers  are  a  bright  yellow. 

B.  CERUMINOSA  is  a  strongly-scented 
shrub.  The  leaves  are  sticky  and  needle- 
like,  and  the  flowers  a  pretty  pale  yellow. 

B.  COOPERI  is  a  low-growing  plant  with 
very  narrow,  almost  needle-like,  leaves, 
and  heads  of  yellow  flowers. 

B.  DOUGLASII  varies  from  i  to  6  feet  in 
height,  forming  a  stout,  shrubby  column 
or  pyramid,  with  narrow  leaves  and  bright 
yellow  flowers. 

B.  GRAVEOLENS,  the  best-known  species, 
is  of  shrubby  habit  and  from  i  to  6  feet 
high,  much  branched  and  thickly  covered 
with  narrow  light  green  leaves  about 
2  inches  long  and  covered  with  white  silky 
wool.  The  flowers  appear  as  heads  of 
4  to  6  inches,  very  fragrant  and  of  a  pale 
yellow,  lasting  from  the  middle  of  summer 
to  late  autumn. 

Bignonia.     See  TECOMA. 

BILLIARDIERA         LONGIFLORA 

(Purple  Apple-berry).  —  An  elegant 
climbing  plant,  hardy  in  the  southern 
counties.  Its  narrow  oblong  leaves 
show  its  purple-blue  berries  to  advan- 
tage as  they  dangle  in  profusion  in 


BLETlA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


BORONIA. 


367 


autumn.  The  flowers  are  of  a  greenish- 
white  colour,  and  are  not  so  showy  as 
are  the  berries.  The  Tasmanian  Apple- 
berry  is  a  charming  shrub  for  a  low 
wall,  or  it  may  be  grown  in  pots 
plunged  outside  and  trained  on  old 
Bamboo  stems,  so  as  to  be  taken 
indoors  when  the  fruits  are  coloured. 
It  is  readily  increased  either  by  cuttings 
or  layers,  or  by  seeds  sown  as  soon 
as  the  berries  shrivel  on  the  stems. 
B.  cymosa  is  also  in  cultivation. 
Australia. 

Blechnum.     See  LOMARIA. 

BLETIA. — B.  hyacintha  is  a  beau- 
tiful Chinese  Orchid,  with  ribbed 
leaves,  and  slender  flower-stems  i  foot 
or  more  high,  bearing  about  half  a 
dozen  showy  flowers  of  a  deep  rosy 
pink.  It  is  hardy,  and  thrives  in 
sheltered  and  shaded  situations  in  peat 
borders  in  winter.  In  cold  districts 
it  would  be  well  to  cover  the  roots.  It 
is  very  interesting  for  the  bog  garden 
or  a  bed  of  hardy  Orchids. 

Blitum.    See  CHENOPODIUM. 

BLUMENBACHIA.— B.  coronata  is 
an  interesting  annual  flower,  showy, 
the  foliage  elegant,  and  the  growth 
dwarf,  the  structure  of  the  flowers 
singular.  Its  culture  is  that  of  a  hardy 
annual,  but  it  is  better  sown  in  spring 
than  in  autumn.  S.  America. 

BOCCONIA  (Plume  Poppy}.  —  B. 
cordata  is  a  handsome  and  vigorous 
perennial  of  the  Poppy  order,  growing 
in  erect  tufts  5  to  over  8  feet  high,  with 
numerous  flowers  in  very  large  panicles. 
It  is  best  in  the  shrubbery  in  ordinary 
garden  soil,  in  bold  groups.  Seed. 

Boltonia.     See  ASTER. 

BOMAREA. — Curious  and  handsome 
plants  of  the  Amaryllis  order  allied  to 
Alstrcemeria,  requiring  greenhouse  tem- 
perature so  far  as  now  known.  Mr 
Archer  Hind,  of  Newton  Abbot,  has 
B.  edulis  out  of  doors,  and  it  has 
flowered  well  after  surviving  a  tem- 
perature of  25°  below  freezing.  Best 
in  free  sandy  or  peaty  soil. 

BONGARDIA.— B.  rauwolfi  is  a 
plant  of  the  Barberry  order,  though 
remarkably  unlike  one,  as  it  has  a 
Cyclamen-like  root-stem,  from  the 
apex  of  which  spring  the  flower  stems 
6  inches  high,  bearing  roundish  golden 
blossoms  from  f  to  i  inch  across,  which 
droop  gracefully  from  slender  stalks. 
Though  now  rare,  this  beautiful  plant 
was  among  our  earliest  garden  plants. 
Found  from  the  Greek  Archipelago  to 


Afghanistan,  and  hardy  on  dry  soils. 
Seed.     Syn.  Leontice. 


The  Plume  Poppy  (Bacccnia  cordata). 

BORAGO  (Borage).— B.  orientalis  is 
a  vigorous  perennial,  bearing  pale  blue 
flowers  early  in  spring,  having  very 
large  leaves  through  the  summer. 
Easily  naturalised  in  any  rough  place, 
but  not  worth  a  place  in  the  garden 
proper,  being  coarse  and  taking  up 
much  space.  The  common  Borage  is 
very  pretty,  naturalised  in  dry  places 
or  banks,  where  it  might  often  be 
welcome  for  use  as  well  as  beauty. 
There  is  a  white  variety.  B.  la xi flora 
is .  pretty,  with  pendent  blue  flowers  ; 
it  grows  very  freely  on  sandy  soils. 

Borkhausia.     See  CREPIS. 

BORONIA.  —  These  are  usually 
treated  as  greenhouse  plants,  but 
succeed  in  the  open  in  the  south- 
west, according  to  Mr  Fitzherbert. 
At  Tregothnan,  at  the  end  of  March, 
two  bushes  of  B.  megastigma,  planted 
in  front  of  a  wall,  the  larger  of  which 
was  about  '3  feet  in  height,  were 


368  BOUSSINGAULTIA.    THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


BRODI^A. 


coming  into  profuse  bloom,  and  already 
scented  the  air  with  the  first  of  their 
brown-yellow  drooping  cups.  Aus- 
tralia. 

Botryanthus.    See  MUSCARI. 

BOUSSINGAULTIA  (Madeira  Vine}. 
— B.  baselloides  is  a  luxuriant  trailing 
plant  of  the  Spinach  order  with  shoots 
1 6  to  20  feet  long,  flowering  late  in 
autumn,  the  flowers  small,  white, 
fragrant,  and  becoming  black  as  they 
fade.  The  fine  green  leaves  are  shin- 
ing, fleshy,  and  slightly  wavy  ;  stems 
twining,  tinged  with  red,  growing  with 
extraordinary  rapidity,  and  bearing 
many  tubercles.  Suited  only  for  dry 
banks  and  chalk-pits,  associated  with 
climbing  and  trailing  plants.  In- 
creased by  tubercles  of  the  stem, 
which  break  with  the  least  shock,  but 
the  smallest  fragment  will  vegetate. 
S.  America. 

BOWKERIA.  —  B.  triphylla  is  a 
scarce  shrub  from  S.  Africa,  hardy  in 
a  few  sheltered  places  along  the 
south  coast.  It  grows  to  a  height  of 
7  feet  or  more,  with  wrinkled  leaves 
and  white  flowers  appearing  singly  or 
in  loose  clusters  from  the  leaf-axils 
during  July  and  August.  They  are 
hooded  and  pouched  like  a  Calceolaria 
flower,  and  about  an  inch  across  every 
way. 

BRACHYCOME  (Swan  River  Daisy}. 
— B.  iberidifolia  is  a  pretty  Australian 
annual  of  simple  culture,  about  8  to 
12  inches  high,  the  flowers  about  i 
inch  across,  and  bright  blue,  with  a 
paler  centre.  Sow  in  cool  house  in 
September  as  soon  as  ready,  prick  off 
four  or  five  in  a  4-inch  pot,  keep  in 
cold  pits  during  winter,  and  guard 
against  damp.  Pot  on  again  in  March 
singly  into  4-inch  pots,  and  at  end  of 
April  plant  out  into  open  borders  ;  or 
sow  on  slight  hot-bed  in  March,  prick 
out  into  pits  for  transplanting  into 
open  in  May  ;  or  sow  in  open  in  April 
and  May. 

BRACHYGLOTTIS  REPANDA.— A 
New  Zealand  shrub,  with  fine  foliage, 
deeply  toothed  ;  of  a  deep  green, 
mottled  with  dark  purple  on  the  upper 
side  and  silvery-white  beneath.  As 
many  of  the  leaves  on  a  shrub  invari- 
ably display  their  undersides,  the 
sharp  contrast  between  the  white  and 
the  deep  green  is  striking.  The  leaves 
are  nearly  a  foot  in  length  and  8  inches 
in  breadth.  In  the  small  state  they 
are  ivory-white  on  both  sides.  The 
flowers  are  said  to  be  minute  and 


inconspicuous,  but  the  shrub  is  not 
apparently  a  free  bloomer,  as  a  speci- 
men that  has  grown  at  Kingswear, 
S.  Devon,  for  six  years,  and  is  now 
5  feet  6  inches  in  height,  has  shown  no 
sign  of  blossom  up  to  the  present.  It 
appears  to  be  quite  hardy  in  the  south- 
west. Syn.  Senecio  Foster  i. 

BRASSICA. — Some  forms  of  the 
Cabbage,  particularly  the  variegated 
Kales,  are  used  in  the  flower  garden  for 
winter  effect,  where  people  are  ignorant 
of  what  a  flower  garden  means — in* 
winter  even  a  beautiful  thing  to  those 
who  know  how  to  make  it  so.  The 
odour  of  such  things  about  a  house 
after  a  hard  frost  should  be  enough 
of  itself  to  condemn  them.  And  as 
for  beauty,  a  corner  of  a  labourer's 
garden  with  a  few  Snowdrops  and 
Hepaticas  is  worth  all  the  displays  of 
the  floral  kaleyard  ever  seen. 

BRA  VGA  (Scarlet  Twinflower}.—B. 
geminiflora  is  a  pretty  Mexican  bulbous 
plant  of  the  Amaryllis  order.  From 
i  to  2  feet  high,  the  flower  stems  stout 
and  erect,  bearing  on  the  upper  part 
numerous  pairs  of  nodding  tubular 
flowers  of  a  rich  scarlet  outside,  but 
inclined  to  yellow  within.  It  succeeds 
well  in  warm  sheltered  situations  in 
borders  of  light  and  well-drained  soil, 
but  requires  some  protection  over  the 
bulbs  in  winter.  It  flowers  in  autumn, 
and  remains  a  long  time  in  bloom. 

BREVOORTIA(  Crimson  Satin- 
flower}. — B.  coccinea  is  a  beautiful 
bulbous  flower  of  the  Lily  order,  also 
known  as  B.  I  da- Mai.  It  is  one  of 
the  prettiest  Californian  plants.  The 
flowers  grow  on  stems,  i|-  to  2  feet 
high,  and  are  tubular  and  of  a  deep 
crimson-red,  the  lips  a  vivid  green. 
It  succeeds  best  in  friable  loam. 
Plant  in  October,  and  the  roots  may 
remain  undisturbed  for  several  years. 
Offsets  and  seed. 

BRIZA  (Quaking  Grass}. — A  grace- 
ful family  of  grasses,  American  and 
European.  B.  maxima  is  one  of  the 
handsomest,  growing  12  to  18  inches 
high  ;  may  be  sown  in  the  open  in 
March  in  any  garden  soil,  is  quite 
hardy  and  graceful  while  growing,  and 
useful  for  decoration  either  green  or 
dried.  B.  media  (Common  Quaking 
Grass)  is  smaller,  9  to  15  inches  high. 
Borders.  Seed. 

BRODLEA  (Brodie's  Lily  or  Cali- 
fornian Hyacinth}. — A  charming  family 
of  N.  American  liliaceous  plants. 


BROMUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


BUDDLEIA. 


369 


B.  CONGESTA  has  the  stems  long  and 
wiry,  the  flowers  in  a  dense  umbel  ; 
purplish-blue  in  colour,  and  very  lasting. 
B.  alba  is  a  pretty  white-flowered  variety. 
B.  capitata  much  resembles  this  kind. 

B.  GRANDIFLORA. — This  is  an  old  and 
pretty  plant,  about  5  inches  high,  with 
deep  purplish-blue  flowers  in  a  loose  umbel 
in  July.  At  the  time  of  flowering  the 
foliage  is  often  withered,  and  to  hide  the 
nakedness  of  the  stems  it  is  sometimes  best 
planted  among  other  low-growing  plants. 

B.  HOWELLI. — This  pretty  species  has 
flowers  in  a  fine  umbel,  bell-shaped  and 
milky  white.  A  beautiful  variety  of  it 
(lilacina)  has  delicate  bluish  flowers, 
retaining  its  fine  deep  green  foliage  at  the 
time  of  flowering,  and  throwing  up  sturdy 
stems  about  2  feet  high,  crowned  by  large 
flat  umbels  of  well-shaped  flowers. 

B.  LAX  A  is  a  very  old  garden  plant,  of 
which  there  are  several  varieties,  not  only 
varying  in  colour,  but  in  the  size  of  the 
flowers  and  the  umbels. 

B.  MINOR,  probably  a  variety  of  the 
foregoing,  is  very  pretty  ;  the  scape  is  not 
more  than  an  "inch  high,  about  fifteen 
flowers  in  the  umbel  ;  the  colour  purplish- 
blue,  with  a  lighter  centre. 

B.  PEDUNCULARIS  is  a  pretty,  white- 
flowered  species,  with  large  umbel  of 
porcelain- white  blossoms. 

These  bulbs  may  be  planted  from 
October  until  December,  and  in  mild 
localities  will  pass  the  winter  in  the  open 
unprotected.  In  Holland,  where  the 
winters  are  often  very  severe,  they  are 
covered  with  reeds  or  straw  at  the 
approach  of  the  cold  season.  This  cover- 
ing will  keep  the  cold  off,  the  soil  open, 
and  ward  off  the  effects  of  a  treacherous 
winter  sun. 

BROMUS  (Brome  Grass). — At  least 
one  of  this  large  genus  of  grasses  is 
very  graceful  and  worthy  of  culture — 
that  is  B.  brizceformis,  a  hardy  biennial 
about  2  feet  high,  with  large,  graceful, 
and  drooping  heads.  It  is  more  valu- 
able for  cutting  and  drying  than  any 
of  the  Quaking  Grasses.  It  may  be 
grown  as  an  annual  sown  out  of  doors 
in  spring,  and  autumnal-sown  plants 
would  be  best  in  warm  soils. 

BROUSSONETIA        PAPYRIFERA 

(Paper  Mulberry). — A  small  summer- 
leafing  tree  allied  to  the  Mulberry, 
and  somewhat  similar  in  its  broadly- 
rounded  head  and  the  large  and  softly 
hairy  leaves.  The  shape  of  the  leaf 
is,  however,  most  variable  even  upon 
the  same  tree,  some  being  entire  and 
others  deeply  lobed,  while  there  are 
varieties  with  leaves  crisped,  varie- 
gated, and  variously  cut.  The  catkin- 
like  flowers  are  dull  red,  and  with  a 
scent  of  Cowslips,  coming  in  May 


either  as  short  spikes  or  rounded 
fleshy  balls,  according  as  they  are 
male  or  female,  while  the  fruits  consist 
of  small  fleshy  nutlets.  Though  hardy 
in  the  south  of  Britain,  where  it  makes 
a  shapely  lawri  tree,  in  the  north  it 
needs  shelter,  and  is  safest  against  a 
wall.  China. 

BROWALLIA.— Annual  plants  of 
the  Nightshade  order,  chiefly  Peruvian. 
B.  elata  has  usually  been  regarded  only 
as  a  beautiful  pot-plant,  but  it  does 
well  in  the  open  air,  either  in  a  bed  by 
itself  or  in  large  patches  with  other 
things.  It  supplies  a  shade  of  colour 
difficult  to  obtain,  and  is  useful  to  cut 
from.  Sow  the  seeds  in  March,  prick 
off  the  young  plants  when  large  enough 
to  handle,  grow  them  on  till  they  are 
strong,  and  plant  out  in  May.  There 
is  a  white  variety  equally  useful.  B. 
Roezli  is  a  dense  compact  bush,  16  to 
20  inches  high,  with  shining  green 
leaves.  The  flowers  are  of  a  delicate 
azure  blue,  or  are  white  with  a  yellow 
tube,  and  are  unusually  large  for  the 
genus.  They  come  in  uninterrupted 
succession  from  spring  till  autumn. 
Rocky  Mountains. 

BRUCKENTHALIA  SPICULIFO- 
LIA.— A  pretty  little  Heath-like  plant 
with  pale  purple  flowers  under  i  foot 
high.  It  is  a  plant  for  the  rock  garden 
in  free  peaty  soils.  S.E.  Europe. 

Brugmansia.     See  DATURA. 

BRYANTHUS.— A  rare  and  inter- 
esting group  of  northern  and  Arctic 
Heath-like  plants,  few  of  which  are  in 
cultivation.  B.  erectus  is  a  dwarf 
evergreen  Ericaceous  bush,  from  8 
inches  to  I  foot  high,  bearing  pretty 
pinkish  flowers.  Said  to  be  a  hybrid. 
In  fine  peat  it  grows  well,  and  is  best 
on  the  rock  garden  or  among  dwarf 
alpine  shrubs.  Among  the  known 
kinds  are  Breweri,  glanduliflorus, 
gmelini,  all  peat  and  rock  garden  plants. 
Sometimes  our  own  native  Menziesia 
ccerula  is  included  under  this  name. 

BUDDLEIA  (Orange  Ball  Tree).—B. 
globosa  is  a  favourite  shrub  from  Chili, 
often  seen  in  the  southern  coast  gar- 
dens, where  it  is  hardier,  and  in 
Ireland  ;  the  flowers,  balls  of  bright 
yellow,  are  showy  in  early  summer. 
It  is  of  rapid  growth,  and  if  badly  cut 
down  during  a  severe  winter  generally 
grows  again  in  the  following  summer. 
B.  Colvillei  is  a  tender  Himalayan  kind, 
with  bunches  of  pale  rose-coloured 
flowers.  It  is  a  shrub  for  mild  districts 
only.  Other  species  less  satisfactory 

2    A 


370         BULBINELLA.         THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


BUXUS. 


for  open-air  culture  are  B.  crispa,  B. 
Lindleyana.  B.  albi flora  is  from  Cen- 
tral China,  with  flowers  in  long  spikes. 
The  name  is  a  mistake,  as  the  flowers 
are  mauve.  It  is  a  handsome  plant, 
and  promises  to  be  hardy  and  free. 
B.  variabilis  is  a  native  of  the  moun- 
tains of  China.  It  is  a  large  shrub, 
8  to  10  or  more  feet  high,  variable  in 
foliage,  and  with  flowers  densely 
crowded  in  globose  heads  peduncled 
in  the  axils  of  the  uppermost  leaves, 
and  which  vary  in  colour  from  pink  to 


Buphthalmum  speciosum. 

pale  lilac,  with  an  orange  throat.  Some 
forms  of  this,  Veitchiana  and  Magni- 
fied, are  very  free  and  beautiful.  These 
B.  variabilis  forms  are  best  pruned  in 
March,  or  even  later. 

BULBINELLA  HOOKERI.  —  Also 
known  as  Anthericum  and  Chryso- 
bactron,  this  graceful  member  of  the 
Lily  order  is  well  suited  to  either 
border  or  rockwork.  The  plant  forms 
a  rosette  of  linear  sheathing  leaves, 
from  which  columnar  spikes  i  to  2  feet 
high,  bearing  bright  yellow  starry 
flowers  in  a  dense  raceme,  and  having 
the  aspect  of  a  miniature  Eremurus, 
issue.  Prefers  a  deep  rich  loam. 
Flowers  in  June.  Plant  3  inches 
deep.  Seeds  or  division.  New  Zealand. 

BULBOCODIUM  (Spring  Meadow 
Saffron). — B.  vernum  is  a  pretty 


liliaceous  bulb  from  4  to  6  inches 
high,  and  one  of  the  earliest  of  flowers, 
sending  up  large  rosy-purple  flower- 
buds,  distinct  in  colour.  The  tubular 
flowers  are  nearly  4  inches  long,  and 
are  usually  prettiest  in  the  bud  state. 
Easily  increased  by  dividing  the  bulbs 
in  July  or  August,  and  replanting  them 
from  4  to  6  inches  apart.  Alps  of 
Europe. 

BUPHTHALMUM.— B.  speciosum  is 
a  bold,  free,  and  showy  perennial, 
hardy,  and  growing  in  any  soil,  with 
large  heart-shaped  leaves  in  great 
tufts,  and,  in  summer  and  autumn, 
handsome  heads  of  showy  yellow 
flowers  with  dark  centres.  An  excel- 
lent plant  for  shrubberies  and  covering 
the  ground  here  and  there  in  bold 
masses,  as  it  grows  so  close  that  it 
keeps  the  weeds  down,  and  in  such 
ways  also  gives  a  better  effect  than  in 
small  tufts  in  the  mixed  border.  Cen- 
tral Europe.  Division.  Syn.  Telekia 
speciosa. 

BURSARIA  SPINOSA.— Mr  E.  A. 
Bowles  describes  this  as  growing  at 
Lanarth,  "  the  most  southern  garden 
in  England."  "A  freely  -  branched, 
small  tree  about  15  feet  high  ;  the 
stems  are  slender  for  its  height,  and 
so  freely  clothed  with  silvery  green 
tufts  of  lichen  that  even  should  it 
never  bear  flowers  it  would  be  a  beau- 
tiful object  in  any  garden."  When 
Mr  Bowles  saw  it  in  autumn  it  was  so 
full  of  flower  that  it  looked  like  a 
graceful  spout  of  white  spray,  and  as 
though  it  was  trying  to  imitate  some 
of  the  wonderful  effects  of  the  sea-wash 
on  stormy  days.  The  flowers  appear 
in  panicles  at  the  ends  of  the  shoots, 
and  in  this  case  every  growth  is  bearing 
its  feathery  head  of  blossoms,  so  that 
they  arch  out  in  a  singularly  graceful 
manner. —  The  Garden,  nth  October 
1919. 

Bursaria  spinosa  thrives  very  well 
in  Devonshire  and  the  West  of  England, 
but  elsewhere  perhaps  it  would  be  best 
to  begin  with  it  against  a  wall. 

BUTOMUS  (Flowering  Rush).~-B. 
umbellatus  is  a  handsome  native  water- 
plant,  often  very  fine  in  a  rich,  muddy 
soil,  and  hardy  and  free  to  flower. 
Common  by  some  river-banks,  and 
growing  with  water-side  weeds  in 
garden  ponds  and  lakes,  flowering  in 
summer  rose-red  in  bold  umbels.  Divi- 
sion. 

BUXUS  (Box). —-This  beautiful  bush 
grows  wild  on  some  of  our  southern 
chalk  hills,  and  is  much  cultivated  in 


CACCINIA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


CALCEOLARIA 


371 


gardens  as  an  edging,  and  also  in 
shrubberies.  The  beauty  of  its  habit 
is  seldom  seen  in  gardens,  owing  to 
being  too  much  crowded,  but  seen 
wild  its  habit  is  most  graceful,  and  it 
might  be  well  to  secure  the  same 
beauty  of  habit  by  planting  in  groups 
upon  exposed  knolls.  Almost  all  the 
•  species  and  varieties  have  variegated 
forms,  which,  though  pretty,  are  not  so 
good  as  the  natural  forms.  B.  sem- 
pervirens  (the  Common  Box)  from  its 
close  bushy  habit  is  one  of  the  most 
useful  Evergreens  for  garden  hedges. 
It  may  be  pruned  or  clipped  into  any 
shape.  While  there  are  few  soils  in 
which  it  will  not  thrive,  it  prefers  such 
as  are  light,  with  a  warm  gravelly 
subsoil.  Among  the  species  is  Japon- 
ica,  a  dwarf  form,  but  hardier.  The 
Minorca  Box  (B.  balearica)  is  a  native 
of  islands  in  the  Mediterranean,  as 
well  as  Italy  and  Turkey,  where  it 
forms  a  fine  tree  of  from  60  to  80  feet 
in  height.  The  leaves  are  larger  than 
those  of  the  Common  Box,  and  when 
exposed  to  the  sun  are  of  a  lighter 
green,  but  it  only  succeeds  well  in 
warm,  well-sheltered  situations,  with  a 
dry  soil  and  a  warm  subsoil.  Other 
species  are  Harlandi,  microphylla,  and 
Wallichiana,  but  few  of  these  so 
precious  as  the  Common  Box.  The 
variegated  forms  are  never  so  good  as 
the  green. 

CACCINIA  GLAUCA.  —  A  dwarf 
hardy  perennial  belonging  to  the 
Borage  family  from  the  highlands  of 
Persia.  About  9  inches  high,  with 
sparingly  branched,  succulent  stems 
and  glaucous  leaves,  covered  with 
stiff  hairs  and  short  terminal  racemes 
of  flowers  about  half  an  inch  in  dia- 
meter, resembling  in  form  that  of 
Borage. 

CACTUS. — Various  plants  belonging 
to  the  Cactus  order  of  plants  have 
proved  hardy  in  England.  Opuntia, 
Echinocereus,  Mammillaria,  and  Echin- 
opsis  are  among  the  hardiest.  Pretty 
effects  are  shown  by  some  Cacti  in  the 
open  air  in  Southern  England,  the 
plants  blooming  freely  when  fully 
exposed  in  the  sun  on  a  warm  rock 
garden,  though  the  loss  of  the  sun 
of  their  native  plains  is  against  their 
being  very  happy  in  Britain. 

It  is  well  to  place  Cacti  so  that  they 
may  be  safe  from  injuries,  apart  from 
climate,  and  the  best  places  are,  as  a 
rule,  on  well-drained  ledges  in  the  rock 
garden.  In  effect  they  seem  out  of 
place  in  an  English  garden. 


CAESALPINIA       JAPONICA.  —  A 

graceful  and  distinct  summer-leafing 
shrub,  one  of  a  genus  usually  tropical, 
but  this  is  hardy  in  the  country  around 
London.  It  has  hard  prickles,  leaves 
a  foot  long  and  very  graceful,  and  hand- 
some yellow  flowers  in  racemes.  Does 
best  in  good  free  soil,  and  is  excellent 
for  dry  banks,  and  in  Midland  and  cold 
districts  deserves  a  south  wall.  Seeds. 

Calampelis.     See  ECCREMOCARPUS. 

CALANDRINIA  (Rock  Purslane).— 
Dwarf  annual  or  perennial  plants  of 
the  Purslane  order.  Few  are  very 
effective  for  gardens  ;  some  are  bril- 
liant border  or  rock  plants,  thriving 
in  warm  soils.  C.  discolor  is  a  beau- 
tiful S.  American  plant,  from  i  to  i£ 
feet  high,  with  fleshy  leaves,  pale  green 
above  and  purple  beneath,  and  bright 
rose  flowers  in  a  long  raceme,  i|  inches 
across.  C.  grandiflora  is  a  handsome 
annual  with  showy  blossoms.  It 
thrives  in  a  warm  and  good  loam,  and 
blooms  throughout  the  autumn.  C. 
oppositifolia  is  a  distinct  plant,  and  is 
well  marked  by  its  larger,  very  thick, 
succulent  leaves  and  delicate  white 
flowers.  C.  speciosa  has  flowers  from 
£  to  i  inch  across,  purple-crimson  ; 
on  sunny  mornings  they  open  fully, 
closing  early  in  the  afternoon.  C! 
umbellata  is  a  distinct  and  pretty 
plant,  the  flower  dazzling  magenta- 
crimson.  It  does  well  in  sandy  peat 
or  in  other  light  earth,  and  is  perennial 
on  dry  soils  and  in  chinks  in  a  well- 
drained  rock  garden.  Seed  sown  in 
pots  or  in  the  open  air  in  fine  sandy 
soil.  Chili. 

CALCEOLARIA  (Slipper  Flower).— 
Handsome  herbs  or  low  shrubs  of 
the  Foxglove  order,  mostly  from  S. 
America,  many  of  high  garden  value, 
but  few  hardy.  In  the  London  dis- 
trict many  of  the  varieties  die  from 
disease,  or  are  short-lived  as  regards 
bloom,  but  the  handsome  C.  amplexi- 
canlis,  with  its  bold  habit  and  lemon- 
yellow  flowers,  is  always  a  favourite. 

The  best  time  for  propagating  the 
shrubby  varieties  is  the  end  of  Sep- 
tember and  October.  Cuttings  of 
recent  growth  of  3  inches  or  so  long 
are  the  best,  and  if  made  to  a  joint  in 
the  usual  way  and  inserted  in  sandy 
soil  in  a  cold  frame,  will,  if  kept  close 
and  fairly  moist,  root  to  almost  cent, 
per  cent.  When  rooted  ventilate 
freely.  Kept  moderately  dry,  the 
young  plants  will  pass  an  ordinary 
winter  with  impunity.  In  February 


372         CALCEOLARIA.      THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.      CALCEOLARIA. 


the  plants  should  be  potted  singly  or 
transplanted,  in  order  to  make  bushy 
examples  for  bedding  out  in  due  course. 

Apart  from  the  varieties,  a  number 
of  species  are  of  some  merit  for  the 
flower  garden.  The  greater  number 
inhabit  mountain  valleys,  and  ascend 
to  an  elevation  of  from  13,000  to  14,000 
feet  in  S.  America. 

C.  ALBA. — One  of  the  most  attractive, 
with  narrow  dark  green  leaves,  slightly 
toothed.  The  flowers,  produced  in 
branched  racemes,  are  small  and  pure 
white.  The  whole  plant  is  somewhat 


C.  JOHN  INNES. — A  remarkably  fine 
plant  raised  at  the  John  Innes  Horticul- 
tural Institute,  Surrey,  the  result  of 
crossing  C.  plantaginea  and  C.  polyrrhiza. 
In  habit  it  closely  resembles  C.  plantaginea, 
forming  a  comparatively  compact  mass, 
increasing  by  short  side  growths ;  the 
leaves  are  intermediate,  narrower  than 
those  of  C.  plantaginea,  but  not  showing 
the  distinct  petiole  of  C.  polyrrhiza.  The 
flowers,  produced  in  pairs,  and  carried  on 
wiry  stems  each  9  inches  to  a  foot  in 
height,  are  longer  than  in  either  of  the 
parents,  the  pouch  widening  as  it  expands, 
becoming  somewhat  wedge-shaped.  The 


Calandrinia  oppositifolia. 


viscid  or  clammy.  This  makes  an  inter- 
esting wall  plant,  and  is  worth  persevering 
with  where  good  plants  are  appreciated. 

C.  AMPLEXICAULIS. — A  fine  kind  with 
soft  green  leaves  clasping  the  stem  and 
many  lemon-yellow  flowers.  Owing  to 
its  tall  habit  it  groups  well  with  various 
plants,  and  it  is  handsome  in  the  flower 
garden  in  autumn.  Ecuador. 

C.  HYSSOPIFOLIA. — One  of  the  best  of 
the  dwarf  kinds,  bearing  loose  clusters  of 
lemon-yellow  blossoms  from  early  summer 
till  autumn,  the  foliage  resembling  that 
of  Hyssop.  "Ecuador. 


colour  is  bright  yellow,  with  a  few  brown 
spots  on  the  underside  of  the  pouch. 

C.  KELLYANA. — A  curious  hardy  hybrid, 
with  short  downy  stems,  6  to  9  inches 
high,  flowers  about  an  inch  across,  yellow 
with  numerous  small  brown  dots  top  of 
the  stems.  Its  foliage  resembles  a  Mimu- 
lus,  creeping  along  the  ground,  and  it  is 
a  very  interesting  dwarf  rock  garden 
plant. 

C.  PAVONII. — A  noble  kind,  from  2  to 
4  feet  high,  with  large  light  green,  much- 
wrinkled  foliage,  bearing  large,  pale 
yellow,  slipper-shaped  blossoms.  It  is  a 


CALLA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.     CALLISTEPHUS.      373 


fine  object  against  a  warm  south  wall, 
but  at  the  approach  of  winter  it  should 
either  be  lifted  or  protected.  Peru. 

C.  PLANTAGINEA. — A  low-growing  plant 
spreading  by  means  of  short  side  growths  ; 
the  leaves,  formed  in  rosettes,  are  broadly 
ovate,  with  toothed  margins  and  attain 
a  considerable  size  in  moist  positions. 
The  flowers,  produced  on  slender  stems, 
9  inches  to  a  foot  high,  are  of  a  fine  bright 
yellow. 

C.  POLYRRHIZA  increases  rapidly  by 
means  of  wide-spreading  rhizomes,  and 
quickly  finds  its  way  into  conditions  which 
suit  it.  At  Glasnevin,  where  it  was  origin- 
ally planted  in  a  small  bog,  it  spread  up 
a  bank  on  one  side  and  established  itself 
among  the  roots  of  ferns  growing  there  ; 
it  appears  to  like  rather  drier  conditions 
than  C.  plantaginea.  The  leaves  are  long 
and  narrowed  into  a  petiole,  and  are  softly 
hairy  on  both  surfaces.  The  flowers, 
produced  singly  on  slender  stems,  have  a 
rounded  "  pouch  "  yellow  with  numerous 
reddish-brown  spots  underneath. 

C.  VIOLACEA. — A  distinct  kind,  with 
small  helmet-shaped  flowers,  rich  purple 
and  spotted  ;  succeeds  well  on  warm 
borders  or  the  rock  garden,  and,  if  slightly 
protected,  withstands  mild  winters  in  the 
south.  Chili. 

CALENDULA  OFFICINALIS  (Pot  Marigold). 
— A  hardy  biennial  ;  one  of  the  best  for 
autumn  and  winter  flowering.  The  petals 
were  formerly  used  to  flavour  dishes  in  old 
English  cookery.  For  late  blooming,  seed 
should  be  sown  in  July.  The  plants  sow 
themselves  freely,  and  may  be  sown  in  the 
open  ground  either  in  spring  or  autumn. 
There  are  now  pretty  varieties. 

CALLA  (Bog  Arum).—  C.  palustris 
is  a  small,  hardy,  trailing  Arum,  with 
white  spathes.  Flowering  in  summer, 
and  increasing  rapidly  by  its  running 
stems.  For  moist  spongy  spots  near 
the  rock  garden,  or  by  the  side  of  a 
rill,  it  is  one  of  the  best  plants,  but  its 
beauty  is  best  seen  when  it  is  allowed 
to  ramble  over  rich,  muddy  soil.  N. 
Europe. 

Callichroa.     See  LA  VIA. 
Calliopsis.     See  COREOPSIS. 
Calliprora.     See  BRODI^A. 

CALLIRHOE  (Poppy  Mallow}.— 
Handsome  N.  American  plants  of  the 
Mallow  order,  of  which  some  half-dozen 
kinds  are  known  in  our  gardens.  They 
are  hardy,  herbaceous  perennials,  and 
succeed  well  in  the  open  border  in  rich, 
light  soil. 

C.  ALC^OIDES  is  an  erect  herbaceous 
perennial,  with  the  habit  of  a  Malva,  the 
flowers  from  i  inch  to  li  inches  in  dia- 
meter. 


C.  DIGITATA. — A  distinct  glaucous  peren- 
nial herb,  2  or  3  feet  high,  with  reddish- 
purple  flowers  in  summer  ;  it  is  not  so 
showy  as  the  other  kinds. 

C.  INVOLUCRATA. — A  dwarf  perennial, 
with  large  violet-crimson  flowers  2  inches 
in  diameter.  It  is  excellent  for  the  rock 
garden,  bearing  a  continuous  crop  of  showy 
blossoms  from  early  summer  till  late  in 
autumn.  California. 

C.  PAPAVER  has  a  trailing  habit,  and 
flowers  incessantly  from  early  summer 
until  late  autumn.  The  flowers  are  a 
bright  purple-red,  as  large  and  somewhat 
resembling  those  of  our  common  field 
Poppy. 

C.  PEDATA. — A  perennial,  with  trailing 
stems  bearing  handsome  crimson  flowers, 
2  inches  in  diameter  ;  sown  early  the 
plants  bloom  the  first  season,  and  flower 
until  late  in  autumn,  and  in  dry  soils  the 
roots  survive  our  average  winters. 

CALLISTEMON  SALIGNUS.— There 
are  two  forms  of  this  Bottle-brush 
shrub,  one  bearing  pale  yellow  flowers 
and  the  other  crimson.  Others  are 
C.  lanceolatus,  carmine,  and  C.  specio- 
sus.  These  grow  well  as  bushes,  some 
of  the  first  sometimes  10  feet,  and  as 
much  in  diameter.  These  plants  thrive 
in  Devon  and  Cornwall,  and  in  the 
milder  seashore  districts.  Australia. 

CALLISTEPHUS  (China  Aster}.  - 
Among  the  many  annuals  now  in 
cultivation,  China  Asters  ( C.  chinensis} 
are  among  the  best,  and  when  well 
grown  and  cared  for  they  do  as  much 
to  adorn  a  garden  during  summer  and 
autumn  as  any  annual  plant.  To  see 
them  in  their  beauty,  however,  they 
must  be  grown  in  masses,  and  not  a"t 
any  stage  left  to  haphazard  or  poor 
culture.  It  will  also  be  found  that 
they  are  more  satisfactory  on  good 
open  soils  than  on  heavy  ones. 

VARIETIES. — China  Asters  may  be 
classed  according  to  height,  habit,  char- 
acter of  flower.  Tall  Asters  comprise 
the  fine  Paeony-flowered,  the  tall 
Chrysanthemum,  the  Emperor,  the  tall 
Victoria,  the  Quilled,  and  a  few  others. 
Kinds  of  medium  height  are  the  dwarfer 
forms  of  the  Victoria,  the  fine  Cocar- 
deau,  the  Rose,  and  the  Porcupine. 
The  dwarf  forms  comprise  the  short 
Chrysanthemum,  the  dwarf  pyramidal, 
and  specially  the  dwarf  bouquet,  which 
is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  for  pot 
culture.  The  best  bedding  kinds  are 
the  medium-growing  Victoria,  the 
Rose,  and  the  dwarf  Chrysanthemum, 
as  these  vary  from  9  to  12  inches  in 
height,  a*nd  form  good  bunches  of 


374      CALOCHORTUS.      THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN.       CALOCHORTUS. 


bloom  on  each  plant,  and  fine  masses 
of  colour  collectively.  The  dwarf 
bouquet  kinds,  whilst  specially  good 
for  pot  culture,  are  valuable  as  edgings 
to  beds  of  taller  kinds.  For  pot 
culture  for  exhibition,  the  best  are  the 
medium-growing  Victorias,  as  these, 
if  of  a  good  strain,  possess  quality, 
and  handsome  even  heads  of  bloom. 

Mr  J.  Betteridge,  a  very  successful 
grower  of  Asters,  writes  : — "  For 
several  years  I  always  sowed  the  seed 
in  bottom-heat ;  now  I  sow  it  between 
26th  March  and  26th  April,  in  a  cold 
frame,  under  glass,  in  drills  6  inches 
apart,  and  not  too  thick  in  the  drills. 
A  few  days  suffice  to  bring  the  plants 
above  the  soil,  when  air  must  be  given, 
or  they  will  be  weak.  When  large 
enough,  prick  them  out  into  another 
cold  frame,  slightly  shaded,  where  they 
will  soon  root,  and  after  they  are  strong 
enough  to  handle,  plant  them  out  in 
well-manured  soil,  and  be  careful  not 
to  break  the  tender  fibres  of  the  roots. 
Let  the  rows  be  i  foot  apart,  and  plant 
the  strongest  plants  i  foot  from  each 
other,  in  showery  weather,  and  they 
will  soon  root.  If  the  weather  be  hot, 
give  them  a  little  water  till  rooted  ; 
afterwards  keep  them  clear  of  weeds. 
About  the  first  week  in  August  top 
dress  with  manure  from  an  old  hot-bed, 
giving  a  good  soaking  all  over  in  dry 
weather. 

"  China  Asters  like  a  deep  rich  soil, 
and,  should  dry  weather  set  in,  it  is 
only  in  such  soil  that  really  fine  flowers 
can  be  obtained.  Planted  in  the 
ordinary  way,  they  are  weeds  in  com- 
parison with  those  that  are  well 
nourished.  Confined  to  the  top  shal- 
low crust  of  earth,  they  soon  starve. 
The  best  way  to  manage  them  is  to 
dig  and  cast  off  the  top  spit  to  one 
side,  handy  to  be  returned  to  its  place 
again,  and  then  to  trench  and  break 
up  the  soil  below,  working  in  plenty 
of  short  manure.  In  very  light  soils 
a  few  barrow-loads  of  clay,  chopped 
fine  and  mixed  well  in,  will  help.  The 
thing  to  aim  at  is  to  keep  the  soil  cool 
and  moist ;  then,  if  the  weather  be 
favourable,  the  plants  will  take  care 
of  themselves." 

Calluna.     See  ERICA  VULGARIS. 

CALOCHORTUS  (Mariposa  Lily).— 
Bulbous  plants  from  western  N.  America, 
of  the  Lily  order,  and  forming  one  of 
the  most  charming  groups  of  hardy 
plants,  the  colours  of  the  flowers  varied 
and  beautifuL  Excepting  the  Mexican 
species,  which  are  few,  Calochorti  arc 


hardy ;  but  my  experience  is  that 
unless  on  very  warm  soils  their  culture 
is  precarious  in  our  country,  and  no 
wonder,  considering  they  come  from 
one  of  the  most  genial  climates. 

They  are  so  singularly  beautiful, 
however,  that  many  will  attempt 
their  cultivation,  and  the  advice  of 
Mr  Carl  Purdy,  who  has  studied  the 
species  in  their  native  wilds,  and  cul- 
tivated them,  is  the  best  we  can  have  : 

Calochorti  are  natives  of  a  vast  region 
in  N.  America,  stretching  from  far 
east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  and  from  Northern 
Mexico  to  British  America.  From  the 
sea-coast  and  islands  they  grow  from 
6000  feet  to  9000  feet  altitude  on  the 
peaks.  Some  are  natives  of  the  in- 
tensely hot  deserts  of  Southern  Cali- 
fornia and  Arizona,  and  some  grow 
in  the  moist  meadows  of  Oregon  in  a 
climate  differing  but  little  from  that 
of  England.  In  Montana  and  other 
states  of  the  inland  region  the  species 
indigenous  there  have  to  bear  as  low 
a  temperature  as  40  below  zero.  In 
the  soils  in  which  they  naturally  grow 
there  is  as  much  diversity.  Clay, 
sand,  loam  and  rocky  debris  are  respec- 
tively the  chosen  homes  of  certain 
species,  and  several  choose  the  blackest 
and  stickiest  of  clays.  One  is  found 
in  salt  meadows,  and  many  in  grassy 
meadows. 

' '  I  have  at  different  times  tried  nearly 
every  known  species  in  many  soils  and 
situations.  The  winter  climate  of 
Ukiah  is  quite  wet,  with  the  thermo- 
meter often  at  20°  to  24°,  and  some- 
times as  low  as  15°  above  zero.  Often 
the  Calochorti  leaves  are  frozen  till 
they  crackle,  but  I  have  never  known 
any  injury  to  result.  In  spring  there 
is  abundant  rain  until  their  flowering 
time,  while  our  summer  is  perfectly 
dry.  Perfect  drainage  is  the  first 
essential  to  success  for  all  sorts.  I 
have  gradually  come  to  the  use  of 
three  mixtures.  Along  our  river  banks 
there  is  a  winter  deposit  of  sandy  silt. 
This  is  excellent  Calochortus  soil,  but 
not  so  good  as  the  next.  I  find  the 
best  results  follow  from  the  use  of 
about  one-half  half-rotten  spent  tan 
bark  with  one-half  sandy  or  clay  loam. 
The  tan  bark  rots  slowly  and  gives  a 
loose,  well-drained  soil,  which  will  not 
pack.  This  suits  all  Calochorti,  and 
gives  a  splendid  bloom  and  firm,  well- 
ripened  bulbs.  For  English  growers 
many  substitutes  will  occur.  I  know 
of  but  one  disease  to  which  Calochorti 
are  subject.  This  is  a  mildew,  the 


CALocHORTtrs.       THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         CAIOPOGON.         375 


'  Lily  leaf  ash.'  It  attacks  them  in 
the  spring,  just  before  the  flowering 
stalk  appears.  It  attacks  the  leaf 
tissue,  and  in  a  week  entirely  destroys 
the  leaf  and  injures  the  bulb.  In  their 
susceptibility  to  the  attacks  of  the 
fungus  Calochorti  vary  greatly.  All 
of  the  species  having  a  single,  glossy, 
radical  leaf  are  free  from  its  attacks. 
This  includes  all  of  the  Star  Tulips  and 
the  C.  nitidus  group.  While  all  of  the 
desert  species,  such  as  C.  splendens, 
C.  Kennedyi,  C.  Palmeri,  C.  Gunni- 
soni,  C.  Nuttalli,  C.  macrocarpus,  and 
C.  flexuosus  are  subject  to  it  to  such 
an  extent  as  to  make  their  successful 
culture  very  near  hopeless  unless  some 
cure  can  be  found  for  this  mildew. 

"  While  the  amateur  may  prefer  to 
try  all  sorts  and  get  his  experience  for 
himself,  I  believe  that  many  growers 
will  appreciate  a  list  of  the  best  growers 
among  the  Calochorti.  For  such  I 
would  recommend  the  following  : — 

"  In  the  globular  -  flowered  Star 
Tulips,  C.  albus  (white),  C.  pulchellus 
(yellow), and  C.amoenus  (rose-coloured), 
are  all  thrifty  and  beautiful.  Among 
the  open-cupped  Star  Tulips,  C.  Bent- 
hami,  in  yellow,  and  C.  Maweanus  var. 
major,  are  the  best.  There  is,  however, 
a  race  of  giant  Star  Tulips,  sturdy 
plants  9  inches  to  16  inches  high,  with 
large  flowers  of  the  same  delicate 
style  as  Maweanus,  which,  although 
rare  now,  will  soon  quite  displace  the 
smaller  ones.  These  are  C.  apiculatus 
(straw-coloured),  C.  Greeni  (blue),  and 
C.  Howelli  (yellow).  C.  lilacinus,  a 
lavender-coloured  sort,  is  a  splendid 
grower  and  very  desirable.  In  the 
next  section,  C.  nitidus  is  a  fine  hardy 
and  very  beautiful  plant,  combining 
the  attributes  of  Star  Tulip  and  Mari- 
posa.  In  the  C.  Weedi  set,  C.  Plum- 
mercB  is  best.  Of  the  true  Butterfly 
Tulips,  C.  Vesta  is  by  far  the  best 
grower.  It  is  a  sort  which  has  great 
vitality,  can  be  propagated  very 
rapidly  by  offsets  (three  or  four  a  year), 
and  grows  well  in  any  well-drained 
soil.  C.  venustus  var.  purpurescens  is 
almost  as  good  a  grower,  and  the  two 
are  by  all  odds  the  easiest  Calochorti 
to  grow.  C.  venustus  var.  citrinus, 
in  lemon,  is  very  thrifty.  That  grand 
plant  C.  clavatus  is  a  fine  grower. 

"  I  have  found  that  by  very  late 
planting  I  can  bring  sorts  to  flower 
which,  planted  early,  invariably  suc- 
cumb. I  had  the  same  experience  a 
year  ago.  It  would  seem  that  when 
planted  early  they  reach  a  standstill 
period  in  late  winter  and  cannot  resist 


disease,  while  planted  late  they  are  in 
full  growth  at  the  critical  period. 

"  Clearly  if  so  much  care  is  needed  in 
their  own  lovely  climate,  in  ours  it  will 
require  all  our  care  to  secure  them 
perfect  drainage,  porous  soil  and 
warmth,  though  no  doubt  some  of  the 
naturally  warm  soils  may  suit  them." 

C.  ALBUS. — A  charming  species  more 
easily  grown  than  most.  May  be  planted 
in  the  open  border  without  much  fear  of 
failure. 


Calochortus  fuscus. 

CALOPHACA.—  Pretty  Pea-flowered 
rock  shrublets,  C.  Wolgarica,  a  native 
of  S.  Russia,  and  C.  grandiflora,  Central 
Asia.  Plants  for  the  rocks,  banks,  and 
free  soil,  and,  as  far  as  I  have  seen 
them,  of  good  effect.  They  are  allied 
to  Caragana. 

CALOPOGON.—  C.  pulchellus  is  a 
beautiful  hardy  Orchid  suitable  for 
boggy  ground,  the  flowers  pink,  i  inch 
in  diameter,  in  clusters  of  two  to  six 
upon  a  stem,  beautifully  bearded  with 
white,  yellow,  and  purple  hairs.  Plant 
in  the  rock  garden,  bog,  or  in  an  open 
spot  in  the  hardy  fernery  in  moist, 
peaty  soil,  as  it  is  a  native  of  wet 


376 


CAtTHA. 


THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         CAMELLIA. 


spots  at  the  edges  of  Pine  woods  in  the 
moss  in  Cranberry  swamps,  and  in 
wet  grassy  marshes,  and  occasionally 
seen  on  solid  ground  in  low,  wet 
woody  situations  in  N.  America. 

CALTHA  (Marsh  Marigold). —The 
Marsh  Marigold  (C.  palustris),  that  in 
early  spring  "  shines  like  fire  in  swamps 
and  hollows  grey,"  and  is  one  of  our 
good  plants,  though  it  is  so  frequent  in 
a  wild  state  that  there  is  little  need 
to  give  it  a  place  in  country  gardens. 
Its  double  varieties  are  good  in  a  moist 
rich    border,    or    by    the    water-side. 
There  is  a  double  variety  of  the  smaller 
creeping    C.   radicans,   about  half  the 
size  of  the  common  plant.     There  are 
double-flowered  forms  bearing  beautiful 
golden    rosettes  —  Tyreman's    variety 
is    a    good    showy    one.      There    are 
also  C.  leptosepala,  a  Calif ornian  kind, 
and  C.  purpurascens,  distinct  and  hand- 
some, about  i  foot  high,  with  purplish 
stems,  and  bright  orange  flowers,  the 
outside  of  the  petals  flushed  with   a 
purplish    tinge.     The    various    Marsh 
Marigolds  in  groups  or  bold  masses  are 
effective,   polypetala   being   the   finest 
kind  ;   they  are  easily  grown  in  shallow 
water  or  boggy  soil,  and  increased  by 
division. 

CALYCANTHUS  (Allspice  Tree}.— 
N.  American  shrubs  with  flowers  of 
pleasant  fragrance.  C.  occidentalis  is 
from  6  to  8  feet  high,  with  large 
maroon  -  crimson  flowers  of  fine  fra- 
grance, and  is  worthy  of  cultivation. 
C.  floridus  is  smaller  and  not  so  dense, 
with  purplish-red  flowers,  strongly- 
scented.  The  two  described  are  hardy, 
the  Carolina  species  having  been  grown 
since  1757.  They  flourish  best  when 
somewhat  shaded  by  other  trees  and 
where  the  ground  is  damp.  The 
Winter  Sweet,  Chimonanthus,  is  some- 
times included  among  these  shrubs  in 
lists. 

CALYPSO. —  C.  borealis  is  a  pretty 
little  hardy  Orchid,  with  rosy-purple 
sepals  and  petals,  and  a  white  lip, 
heavily  blotched  with  cinnamon  brown, 
from  the  cold  regions  of  N.  America. 
It  succeeds  in  half-shady  spots  on  the 
margin  of  the  rock  garden  or  bog,  or 
in  a  select  spot  among  choice  shrubs  in 
light,  moist  vegetable  soil,  covered 
with  Cocoa  fibre  to  keep  the  surface 
open. 

Calystegia.     See  CONVOLVULUS. 

CAM  A  SSI  A  (Quamash).— N.  Ameri- 
can plants  of  the  Lily  order,  hardy, 
handsome,  and  of  easy  culture. 


C.  CUSICKI,  from  the  Blue  Mountains  of 
Oregon,  has  been  described  as  the  most 
vigorous  species  yet  found  with  large 
broad  leaves,  a  stout  flower-stem  growing 
3  feet  high,  and  flowers  of  a  pale  delicate 
blue,  large  and  spreading. 

C.  ESCULENTA  (Quamash)  is  a  native  of 
meadows  and  marshes  in  N.W.  America, 
from  i  to  3  feet  high,  its  stalks  bearing  a 
loose  raceme  of  from  ten  to  twenty  flowers 
about  2  inches  across,  the  colour  from 
deep  to  pale  blue.  There  is  also  a  pure 
white,  and  various  other  forms  thriving 
in  moist  situations  in  a  deep  light  soil. 

C.  FRASERI  (Eastern  Quamash). — A 
native  of  the  States  east  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, its  flowers  are  rather  smaller  than 
those  of  the  western  species  ;  about  i£  feet 
high,  the  scape  bearing  a  raceme  of  ten 
to  thirty  pale  blue  flowers,  each  about  i 
inch  across.  It  is  later  in  flowering  than 
other  Camassias,  thriving  in  a  light  rich 
soil. 

C.  LEICHTLINI  (White  Camassia) — This 
often  grows  on  sandy  ridge-tops,  and  is 
found  in  dry  spots  in  ravines  ;  its  bulbs 
are  generally  deep  in  some  stiff  soil.  The 
flower-spike  is  large,  bearing  creamy  white 
flowers,  the  stem  3  to  4  feet  high.  It  is 
vigorous,  but  not  so  handsome  as  the 
above.  British  Columbia. 

CAMELLIA. — Handsome   shrubs   of 
the   Tea   order,    mostly   grown   under 
glass  in  our  country,  but  in  the  Isle  of 
Wight    and    the    southern    coasts    of 
England  and  Ireland  it  is  often  laden 
with  flcwers.     Most  people  who  have 
Camellias  in  the  open  air  find  that  they 
flower  well  five  out  of  every  six  years, 
and  that  the  plants  are  hardier  than 
many    shrubs    that    make    their    new 
growth     early     in     the    year.       Their 
greatest    enemy    is    fierce    winds.     In 
planting  them  out  for  the  first  time 
it  is  well   to  plant  first  some  of  the 
commoner    kinds,     and    in    sheltered 
spots  ;     then,    when    these    thrive,    to 
continue*   with    more    valuable    ones. 
The  best  aspect  for  Camellias  is  a  south 
or  south-west  one,  sheltered  by  a  bank 
or   wall,    but   in    some    districts    they 
thrive  on  north  walls.     Planting  from 
pots  may  take  place  at  any  period, 
but  about  July  is   the  best  time,   as 
the  wood  is  then  well  ripened.     The 
Camellia   is   hardier  than   some   more 
popular  things,   such  as   the   Bay,   or 
even  the  Cherry  Laurel,  and  will  not 
only  grow  in  the  south  of  England  and 
Ireland,   but  in  many  other  parts  as 
well.     When  I  first  came  to  Gravetye, 
I  put  a  group  in  what  was  then  a  copse, 
rather  carelessly,  and  they  have  thriven 
ever  since — that  is  to  say,  for  twenty- 
ive    years    certain,    and    have    never 


CAMPANULA.       THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         CAMPANULA. 


377 


turned  a  leaf  in  any  frost  or  storm. 
The  soil  is  rather  poor,  and  the  position 
slightly  shaded  under  trees.  They 
were  never  mulched  or  attended  to, 
and  are  rather  close-set.  The  only 
nourishment  they  have  is  the  fall  of 
their  leaves  !  One  should  keep  to  the 
single  forms — red,  rose,  or  white,  as 
may  be  preferred.  Camellias  have 
been  very  much  neglected  in  the  past, 
the  trade  seeking  double  forms,  which 
are  not  nearly  as  good  for  the  open  air. 

C.  RETICULATA. — This  is  hardy,  but 
rarely  flowers  satisfactorily  in  the  open, 
except  in  the  south-west,  where  it  is  grown 
both  against  walls  and  as  a  bush  plant. 
It  is  by  far  the  finest  of  the  Camellias, 
bearing  lovely  pink  semi-double  flowers 
6  inches  in  diameter,  with  bright  yellow 
spreading  stamens. 

At  Scorrier  House,  Tremough,  and 
Pengreep,  among  the  varieties  that 
do  best  are  Mathotiana,  the  largest, 
anemone  flora,  very  profuse  flowering  ; 
Countess  of  Orkney,  Donkelaari,  which 
comes  very  early  ;  and  the  old  japon- 
ica.  C.  Reticulata  is  the  handsomest 
of  the  Camellias,  but  needs  a  warm 
and  sheltered  place. 

CAMPANULA  ( Hairbell} .  —  The 
alpine  kinds  are  charming  for  rock 
gardens,  and  not  as  a  rule  difficult  to 
cultivate.  A  group  of  kinds  somewhat 
larger  than  the  high  alpines  adorn 
rocks  and  old  walls  on  the  mountains, 
and  may  be  used  for  these  in  our  gar- 
dens. Some  are  pretty  window  plants. 
Numbers  are  good  border  and  edging 
plants  of  easy  culture  ;  the  tall  and 
straggling  kinds  admirable  for  the 
wild  garden,  or  rough  woody  places 
or  hedgerows,  but  these  tall  species 
must  not  be  used  much  in  the  flower 
garden  or  mixed  borders,  as  their  time 
of  bloom  is  short.  Some  of  the  annual 
kinds,  if  well  grown,  are  showy.  The 
Canterbury  Bell  is  one  of  the  finest  of 
biennials,  the  tall  chimney  Campanula 
a  very  handsome  and  precious  plant 
for  garden  or  greenhouse. 

C.  ABIETINA. — Forms  close  mats  of 
leaves  2  inches  high,  and  gives  a  delightful 
lot  of  open  starry  reddish-purple  flowers 
in  May,  on  wiry  stems  9  inches  high.  A 
rock  garden  gem. 

C.  ALLIONI. — An  alpine  kind  forming  a 
network  of  succulent  roots,  with  stemless 
rosettes  of  leaves  an  inch  long,  from  which 
arise  stalkless  erect  flowers.  It  thrives  in 
exposed  positions  in  the  rock  garden  in  a 
moist,  free,  and  sandy  loam  ;  dislikes 
limestone.  Division.  Alps. 

C.  ALPINA  (Alpine  Hairbell). — Covered 
with  stiff  down,  giving  it  a  slightly  grey 


appearance,  5  to  10  inches  high  ;  flowers 
of  dark  fine  blue,  scattered  along  the 
stems,  margins  of  mixed  border,  and  the 
rock  garden.  Division  or  seeds.  Carpa- 
thians. 

C.  ARVATICA  (Acutangula). — A  pretty 
Spanish  kind  affording  a  profusion  of 
starry  deep  violet  flowers  in  July  and 
August.  A  good  moraine  plant  4  inches 
high. 

C.  C^ESPITOSA  (Tufted  Hairbell). — A 
charming  little  plant,  its  roots  ramble  very 
much,  and  it  soon  forms  large  patches  in 
any  garden  soil.  Excellent  for  edgings 
and  rocks,  the  angles  of  steps  in  rock  gar- 
dens, and  where  flagstones  are  used  to 
form  paths  it  is  one  of  the  plants  that  run 
about  among  the  stones  with  pretty  effect. 
The  white  kind  is  as  free  and  useful  as  the 
purple  one. 


Alpine  Hairbell  in  rock  garden. 


C.  CARPATICA  (Carpathian  Hairbell). — A 
dwarf  plant  of  free-flowering  habit,  the 
light-blue  flowers  large  and  cup-shaped, 
borne  on  footstalks  12  to  15  inches  high 
in  July  and  August  in  succession.  There 
are  pale  and  white  forms  of  this  plant  and 
the  hybrid  forms,  none  "of  them  better 
than  the  wild  plant.  Isabel,  pelirformis, 
Riverslea,  and  White  Star  are  some  of  the 
best  oi  these. 


378 


CAMPANULA.       THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


CAMPANULA . 


C.  CENISIA  (Mont  Cenis  Hairbell). — A 
high  alpine  plant  growing  among  Saxifraga 
biflora  on  the  sides  of  glaciers,  making 
little  show  above  ground  but  vigorous 
below,  and  compact  rosettes  of  light  green 
leaves,  with  blue  flowers.  It  should  have 
a  sandy  or  gritty  and  moist  soil  on  the 
rock  garden  among  the  smallest  plants. 
Division. 

C.  FRAGILIS  (Brittle  Hairbell). — The 
young  branches  are  coated  with  soft  down  ; 
the  flowering  branches  prostrate,  12  or 
15  inches  long  ;  the  flowers  i  inch  or  more 
in  diameter,  delicate  blue.  A  variety  C. 
hirsuta  is  covered  with  stiff  down,  and 
looks  almost  woolly.  Division,  cuttings, 
and  seeds. 

C.  GARGANICA  (Gargano  Hairbell). — A 
compact  plant  of  prostrate  habit,  the 
starry  erect  flowers  in  branching  racemes, 
pale  blue,  shading  off  to  white  towards 
the  centre  in  summer,  thriving  in  a  rock 
garden  or  a  border.  There  is  a  white 
variety.  C.  H.  Paine,  a  soft  violet  blue 
with  white  centre,  is  the  best  of  all.  Divi- 
sion or  by  cuttings  taken  in  early  spring. 


Campanula  carpatica. 


C.  GLOMERATA  (Clustered  Bellflower). — 
A  handsome  plant  about  2  feet  high,  the 
stems  terminated  by  dense  clusters  of 
pretty  intense  purple  flowers.  The  variety 
Dahurica.;  with  deep  purple  heads  of 
flowers,  is  of  exceptional  merit. 

C.  HENDERSONI. — Good  hybrid  for 
August  and  later.  This  forms  a  mound 
15  inches  high  and  through,  flowering 
abundantly  when  established.  Prefers  a 
cool,  rather  heavy  loam. 

C.  ISOPHYLLA  (Ligurian  Hairbell). — A 
very  pretty  Italian  species  ;  the  leaves 
are  round  or  heart-shaped,  the  flowers  a 
pale  but  very  bright  blue,  and  with  whitish 
centre.  A  charming  ornament  for  the 
rock  garden,  in  sunny  positions  in  well- 
drained,  rather  dry  fissures,  in  sandy  loam. 


The  variety  alba  is  a  beautiful  form  with 
white  flowers.  Both  are  good  in  chinks  of 
rock  or  rock  walls,  but  rarely  endure  the 
winter  if  planted  on  level  ground.  Seed 
and  cuttings. 

C.  MACRANTHA. — The  stems  of  this 
handsome  plant  rise  to  a  height  of  5  feet, 
terminated  by  clusters  of  large  deep  blue 
flowers  almost  as  large  as  Canterbury 
Bells,  but  less  contracted  at  the  mouth 
of  the  tube.  It  is  a  free  vigorous  perennial, 
best  fitted  for  naturalisation  in  woody 
places.  Its  variety  C.  I.  macrantha  is 
more  stately,  with  huge  violet-purple 
bells.  C.  Van  Houttei  is  regarded  by 
some  as  a  variety  of  the  above,  though  the 
evidences  of  hybrid  origin  are  not  wanting. 
It  is  of  elegant  and  graceful  habit,  grow- 
ing 3  feet  high,  and  producing  glossy  pale 
purple  bells  3  inches  long  in  abundance. 
A  first-rate  border  plant  of  easy  cultiva- 
tion. June,  July.  Division. 

C.  MACROSTYLA  (Candelabra  Bellflower). 
— A  singular  plant,  having  large  flowers, 
with  blue  netted  veins  on  a  white  ground, 
which  gets  purple  at  the  edges,  and  with 
a  huge  stigma.  It  is  wholly  distinct  from 
any  of  the  Campanulas  in  our  gardens, 
and  well  deserves  culture.  It  is  readily 
recognised  by  its  candelabra  habit  of 
growth,  and  is  a  fine  annual  of  easy 
culture.  Asia  Minor. 

C.  MEDIUM  (Canterbury  Bell).  —  A 
familiar  old  plant  having  many  varie- 
ties of  various  colours,  bearing  single 
flowers,  doubles,  in  which  two,  three,  and 
even  four  bells  seem  to  be  compressed 
into  the  outer  one  ;  and  duplex  flowers, 
in  which  one  bell  grows  in  the  other,  the 
two  combined  resembling  a  cup  standing 
in  a  saucer.  There  are  many  colours, 
such  as  white,  lavender,  mauve,  several 
shades  of  purple,  pink,  rose,  salmon,  and 
blue.  The  habit  of  the  plants  as  a  rule  is 
compact  when  in  bloom,  ranging  from  18 
to  24  inches  in  height,  and  forming  perfect 
pyramids  of  flowers. 

March  or  April  is  the  best  time  to  sow 
seed  in  a  warm  spot  in  the  open  ground, 
but  it  is  much  safer  to  sow  some  also  in 
shallow  pans  or  boxes  placed  in  a  frame 
or  on  a  shelf  in  the  greenhouse.  When  the 
seedlings  are  large  enough  to  handle,  prick 
them  out  into  some  shady  spot,  and  keep 
them  watered  until  well  rooted.  From 
that  time  they  may  be  safely  left  to  take 
care  of  themselves  until  September,  when 
they  should  be  transplanted  into  their 
permanent  places  in  the  flower  borders, 
where  they  will  get  well  established  before 
the  winter  and  develop  blooming  crowns 
for  the  next  year. 

C.  PERSICIFOLIA  (Peach-leaved  Bell- 
flower). — A  beautiful  kind,  with  cup- 
shaped  flowers  2  inches  across,  in  July 
and  August.  Besides  the  double  blue  and 
white  forms,  there  is  an  interesting  variety 
named  coronata,  in  which  the  corolla  is 
doubled.  There  are  many  varieties  single 


CAMPANULA.          THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER    GARDEN.       CAMPANULA.       379 


and  double,  white  and  blue  or  purple 
among  them,  and  worth  a  place — Daisy 
Hill  mcerheimi,  Alba  grandiflora  maxima, 
Pallida  grandiflora,  and  Felham  Beauty, 
a  handsome  single  blue,  are  the  best.  All 
the  varieties  of  this  group  revel  in  a  cool 
soil,  shade,  or  moisture. 

C.  PORTENSCHLAGIANA  (Wall  Hairbell) . 
— A  dense  tufted  evergreen  kind,  with 
small  bright  green  leaves,  so  dense  as  to 
obscure  the  foot-stalks,  i  inch  or  more  in 
length,  by  which  they  are  supported.  The 
flowers,  pale  blue,  appear  in  masses  in 
June,  and  continue  with  some  freedom  for 
weeks.  It  spreads  slowly  by  underground 
stems,  and  succeeds  in  crevices  of  the  rock 
garden  or  border.  Dalmatia. 

C.  PROFUSION. — A  charming  late  flower- 
ing sort  of  hybrid  origin  raised  by  Mr  E.  H. 
Jenkins.  Two  varieties  are  in  cultivation 
under  this  name,  both  of  the  same  parent- 
age, one  having  self-blue  flowers ;  the 
other  a  lovely  plant,  sky-blue  and  mauve 
.shaded.  They  flower  in  August  and  Sep- 
tember. Though  of  easy  cultivation,  but 
having  isophylla  blood  in  them,  they  are 
seen  to  the  best  advantage  when  draping 
rock  gullies  in  positions  where  the  roots 
can  penetrate  into  cool  soil  behind.  Divi- 
sion and  cuttings  to  any  extent. 

C.  PULLA  (Austrian  Hairbell). — One  of 
!  the  most  beautiful  of  the  Alpine  Hairbells, 
j  a  native  of  the  Austrian  Alps,  on  high 
;  mountain  pastures  ;  in  the  rock  garden  it 
i  should  have  a  shelf  of  soil  in  which  peat 
and  sand  have  been  mixed.  Division. 

C.  PULLOIDES. — Perhaps  the  finest  of 
I  the  dwarf  Campanulas,  and  a  plant  of 
I  unsurpassed  beauty.  Habit,  close  and 
\  tufted  ;  6  inches  high  ;  affording  in  June 
'  and  July  a  wealth  of  glowing  purple,  pen- 
dent, bell-shaped  flowers  that  impel 
;  admiration.  A  gem  for  the  rock  garden. 
:  Quite  happy  in  cool  loam  and  leaf  mould. 
Division  in  spring. 

C.  PUSILLA. — Smaller  than  C.  ccespitosa, 
rarely  exceeding  4  inches  in  height,  the 
shining  green  leaves  heart-shaped  and 
toothed,  the  flowers  pale  blue,  in  racemes, 
in  June  and  July.  Very  gritty  moist  loam 
in  the  rock  garden  is  best  for  it.  The 
silvery  blue,  Miss  Willmott,  is  the  best 
form.  Switzerland. 

C.  PYRAMIDALIS  (Steeple  Bellflower). — A 
vigorous  plant,  with  thick  and  fleshy 
flower-stems,  rising  to  a  height  of  4  to 
6  feet ;  the  flowers,  close  to  the  stem, 
giving  the  inflorescence  a  steeple-kke  form. 
The  flowers  are  blue  or  white,  coming  in 
succession  over  a  considerable  time  in 
i  July,  August,  and  September.  Though 
not  quite  a  biennial,  it  is  better  in  general 
cultivation  to  treat  it  as  such,  as  from 
seedling  plants,  well  grown  on  during  the 
first  year,  the  finest  stems  arise.  A  border 
flower  of  the  highest  merit  in  favourable 
soils  ;  occasional  batches  of  seed  should 
be  sown  to  keep  up  a  supply.  It  is  often 
grown  in  pots  for  the  house  both  in  Eng- 
land and  France. 


C.  RADDEANA. — A  species  of  distinction 
and  merit  from  the  Caucasus  of  the  easiest 
cultivation.  Height,  9  inches  to  12  inches, 
the  lax  branching  stems  bearing  a  rich 


Ca  mpa  nula  py ;  'a  in  Ida  lis. 

profusion  of  large  pendent  bells  of  the 
deepest  purple.  An  acquisition.  Quite 
happy  in  chalky  loams.  Division. 

C.  RAINERI  (Rainer's  Hairbell). — A 
dwarf,  sturdy  plant,  3  to  6  inches  high, 
each  shoot  bearing  a  large  dark  blue 
flower.  It  thrives  best  in  sunny  positions 
in  loam  freely  intermingled  with  pieces  of 
stone,  and  well  watered  in  dry  weather, 
and  is  a  gem  for  the  rock  garden.  Alps 
of  N.  Italy. 

C.  ROTUNDIFOLIA  (English  Hairbell).— 
Of  this  pretty  wild  plant  we  have  a  white 
variety,  generally  dwarfer,  and  there  are 
several  forms  all  beautiful,  and  of  easy 
culture  in  any  soil.  These  are  all  excellent 
border  flowers,  and  also  for  the  rock 
garden.  C.  R.  Hostii,  and  its  white  form, 
are  also  good,  and  flower  in  July. 

C.  STANSFIELDI. — A  hybrid  of  unre- 
corded parentage,  and  one  of  the  most 
charming  of  rock  garden  plants.  Greyish 
ovate,  acutely  pointed  leaves,  and  horizon- 
tally disposed  bells  of  violet-purple  colour 
on  wiry  stems,  6  inches  high,  mark  it 
well.  A  good  grower  of  easy  cultivation, 
flowering  in  July,  it  is  readily  increased  by 
division.  Succeeds  best  perhaps  in  chalky 


380      CAMPTOSORUS.      THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        CARDAMINK. 


loam  or  soil  containing  much  mortar 
rubble  or  the  like. 

C.  TURBINATA  (Turban  Bellflower)  is  a 
dwarf  plant  with  greyish-green  leaves,  the 
flowers  borne  singly  on  stems  about  6 
inches  long,  deep  blue,  and  ij  inches 
across  ;  a  charming  plant  for  choice  border 
or  rock  culture.  Transylvania. 

C.  WALDSTEINIANA. — A  gem-like  species 
from  Croatia,  and  quite  unique.  Hardy 
and  deciduous,  it  reaches  4  to  6  inches 
high  at  its  best,  the  stems  freely  furnished 
with  glaucous  ovate  acutely  pointed  leaves, 
each  stem  terminated  by  a  solitary  salver- 
shaped,  azure-blue  flower  with  a  base  of 
deepest  violet.  Happy  in  rich  loam  and 
old  mortar  rubble.  Increased  by  careful 
division  in  spring. 

C,  G.  F.  WILSON. — A  fine  hybrid  of  C. 
pulla  and  C.  carpatica  that  no  collection 
should  be  without.  The  cupped  flowers 
are  a  modification  of  those  of  the  parents 
named,  and  of  rich  purple  colour.  Free 
flowering,  vigorous  and  hardy,  it  is  one 
of.  the  most  amiable  and  desirable. 
Height,  6  inches.  June,  July.  Division. 

CAMPTOSORUS  (Walking  Leaf).— 
C.  rhizophyllus  is  a  curious  N.  American 
Fern,  remarkable  for  its  narrow  fronds, 
which  taper  into  slender  prolongations, 
and  take  root  at  the  tips  like  runners, 
giving  rise  to  young  plants.  Thrives 
in  gritty  loamy  soil  in  a  somewhat 
shaded  position  in  the  rock  garden  or 
hardy  fernery. 

CANNA  (Indian  Shot}.— Handsome 
tropical  plants  of  the  Ginger  order 
with  fine  foliage.  The  tendency  of 
most  half-hardy  flower  garden  plants 
is  to  flatness,  and  the  grace  of  the 
Cannas  make  them  valuable,  though 
our  country  in  many  parts  is  too  cool 
for  their  fair  development ;  in  the 
warmer  south  and  in  sheltered  gardens 
they  may  be  grown  with  profit. 
Another  good  quality  is  their  power 
of  withstanding  the  storms  of  autumn. 
Sheltered]  situations,  places  near  warm 
walls,  and  sheltered  dells  are  the  best 
places  for  them.  As  to  culture  and 
propagation,  nothing  can  be  more 
simple  ;  they  may  be  stored  in  winter 
under  shelves  in  the  houses,  in  the 
root-room  —  in  fact,  anywhere,  if 
covered  up  to  protect  them  from 
frost,  in  spring  pulling  the  roots  in 
pieces  and  potting  them  separately. 
Afterwards  it  is  usual  to  bring  them 
on  in  heat,  and  finally  to  harden 
them  off  previous  to  planting  out  in 
the  middle  of  May.  The  soil  should 
be  deep,  rich,  and  light.  In  cool  soils 
and  districts  in  our  country  the  growth 
of  Cannas  is  so  poor  and  uncertain  that, 


compared  with  beautiful  hardy  plants, 
they  are  really  not  worth  a  place.  In 
my  own  garden  in  some  seasons  they 
do  not  begin  to  move  until  after 
midsummer.  It  is  only  in  warm 
countries  their  fine  form  and  abundant 
and  showy  flowers  can  be  enjoyed. 

CANNABIS  SATIVA  (Hemp  Plant}. 
— A  vigorous  annual  largely  cultivated 
for  its  fibre.  In  our  country  it  is  4  to 
10  feet  high,  but  in  Italy  sometimes 
20  feet  high.  In  plants  growing  singly 
the  stem  is  much  branched,  but  in 
masses  is  generally  simple.  It  should 
be  sown  in  the  open  ground  early  in 
April  ;  to  get  larger  plants  it  is  best 
to  raise  it  in  frames.  It  loves  a  warm 
sandy  loam,  and  is  one  of  the  few  plants 
that  thrive  in  small  London  gardens. 

CARAGANA  (Siberian  Pea-tree}.— 
A  curious  group  of  wiry  bushes  of  the 
Pea  order  which,  as  seen  in  gardens 
generally,  are  not  pretty,  but  as  the 
name  occurs  so  often,  and  the  wretched 
appearance  they  usually  present  may 
be  in  part  owing  to  their  being  grafted, 
I  give  them  a  place.  They  are  mostly 
rock  or  desert  shrubs  of  arid  regions 
in  Central  Asia,  and  the  species  are< 
C.  arborescens  and  its  varieties,  C. 
aurantiaca,  which  is  the  prettiest,  and 
would  perhaps  be  a  graceful  rock- 
shrub,  C.  chamlagu,  C.  jubata,  C. 
microphylla,  C.  pygmcea,  and  C. 
spinosa.  If  we  could  get  these  shrubs 
on  their  own  roots,  the  best  place  fon 
them  would  be  the  bold  rock  garden 
or  dry  banks. 

CARBENIA  (Blessed  Thistle}. — C. 
benedicta  is  a  handsome  biennial, 
having  bold,  deep  green  leaves, 
blotched  and  marbled  with  silvery 
white.  It  is  useful  for  associating 
with  plants  of  fine  foliage.  It  grows 
freely  in  a  thin  shrubbery,  or  on  banks 
of  rubbish.  S.  Europe.  Syn.  Cnicus 
benedictus. 

CARDAMINE  ( Cuckoo-flower  or 
Lady's  Smock}. — Plants  of  the  Wall- 
flower order,  few  of  which  arc  culti- 
vated, the  best  being  the  native 
Cuckoo-flower  in  its  double  form. 
This  will  grow  well  almost  anywhere, 
although,  like  the  wild  plant  that 
colours  the  meadows  with  its  soft- 
hued  flowers,  it  delights  in  swampy 
ground.  Division.  C.  tri folia  is  a 
pretty  species,  with  white  flowers,  from 
Switzerland  ;  9  to  12  inches  high  ;  a 
border  or  rough  rock  plant. 

The  Toothworts  (syn.  Dentaria}, 
now  included  in  this  genus,  arc  inter- 


CARDUNCELLUS.       THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


CARPINUS.       381 


esting  spring- flowering  plants.  They 
grow  best  in  sandy  or  peaty  soils. 
Their  flowers  are  welcome  in  early 
spring,  remain  some  time  in  beauty, 
and  they  are  easily  increased  from 
the  small  tuber-like  roots.  Some,  like 
C.  bulbifera  (Coral  Root),  bear  bulblets 
on  the  stem,  and  from  these  the  plant 
may  be  increased.  C.  digitata,  a  hand- 
some dwarf  kind,  about  12  inches  high, 
flowers  in  April  ;  rich  purple,  in  flat 
racemes  at  the  top  of  the  stem.  C. 
maxima  is  the  largest  of  the  species, 
being  2  feet  high,  with  many  pale 
purple  flowers,  a  native  of  N.  America. 
C.  pinnata  is  a  stout  kind,  pinnate 
leaves  ;  from  14  to  20  inches  high, 
flowering  from  April  to  June,  with 
large  pale  purple,  lilac,  or  white  flowers 
in  a  cluster. 

CARDUNCELLUS  PINNATUS.— A 
pretty  little  alpine  plant  of  the  Thistle 
order,  writh  finely-cut  leaves  and 
attractive  heads  of  lilac  flowers  like  a 
Cornflower.  If  in  strong  or  rich  soils 
it  spreads  from  the  root  and  becomes 
rank,  but  in  light  dry  soils  and  full 
sun  it  makes  neat  tufts  of  about 
8  inches,  hardy,  and  not  troublesome. 
Division.  S.  Europe. 

CAREX  (Sedge).— Grass-like  herbs 
of  northern  and  temperate  countries, 
few  having  a  place  in  the  garden. 

C.   PANICULATA  is  a  very  large  Sedge, 


Carpenteria  californica  in  a  Sussex  garden. 


like  a  dwarf  Tree  Fern,  with  strong  thick 
stems  and  masses  of  drooping  leaves, 
forming  dense  tufts,  i  to  3  feet  high ; 
flowers  in  a  large  and  spreading  panicle. 
It  is  very  effective  in  wet  places.  The 
finer  specimens  are  of  great  age,  and  are 
found  in  the  bogs  where  the  plant  is  wild. 

C.  PENDULA. — A  graceful  British  Sedge, 
with  evergreen  foliage,  numerous  flowering 
stems  3  to  6  feet  high,  the  leaves  2  feet  or 
more  in  length.  When  in  flower  the 
graceful  spikes,  from  4  to  7  inches  long, 
are  pretty,  and  the  plant  is  useful  for 
shady  or  moist  spots.  Common  in  Britain 
in  evergreen  patches  in  marshy  woods. 

C.  FRASERI  and  C.  SCAPOSA  are  pretty 
evergreen  Sedges  for  shady  spots. 

CARPENTERIA    CALIFORNICA.— 

A  lovely  hardy  shrub  for  walls  in 
southern  districts,  6  to  10  feet  high, 
with  long,  narrow,  pale  green  leaves, 
and  clusters  of  large  white  fragrant 
flowers.  The  first  account  of  it  in 
England  was  from  Mr  Saul,  of  Wash- 
ington, who  sent  specimens  of  it  to 
The  Garden  in  1880.  It  is  nearly 
related  to  the  Mock  Oranges,  which  it 
resembles,  but  is  handsomer  ;  thrives 
in  light  warm  soil,  and  increased  from 
suckers,  cuttings,  or  seeds.  In  cold 
districts  will  require  the  protection  of 
a  greenhouse. 

CARPINUS  (Hornbeam}. -^C.  betulus 
is  a  native  tree,  especially  of  the  south, 
sometimes  attaining  a  height  of  70  feet, 
frequent  in  some  woodlands,  and  in 
Epping  Forest.  There  are  several 
varieties  of  this  tree,  such  as  the  fern- 
leaved,  cut-leaved,  and  purple  kinds, 
and  also  the  never-failing  variegated 
kind.  The  common  kind  is  often  used 
as  a  fence  plant,  and  also  in  many 
Continental  gardens  to  form  green 
walls  and  hedges.  It  is  one  of  the 
best  of  all  woods  to  burn,  and  if  we 
ever  go  back  to  the  best  of  all  ways 
of  firing  for  a  dwelling-house  in  the 
country — a  wood  fire,  it  should  not  be 
forgotten.  It  is  easily  lighted,  burns 
cheerfully  and  equably,  and  gives  a 
good  heat.  Other  species  are  C. 
caroliniana,  cordata,  japonica,  orientals, 
and  Turczaninovii.  Three  species  of 
Hornbeam  are  natives  of  Japan,  viz., 
C.  japonica,  C.  cordata,  and  C.  laxi- 
flora,  the  last  belonging  to  the  true 
Hornbeams  typified  in  our  native 
species  C.  betulus ;  the  other  two  to 
the  group  which  some  botanists  have 
made  a  separate  genus.  They  differ 
from  the  ' '  true ' '  Hornbeams  in  the 
trunks  having  a  scaling  bark,  as  dis- 
tinct from  the  smooth  trunks  seen  in 
our  native  species  ;  also  in  the  bracts 


382       CARRIEREA.          THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


CASSINIA. 


of  the  fruit  clusters  being  enfolded  at 
the  base  and  almost  entirely  covering 
the  nut.  In  C.  betulus  and  its  allies 
of  the  "  true  "  Hornbeam  section,  the 
nut  is  exposed. 

CARRIEREA  CALYCINA.— A  sum- 
mer-leafing Chinese  tree  found  at  high 
altitudes,  and  said  by  Mr  Wilson  to  be 
a  tree  ol  much  beauty.  As  yet  not 
known  to  be  hardy  in  our  country. 

CARYA  (Hickory). — A  very  inter- 
esting and  distinct  group  of  forest 
trees,  little  planted  in  England  in  our 
own  day,  but  so  valuable  in  their  own 
country  for  their  wood  that  they 
deserve  a  place  in  our  choice  planta- 
tions. Trees  of  N.E.  America  mostly, 
and  usually  hardy,  they  are  sometimes 
well  over  100  feet  high  ;  in  their  own 
country  inhabiting  moist  woods  and 
swampy  grounds,  and  therefore  likely 
to  be  useful  in  ours  in  soil  not  thought 
good  enough  for  many  trees.  Among 
them  are  : — C.  oliv&formis  Pecan,  a  tree 
which  sometimes  attains  to  a  height 
of  over  150  feet,  with  a  trunk  diameter 
of  6  feet,  and  which  bears  a  delicious 
nut.  It  has  rather  a  southern  distri- 
bution, and  therefore  would  be  best, 
no  doubt,  in  good  warm  soils  in  our 
country.  C.  amara  (the  bitter  nut),  a 
tree  of  about  100  feet  in  moist  woods, 
from  Canada  downwards,  ascending 
high  on  the  mountains.  C.  aquatic  a 
(Water  Hickory),  a  swamp  tree  some- 
times nearly  100  feet  high  in  wet 
woods  and  swamps  from  Virginia 
south  and  westwards.  C.  alba  (Shell- 
bark  Hickory)  also  often  over  100  feet 
high  ;  a  native  of  Canada  and  of  the 
Western  and  Southern  States.  C. 
sulcata  (King-nut),  a  tall  forest  tree 
over  100  feet  high  in  the  New  England 
States  and  westwards.  C.  tomentosa 
(Fragrant  Hickory)  growing  nearly 
100  feet  high  and  inhabiting  the  cold 
regions  of  the  West  and  New  England. 
C.  microcarpa  (Small-fruited  Hickory), 
a  tall  tree  of  nearly  90  feet  high  ;  New 
England  and  westwards.  C.  porcina 
(Pig-nut  Hickory),  a  very  tall  tree  of 
over  100  feet,  bearing  very  bitter  seeds, 
also  a  tree  of  cold  northern  regions. 

CARYOPTERIS.— C.  mastacanthus  is 

a  small  shrub  with  greyish  foliage, 
distinct  in  habit,  and  with  purple 
flowers,  not  quite  hardy  perhaps  in 
all  soils,  but  pretty  on  warm  banks  and 
in  warm  gardens.  There  is  a  white 
variety.  It  would  group  well  with 
the  dwarfer  shrubs,  and  in  cool  districts 
and  on  cool  soils  it  will  grow  against 
warm  walls.  On  warm  soils  it  would 


come  in  well  with  borders  of  greyish 
plants,  such  as  the  Lavenders. 

CASSIA  (Wild  Senna}.—  The  only 
hardy  member  of  a  great  family,  with 
us  it  is  nearly  herbaceous,  dying  back, 
and  so  deserving  a  warm  place  in  a 
free  soil.  It  is  best  in  the  southern 
counties.  N.  America. 

CASSINIA  FULVIDA  (Golden  Bush). 
—A  distinct,  half-shrubby  plant  of  a 
yellowish  hue.  Hardy,  and  easily 
grown  over  a  large  area  of  our  country. 


Ccissiope  fastig  ia  ta . 

It  is  more  effective  in  groups  than  when 
planted  in  the  usual  dotting  way.  It 
is  evergreen,  and  carries  its  colour 
throughout  the  year.  Best  suited  for 
bold  rock  gardening,  or  a  place  among 
dwarf  shrubs.  New  Zealand.  Syn. 
Diplopappus  chrysophyllus. 


CASSIOPE. 


THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.       CATANANCHE.       383 


CASSIOPE  (Himalayan  Heather}.— 
Tiny  alpine  bushes,  thriving  in  peaty 
soil  well  drained,  as  they  are  all  im- 
patient of  stagnant  moisture  about 
their  roots,  while  absolute  shade  from 
the  midday  sun  is  also  necessary.  The 
best  plan  is  to  raise  small  banks  of 
peat,  and  plant  them  on  the  top, 
taking  care  that  they  do  not  want  for 
water  both  at  the  roots  and  overhead. 
They  are  increased  by  division,  rooting 
freely  when  pegged  down.  C.  fasti- 
giata  is  one  of  the  most  fragile  and 
beautiful  of  alpine  woody  plants  ;  it 
(may  be  grown  without  much  trouble 
with  the  more  common  C.  tetragona. 
Both  are  pretty  for  the  rock  or  bog 
garden. 

CASTANEA  ( Chestnut] . — A  noble 
tree,  native  of  E.  and  S.  Europe. 
There  are  fine  old  trees  in  many  of 
I  our  country  seats  in  all  parts  of  the 
south  of  the  country,  though  excepting 
;in  the  warmer  counties,  the  fruit  is 
not  as  good  as  on  the  Continent  of 
I  Europe.  The  Chestnut  thrives  best 
in  airy  and  warm  situations,  and  upon 
stony  or  free  soils,  not  caring  much  for 
j  chalk  or  heavy  soils.  It  is  easily  raised 
'from  seed  planted  directly  where  it  is 
jto  grow.  There  are  on  the  Continent, 
I  where  the  tree  is  much  more  grown 
|  than  here,  a  good  many  varieties  grown 
I  for  the  value  of  their  fruits.  Varie- 

?ited   varieties   as   usual   are   useless, 
here  are  a   few  other  species,    such 
]  as     C.    crenata    (Japan),    dentata    (N. 


Cdstanea.  punrila.. 

America),  and  the  dwarf  C.  pumila 
of  the  southern  States  of  N.  America, 
but  these  are  of  slight  value  compared 
to  that  of  C.  Vesca,  the  beauty  of  old 
trees  of  which  is  very  great,  as  seen 


at  Shrubland,  Tortworth,  Co'wdray, 
and  many  other  places.  The  names 
"Sweet"  and  "Spanish,"  applied 
to  this  tree,  are  quite  needless  and 
confusing.  There  is  a  cut-leaved  form, 
C.  dissecta. 

CASTANOPSIS      CHRYSOPHYLLA 

(Golden  Chestnut}. — A  beautiful  ever- 
green tree  of  the  Pacific  Coast  of  N. 
America,  coming  between  the  Oaks 
and  the  Chestnuts.  In  moist  valleys 
near  the  sea  the  finest  trees  reach  a 
height  of  150  feet,  but  it  is  often  only 
a  low  shrub  on  the  mountain  sides. 
At  a  little  distance  these  low  densely- 
branched  little  trees  look  like  a  Bay 
or  a  Holly  Oak,  only  the  leaf  is  smaller 
and  narrower,  with  a  powdery  golden 
under-surface  of  beautiful  effect  when 
stirred  by  wind.  It  blooms  in  Septem- 
ber and  ripens  its  fruits,  like  tiny  sweet 
Chestnuts,  in  the  succeeding  autumn. 
Though  borne  freely  upon  little  plants 
only  2  feet  high,  they  seldom  reach 
perfection  in  this  country.  The  plant 
is  hardy  even  in  the  north  of  Scotland, 
and  does  well  about  Edinburgh  and  in 
sheltered  parts  of  the  west  country, 
thriving  in  good  heavy  soil,  but  growing 
very  slowly,  so  that  it  must  never  be 
put  near  greedy  shrubs  that  would 
outgrow  and  smother  it.  Being  very 
averse  to  removal,  it  is  mostly  planted 
from  pots.  The  hardiest  form  of  all 
is  minor,  from  the  mountain  tops  of 
California — a  pretty  little  shrub  for 
raised  banks. 

CATALPA. — Handsome  flowering 
trees  of  the  Bignonia  order,  one  of 
them  forming  a  beautiful  tree  even 
in  London  gardens. 

C.  BIGNONIOIDES  (Indian  Bean). — A 
handsome  tree,  hardy  in  S.  Britain  and 
the  kind  which  flowers  so  well  in  London. 
There  is  no  more  precious  lawn  tree  for 
good  shade  and  flowering  at  a  season  when 
all  the  early  trees  are  out  of  flower.  It  is 
best  propagated  by  seed,  and  is  not  diffi- 
cult about  soil.  N.  America. 

C.  SPECIOSA  (Catawba  Tree). — A  forest 
tree  in  America,  westwards,  and  is  little 
known  in  our  country  yet,  though  pro- 
mising to  be  a  forest  tree  ;  reaches  120  feet 
high  in  its  own  country.  It  deserves  a 
very  good  position  among  the  best  flower- 
ing trees  for  lawn  or  for  a  grove.  C. 
Bungei  and  C.  Kcsmpferi  are  two  other 
kinds  known  in  gardens,  both  inferior  in 
size  to  the  foregoing  trees,  and  less  attrac- 
tive unless  where  collections  are  desired. 

CATANANCHE  (Blue  Cupidone}.— 
C.  coerulea  is  an  old  border  plant, 
about  2  feet  high,  flowering  in  summer  ; 


CEANOTHUS. 


THE  ENGLISH    FLOWER   GARDEN.       CEDRONELLA. 


fine  blue,  and  growing  freely  in  borders 
and  margins  of  shrubberies.  There  is 
a  white  variety.  Catananche  is  easily 
grown  in  any  soil,  and  quickly  raised 
from  seed.  S.  Europe. 

CEANOTHUS  (Mountain  Sweet).— 
Beautiful  shrubs  of  the  Buckthorn 
family,  some  hardy  enough  on  light 
soils  in  sunny  places  to  endure  our 
climate,  even  as  bush  plants,  though 
the  majority  form  good  wall  plants. 
In  all  the  kinds  the  flowers  are  small, 
but  abundant.  As  wall  shrubs  it  is 
best  to  prune  them  in  April  ;  and  as 
all  the  sorts  flower  on  the  shoots  of  the 
current  year's  growth,  from  one  to 
three  eyes  of  the  preceding  year's  wood 
should  be  left,  reserving,  or  at  most 
only  topping,  such  shoots  as  are 
required  for  filling  up  the  open  spaces 
on  the  wall.  Most  of  the  introduced 


Catananche  carrulea.. 

kinds  are  of  free  growth  in  warm  soil, 
and  they  flower  most  freely  in  sunny 
exposures.  As  they  are  for  the  most 
part  natives  of  the  Pacific  slope  of 
N.  Ameiica  no  one  should  attempt 
their  culture  except  in  warm  soil.  The 
following  are  distinct  and  pretty  : — 

C.  AMERICANUS  (New  Jersey  Tea). — 
Though  one  of  the  hardiest,  this  thrives 
best  against  a  wall,  and  in  a  dry  porous 
soil ;  the  flowers,  in  succession  from  about 
the  middle  of  June  till  August,  white. 
E.  America. 

C.  AZUREUS.  —  From  the  temperate 
regions  of  Mexico,  where  it  grows  as  a 
straggling  bush  about  10  feet  high.  It 
is  one  of  our  prettiest  wall  shrubs,  flower- 
ing abundantly  in  dry,  sunny  situations, 
the  flowers  bright  blue,  from  June  to 


September.  C.  pallidus  is  a  handsome 
variety,  with  pale  blue  flowers.  The 
result  of  crossing  with  this  species  may  be 
seen  in  such  lovely  shrubs  as  C.  Gloire  des 
Versailles,  Arnoldii,  Lucie  Simon,  Theo- 
dore Froebel,  Bertinii,  President  Reveil, 
Lucie  Moser,  and  others,  all  of  which 
have  flowers  in  large  plumy  clusters, 
some  white,  others  rose,  but  mostly  of 
some  shade  of  blue. 

C.  DENTATUS  is  an  elegant  little  evergreen 
shrub,  rarely  higher  than  about  3  feet. 
The  flowers,  which  appear  in  May  or 
June,  are  deep  blue,  and  continue  the 
greater  part  of  the  season. 

C.  DIVARICATUS  grows  as  a  dense  broad 
evergreen  bush  of  about  10  feet  high.  It 
is  a  free-growing  handsome  wall  plant, 
flowering  from  May  to  autumn,  the  flowers 
a  bright  blue. 

C.  PAPILLOSUS  is  a  pretty  little  species 
from  the  mountains  of  California,  where 
it  is  a  densely-branched  straggling  bush 
6  to  10  feet  high.  The  panicles  of  pale 
blue  flowers  are  borne  on  long  foot-stalks 
from  the  sides  of  the  young  shoots.  Like 
the  other  kinds,  it  loves  the  protecting 
of  a  wall,  on  which  it  blooms  in  summer. 

C.  RIGIDUS  is  a  sub-evergreen,  or  in 
sheltered  places  an  evergreen,  rarely 
exceeding  6  feet  in  height,  the  branches 
stiff  and  wiry  ;  the  flowers,  in  clusters 
on  the  sides  of  the  young  shoots,  are  deep 
purple,  in  April  and  May. 

C.  VEITCHIANUS  is  one  of  the  best  kinds, 
the  flowers  of  a  rich  deep  blue,  in  dense 
clusters  at  the  ends  of  leafy  branches. — G. 

C.  VERRUCOSUS  forms  a  thickly  branched 
evergreen  bush  about  6  feet  high.  As  a 
wall  plant  it  is  of  free  growth,  and  has  a 
good  effect,  the  flowers  coming  in  May 
and  during  the  summer  month,s,  borne  in 
corymbs  along  the  whole  length  of  the 
young  branches,  often  so  profusely  as  to 
hide  the  foliage. 

CEDRELA. —  C.  sinensis  is  a  Chinese 
tree  not  yet  common  in  gardens.  The 
largest  trees  I  have  seen  are  about 
30  feet  high.  The  tree  is  chiefly  note- 
worthy for  the  large  pinnate  leaves  it; 
bears.  It  has  small  yellowish  flowers 
arranged  in  great  numbers  in  pendent 
clusters  said  to  be  agreeably  scented. 
It  promises  to  be  a  graceful  lawn  tree, 
but  has  not  been  long  enough  in  the 
country  yet  to  speak  with  certainty 
of  its  hardiness,  although  we  see  it 
flourishing  in  unlikely  places. 

CEDRONELLA  (Balm  of  Gilead)  is- 
a  distinct,  half  -  bushy  herb  of  the 
Sage  order,  C.  triphylla  having  leaves 
with  a  pungent  but  grateful  odour,  in 
our  country  2^  to  4  feet  high,  varying 
much  according  to  soil,  and  not  quite 
hardy,  but  living  out  of  doors  most 
winters  if  in  dry  free  soil  and  planted 
against  walls.  Seed. 


THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 


CEDRUS. 


385 


CEDRUS  (Cedar}. — Noble  trees  of 
the  mountains  of  Asia  Minor  and  India, 
some  hardy,  and  often  planted  on 
lawns.  The  India  Cedar  (Deodar)  is 
really  a  tender  tree,  and  though  it  may 
seem  to  promise  well  in  seashore  and 
favoured  districts,  planters  should  not 
forget  that  it  is  to  the  Cedars  of  the 
northern  mountains  they  must  look — 
the  Lebanon  and  Atlas  Cedars,  which 
have  been  proved 
so  hardy  and  so 
well  fitted  for  our 
country.  Nothing 
finer  can  be  within 
view,  but  they 
should  never  be 
planted  near  the 
house. 

In  books  and 
catalogues  a  form 
called  C.  Atlantica 
is  considered  dis- 
tinct enough  to 
merit  a  separate 
name,  but  having 
seen  the  trees  on 
their  native  moun- 
tains, I  think  the 
Atlas  Cedar  is  the 
same  species  as  the 
Lebanon  Cedar 
(C.Lebani).  There 
are  varieties  of 
each  in  catalogues, 
rarely  so  valuable 
as  the  wild  tree, 
except  the  glau- 
cous or  silvery 
forms,  which  are 
worth  planting. 
The  Deodar  (C. 
Deodari)  is  dis- 
tinct from  the  N. 
African  Cedars, 
and  differs  so  also 
in  its  tenderness 
and  unfitness  for 
our  country  gener- 
ally. 

The  Cedars,  though  hardy  in  our 
country,  are  nevertheless  the  victims 
of  storm  and  snow  to  an  often  painful 
extent,  owing  to  the  nearly  universal 
"specimen"  way  of  planting  these 
trees.  The  pinetum  is  not  only  a  mis- 
take from  an  artistic  point  of  view, 
with  its  stuck-about  trees,  but  it  also 
is  so  in  the  exposure  of  the  trees  to  all 
the  storms  and  accidents  of  weather, 
including  heavy  snowfalls.  Naturally, 
pines  often  grow  together  and  shelter 
each  other,  and  where  this  is  so,  great 
falls  of  snow  do  not  harm  them  to  the 


same  degree.  The  lower  boughs  fall 
off  in  due  time,  as  is  their  nature,  the 
tree  often  showing  a  bare,  mast-like 
stem  beneath  its  crown  of  leaves. 
Clearly,  when  we  isolate  any  tree  in 
the  open  and  induce  a  tree  which 
naturally  grows  upright  in  a  great 
mountain  forest  to  throw  its  limbs 
out  in  all  directions,  we  expose  it  to 
an  unfair  test ;  hence  the  Cedars  of 


Cedrela  sinensis. 


which  we  in  England  are  so  proud  are 
often  swept  down  in  numbers  by  heavy 
gales  and  snowfalls.  The  idea  that 
every  choice  tree  in  our  pleasure 
grounds  should  be  set  out  by  itself 
like  an  electric  lamp-post  is  deeply 
impressed  in  the  gardening  mind,  and 
we  have  to  pay  dearly  for  it.  Even 
where  the  Cedars  are  grouped,  great 
storms  may  do  harm,  but  nothing  like 
what  happens  to  the  isolated  trees. 
Think  of  the  weight  that  a  Cedar  of 
Lebanon,  with  its  great  spreading 
arms,  would  have  to  carry  in  a  snow- 

2  B 


386 


CEDRUS. 


THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


CELMISIA. 


storm,  and  how  much  more  able  to 
bear  it  are  the  Cedars  planted  in  woods 
and  allowed  to  grow  mast-like  shafts  ! 

The  cure  for  much  of  this  loss  and 
waste  of  valuable  trees  lies  in  planting 
in  more  natural  ways  and  in  grouping 
and  keeping  the  trees  together. 

With  regard  to  soil  and  situation, 
each  planter  seeks  the  best  possible 
development  for  his  Cedars,  and  so 
selects  the  best  soil  and  position  he 
has,  and,  probably,  digs  a  big  hole  for 
each  tree  and  puts  many  loads  of  earth 
in.  The  result  of  this  is  not  good,  in 
more  ways  than  one,  first  in  creating 
a  too  rapid  growth  in  the  young  tree, 
and  soft  unresisting  wood  in  the  old  ; 
and,  secondly,  any  proof  that  the 
natural  soil  and  other  conditions  of 
the  place  suit  the  tree  is  withheld  from 
us  by  the  deep  preparation  of  soil  made, 
entirely  altering  the  natural  conditions. 
Cedars  usually  inhabit  high  mountains, 
often  on  bare,  shaly  slopes,  though 
never  so  well  developed  as  when 


Cedar  of  Lebanon. 

growing  where  a  little  soil  collects. 
That  soil  is  often  of  a  rocky  or  pervious 
nature.  Surely  this  points  out  that  in 
country  seats,  instead  of  taking  the 
very  best  soil,  we  should  plant  on  rocky 
or  sandy  places  where  the  tree  will, 
though  growing  at  first  slowly,  even- 
tually get  a  safer  and  hardier  growth 
than  it  ever  would  on  rich  deep  soil. 
It  would  be  well  to  plant  it  in  the 
ordinary  woodland,  in  which  the  trees 
would  be  drawn  up  with  a  tall  stem, 
very  effective  near  drives  or  in  woods. 
The  difficulty  of  dealing  with  the  Cedar 
is  increased  by  its  being  made  a  kind 
of  fetish  in  our  nurseries,  always  being 
offered  in  the  "specimen"  state,  so 
that  nowadays  it  is  not  easy  to  get  a 
nice  healthy  stock  of  young  plants  of 
it,  and  those  offered  are  generally 
highly  priced,  as  if  they  were  some  rare 
novelty  instead  of  a  tree  known  for 
some  centuries.  The  seed  of  the  tree 
is  plentiful  in  Asia  Minor  and  N.  Africa, 
and  it  really  ought  to  be  grown  in 
forest  nurseries  and  offered  among  the 


other  forest  trees.  All  young  planta- 
tions of  Cedars  should  be  securely 
wired  for  seven  years,  as  rabbits  destroy 
them  more  than  any  other  tree  of  the 
Pine  tribe. 

CELASTRUS  (Staff  Vine).  —  C. 
scandens  is  a  shrubby  climber  from 
N.  America,  and  valuable  for  its  rapid 
twining  growth,  for  trailing  over  trellis- 
work  and  arbours.  Theie  are  several 
kinds  not  yet  well  known  or  used — C. 
corticulatus,  Flagellaris,  hypolucus,  and 
Zatifolius,  which  promise  well,  and  to 
reap  their  full  beauty  the  two  sexes  are 
essential. 

CELMISIA.  —  Charming  Daisy-like 
plants  from  New  Zealand,  where  they 
fill  the  mountain  meadows  with 
cushions  of  downy  leaves  covered 
with  glistening  Daisy  -  like  flowers. 
There  are  upwards  of  thirty  kinds, 
differing  more  in  leaf  than  in  their 
flowers,  which  are  mostly  white, 
though  sometimes  purple  and  very 
variable  in  size.  They  grow  in  varied 
situations,  some  in  swamps,  some  in 
dry  shingly  places,  others  on  moist 
river  -  banks  or  the  gritty  moun- 
tain side.  To  succeed  with  them  we 
need  therefore  to  know  just  how 
each  grows  in  its  own  country,  and 
things  are  made  more  difficult  by  the 
fact  that  they  are  not  fully  hardy  with 
us,  and  seem  to  dislike  the  moisture 
that  gathers  on  their  hairy  leaves  and 
stems  in  a  wet  season.  The  few  kinds 
that  have  been  introduced  have  never 
become  common,  though  they  may 
be  seen  doing  well  here  and  there. 
The  following  are  in  cultivation  : — 

C.  CORIACEA,  a  hardy  little  kind  not 
difficult  to  grow,  and  the  largest  in  its 
flowers,  i£  to  3  inches  across,  pure  white 
with  a  yellow  centre,  and  borne  on  stout 
stems  a  foot  long.  The  leaves  are  like 
those  of  a  small  Yucca,  10  to  18  inches 
long,  covered  with  cottony  threads  and 
dense  white  down. 

C.  HAASTII. — A  plant  of  strong  growth 
with  large  leaves  similar  to,  but  less 
woolly,  than  those  just  described,  the 
flowers,  i£  to  -2\  inches  across,  coming 
upon  short  sturdy  stems. 

C.  LINDSAYI  forms  dense  tufts  of  leaves 
3  to  6  inches  long,  very  white  on  the 
underside,  and  with  white  flowers  i  to 
2  inches  across  on  stems  of  6  inches. 

C.  MONROEI  is  also  hardy,  growing  well 
near  the  sea  in  N.  Wales.  Its  leaves  are 
silver-grey  with  down,  almost  sword- 
shaped,  and  very  white  beneath.  The 
pure  white  flowers  are  2  inches  across, 


CELOSIA. 


THE  ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN.         CENTAUREA. 


387 


coming  in  early  summer  and  lasting  for 
a  considerable  time. 

C.  RAMULOSA  is  a  very  distinct  and 
pretty  plant,  its  small  short  leaves  forming 
cushions  completely  covered  with  small 
white  flowers  on  short  stems.  Among  the 
stones  of  a  rock  garden  nothing  could  be 
more  charming. 

C.  SPECTABILIS. — In  leaf,  flowers,  and 
manner  of  growth,  this  comes  near  C. 
Monroei,  but  the  flower-stems  are  shorter, 
and  the  narrow  ray  -  florets  more  or 
less  tipped  with  violet.  The  variety 
argentea  is  a  striking  plant,  hardy  and 
free. 

CELOSIA  (Cocks-comb).  —  Indian 
annuals  of  the  Amaranth  family,  gener- 
ally too  tender  for  the  open  air,  though 
effective  in  bold  groups.  For  this 
purpose  they  should  be  sown  in  pans 
in  March,  and  kept  near  the  glass  to 
prevent  the  seedlings  being  drawn, 
and  as  soon  as  they  are  large  enough 
to  handle  they  should  be  pricked  off 
into  small  pots  and  grown  on  fast  in 
gentle  heat  until  the  crowns  are 
formed.  Planted  out  in  June  in  rich 
soil,  and  liberally  watered,  they  con- 
tinue in  good  condition  for  a  long 
time. 

GEL  SI  A  (Cretan  Mullein). — C.  cre- 
tica  is  a  pretty  plant,  allied  to  the 
Mulleins,  with  rich  yellow  flowers  and 
polished  buds  ;  may  be  treated  as  an 
annual.  Well  grown  in  good  soil,  it 
is  distinct  and  effective.  Candia,  N. 
Africa. 

CELTIS  (Nettle-tree).— Trees  of  the 
Elm  order,  natives  of  temperate  coun- 
tries, much  mentioned  in  books,  and 
introduced  to  Britain  many  years,  but 
have  never  made  much  way  with  us, 
and  are  less  attractive  to  planters  than 
other  trees  of  the  same  order.  Among 
a  crowd  of  synonyms,  the  following 
are  the  names  : — C.  australis,  caucasica, 
glabrata,  japonica,  mississipiensis,  occi- 
dentalis,  and  Tournefortii.  Some  of 
the  kinds  are  tropical,  and  not  hardy 
in  our  country. 

CENTAUREA  ( Knapweed)  .—Peren- 
nial or  annual  herbs  inhabiting  S.  and 
Middle  Europe,  some  being  good  garden 
plants,  most  of  them  hardy.  Some  of 
the  southern  species  require  the  green- 
house in  winter,  but,  making  free 
growth  out  of  doors  in  summer,  are 
freely  used  for  their  silvery  foliage. 

C.  ARGENTEA  has  elegant  silvery  Fern- 
like  leaves,  and  when  planted  out  or 
plunged  in  pots  has  a  good  effect  ;  for 


bedding  it  must  be  plunged  and  partly 
starved  to  bring  out  its  whiteness. 

C.  BABYLONICA. — A  distinct  perennial, 
tall  and  with  silvery  leaves,  hardy,  and 
when  in  good  ground  its  strong  shoots 
with  yellow  flowers  reach  a  height  of 
10  or  12  feet.  The  bloom,  which  con- 
tinues from  July  to  September,  is  less 
attractive  than  the  leaves,  but  the  plant 


Celsia.  cretica  (Cretan  Mullein). 

is  at  all  times  picturesque.     A  free,  sandy 
loam  suits  it  best.     Seed.     Levant. 

C.  CLEMENTEI. — A  silver-grey-leaved 
plant  of  fine  form.  Small  plants  from 
seed  are  useful  for  edging  bold  beds,  and 
when  too  large  for  that  purpose  they  may 
be  transferred  to  borders,  or  planted  out 
singly  on  grass.  The  blossoms  are  best 


388 


CENTAUREA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.       CENTRANTHUS. 


picked  off,  as  they  detract  from  the  beauty 
of  the  plant. 

C.  CYANUS  (Blue  Cornflower). — A  beau- 
tiful native  annual  of  easy  culture,  often 
sowing  itself.  The  young  plants  stand 
our  hardest  winters,  and  flower  better 
grown  thus  than  if  sown  in  spring.  It  is 
best  sown  in  September,  either  where  it  is 
to  flower,  or  in  beds  to  be  transplanted. 
Self-sown  plants,  too,  may  be  trans- 
planted, or  allowed  to  remain  where  they 
come  up,  as  they  are  often  the  finest 
plants.  The  many  garden  varieties  range 
through  white,  rose,  sky-blue,  striped,  to 
dark  purple,  the  delicate  tints  of  which 
are  most  attractive. 

C.  DEALBATA. — A  hardy  perennial,  with 
graceful  and  somewhat  silvery  leaves,  15 
to  1 8  inches  high,  flowering  in  summer  ; 
rose  -  coloured.  Borders.  Divisions. 
Caucasus. 


Mountain  Knapweed. 

C.  GYMNOCARPA. — A  half-shrubby  plant 
from  the  south  of  Europe,  nearly  2  feet 
high,  with  hard,  branching,  bushy  stems, 
and  elegantly  cut  leaves,  covered  with 
short  whitish-satiny  down.  Useful  as  it 
is  for  edging  or  bedding,  it  is  when  grown 
in  fine  single  specimens  that  its  beauty  is 
most  seen. 

C.  MACROCEPHALA  (Great  Golden  Knap- 
weed).— A  strong  plant  from  4  to  5  feet 
high,  with  a  great  golden  head  of  bloom. 
In  the  back  part  of  a  herbaceous  border, 
or  where  herbaceous  plants  must  compete 
with  +*"*  roots  of  trees  and  shrubs,  this 
robust  plant  deserves  a  place.  Armenia. 

C.  MONTANA  (Mountain  Knapweed).— 
A  handsome  border  plant,  i  to  2|  feet 
high,  with  slightly  cottony  leaves,  and 
flowers  resembling  those  of  the  Cornflower. 


There  is  a  white  and  a  red  variety,  all 
thriving  in  borders,  margins  of  shrub- 
beries, or  the  wild  garden  in  any  soil. 
Division. 

C.  MOSCHATA  (Sweet  Sultan). — A  fra- 
grant annual,  of  which  there  are  two 
shades — delicate  purple  and  creamy  white, 
the  first  giving  the  finest  flowers  ;  but 
both  are  valuable.  Aphides  are  very 
partial  to  the  young  seedlings,  and  unless 
the  pests  are  quickly  cleared  off  the  plants 
soon  dwindle  away.  The  first  essential 
is  a  calcareous  soil,  and  any  soil  deficient 
in  lime  should  have  lime  rubble  worked 
into  it.  The  best  time  to  sow  is  about  the 
middle  of  April,  in  an  open  and  sunny 
place,  sowing  the  seed  where  the  plants 
are  to  remain,  as  they  do  not  move  well. 
Valuable,  too,  for  pot  culture,  and  sown, 
in  autumn  may  be  had  quite  early.  Syn. 
Amberboa  moschata. 

C.  RAGUSINA. — A  showy  silvery-leaved 
plant,  tender,  but  of  rapid  growth  out  of 
doors  in  summer,  and  valued  for  the  sum- 
mer garden.  Cuttings  should  not  be  cut 
away,  but  pulled  off  with  a  "  heel,"  so  as 
to  have  a  firm  base  ;  small  firm  shoots 
should  be  preferred  ;  in  taking  them  the 
knife  should  be  used  very  little,  and  each 
cutting  put  singly  into  a  small  2^-inch  pot 
filled  with  a  mixture  of  loam  and  leaf 
mould.  A  cold  frame  from  which  frost 
can  be  excluded  is  their  best  winter  quar- 
ters ;  the  leaves  should  be  kept  dry,  as 
they  are  rather  liable  to  damp  during  the 
short  days.  They  also  winter  well  in  an 
airy  vinery  or  greenhouse. 

C.  SUAVEOLENS  (Yellow-sweet  Sultan). 
— A  pretty  citron -yellow  hardy  annual 
and  favourite  border  flower,  thriving  best 
in  light  dry  soil.  Sow  in  beds  in  April, 
raising  one  batch  in  frames  and  sowing 
another  in  the  open  air  in  light  rich  earth 
where  it  is  to  remain. 


CENTAURIDIUM.— A  showy,  half- 
hardy  annual  from  Texas,  C.  Drum- 
mondi  being  from  i\  to  3  feet  high, 
and  flowering  from  July  to  September. 
It  should  be  sown  in  a  frame  on  slight 
heat  in  April,  and  planted  out  in  May. 
It  has  large  citron-yellow  flowers,  much 
resembling  those  of  Centaurea. 

CENTRANTHUS. —  C.  macrosiphon, 
a  hardy  Spanish  annual  of  the  Val- 
erian order,  with  pretty  rose-coloured 
flowers,  is  useful  for  the  rock  garden 
or  flower  border.  It  may  be  sown  in 
September  and  pricked  off  into  pots 
for  winter  for  transplanting  in  spring, 
or  again  in  the  open  ground  in  March 
and  April,  the  seedlings  being  thinned 
out  about  i  foot  apart.  There  are 
several  varieties — white,  red,  and  two- 
coloured,  and  a  dwarf  form. 


CERASTIUM. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         CHAM^PEUCE. 


C.  RUBER  (Red  Valerian). — A  handsome, 
hardy  border  plant  from  the  Mediter- 
ranean, and  an  old  inhabitant  of  gardens, 
often  also  naturalised.  There  are  two 
or  three  varieties — white,  purple,  and 
red  or  crimson.  It  has  stout  stems, 
woody  at  the  base,  and  bold  clusters  of 
flowers,  blooming  in  June  and  through 
the  summer.  It  is  often  naturalised  on 
walls,  ruins,  and  on  rocky  or  stony  banks. 
Seeds  and  cuttings. 

CERASTIUM  (Mouse  -  ear  Chick- 
weed). — Dwarf  herbaceous  or  alpine 
plants  of  the  Pink  order,  containing 
few  garden  plants  of  value,  and  these 
mostly  used  as  edgings,  among  the 
best  being  Biebersteini,  tomentosum, 
and  grandiflorum,  all  hardy  plants  of 
easy  culture,  and  increase  in  ordinary 
soil. 

Cerasus.     See  PRUNUS  CERASUS. 

CERATOSTIGMA    POLHILLI.  —  A 

pretty  creeping  shrub  from  a  great 
height  in  the  mountains  of  W.  China, 
with  grey  leaves  and  stems  and  clusters 
of  charming  pale  lavender-blue  flowers. 
It  is  hardy  in  warm,  well-drained  nooks 
of  the  rock  garden,  and  is  increased 
by  cuttings. 

C.  PLUMBAGINOIDES  is  the  plant  so  long 
known  as  Plumbago  Larpentcs,  which  pro- 
vides effective  patches  of  blue  in  late 
summer. 

C.  WILLMOTTIANA  is  a  recent  addition 
from  China,  the  species  forming  a  wiry- 
limbed  bush  of  several  feet  high,  and 
producing  a  great  wealth  of  clear  blue 
flowers  during  many  weeks.  Of  quite 
easy  culture. 

CERCIDYPHYLLUM.  —  A  very 
beautiful  tree,  so  far  hardy  in  Britain. 
It  is  a  forest  tree  abundant  in  certain 
parts  of  Japan  on  the  slopes  of  hills 
and  mountains,  reaching  a  height  of 
between  80  and  100  feet.  We  read 
that  it  cannot  be  grafted,  which  is  a 
blessing,  as  the  natural  way  of  pro- 
ducing it  is  much  better. 

CERCIS  (Judas  Tree}. — Flowering 
trees  of  much  beauty  of  bloom  and 
form  of  tree.  Of  the  three  different 
kinds  of  Judas  Tree  in  gardens,  the 
most  beautiful  is  C.  Siliquastrum,  from 
S.  Europe,  which  for  nearly  three 
hundred  years  has  been  a  favourite  in 
English  gardens.  It  is  from  15  to 
30  feet  in  height,  and  thrives  in  a  light, 
deep,  loam  soil.  There  are  several 
varieties,  differing  chiefly  in  the  colour 
of  the  flowers.  It  is  of  slow  growth, 
and  though  young  specimens  flower 
profusely,  only  very  old  ones  show  the 
picturesque  growth  of  the  tree.  Other 


kinds  are  C.  Chinensis,  and  the  better- 
known  canadensis,  or  Red  Bud,  a  hand- 
some tree  of  the  American  forests. 

CERINTHE  ( Honey  wort] . — Annual 
or  biennial  herbs  of  the  Borage  family. 
C.  aspera  bears  many  yellow  flowers, 
the  tube  of  which  is  black  at  the  base. 
In  C.  minor  the  flower-stems  arch  over, 
so  that  at  the  apex  of  the  stem  the 
delicate  yellow  tube-shaped  bloom  is 
hidden  by  the  pale  green  leaves.  C. 
retorta  is  a  beautiful  kind,  the  floral 
leaves  of  a  purple  tint,  and  from 
among  them  peep  the  yellow  purple- 
tipped  flowers.  They  are  half-hardy 
annuals,  and  should  be  sown  in  early 
spring  on  warm  borders  or  in  frames, 
and  afterwards  planted  out  in  good 
soil.  S.  Europe. 

CETERA CH  (Stone  Fern). — This  is 
now  placed  with  the  Aspleniums,  but  is 
known  so  well  under  the  above  name 
that  we  retain  it.  C.  officinarum  is  a 
distinct  and  beautiful  little  native 
Fern,  admirably  suited  for  rock  or 
alpine  gardens,  as  it  thrives  best  when 
planted  between  the  chinks  of  rocks 
or  of  stone  walls.  The  chinks  and 
crevices  should  be  filled  with  a  mixture 
of  sandy  peat  and  pounded  limestone. 

CHZENOSTOMA.— A  small  group  of 
the  Figwort  family,  natives  of  the 
Cape.  They  are  naturally  perennial, 
but  in  the  open  air  must  be  treated  as 
half-hardy  annuals.  C.  fastigiatum 
and  C.  hispidum  are  the  prettiest. 
They  grow  6  to  9  inches  high,  forming 
dense  bushes,  with  many  small  pinkish, 
and  sometimes  white,  flowers.  The 
seeds  should  be  sown  in  warm  frames 
in  spring  or  in  August,  when  the  seed- 
lings require  to  be  wintered  in  a  pit, 
and  flowers  are  borne  from  June  to 
November.  Other  species  in  cultiva- 
tion are  C.  cordatum,  C.  linifolium,  and 
C.  polyanthum. 

CHAMtflBATIA  ( Tarweed) .  —  C. 
foliolosa  is  a  little  shrubby  plant  of  the 
Rose  family,  remarkable  for  the  Fern- 
like  beauty  of  its  leaves  ;  the  flowers 
white  and  something  like  those  of  a 
Bramble.  It  grows  about  i  foot  high, 
forming  a  dense  spreading  tuft,  and 
covering  the  ground  in  California,  its 
native  country.  I  have  seen  it  growing 
in  mountain  districts  often  covered 
with  snow,  and  believe  it  to  be  worth 
trial  in  our  rock  gardens. 

CHAM2EPEUCE  (Fish-bone  Thistle). 
— Spiny-leaved  plants  allied  to  the 
Thistle.  C.  diacantha  has  foliage  of 
shining  green,  marking  with  silvery 


390       CHAM^ROPS,          THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.       CHEiRANfrius. 


lines,  and  the  spines  are  ivory  white. 
C.  Casabonce  has  deep  green  white- 
veined  leaves  with  brown  spines. 
Both  kinds  grow  in  compact  rosette- 
like  masses  about  9  inches  high,  till  the 
second  year,  when  the  flower-stems 
grow  2  to  3  feet  high.  They  require 
light,  well-drained  soil  and  a  warm 
position,  and  should  seldom  be  watered. 
Seed  sown  in  February. 


i  to  2  feet  long,  and  quite  unarmed.  It 
grows  12  feet  or  more  high,  and  has  a 
spreading  head  of  fan-like  leaves,  and  is 
hardy.  If  small  plants  are  procured, 
grow  them  on  freely  for  a  year  or  two  in 
the  greenhouse,  and  then  plant  out  in 
April,  spreading  the  roots  a  little  and  giv- 
ing them  a  deep  loamy  soil.  Plant  in  a 
sheltered  place,  so  that  the  leaves  may 
not  be  injured  by  winds  when  they  get 
large.  A  gentle  hollow,  or  among  shrubs 


Chaituerofis  Fortunei 

CHAM.E1ROPS.— Handsome  palms, 
hardy,  and  giving  distinct  effects  in  the 
garden. 

C.  FORTUNEI  (The  Chusan  Palm). — A 
valuable  Palm,  often  confounded  with 
C.  excelsa.  It  is  stouter  and  has  a  more 
profuse  matted  network  of  fibres  round 
the  bases  of  the  leaves  ;  the  segments  of 
the  leaves  are  much  broader,  and  the 
leaf-stalks  shorter  and  stouter,  being  from 


in  a  Surrey  garden. 

on  the  sides  of  some  sheltered  glade,  is 
the  best  place.  C.  humilis  is  also  hardy, 
at  least,  on  sandy  soil. 

CHEIRANTHUS  *  (Wallflower}.  — 
Beautiful  plants  made  familiar  by  the 
favourite  Wallflower  (C.  Cheiri),  the 
only  kind  much  grown  in  gardens.  It 
is  a  native  of  S.  Europe,  but  naturalised 
on  old  walls,  in  quarries,  and  on  sea- 


CHEIRANTHUS.  THE  ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN.        CHIMAPHILA. 


cliffs.  It  loves  a  wall  better  than  any 
garden  ;  it  grows  coarsely  in  garden 
soil,  but  forms  a  dwarf  enduring  bush 
on  an  old  wall  if  planted  in  mortar, 
and  grows  even  on  walls  quite  new. 
No  variety  is  unworthy  of  cultivation, 
and  the  choice  old  garden  kinds — the 
double  yellow,  double  purple,  double 
orange,  dark,  etc. — are  worthy  of  a 
place  among  the  finest  border  plants. 

The  double  perennials  are  the  yellow, 
dark  crimson,  red,  and  dwarf  yellow. 
The  yellow  is  most  common,  and  a 
beautiful  clear-coloured  kind  it  is,  a 
great  favourite  with  cottagers,  who 
propagate  it  by  putting  in  slips  about 
the  time  the  plants  are  in  flower.  It 
can  be  propagated  freely  by  means  of 
slips  put  in  under  hand-lights  in  sharp 
sandy  soil,  and  the  plants  will  flower 
the  next  spring.  The  old  dark  crimson 
is  now  almost  extinct ;  in  colour  the 
flowers  are  almost  black,  and  very 
striking  ;  the  dwarf  yellow  has  flowers 
of  a  dull,  almost  buff  tint ;  the  Raby 
Castle  variety  is  valuable  and  sturdy. 

Many  persons  sow  seed  of  Cheiran- 
thus  too  late — in  June  and  July, 
instead  of  April  and  May.  If  dry 
weather  follows  close  on  the  sowing, 
or  after  the  plants  have  grown  2  or 
3  inches,  they  receive  a  check,  and 
instead  of  being  dwarf,  vigorous,  and 
bushy  they  are  thin  and  poor.  The 
winter  will  sometimes  injure  the  Wall- 
flower severely,  especially  when  very 
severe  frost  follows  close  on  heavy 
rains,  and  the  stronger  and  better 
rooted  the  plants  are  the  more  likely 
are  they  to  stand  the  weather.  The 
plants  used  for  filling  beds  should 
have  been  once  transplanted  at  least, 
because  the  moving  induces  them  to 
throw  out  fibry  roots  near  the  surface, 
and  they  can  be  lifted  with  soil  adhering 
to  them.  When  the  Wallflower  is 
allowed  to  grow  where  it  is  sown,  a 
strong  tap-root  is  formed,  which 
strikes  deep  into  the  soil,  and  but  few 
surface  roots  are  put  forth.  In  trans- 
planting from  the  seed-beds,  it  is  well 
to  pinch  off  the  tap-root,  and  thereby 
induce  fibrous  roots. 

C.  ALLIONII. — Said  to  be  a  hybrid. 
Flowers  long  and  well  in  my  garden. 

C.  ALPINUS  is  a  sub-shrubby  alpine 
Wallflower  from  Scandinavia,  forming 
bushes  nearly  i  foot  high,  covered  in  May 
with  clusters  of  sulphury-yellow  flowers. 
Good  for  rock  garden. 

C.  LINAFOLIA. — A  new  species  from 
Spain,  and  is  one  of  the  best  rock  plants 
introduced. 

C.  PAMELA  PERSHOUSE  is  a  hybrid  of 


the  above  and  C.  Allionii.  A  lovely  plant 
of  perennial  habit,  bearing  the  clear  orange 
flowers  of  the  last-named  species  in  hand- 
some heads.  C.  Marshalli  is  also  a  fine 
perennial  hybrid  sort  with  flowers  of  rich 
orange  in  large  heads.  Both  are  sub- 
shrubby.  Increase  by  cuttings. 

All  these  perennials  prefer  dry  soil 
during  winter,  or  a  place  on  rough 
stone  walls.  Propagation  is  by  cut- 
tings, and  top  dressing  with  fine  soil 
often  induces  the  summer  wood  to 
root  freely,  and  by  autumn  a  good 
stock  can  be  had. 

C  H  E  L  0  N  E  ( Turtle-head] .  —  N. 
American  plants  nearly  allied  to  Pent- 
stemon,  the  species  in  cultivation  are 
handsome  border  plants,  flowering  in 
late  summer  and  in  autumn.  C.  Lyoni 
grows  from  2  to  3  feet  high,  forms  a 
dense  mass  of  stems,  with  deep  green 
foliage,  from  July  to  September  bearing 
dense  clusters  of  showy  pink  blossoms. 
C.  obliqua  is  taller  and  more  slender, 
but  the  colour  of  the  typical  form  is  a 
richer  pink,  and  there  is  a  white- 
flowered  variety.  Both  are  of  easy 
culture,  thriving  in  open  borders  of 
good  deep  soil,  and  increased  by  seeds, 
cuttings,  or  division  of  the  roots. 
These  plants,  though  bearing  pretty 
flowers,  and  free  in  growth,  are  not 
of  high  garden  value. 

CHENOPODIUM  (Goosefoof).  —  An- 
nuals or  biennials,  few  of  much  garden 
value,  except  C.  Atriplicis,  a  vigorous 
Chinese  annual,  with  erect  reddish 
stem,  slightly  branched,  over  3  feet 
in  height,  and  with  its  young  shoots 
and  leaves  covered  with  a  rosy-violet 
powder,  pretty  in  foliage  in  any  soil. 
C.  scoparium  (Belvedere)  is  a  graceful 
annual  plant,  like  a  miniature  Cypress 
in  form,  and  worth  a  place  among 
curious  annual  plants.  C.  Blitum 
capitatum  (Strawberry- blite)  is  a  hardy 
annual,  growing  from  i£  to  2  feet  high, 
the  flowers  small,  followed  by  high- 
coloured  fruit  calyxes  resembling  small 
Strawberries.  Sow  in  April  in  the 
open  air. 

CHILOPSIS  LINEARIS  (Flowering 
Willow}. — A  very  pretty  flowering 
shrub  from  the  warmest  parts  of  Texas, 
and  hence  only  suited  to  warm  and 
sheltered  shore  gardens.  Its  slender 
branches  of  10  to  20  feet  bear  narrow 
leaves  like  .a  Willow,  and  an  abundance 
of  handsome  lilac  trumpet-flowers, 
i  to  2  inches  long,  and  continue  as  long 
as  the  warm  season  lasts. 

CHIMAPHILA  ( Pipsissewa) .—  Small 
shrubby  plants  of  the  Heather  order, 


392      ctiiMottANTHUS.     TtiE  EtiGLtSH  FLOWER  GARDEN.         CHIONODOXA. 


natives  of  the  dry  woods  of  N.  America. 
C.  maculata  (Spotted  Winter-green) 
has  small  leathery  leaves  variegated 
with  white,  3  to  6  inches  high,  and  is 
pretty  for  a  half-shady  and  mossy,  but 
not  wet,  place  in  the  rock  garden,  with 
such  plants  as  the  dwarf  Andromeda 
and  the  Pyrola,  and  succeeds  best  in 
very  sandy  leaf-soil.  C.  umbellata, 
with  glossy,  unspotted  leaves  and  some- 
what larger  reddish  flowers,  is  also 
suited  for  like  positions. 

CHIMONANTHUS  (Winter  Sweet).— 
C.  fragrans  is  a  lovely  shrub,  which  in 
our  country  enjoys  a  wall,  flowers  in 
December  and  January,  of  delicious 
fragrance  ;  brownish-yellow,  marked 


sandy  loam  ;  in  early  summer  it  bears 
long  clusters  of  white  flowers,  with 
petals  long  and  narrow  like  a  fringe. 
N.  America.  'A  newer  species  is  the 
Chinese  C.  retusus,  which  is  not  so 
pretty,  though  its  flowers  are  white 
and  fringed. 

CHIONODOXA  (Snow  Glory}.  — 
Beautiful  early  spring-flowering  bulbs, 
flowering  with  the  Snowdrop,  and  later, 
and  forming  a  precious  addition  to  our 
garden  flora,  growing  and  increasing 
freely  in  most  soils.  It  is  well  to 
arrange  successive  groups  in  sunny 
and  cool  parts  of  the  same  garden. 
The  bulbs  should  be  planted  not  less 
than  3  inches  deep. 


with  purple  inside  ;  and  precious  for 
gathering  for  the  house.  The  best 
variety  is  grandiflora,  its  flowers  being 
longer  and  more  open,  but  the  shrub 
varies  a  little  from  seed.  It  does  best 
on  a  wall  with  a  southern  or  western 
aspect.  A  few  shoots  with  blooms 
upon  them  placed  in  a  room  last  a  long 
time,  and  diffuse  their  pleasant  fra- 
grance. In  light  or  warm  soils  in  the 
south  it  thrives  as  a  bush,  needing  no 
pruning  or  other  care  ;  best  on  a  sunny 
bank.  On  walls,  moderate  pruning  is 
needed,  mainly  shortening  rampant 
shoots  and  removing  weak  wood. 
Layers  and  seed.  Japan. 

CHIONANTHUS  (Fringe  Tree).— A 
beautiful,  small,  hardy  tree  of  the  Olive 
family,  well  grown  in  this  country  in 


C.  GIGANTEA  (Iridescent  Snow  Glory).-— 
A  very  handsome  plant  of  robust  habit, 
with  broader  leaves  and  taller  spikes  than 
in  any  other  kind.  The  colour  of  the 
flowers  is  soft  violet  or  porcelain  blue  with 
a  small  white  centre,  coming  some  weeks 
later  than  the  early  kinds.  A  white  form 
of  this  plant  is  now  to  be  had,  and  a 
variety  albo-rosea,  with  flowers  delicately 
tinged  with  rose,  but  nothing  can  surpass 
in  lovely  and  changing  colour  the  wild 
form. 

C.  LUCILI^.— Opening  from  early  in 
February,  with  starry  flowers  an  inch  or 
more  across  and  in  many  shades,  from 
pale  to  deep  blue,  shading  to  a  white 
centre.  It  is  found  in  three  or  four  well- 
marked  forms  :  alba,  a  white  kind  with 
large  flowers,  found  wild  with  the  blue 
form,  but  scarce  in  gardens.  Rosea  is  a 
scarce  variety  bearing  pink  flowers  ; 
pallida  has  flowers  of  a  very  light  blue  ; 


CHOISYA.          THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.      CHRYSANTHEMUM.     393 


and  Boissieri,  the  best  of  the  late  flowering 
sorts,  shows  bright,  deep  colour. 

C.  NANA  (Dwarf  Snow  Glory). — A  dwarf 
kind  from  Crete  rarely  more  than  4  inches 
high.  Its  flowers  are  small  but  attractive, 
and  carried  in  dense  spikes  of  white  or 
pale  bluish  lilac. 

C.  SARDENSIS  (Sardis  Snow  Glory). — A 
beautiful  plant  with  flowers  of  rich  deep 
blue,  free  from  the  pale  shading  of  other 
kinds,  the  white  eye  being  sharply  defined. 
It  flowers  during  February  and  March 
according  to  aspect,  the  effect  of  its 
flowers  being  very  good.  Several  varie- 
ties are  grown,  but  the  typical  kind  sur- 
passes them  all  in  beauty.  Mountains  of 
Asia  Minor. 

C.  TMOLUSI  (late  Snow  Glory). — A 
dwarf  variety  of  strong  growth  and  latest 
of  any  in  bloom.  Its  large  flowers  are  of 
rich  blue,  with  a  large  white  eye  faintly 
outlined  in  purplish-blue,  and  with  a 
touch  of  deeper  colour  on  the  tips  of  the 
petals. 

CHOISYA      TERNATA       (Mexican 

Orange-flower}. — A  handsome  shrub  ; 
in  the  south  and  west  often  thrives 
with  the  shelter  of  a  wall  and  a  southern 
or  western  aspect,  and  in  high  ground, 
at  least,  as  a  bush.  It  is  fast-growing, 
the  flowers  a  lovely  contrast  to  the 
deep  rich  green  foliage,  best  in  free, 
warm  soils  ;  in  the  north  and  Midlands 
against  walls. 

CHRYSANTHEMUM.  —  Perennial 
and  annual  plants,  some  of  which  are 
of  great  value  for  the  garden. 

C.  ARCTICUM. — A  good  plant  for  the 
rock  garden,  about  a  foot  high,  flowering 
all  the  summer  ;  white,  tinged  with  lilac 
or  rose. 

C.  CARINATUM  (Tricolor  Chrysanthe- 
mum).— A  showy  annual  from  N.  Africa, 
which  varies  much  in  cultivation,  and  is 
valuable  if  only  for  its  yield  of  flowers  for 
cutting.  There  are  double  white  and 
yellow  forms,  and  the  showy  ones  known 
as  C.  Burridgeanum.  Dunnett's  varieties 
of  the  same  plant  are  also  good.  They 
are  propagated  from  seeds  sown  in  April 
in  open  beds  or  borders  where  the  plants 
are  to  flower. 

C.  CORONARIUM  (Crown  Daisy). — A 
handsome  annual  2  to  3  feet  high  in  its 
wild  form  in  S.  Europe  and  N.  Africa,  and 
in  cultivation  breaking  into  a  number  of 
forms,  few  of  them  so  pretty  as  the  single 
wild  flower,  pale  yellow  or  buff,  treated  as 
a  half-hardy  annual,  and  sown  in  good 
ground  in  April. 

C.  FRUTESCENS  (Paris  Daisy,  Mar- 
guerite).— A  half-hardy  bushy  plant  from 
the  Canary  Isles  ;  the  foliage  glaucous  ; 
the  flowers  large,  pure  white,  with  a  yellow 
centre,  and  appearing  from  June  until  cut 
down  by  frost.  Several  forms  or  allies 


are  also  valuable,  such  as  the  yellow 
Etoile  d'Or  and  Comtesse  de  Chambord. 
These  are  of  easy  culture  and  propagation, 
for  the  outdoor  garden,  treated  as  half- 
hardy  plants  and  put  out  in  May. 


^ 


p^?a- 

»l^m« 


Paris  Daisy  (C  /,  tttescens). 

C.  INDICUM. — The  parent  of  the  numer- 
ous varieties  of  the  hybrid  Chrysanthe- 
mum. Although  in  our  country,  gener- 
ally, open-air  culture  will  often  be  imprac- 
ticable, the  outdoor  kinds  are  so  pretty 
that  it  is  worth  while  trying  to  secure  the 
best  kinds  where  the  climate  allows  of 
their  growth  out  of  doors. 

In  many  well-kept  gardens  there  are 
open  spaces  on  the  walls,  and  the 
question  is  often  asked  :  What  can  be 
done  to  hide  them  ?  The  answer  is  : 
Train  Chrysanthemums  upon  them  ; 
if  well  nailed  in  they  take  up  but  little 
room,  and  afford  a  pleasing  background 
to  the  other  occupants  of  the  borders. 
Strong  cuttings  or  suckers,  or,  what  is 
better  still,  the  old  roots  or  stools  that 
flowered  in  pots  the  previous  season, 
planted  at  the  foot  of  the  wall  3  feet 
apart  early  in  March,  in  soil  similar 
to  that  just  recommended,  will  make 
remarkably  rapid  growth,  and,  if  kept 
neatly  nailed  in  and  all  the  side-shoots 
removed  as  they  appear,  will  soon  cover 
a  wall  of  ordinary  height.  Should  it  be 
desirable  to  protect  the  blossoms  from 
wind  and  weather,  a  canvas  covering 
fastened  in  front  when  the  nights  are 
cold  will  generally  prove  sufficient  pro- 
tection. Those  named  below  are  suit- 
able varieties.  —  Doubles  :  Bronze 
Crawfordia  ;  Bronze  Soleil  d'Octobre  ; 
Crawfordia,  golden  ;  crimson  Source 
d'Or;  Kathleen  Thompson,  crimson- 


394     CHRYSANTHEMUM.     THE  ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN.     CHRYSANTHEMUM. 


red  ;    La  Triomphante,   pink ;    Lizzie 
Adcock,   rich  yellow  ;    Soeur  Melaine, 


Singles  :  Golden  Mensa ;  Gracie  Page, 
rose  ;   Mabel  Russell,  crimson  ;   Mensa, 


Chrysanthemum  Mme.  Desgrange,  grown  in  the  open  air. 


white  ;  Mrs  Roots,  white  ;  Uxbridgc 
Pink ;  Jules  Lagravere,  crimson  ; 
Eynsford,  white ;  Elaine,  white. 


pure  white ;  Molly  Godfrey,  pink ; 
Mrs  Loo  Thompson,  soft  yellow  ;  Mrs 
R.  C.  Pulling,  pink  ;  Tom  Wren,  white  ; 


CHRYSANTHEMUM.      THE  ENGLISH  FLOWER  GARDEN.       CINNAMOMUM.     395 


T.  Barnes,  ruby-crimson.  By  sowing 
seeds  in  slight  warmth  in  February, 
single  -  flowered  varieties  may  be 
flowered  the  same  year,  a  good  strain 
yielding  many  useful  varieties. 

EARLY  FLOWERING  SORTS. — These 
are  valuable  alike  for  the  border  and 
for  cutting,  and  afford  a  wealth  of 
bloom  of  diversified  colouring  when  it 
is  much  needed  in  the  garden.  Few 
plants  respond  more  promptly  than 
these  to  generous  cultivation,  and  none 
are  more  worthy  of  it.  The  mistakes 
usually  made  are  those  of  rooting  the 
cuttings  too  early  in  the  year  and 
employing  the  gross  sucker  growth  so 
prevalent  in  autumn  for  propagation. 
The  first  of  these  results  is  the  young 
plants  becoming  hide-bound  before  the 
planting  season  arrives,  and  rarely 
developing  afterwards,  the  suckers  pro- 
ducing their  own  characteristic  growth, 
which  never  flowers.  February  to 
April  is  early  enough  to  root  cuttings 
of  these  varieties,  and  given  freshly- 
made  shoots  2  or  3  inches  in  length,  no 
difficulty  is  experienced.  It  is  impor- 
tant, however,  that  the  cuttings  be 
potted  or  transplanted  so  soon  as 
rooted,  so  that  sturdy  examples  for 
putting  out  in  May  are  the  result. 
Those  named  flower  from  August  to 
October  : — Bronze  Goacher  ;  Cottage 
Pink  ;  Crawford  Pink ;  Crawford 
White  ;  Crawford  Yellow ;  Dorothy 
Humphrey,  pink  ;  Goacher 's  Crimson  ; 
Harry  Thorpe,  rich  yellow ;  Horace 
Martin,  golden  yellow  ;  Mme.  C. 
Desgrange,  maize  to  white  ;  Mme. 
Marie  Masse,  lilac  ;  G.  Werning,  soft 
yellow ;  Mrs  J.  Fielding,  reddish  ; 
Carrie,  yellow  ;  Polly,  orange-yellow  ; 
Crimson  Polly  ;  Mrs  Ward,  creamy- 
white  ;  Nina  Blick,  red  and  bronze  ; 
October,  gold  ;  Elenore,  rose-pink ; 
Betty  Spark,  deep  pink  ;  Bronze 
Betty  Spark  ;  Crimson  Marie  Masse  ; 
Decorator,  bronze  ;  and  Diadem,  rich 
wine-red. 

POMPONS. — Anastasia,  light  purple  ; 
Blushing  Bride,  rose-lilac  ;  Flora,  gol- 
den ;  Golden  Fleece,  golden  ;  L'Ami 
Conderchet,  primrose  ;  Little  Bob, 
crimson  ;  Mignon,  Mr  Selby,  Mrs  E. 
Stacey,  yellow  ;  Orange  Pet. 

C.  LATIFOLIUM  is  the  largest  of  the 
Ox-eye  Daisies,  with  fleshy,  coarsely  ser- 
rated, broad  leaves.  The  seeds  have  large 
flower-heads,  3  to  4  inches  across ;  a 
strong  growing  species  requiring  plenty  of 
room.  Division  and  seeds.  A  number  of 
varieties  of  this  and  the  following  species 
have  been  raised,  which  have  value  as 
border  plants  and  for  cutting. 


C.  MAXIMUM. — The  leaves  of  C.  maxi- 
mum are  bluntly  serrated,  stems  more  or 
less  branched,  each  carrying  a  single  white 
flower-head.  This  vigorous  plant  has 
broken  into  a  number  of  varieties  of  recent 
years,  some  with  thread-like  petals,  others 
with  larger  and  strap-shaped  petals.  Most 
of  them  are  worth  growing,  but  being 
very  vigorous  should  not  be  planted  near 
to  delicate  or  fragile  plants.  Daviesii, 
King  Edward  VII.,  and  Mrs  C.  Lothian 
Bell  are  some  of  the  finest  sorts.  Mari- 
time Alps. 

C.  ZAWADSKII,  of  tufted  habit,  bears 
numerous  rose-tinted  flowers  all  through 
the  summer  months. 

C.  SEGETUM  (Corn  Marigold). — A  showy 
yellow  native  plant,  as  worthy  of  cultiva- 
tion as  many  an  exotic,  and  in  certain 
cases  worth  growing  for  cutting.  Treat  as 
a  hardy  annual,  preferring  autumn  sowing, 
though  it  may  be  sown  in  spring  also. 

Chrysobactron   Hookeri.    See    BUL- 

BINELLA. 

Chrysurus.     See  LAMARCKIA. 

CICHORIUM  (Chicory}.— A  pretty 
native  plant,  from  2  to  5  feet  high. 
C.  Intybus,  bearing  in  summer  and 
autumn  handsome  blue  flowers.  It 
is  worth  introducing  as  a  wild  plant 
into  localities  where  it  is  not  common. 
It  is  a  rampant  grower,  and  will  take 
care  of  itself  even  in  arable  crops,  but 
it  dislikes  heavy  and  cold  soils.  The 
seed  may  be  sown  on  rubbish  heaps 
and  in  stony  places,  old  quarries,  and 
by  roadsides. 

CIMICIFUGA  ( B ugbane}.— Plants  of 
the  Crowfoot  order,  nearly  allied  to  the 
Baneberry.  They  are  tall,  hand- 
some, herbaceous  plants.  C.  cordifolia 
attains  3  to  4  feet  high,  giving  erect 
feathery  plumes  of  whitish  flowers. 
It  is  a  good  border  plant.  C.  race- 
mosa  (Black  Snakeroot),  3  to  8  feet 
high,  with  feathery  racemes  of  white 
blossoms  i  to  3  feet  long,  which,  being 
slender,  droop  gracefully ;  but  the 
plants  generally  are  not  of  much  garden 
value.  They  are  of  easy  culture  in 
rich  soil,  and  may  be  used  as  groups 
in  the  wild  garden.  The  flowers  have 
an  offensive  odour.  Division.  N. 
America  and  Asia.  C.  simplex,  from 
Japan,  is  one  of  the  most  elegant,  the 
flowers  pure  white  in  erect  spikes. 
September. 

Cineraria  maritima.    See  SENECIO. 

CINNAMOMUM  CAMPHORA  (Cam- 
phor Laurel). — That  this  beautiful 
sub-tropical  evergreen  tree  is  hardier 
than  often  supposed  is  proved  by  Mrs 


396 


CISTUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


CISTUS. 


Dugmore,  of  Parkstone,  Dorset,  who 
writes  as  follows  : — ' '  The  Camphor 
Tree  flourishes  here,  and  is  now  a  fine 
shrub  about  10  feet  high  and  quite 
healthy,  bearing  handsome  glossy 
leaves.  It  has  never  been  artificially 
protected,  though  sheltered  by  adja- 
cent shrubs,  and  it  has  been  planted 
quite  12  or  14  years.  The  soil  is  peat 
with  a  sub-soil  of  gravel,  the  whole 
well  trenched  and  manured."  There 
is  also  a  fine  specimen  at  Leonards-lee, 
near  Horsham,  and  probably  others  in 
the  gardens  of  Devon  and  Cornwall. 

Cissus.     See  VITIS. 

CISTUS  (Rock  Rose).— The  Rock 
Roses  are  amongst  the  most  beautiful 
of  flowering  shrubs,  but  in  our  country 
it  is  only  on  the  lightest  and  warmest 
soils  and  on  walls  that  they  may  be 
trusted  to  survive  our  winters.  Most 
of  the  species  have  been  at  one  time 
or  other  in  cultivation  in  this 
country,  but  their  value  is  greatly 
lessened  by  the  recurring  severe  win- 
ters, which  kill  unprotected  plants  of 
so  many  of  the  kinds.  All  the  species 
are  Old  World  plants,  most  of  them 
being  natives  of  South  -  Western 
Europe  ;  some  extend  to  North  Africa 
and  Asia  Minor,  and  one  to  the  Canary 
Islands.  Many  of  them  vary  in  colour, 
and  hybridise  freely.  In  spite  of  the 
fugacious  character  of  the  flowers, 
their  bright  colours  and  the  profusion 
in  which  a  succession  is  kept  up  for 
a  considerable  time  give  the  Cistus 
a  high  place  among  garden  shrubs. 
They  prefer  a  dry  sandy  soil,  and, 
although  some  grow  freely  enough  in 
almost  any  garden  soil,  they  are  much 
more  likely  to  suffer  during  winter  in 
rich  ground.  The  positions  best  for 
them  are  sunny  banks  on  warm  sandy 
soil,  and  something  may  be  done  by 
protection  and  frequently  raising  and 
propagating  the  plant.  There  are 
many  natural  hybrids,  some  confusion 
of  names,  and  many  more  names  than 
distinct  plants.  This,  and  the  fact  that 
these  sun-loving  bushes  from  the 
south  are  tender  over  a  large  area 
of  our  islands  makes  us  limit  the 
species  named  here  to  the  more  distinct 
and  hardier  kinds. 

C.  ALBIDUS  (White  Rock  Rose). — The 
name  of  this  is  derived  from  the  whitish 
tomentum  which  clothes  the  leaves  and 
young  shoots.  It  forms  a  compact  bush 
2  to  4  feet  high  ;  the  rose-coloured  flowers 
are  about  2  inches  across,  and  the  style  is 
longer  than  the  tuft  of  yellow  stamens. 
S.  Europe. 


C.  ALYSSOIDES. — Compact  and  shrubby, 
not  more  than  6  inches  in  height.  The 
foliage  greyish-green,  spangled  with  lovely 
yellow  blooms  each  about  \  inch  across, 
and  having  a  tiny  brown  blotch  at  the 
base  of  each  petal.  The  flowers  are  borne 
in  little  clusters  of  four  or  five  at  the 
extremities  of  the  growths. 

C.  BOURG^ANUS  is  a  native  of  the  Pine 
woods  of  S.  Spain  and  Portugal,  where  it 
flowers  in  the  month  of  April,  growrs  a 
foot  in  height,  and  has  prostrate  branches 
covered  with  narrow  dark  green  leaves. 
The  white  flowers  are  about  an  inch  across, 
and  it  is  a  good  plant  for  a  sunny  spot  in 
the  rock  garden. 

C.  CRISPUS. — This  forms  a  compact 
bush,  i  to  2  feet  high,  with  tortuous 
branches,  the  rose-coloured  flowers  nearly 
i  inch  across.  There  are  some  hybrids 
between  this  species  and  C.  albidus  which 
are  nearer  the  seed-bearing  parent  than 
they  are  to  C.  albidus. 

C.  CYPRIUS. — This  is  a  handsome  bush 
like  the  Gum  Cistus,  but  the  flowers  appear 
several  together  instead  of  solitary.  It  is 
nearly  hardy — at  least,  in  the  south — has 
a  glutinous  exudation,  and  the  flowers  are 
large  with  a  dark  spot  at  the  base.  It  is 
said  to  be  a  native  of  Cyprus,  but  doubt- 
fully. 

C.  FLORENTINUS  (Florence  Rock  Rose). 
— A  handsome  bush,  flowering  freely  and 
of  easy  culture,  and  I  find  it  hardy  and 
enduring  on  soils  where  other  kinds 
perish.  It  is  evergreen  and  charming  on 
the  tops  of  dry  walls  and  banks,  and  for 
the  bold  rock  garden  one  could  not  desire 
a  prettier  bush  ;  2  to  3  feet  high,  bearing 
myriads  of  white  flowers  throughout  the 
summer. 

C.  GLAUCUS. — A  much-branched  bush, 
i  to  2  feet  in  height,  with  red-brown  bark  ; 
the  upper  surface  of  the  leaves  is  dull 
green,  glossy,  and  glabrous,  the  lower 
strongly  veined  and  clothed  with  a  hoary 
down.  The  flowers  are  large,  white  with 
a  yellow  blotch  at  the  base  of  each  petal, 
and  the  very  short  style  is  much  exceeded 
by  the  stamens.  S.  Europe. 

C.  HIRSUTUS  (Hairy  Rock  Rose). — A 
shrub  i  to  3  feet  high  ;  the  young  shoots 
and  flower-stalks  are  hairy,  as  are  the 
leaves  on  both  surfaces ;  the  flowers 
whitish,  and  the  style  is  shorter  than  the 
stamens.  S.W.  Europe. 

C.  LADANIFERUS  (Gum  Cistus). — One  of 
the  best ;  the  leaves,  smooth  and  glossy 
above,  clothed  with  a  dense  white  wool 
beneath.  The  large  flowers  are  white,  in 
some  forms  with  a  large  dark  vinous-red 
blotch  towards  the  base  of  each  petal; 
in  others  without  blotch.  It  also  varies 
in  the  size  of  the  leaves,  the  extreme  forms 
having  narrow,  almost  linear,  leaves.  This 
seeds  and  naturalises  itself  freely  on  dry 
banks  in  a  wood  of  mine. 

C.  LAURIFOLIUS  (Bush  Rock  Rose). — 
The  hardiest  kind  ;  in  some  southern 


CISTUS. 


THE  ENGLISH  FLOWER   GARDEN.         CLADRASTIS.         397 


gardens  plants  exist,  which  have  withstood 
many  winters.  The  flowers  are  white 
with  a  small  citron-yellow  blotch  at  the 
base  of  each  petal.  It  requires  no  protec- 
tion, and  may  be  raised  from  seeds,  which 
ripen  in  abundance,  and  also  by  cuttings, 
which,  however,  do  not  strike  so  freely  as 
in  some  of  the  other  kinds.  S.W.  Europe. 

C.  LUSITANICUS. — A  pretty  kind  of 
garden  origin,  which  makes  a  shapely 
bush  of  spreading  habit  and  slender  wiry 
stems,  covered  during  summer  with  large 
white  flowers  marked  with  a  deep  crimson 
spot  at  the  base  of  each  petal.  Narrow, 
bright  green  foliage,  which  is  slightly 
viscous. 

C.  MONSPELIENSIS  (Montpelier  Rock 
Rose). — Widely  distributed  in  the  Medi- 
terranean region,  and  very  variable  in 


habit,  with  Sage-like  leaves,  and  long- 
stalked,  white,  yellow-blotched  flowers. 
In  a  wild  state  it  is  found  all  along  the 
Mediterranean,  and  a  number  of  slightly 
varying  forms  have  received  distinctive 
names,  but  do  not  appear  to  have  been 
introduced  to  gardens. 

C.  VAGINATUS  is  the  largest  of  the  red- 
flowered  kinds ;  robust,  with  large- 
stalked,  hairy  leaves,  and  large,  deep, 
rose-coloured  yellow-centred  flowers.  The 
stamens  are  more  numerous  in  this  than 
in,  perhaps,  any  other  Cistus,  and  form  a 
dense,  brush-like  tuft,  overtopped  by  the 
long  style. 

C.  VILLOSUS.— A  Mediterranean  kind,  a 
variable  and  erect  bush  with  firm-textured 
leaves.  The  flowers  of  all  the  forms  are 
rose-coloured,  with  long  styles.  C.  undu- 


Cistus  fonnosus. 


size  of  its  leaves  and  also  in  stature  of 
plant ;  in  some  spots  it  hardly  grows  more 
than  6  inches  in  height ;  in  others  to 
6  feet.  The  flowers  are  white,  about  an 
inch  in  diameter,  each  petal  bearing  a 
yellow  blotch  at  the  base. 

C.  POPULIFOLIUS  (Poplar-leaved  Rock 
Rose)  is  a  robust  kind,  with  large  rugose, 
stalked,  Poplar-like  leaves  and  medium- 
sized  white  flowers,  tinged  with  yellow  at 
the  base  of  the  petals.  Varieties  of  C. 
salvifolius  are  often  misnamed  C.  populi- 
folius  in  nurseries  and  gardens.  Amongst 
the  numerous  forms  of  this  species  may 
be  mentioned  C.  narbonnensis ,  with  shorter 
flower-stalks,  smaller  leaves — altogether 
a  smaller  plant  than  the  type — and  C.  lati- 
folius,  another  with  broader  leaves.  S. 
Europe. 

C.  SALVIFOLIUS  (Sage-leaved  Rock 
Rose). — A  variable  kind,  and  of  slender 


latus  is  a  variety  with  wavy-margined 
leaves.  C.  incanus  represents  what  may 
be  regarded  as  the  common  typical  form. 
C.  creticus  is  another  with  deeper  rose-red 
flowers  than  those  already  mentioned. 

CLADIUM. —  C.  Mariscus  is  a  vigor- 
pus  native  fen  plant,  2  to  6  feet  high, 
in  flower  crowned  with  dense,  close 
chestnut-coloured  panicles,  sometimes 
3  feet  in  length,  the  leaves  glaucous 
rigid,  and  often  4  feet  long.  It  is  a 
water  plant  for  association  with  the 
taller  sedges,  Bulrush,  and  bolder 
water-side  plants. 

CLADRASTIS,  the  Yellow-wood  of 
N.  America.  C.  tinctoria  is  a  pretty 
lawn  tree  of  medium  size  and  sym- 
metrical growth,  but  not  a  good  flower- 
ing tree.  Its  leaves,  in  autumn,  turn 


398 


CLARKIA. 


THE    ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 


CLARKIA. 


to  a  rich  yellow,  and  remain  bright  for 
weeks  until  cut  off  by  frosts.  The 
white  pea-shaped  flowers  are  borne  in 
loose  clusters.  C.  amurensis  is  a  shrub 
introduced  a  few  years  ago  from  the 
Amoor  Valley.  Its  leaves  resemble 
those  of  the  Yellow-wood,  but  are  of 
thicker  texture,  not  so  large,  and  of  a 
duller  green.  In  late  summer  it  pro- 


of hardy  annuals,  robust,  of  easy 
culture,  and  flower  for  a  long  time. 
There  are  two  species  from  which  the 
numerous  varieties  now  in  cultivation 
have  been  obtained.  C.  elegans  grows 
2  feet  high,  erect,  much  branched, 
and  bears  long  leafy  racemes  of  flowers 
with  undivided  petals,  varying  from 
purple  to  pale  red  or  a  salmon  colour. 


Cistus  ladani/et 


duces  a  plentiful  crop  of  flowers,  even 
when  only  a  few  feet  high.  The  spikes 
are  dense,  the  blossoms  white,  inclined 
to  yellow,  and  endure  a  long  time. 
Small  bushes  flower  freely.  It  is  hardy 
in  sandy  loam. 

CLARKIA.  —  These  Californian 
plants  of  the  Evening  Primrose  and 
Fuchsia  order  are  among  the  prettiest 


The  principal  varieties  of  this  species 
have  double  flowers,  and  two — Purple 
King  (deep  purple)  and  Salmon  Queen 
(salmon-pink) — have  flowers  produced 
freely  on  strong  branching  plants,  and 
are  very  effective  border  flowers.  The 
other  species,  C.  pulchella,  varies  in 
height  from  about  i  foot  in  the  Tom 
Thumb  sorts  to  2  feet.  It  has  magenta 
flowers  normally,  but  there  is  every 


CLAYTONIA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         CLEMATIS. 


399 


variation  between  deep  purple  and 
pure  white,  and  there  are  also  several 
double-flowered  forms.  Many  varie- 
ties are  mentioned  in  seed  lists,  some 
well  worth  growing. 

Clarkia  may  be  sown  either  in 
autumn  or  spring,  and  by  sowing  in 
the  beginning  of  September  the  seed- 
lings gain  strength  before  the  winter, 
and  flower  well  in  early  spring,  but 
these  autumn  sowings  are  liable  to 
accident,  and  should  only  be  tried  on 
warm  soils.  The  first  spring  sowing 
should  take  place  in  the  middle  of 
March,  when  the  plants  would  flower 
in  July. 

CLAYTONIA. — A  small  group  of  the 
Purslane  order,  of  which  three  species 
are  pretty  garden  plants.  C.  caro- 
liniana  is  a  spreading  dwarf  species 
bearing  in  spring  loose  racemes  of 
pretty  rose  flowers,  and  C.  virginica 
(Spring  Beauty)  is  a  slender  erect  plant, 
with  pink  blossoms.  Both  are  suitable 
for  warm  spots  in  the  rock  garden  in 
loamy  soils,  but  C.  sibirica,  also  a 
dwarf  species  with  pink  flowers,  requires 
a  damp  peaty  soil. 

CLEMATIS  (Virgin's  Bower}.  — 
Beautiful  climbing  shrubs  and  herbs 
from  northern  and  temperate  regions, 
and  of  the  highest  value  for  gardens. 
Among  hardy  climbers  there  is  no 
other  group  of  plants  that  equals  the 
Clematis  in  variety  and  in  beauty. 

The  Clematis  vary  in  habit  from 
herbaceous  plants  little  more  than 
i  foot  high  to  woody  climbers  with 
stems  50  feet  or  more  in  length.  Most 
of  the  climbing  species  support  them- 
selves by  means  of  the  leaf-stalks, 
which  curl  round  twigs  or  other  slender 
objects  near.  The  Clematis  flower 
possesses  no  true  petals,  but  in  their 
place  a  coloured  calyx  consisting  of 
usually  four,  but  sometimes  as  many 
as  eight  sepals. 

The  Clematises  may  be  used  to 
cover  walls,  mounds,  arbours,  pergolas, 
and  fences,  and  in  the  open,  where  no 
other  support  is  available,  rough  Oak 
branches  may  be  used  for  them,  either 
singly  or  set  together  to  form  a  pyra- 
mid, while  the  more  vigorous  species 
will  run  over  trees.  The  most  graceful 
climbing  plants  of  the  northern  world, 
for  half  a  century  most  of  them  have 
been  lost  to  our  gardens  owing  to  the 
mistaken  mode  of  increase  by  grafting 
these  beautiful  Chinese  and  Japanese 
plants  on  the  common  vigorous  kind 
that  grows  on  the  chalk-hills  of  Surrey. 
Death  is  inevitable,  and  few  succeed, 


some  struggling  to  establish  them- 
selves in  spite  of  it.  I  have  proved  in 
my  own  garden  for  many  years  that 
the  right  and  natural  way  of  propaga- 
tion is  by  layering,  cuttings,  or  seed- 
lings of  good  kinds.  The  French 
nurserymen  use  the  Viticella  for  the 
stock,  which  is  nearly  as  bad.  The 
right  way  is  to  have  nothing  to  do  with 
grafting  or  potting. 

C.  ALPINA  (Alpine  Clematis).— A  very 
pretty  plant  flowering  in  spring.  The 
flowers  are  nodding,  the  four  large  sepals 
being  soft  blue  with  a  whitish  margin,  or 
sometimes  almost  entirely  white.  The 
flower  is  2  inches  or  more  across.  Syn. 
Atragene. 

C.  APHYLLA. — A  leafless  species  forming 
masses  of  long,  wiry,  roundish,  rush-like 
stems  of  a  dark  green  colour,  on  which  in 
axillary  clusters  the  greenish- yellow,  fra- 
grant flowers  occur  in  almost  whorl-like 
formation.  At  first  sight  the  plant  does 
not  greatly  attract — that  is  to  say,  from 
the  point  of  size  or  colour  of  its  flowers — 
yet  it  is  worth  having  for  its  exceedingly 
grateful  perfume,  which  reminds  one  of 
the  Winter  Sweet.  The  stem-growth 
extends  to  several  feet  in  length,  not 
greater  in  circumference  than  the  common 
Rush.  The  flowers  are  bell-shaped,  about 
f  inch  across,  and  produced  on  pedicels 
1 1  inches  long. 

C.  ARMANDI. — An  evergreen  species, 
native  of  Central  and  Western  China.  At 
first  glance  this  might  almost  be  taken  for 
the  New  Zealand  Clematis  indivisa,  bear- 
ing as  it  does  trifoliate  leaves  of  a  dark 
green,  leathery  texture.  The  flowers, 
borne  freely  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves,  are 
each  2  inches  in  diameter,  and  composed 
of  six  or  eight  segments,  thus  forming  a 
starry  bloom. 

C.  CAMPANIFLORA  (Bell-flowered  C.). — A 
graceful,  small  bell-shaped  flower  about 
i  inch  in  diameter,  pale  violet  or  almost 
white.  The  flowers  are  very  freely  borne, 
and  against  the  deep  green,  often  finely- 
divided  foliage,  they  are  very  effective. 
The  plant  is  not  often  seen  in  gardens, 
though  coming  freely  from  seed. 

C.  CALYCINA  (Winter-flowering  C.). — A 
native  of  Minorca  and  Corsica,  evergreen 
with  dark  brown-angled  stems,  and  during 
the  winter  the  foliage  acquires  a  fine 
bronzy  hue.  The  flower  is  about  2  inches 
across,  yellowish-white,  stained  inside 
with  oblong,  irregular,  reddish-purple 
spots.  December  to  April.  In  the  Lon- 
don district  it  ought  to  have  the  shelter 
of  a  wall  to  flower  well.  From  its  near 
ally,  the  following  species,  it  differs  in  its 
narrower  and  more  divided  foliage.. 

C.  CIRRHOSA  (Evergreen  C.). — This 
evergreen  species  has  been  much  confused 
with  C.  calycina.  C.  cirrhosa,  however,  if 
it  comes  from  the  Balearic  Islands,  is  not 
confined  to  them,  but  is  a  native  also  of 


4oo 


CLEMATIS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


CLEMATIS. 


various  parts  of  Spain,  and  is  found  also 
in  Algiers  and  on  the  mountains  of  N. 
Africa.  The  flowers  are  dull  white  or 
cream-coloured,  downy  outside,  smooth 
within,  and  about  i£  inches  in  diameter. 
In  S.  Europe  it  climbs  over  big  trees,  but 
it  grows  only  some  8  or  10  feet  high  in 
these  colder  latitudes. 

C.  COCCINEA  (Scarlet  C.). — A  distinct 
species,  some  6  to  10  feet  high,  the  flowers 
varying  in  colour  from  rosy  carmine  to 
scarlet ;  they  are  swollen  at  the  base,  but 
narrow  towards  the  top.  A  larger- 
flowered  variety  is  known  as  major,  and 
various  hybrids  have  been  raised  by 
crossing  this  and  other  species.  N. 
America. 

C.  CRISPA  (Frilled  C.). — A  distinct  and 
good  kind.  The  colour  is  purple  margined 
with  white,  or  in  some  forms  pale  lilac. 
The  flowers  are  fragrant  and  appear  in 
June,  continuing  up  to  autumn.  Some 
of  the  forms  are  bright  in  colour  and 
pretty,  but  others  are  amongst  the  least 
effective  of  the  shrubby  Clematis,  the 
thick,  heavy  sepals  being  of  a  dull  purple. 
N.  America. 

C.  FLAMMULA  (Fragrant  Virgin's  Bower). 
— A  vigorous  grower,  its  leaves  are  of  a 
rich  dark  green  and  remain  fresh  till  well 
into  the  winter.  The  flowers  are  small 
(half-inch  to  three-quarters  of  an  inch 
across),  and  appear  in  late  summer  and 
autumn ;  fragrant,  creamy-white,  the 
fruit  white  and  feathery.  This  species  is 
variable  in  the  size  and  shape  of  the 
leaflets  and  in  the  flower  panicles,  some 
of  which  are  large  with  numerous  blos- 
soms, whilst  in  other  forms  the  panicles 
are  few-flowered  and  scarcely  branched. 

C.  FLORIDA  (var.  bicolor}. — The  type 
C.  florida  is  a  native  of  China  and  has  been 
long  known  in  European  gardens.  It  is 
allied  to  C.  patens,  and,  like  that  species, 
produces  its  flowers  earlier  than  the 
lanuginosa  varieties,  for  the  blossoms 
appear  from  ripened  wood  of  the  previous 
year,  and  are  usually  at  their  best  in  June. 
As  a  rule,  the  flowers  are  whitish  with 
dark  stamens  in  the  forms  that  closely 
resemble  the  type,  but  in  the  variety 
bicolor  the  flowers  are  doubled,  the  outer 
part  being  white  and  the  inner  part  purple. 
As  the  expanded  blossoms  are  each  at 
least  4  inches  across,  the  beauty  of  a  well- 
flowered  plant  may  be  imagined.  The 
variety  bicolor  is  said  to  have  been  intro- 
duced from  Japan  about  seventy-five 
years  ago. 

C.  GRATA  (Indian  Virgin's  Bower). — A 
free,  much-branched  Indian  climber,  grow- 
ing from  12  to  15  feet  high,  with  hairy 
stems  and  leaves,  flowering  freely  with  me 
on  pergola  or  over  bushes.  It  is  a  very 
good  kind,  flowering  late  when  few 
climbers  are  in  bloom. 

C.  HERACLE^FOLIA  (David's  Virgin's 
Bower). — A  dwarf,  sturdy  plant  under 


2  feet  high,  with  large  leaves  and  short 
stalked  corymbs  of  flowers  of  a  hyacinthirn 
shape  and  purplish-blue  colour.  Mud 
superior  to  it  as  a  garden  plant  is  th< 
variety  Davidiana,  which  often  ranks  as  •< 
species.  Its  stems  are  about  4  feet  long 
but  are  rarely  strong  enough  to  stand  erec 
without  support.  The  largest  leaflet 
often  measure  6  inches  in  length  by  nearb 
as  much  in  width.  The  bright  lavender 


Clematis  lanuginosa  alba  growing  through  Azara. 


blue  flowers  are  in  dense  heads,  borne  on 
long  stalks  in  early  autumn.  N.  China. 

C.  LANUGINOSA  (Great-flowered  Virgin's 
Bower). — A  noble  Chinese  species  5  or  6 
feet  high,  the  leaves  covered  beneath  with 
greyish  wool,  the  flowers  the  largest  of 
any  of  the  wild  kinds,  6  inches  across,  and 
the  sepals  flat  and  overlapping  and  of  a 
pale  lavender  colour.  It  is  to  this  species 
more  than  to  any  other  that  the  beauty  of 
the  garden  hybrids  of  Clematis  is  due.  Its 
flowers  range  in  colour  from  pure  white  to 
deep  rich  purple,  and  appear  from  July  to 
October. 

C.  MONTANA  (White  Virgin's  Bower). — 
One  of  the  most  beautiful  kinds,  and  when 
covered  with  its  white  flowers  during  May, 
one  of  the  most  attractive  of  all  hardy 


CLEMATIS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.          CLEMATIS.         401 


climbers.  It  is  quite  hardy  and  vigorous, 
and  may  frequently  be  seen  covering  walls 
to  a  great  height ;  also  will  run  up  trees 
and  prove  very  effective  in  that  way, 
thriving  in  ordinary  soil  and  increased  by 
seed  or  layers.  C.  lilacina  is  a  hybrid  of 
C.  montana  and  something  else.  It  is 
very  delicate  in  colour,  and  very  hardy. 
I  plant  it  at  the  foot  of  trees,  a  favourite 
way  of  mine  of  growing  Clematises. 

C.  NUTANS  (The  Nodding  Virgin's 
Bower). — After  coming,  as  I  thought,  to 
the  end  of  my  enjoyment  of  these  plants, 
in  1912  I  find  in  the  middle  of  October 
pretty  flowers  of  the  nodding  Clematis. 
We  have  it  in  several  positions,  and  it 
seems  to  grow  well  in  all.  It  is  a  Chinese 
kind,  fragrant,  of  good  growth,  and  a  real 
addition.  Some  of  the  smaller  kinds  of 
Clematis  are  scarcely  worth  cultivation  ; 
but  this  may  well  be,  it  carries  the  bloom- 
ing season  so  much  further  on  in  the  year. 

C.  ORIENTALIS  (Yellow  Indian  Virgin's 
Bower). — A  vigorous  climber  growing  12 
to  30  feet  high,  flowering  abundantly  in 
August  and  September,  the  four  sepals 
being  of  a  yellow  colour,  tinged  with 
green,  and  having  a  sweet  but  not  very 
strong  fragrance.  The  fruit  heads  are 
handsome  with  the  silky  tail  attached  to 
each  seed  vessel.  Mountains  of  India  and 
N.  Asia. 

C.  PANICULATA  (Japanese  Virgin's 
Bower). — A  vigorous  climber,  growing 
to  a  height  of  30  feet  or  more.  The 
flowers  have  a  hawthorn-like  fragrance, 
the  four  sepals  being  of  a  rather  dull  white. 
It  is  hardy  in  Britain,  and  flowers  during 
September,  but  with  nothing  like  the  pro- 
fusion that  makes  it  so  beautiful  a  climber 
in  America. 

C.  PATENS, — Next  to  C.  lanuginosa,  this 
is  perhaps  the  most  important  of  the 
wild  types  of  Clematis.  It  is  a  native  of 
Japan  (having  been  found  on  the  Isle  of 
Nippon),  and  possibly  of  China  also.  It 
was  introduced  about  sixty  years  ago  by 
Siebold,  who  obtained  it  in  the  gardens 
near  Yokohama,  where  it  had,  no  doubt, 
been  long  in  cultivation.  The  sepals  are 
from  six  to  eight  in  number,  narrow  in  the 
form  originally  introduced,  and  a  delicate 
mauve  colour,  but  the  varieties  subse- 
quently obtained  from  it  under  cultivation 
have  flowers  much  larger,  the  colours 
varying  from  white  to  deep  violet  and 
blue.  Its  value  as  one  of  the  parent 
species  of  the  garden  Clematis  is  due  not 
only  to  its  beauty,  but  more  especially  to 
its  flowering  as  early  as  May  and  June. 

C.  RUBENS  (The  Rosy  Virgin's  Bower) 
is  a  recent  and  very  pretty  form  from 
China,  usually  classed  as  a  variety  of 
C.  montana,  but  I  think  distinct,  finer  in 
habit,  and  less  rampant.  A  friend  who 
grows  it  in  N.  Germany  tells  me  it  is 
hardier  there  than  montana.  It  is  excel- 
lent for  various  garlands  over  walls,  light 


arches,    and   over  low  trees   and   shrubs. 
It  is  of  easy  culture  in  ordinary  soil. 

C.  TANGUTICA  (The  Russian  Virgin's 
Bower). — A  noble  kind  of  recent  coming, 
often  wrongly  described  as  a  variety  of 
C.  orientalis.  It  is  a  distinct  and  finer 
plant.  The  error  has  been  fostered  by 
botanists,  who  do  not  often  see  the  plants 
alive,  and  "  argue  "  from  the  dried  plants. 


Clematis  Lady  Caroline  Neville. 


It  grows  freely  here  in  our  ordinary  soil, 
deep  and  moist,  but  no  trellis  is  large 
enough  for  it.  The  large,  deep  yellow 
flowers  are  followed  by  handsome  seed 
heads. 

C.  VIRGINIANA  (American  Virgin's 
Bower). — The  common  Virgin's  Bower 
of  the  United  States  and  Canada.  The 
flowers  are  borne  in  flat  panicles,  the  sepals 
thin  and  dull  white,  and  although  hardy 
enough,  is  not  in  Britain  so  strong  and 
woody  a  grower  as  our  native  Traveller's 

Joy- 

C.  VITALBA  (Traveller's  Joy).  —  There 
is  no  climber  native  to  Britain  that  gives 
so  near  an  approach  to  tropical  luxuriance 

2    C 


402          CLEMATIS.         THE  ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 


CLEMAtlS. 


of  vegetation  as  this.  The  numerous^  dull 
white  flowers  are  each  three-quarters  of  an 
inch  or  so  across,  with  a  faint  odour 
resembling  that  of  Almonds.  It  is,  per- 
haps, most  beautiful  when  covered  with 
its  white  fruits,  the  seeds  having  long 
feathery  tails. 

C.  VITICELLA  (Purple  Virgin's  Bower). — 
A  graceful  climber,  from  8  to  12  feet  high  ; 
its  flowers  in  summer  i£  to  2  inches  in 
diameter,  the  sepals  blue,  purple,  or  rosy- 
purple,  and  the  fruits  have  only  short 
tails,  which  are  devoid  of  the  plumose 
covering  so  often  seen  in  this  genus.  There 
are  now  numerous  varieties  of  the  species 
superior  to  it  in  size  of  flower,  and  offering 
also  a  variety  of  shades,  some  very  pretty. 

Hybrid   Clematis.— Among  the  best 
of  the  many  hybrids  raised  both  abroad 
or  in  England  are  Alba  magna,  Asco- 
tensis,   Beauty  of  Worcester,  Belle  of 
Woking,  Blue  Gem,  Countess  of  Love- 
lace,   Countess    of    Onslow,    Duchess 
of    Albany,     Duchess    of    Edinburgh, 
Duchess    of    York,    Fair    Rosamond, 
Fairy    Queen,     Gem,     Gipsy     Queen, 
Henryi,  Jackmanni,  Jackmanni  super- 
ba,  Jackmanni  alba,  John  Gould  Veitch, 
Lady  Bovill,    Lady   Caroline   Neville, 
Lucie   Lemoine,   Mme.   Grange,   Mme. 
Edouard    Andre,    Mme.   Van  Houtte, 
Miss    Bateman,    Miss    Crawshay,   Mrs 
Geo.     Jackman,     Mrs     Hope,     Otto 
Froebel,  Princess  of  Wales,  Purpurea 
elegans,  Rubella,  Sir  Garnet  Wolseley, 
Star    of    India,    Stella,    The    Queen, 
William  Kennett.     It  has  been  usual 
in  treating  of  these  and  other  Clematis 
to  throw  them  into  groups,  a  mislead- 
ing and  useless  plan   from   a   garden 
point   of    view;    the   best   way   is   to 
regard  the  species  each  separately,  as 
they  differ  so  much  in  vigour  and  in 
their  use :  the  hybrids  also  are  better 
to  look  at  as  a  class  apart,  fitted  more 
for   flower-garden    use    than   some    of 
the   species.      The   hybrid    kinds    are 
usually  grafted,  and  this  is  no  doubt 
the  reason  why  they  die  off  like  flies, 
and  why  these  fine  plants,   of  which 
hundreds    have    been    raised,    are   so 
rarely    seen    well   grown    in   gardens. 
The  stocks  used  are  C.   Viticella  and 
C.    Vitalba,    plants    very   different   in 
their    nature    from    the    fine    species 
from  China   and    Japan,   and  though 
a    growth    is    obtained    at    first,    an 
early  death  too  often  follows  of  the 
kinds  worked  on  them.     The  best  way 
is  to  get  the  plants  from  layers,  never 
to    purchase    any    but    these.      Seed 
raising,   too,  should  be  regularly  pur- 
sued,  and   in  those   ways   we   should 
get   over    the    deaths    of    these    fine 


plants    caused    by  the   short  -  sighted 
practice. 

Clematis  in  Colours.— In  this  the 
general  effect  of  the  whole,  the 
abundance  and  duration  of  the  flowers, 
and  the  purity  and  brilliancy  of  their 
colours,  are  the  prime  factors,  enabling 
plant-lovers  to  obtain  the  richest 
effects.  As  regards  the  plants  them- 
selves, all  but  those  of  proved  vigour 
and  hardiness  have  been  rejected ;  in 
fact,  so  robust  are  many  of  those  here 
enumerated  as  to  have  reached  the 
thickness  of  an  old  Vine  stem. 

YELLOW.  —  C.  tangutica,  the  most 
beautiful  of  its  colour.  Flowers  of  a 
fine  yellow  in  spring.  Stems  woody 
and  short,  throwing  out  numerous 
flowering  shoots  each  season.  C. 
orientalis,  light  yellow  in  colour, 
flowering  in  summer  and  autumn ;  is 
best  grown  trained  against  a  house  or 
wall,  when  it  sometimes  attains  a 
large  size.  C.  Wilfordi  resembles  it ; 
a  plant  for  the  rock  garden,  where  it 
forms  low  tufts  covered  with  flowers, 
its  shoots  taking  root  wherever  they 
touch  the  soil. 

WHITE.—  C.  apiifolia,  somewhat  like 
Vitalba,  flowering  in  autumn.  C. 
balearica,  scented  blossoms  during 
autumn  and  winter.  C.  cirrhosa,  a 
vigorous  plant,  flowering  from  October 
to  December.  C.  flammula  ;  a  variety 
robusta  is  larger,  and  flowers  a  little 
later.  C.  lanuginosa  Candida,  large 
flowers,  coming  mainly  in  spring,  but 
again  at  intervals  during  summer  and 
autumn.  There  are  in  existence  a 
great  number  of  its  forms,  hybrid  and 
otherwise,  with  beautiful  white  flowers, 
but  none  are  so  robust  or  lasting  as 
the  old  form,  which  has  flourished 
for  many  years  in  our  garden.  C. 
montana ;  its  variety  grandiflora  is 
larger  in  flower,  but  they  are  not 
fragrant.  C.  Viticella  alba,  a  good 
plant  with  flowers  of  exquisite  purity 
and  grace ;  its  form  Luxurians  is 
more  robust,  attaining  a  large  size, 
and  sometimes,  as  a  result  of  its 
great  vigour,  the  first  flowers  are  some- 
what greenish  in  colour.  The  varieties 
Arabella  and  Mme.  Moser  are  also 
forms  of  Viticella  alba. 

ROSE.  —  Comtesse  de  Bouchaud, 
large  and  beautiful  flowers  of  a  fine 
rose  colour,  and  very  free.  Mme. 
Baron  Veillard,  large  flowers  appearing 
rather  late,  towards  the  end  of  summer, 
and  autumn.  Vagabonde,  flowers  of? 
four  sepals  set  crosswise,  pale  rose  in 
the  centre,  deepening  towards  the 
edges;  a  plant  of  great  vigour.  C. 


CLEMATIS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.  CLETHRA. 


403 


Viticella  rosea,  a  charming  plant, 
flowers  smaller,  but  of  a  beautiful 
shaded  rose.  Neige  et  cerise,  also 
a  form  of  Viticella,  medium-sized 
flowers,  white  in  the  centre,  with  a 
border  of  bright  cherry-red.  Duchess 
of  Albany,  flowers  of  a  good  light  pink. 

CRIMSON  AND  RED. — Mme.  Edouard 
Andre,  crimson-purple  ;  Mme.  Furtado- 
Heine,  rose-shaded  flowers  ;  Mme.  Julia 
Correvon,  dark  crimson  -  red  colour  ; 
Oriflamme,  bright  red,  approaching 
vermilion,  covered  with  minute  touches 
of  white ;  Jackmanni  rubra ;  Ville  de 
Lyon,  crimson-red.  Amongst  red  forms 
of  C.  Viticella  are  Kermesina,  small 
flowers  but  very  abundant  and  deep 
crimson  in  colour  ;  Leonidas  ;  Rubra 
grandiflora,  reddish  -  crimson  ;  Flore- 
pleno  purpurea,  and  atropurpurea,  of  a 
deeper  purple  ;  C.  coccinea,  Countess  of 
Onslow,  hybrid  of  coccinea,  crimson 
shading  to  purple. 

BLUE.  —  Durandi,  intense  blue  ; 
Perle  d'Azure,  large  light  blue  flowers  ; 
Victor  Ceresole,  a  form  approaching 
lanuginosa,  with  large  flowers  of  a 
good  blue  ;  Caeligina,  a  fine  shade  of 
ultramarine  in  colour  ;  Bifrons,  light 
blue  in  the  centre  shaded  to  dark 
indigo  at  the  edges,  and  silvery-white 
at  the  back  ;  this  double  tinting  on 
the  same  plant  has  at  times  a  very 
peculiar  effect.  Of  purple  forms  of 
C.  Viticella  there  are  atragenoides,  a 
very  free  and  vigorous  plant,  with 
blue  flowers,  paler  in  parts  and  towards 
the  centre  ;  ccevulea,  with  myriads  of 
bell-shaped,  azure-blue  blossoms  ;  and 
Monsieur  Tisserand,  robust  and  good, 
with  light  blue  flowers  streaked  with 
darker  veinings. 

VIOLET  AND  PURPLE. — The  purple 
Clematis  are  a  numerous  class,  but 
the  best  are  as  follows: — C.  Flam- 
mula  rubra  marginata,  flowers  small 
but  produced  in  such  quantity  as  to 
make  the  plant  one  sheet  of  violet ; 
Etoile  violette,  large  well  -  formed 
flowers  upon  a  vigorous  plant,  which 
reaches  a  great  size.  Franco-furtensis, 
dark  purple ;  Gipsy  Queen ;  Jack- 
manni and  its  variety  superba ; 
Mme.  Grange,  ruddy  violet ;  Mod- 
esta,  inclining  to  mauve  ;  Neptune, 
clear  blue-violet ;  Prince  of  Wales, 
rich  violet-purple  ;  Rubella,  dark  and 
richly  shaded ;  Star  of  India,  clear 
violet,  with  bright  purple  markings  ; 
Rubra-violacea,  a  peculiar  brown  tint 
of  violet,  passing  to  ruddy  violet- 
crimson.  Amongst  forms  of  C.  Viti- 
cella are  Iris,  rosy  violet ;  Negresse,  a 
dark  velvety  purple ;  Venosa,  pale 


blue,  veined  with  violet  purple,  passing 
to  darker  tones  at  the  edges  ;  and 
Venosa  violacea,  darker  in  colour ; 
C.  odorata  ccerulea,  with  scented  blue 
flowers. 

This  list  does  not  include  a  number 
of  varieties  still  on  trial  in  our  gardens, 
which  promise  ere  long  to  add  to  the 
list  plants  distinct  in  colour,  particu- 
larly in  the  newly-developed  group  of 
hybrids  of  coccinea  and  megalantha,  of 
which  the  Countess  of  Onslow,  Sir 
Trevor  Lawrence,  Duchess  of  Albany, 
Duchess  of  York,  and  Grace  Darling 
form  a  part. — FRAN^ISQUE  MOREL. 

CLERODENDRON.  —  Tropical  or 
sub-tropical  trees  or  shrubs,  only  two 
species  of  which  have  any  claim  to 
hardiness,  C.  trichotomum,  a  Japanese 
plant,  and  C.  fcetidum,  a  native  of 
China,  an  old  garden  plant  usually 
seen  in  greenhouses,  but  hardy  enough 
for  open-air  culture  in  all  southern  and 
warm  parts.  In  southern  gardens, 
especially  near  the  sea,  it  grows  5  feet 
high,  and  is  handsome  for  the  several 
weeks  it  is  in  bloom.  The  other  species 
is  less  common,  and  is  a  free-growing 
shrub,  6  feet  high  or  more,  bearing 
large  loose  clusters  of  flowers,  the 
corollas  white,  the  calyces  a  deep 
brownish-red,  blooming  in  September. 

CLETHRA  (Sweet  Pepper  Bush). 

Shrubs  and  small  trees  of  the  Heath 
order,  the  hardy  species  natives  of 
North  America.  The  Alder  -  leaved 
Clethra  ( C.  alnifolia)  in  the  wet  copses 
of  Virginia  reaches  a  height  of  10  feet 
or  more.  With  us  it  grows  from  3 
to  5  feet,  makes  a  dense  bush,  bear- 
ing in  summer  white,  sweet-scented 
flowers  in  feathery  spikes.  C.  acu- 
minata  has  more  pointed  leaves,  and 
it  also  has  spikes  of  white  scented 
flowers  ;  it  is  quite  a  small  tree  in 
the  woods  of  the  Alleghanies.  Both 
are  valuable  shrubs  for  moist  peaty 
places. 

C.  ARBOREA  is  the  handsome  Lily-of- 
the- Valley  tree.  It  bears  panicles  of  white, 
bell-shaped  flowers  in  the  summer  at 
which  time  it  is  quite  a  feature  at  Tresco. 
It  thrives  out  of  doors  in  the  south,  and 
may  be  worth  trying  in  the  warmer  parts 
of  S.  Ireland,  but  usually  in  our  country 
is  a  shrub  for  the  greenhouse.  Madeira. 

C.  CANESCENS. — An  erect  deciduous 
bush,  4  feet  or  so  high,  native  of  China  and 
Japan,  whence  it  was  introduced  about 
1870.  The  leaves  are  greyish,  the  white 
fragrant  flowers  borne  in  terminal  inflores- 
cences in  August.  It  is  somewhat  tender 
when  young,  but  stands  better  after  the 
first  few  years. 


464         CLIANTHUS.        THE  ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 


COLCHICUM 


C.  TOMENTOSA. — Closely  allied  to  C. 
alnifolia,  and  from  the  same  region.  The 
flowers,  in  large  terminal  and  axillary 
panicles,  are  white  and  fragrant,  and  at 
their  best  in  September. 

CLIANTHUS  (Glory  Pea) .—Brilliant 
shrubs  seldom  seen  out  of  doors  in  the 
London  district  or  home  counties,  but 
one  kind  is  quite  free  as  a  wall  plant 
in  Irish  and  west  country  gardens, 
and  should  be  more  frequently  planted 
in  seashore  and  warm  places.  It  is 
C.  puniceus,  a  native  of  New  Zealand, 
and  as  handsome  a  shrub  when  in 
bloom  as  one  could  wish  to  see,  its 
splendid  crimson  blooms  borne  in  large 
bunches  during  summer.  Cuttings. 

Clintonia.     See  DOWINGIA. 
Cnicus  benedictus.     See  GARDENIA. 

COB2EA  ( Cups  and  Saucers] . — In 
favourable  localities  in  the  southern 
and  western  counties  C.  scandens,  a 
well-known  greenhouse  plant,  thrives 
against  an  outside  wall,  and  will  cover 
a  considerable  space  of  trellis-work 
during  summer.  It  should  be  planted 
in  light  rich  soil,  and  if  watered 
liberally  during  the  growing  season 
will  soon  cover  a  large  space  and 
flower  freely.  With  some  protection 
it  will  survive  an  ordinary  winter. 

CODONOPSIS.  —  The  members  of 
this  small  genus  of  the  Bellflower  order 
are  remarkable  rather  for  a  quaint, 
distinctive  beauty  of  their  own,  not 
half  of  which  is  disclosed  externally. 
Of  drooping,  bell-shaped  outline,  the 
flowers  contain  their  greater  beauty 
within  the  corolla,  and  which,  more- 
over, is  not  all  seen  at  a  glance.  At 
the  present  time  greater  interest 
attaches  to  the  group  than  was  for- 
merly the  case,  by  reason  of  several 
new  additions  from  China,  some  of 
these  surpassing  in  their  quaint  mark- 
ings .the  earlier-known  members  of  the 
race.  A  possible  weak  point,  one  not 
favouring  their  general  cultivation 
perhaps,  is  that  of  lacking  complete 
hardiness,  and  in  northern  districts 
winter  protection  had  better  be  afforded 
the  roots.  In  other  respects  they  are 
not  difficult  of  cultivation,  preferring 
always  well-drained  sandy  loams  and 
a  warm  exposure.  So  far  as  position 
is  concerned,  it  were  better,  I  think, 
because  of  the  greater  beauty  of  the 
flowers  internally,  that  the  plants  be 
raised  on  moderately  high  shelving 
rocks,  where  the  root-run  is  deep  and 
good,  and  where  complete  drainage, 
and  possibly,  also,  a  certain  immunity 


from  the  attacks  of  slugs — which  have 
a  fondness  for  the  young  shoots  of  the 
plant — would,  to  some  extent,  be 
assured.  Such  a  position,  too,  would 
exactly  suit  the  trailing  habit  of  some. 
The  plants  may  be  raised  from  seeds 
and  from  cuttings.  The  following  are 
the  more  important  : — 

C.  BULLEYI. — A  trailing  species  found 
by  Mr  Forrest  when  plant-hunting  in 
China.  The  soft,  lavender-blue  flowers 
are  drooping,  distinctly  contracted  about 
the  middle,  and  openly  bell-shaped  at  the 
mouth.  A  pretty  free-flowering  novelty. 

C.  CLEMATIDEA. — A  climbing  or  twining 
species  of  2  or  3  feet  high  ;  flowers  creamy- 
white  spotted  with  purple  and  tinged  with 
blue. 

C.  MELEAGRIS. — This  remarkable  Chinese 
species  has  for  a  year  or  two  past  been 
one  of  the  more  conspicuous  hardy  plant 
novelties  in-  Messrs  Bees'  exhibits  at  the 
Holland  House  Show.  As  there  shown, 
the  well-flowered  examples  were  nearly  a 
foot  high,  the  roundly,  bell-shaped,  droop- 
ing flowers  of  rare  beauty.  The  ground 
colour  is  a  very  pale  porcelain-blue,  the 
heavy  markings,  so  striking  a  feature  of 
the  species,  rich  chocolate  to  purple,  the 
base  or  centre  of  the  flowers  internally 
green. 

C.  OVATA. — The  flowers,  two  or  more 
on  a  stem,  are  drooping,  bell-shaped,  pale 
greyish-blue  in  colour,  with  purple  reticu- 
lations and  orange  and  white  base  inter- 
nally. The  greater  beauty  is  within  the 
nodding  bells.  The  plant  is  18  inches  or 
2  feet  high,  with  small,  ovate,  soft,  greyish 
and  somewhat  downy  leaves  and  flowers 
from  June  onwards.  W.  Himalayas. — 
E.  H.  J. 

COLCHICUM  (Meadow  Saffron}. — 
Hardy  bulbs,  some  handsome  in 
autumn.  The  individual  flowers  do 
not,  as  a  rule,  last  long,  but,  as  they 
come  in  succession,  there  is  a  long 
season  of  bloom.  The  flowers  are 
often  destroyed  through  being  grown 
in  bare  beds  of  soil,  where  the  splashing 
of  the  soil  in  heavy  rains  impairs  their 
beauty.  In  the  rock  garden  among 
dwarf  plants  Colchicums  thrive,  and 
make  a  pretty  show  in  autumn,  when 
rock  gardens  are  often  flowerless. 
They  look  better  in  grassy  places  or 
in  the  wild  garden  than  in  beds  or 
borders.  Their  naked  flowers  want 
the  relief  and  grace  of  grass  and  foliage, 
There  are  about  thirty  kinds,  though 
only  about  half  of  them  are  in  cultiva- 
tion, and  among  these  the  differences 
are  often  slight. 

C.  AUTUMNALE,  commonly  called  the  • 
autumn  Crocus.  The  flowers  appear 
before  the  leaves,  rosy-purple,  in  clusters 


COLEUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         COLLINS: A. 


405 


of  about  six,  2  or  3  inches  above  the  sur- 
face, flowering  from  September  to  Novem- 
ber. There  are  several  varieties,  the  chief 
being  the  double  purple,  white  and  striped  ; 


Colchicum  in  Grass. 


rose-lilac ;  rose-lilac,  striped  with  white, 
pale  rose  ;  and  pure  white. 

C.  PARKINSONI.  — •  A  distinct  plant, 
readily  distinguished  from  any  of  the  fore- 
going by  the  peculiar  chequered  markings 
of  its  violet-purple  flowers.  Its  flowers 
come  in  autumn,  and  its  leaves  in  spring. 
Similar  kinds  are  Bivonce,  variegatum, 
agrippinum,  chionense,  tessellatum,  all  of 
which  have  the  flowers  chequered  with 
dark  purple  on  a  white  ground. 

C.  SPECIOSUM,  from  the  Caucasus,  is 
large  and  beautiful,  and  valuable  for  the 
garden  in  autumn,  .where  its  large  rosy- 
purple  flowers  appear  nearly  i  foot  above 
the  ground.  C.  s.  rubrum  is  a  very  hand- 
some variety,  the  pure  white  C.  s.  album 
being  unique.  These  speciosum  varieties 
make  excellent  groups  in  grass  and  on  the 
fringes  of  woodland  places.  Like  the 
rest  of  the  Meadow  Saffrons,  they  are  as 
well  suited  for  the  rock  garden  as  the 
border,  thriving  in  any  soil  ;  but  to  have 
it  in  perfection,  choose  a  situation  exposed 
to  the  sun,  with  sandy  soil — in  fact,  a 
spot  likely  to  dry  up  during  summer. 

COLEUS.— A  few  kinds  of  these 
pretty-leaved  plants,  of  the  Sage  order, 
succeed  in  the  open  air  in  summer.  In 
some  of  the  London  parks  they  are 
arranged  by  themselves  in  large  masses, 
generally  of  one  kind  only.  Though 
there  is  a  host  of  varieties,  few  succeed 
in  the  open  air.  Mr  Wildsmith,  of 
Heckfield,  wrote  :  "  We  have  tried  at 
least  a  score  of  varieties,  with  the  result 


that  the  first  kind  recommended  ( Vers- 
chaffelti}  is  still  the  only  one  that 
succeeds  well."  The  culture  of  all  the 
varieties  is  of  the  simplest  nature  ; 
cuttings  strike  freely  in  any  sandy  soil 
in  a  moist  heat  of  70°. 

COLLETIA. — Curious  shrubs  of  the 
Buckthorn  order  from  Chili,  some 
species  of  which  are  hardy  enough  for 
the  open  air  in  all  but  the  coldest 
parts  of  the  country,  in  free  sandy 
soils.  They  have  spiny  branches  with 
a  few  minute  leaves.  C.  cruciata  is 
the  commonest ;  its  stems  are  armed 
with  stout  flattened  spines,  its  flowers 
white  and  small,  making  a  bush  about 
4  feet  high.  C.  spinosa  has  its  spines 
round  or  awl-shaped,  the  white  flowers, 
though  small,  are  very  numerous  in 
summer.  Under  favourable  conditions 
it  makes  a  formidable  hedge  in  the 
southern  counties,  where  it  flourishes. 
Colletia  are  often  neglected  and  placed 
against  walls,  but  it  will  be  found  that 
the  hardiest  one  is  much  better  in  the 
open  sun,  and  best,  perhaps,  in  sandy 
or  stony  ground,  in  which  it  is  very 
effective  in  autumn. 

COLLINSIA. — Annual  flowers  mainly 
of  N.W.  America.  Some  of  real  value 
for  gardens,  and  often  enduring  our 
winters,  so  admitting  of  autumn  sow- 
ing, which  gives  a  better  bloom,  and 
frequently  also  sown  in  spring. 


Colletia  cruciata  (C.  bictoniensis). 

C.  BICOLOR  (Chinese  Houses). — A  beau- 
tiful and  free-growing  annual  of  very  good 
effect  in  the  spring.  Often  sows  itself  in 
free  soil,  and  sown  in  September  in  any 
spare  bed  blooms  finely  in  May. 


406 


COLLOMIA. 


THE  ENGLISH   FLOWER    GARDEN.        CONVALLARIA. 


C.  GRANDIFLORA  (Chintz  Flower) .  —  A 
quite  distinct  kind,  it  gives  a  very  pretty 
purplish  effect,  and  endures  our  winters 
well,  thriving  from  autumn-sown  seeds, 
and  often  coming  self-sown. 

C.  VERNA.  (Vernal  C.).  —  A  beautiful 
kind,  native  of  the  colder  parts  of  N. 
America.  Not  much  in  cultivation  with 
us.  In  my  own  garden  we  repeatedly 
failed  to  raise  it,  but  still  hope  on  and 
blame  the  seeds. 

C.  INSIGNIS  (Baby  Blue  Eyes).  —  A 
beautiful  flower  easily  grown,  usually  sown 
in  the  spring  or,  often  better,  in  warm  and 
southern  districts  in  September,  if  good 
seed  can  be  had  then.  To  make  sure  of 
early  sowing,  it  is  well  to  save  some  of 
the  seeds,  as  the  stocks  may  not  be  ready. 
Sow  on  Rose  or  other  open  beds  ;  thinly 
set  out. 

C.  MACULATA. — A  spotted  kind,  distinct 
and  beautiful.  Grown  easily  from 
autumn-sown  seeds,  and  also  seed  sown 
in  the  spring.  It  is  excellent  for  carpeting 
beds  and  for  edgings.  Seeds  of  all  kinds 
are  easily  raised. 

COLLOMIA. —  C.  coccinea  is  a  bright- 
coloured  annual,  i  foot  to  18  inches 
high,  flowering  in  summer  and  autumn. 
Sow  it  in  April  in  open  ground  ;  or 
else  in  a  frame  in  autumn,  and  pro- 
tect it  during  winter,  if  good  plants 
are  desired,  either  for  pots  or  planting 
out.  On  warm  soils  it  grows  best  and 
sows  itself  every  year,  surviving  the 
winter,  and  growing  much  stronger. 

COLUTEA  (Bladder  Senna) .—These 
cannot  be  called  choice  flowering 
shrubs,  but  they  are  very  useful  for 
poor  hungry  soils,  particularly  for  dry 
sunny  banks,  where  few  other  plants 
can  exist ;  they  are  excellent,  too,  in 
smoky  districts.  Like  the  Gorse  and 
a  few  other  shrubs  of  the  Pea  family, 
they  delight  in  a  dry,  sandy  soil,  and 
when  in  flower,  which  is  during  several 
weeks  in  late  summer  and  in  autumn, 
they  are  pretty,  their  foliage  being 
light  and  elegant.  They  have  numer- 
ous names,  but  there  are  only  one  or 
two  distinct  kinds.  The  commonest  is 
C.  arborescens,  which,  under  favourable 
conditions,  grows  6  or  8  feet  high,  has 
large  flowers,  varying  in  different 
varieties  from  yellow  to  a  deep  reddish- 
yellow.  C.  cruenta,  C.  halepica,  and 
C.  media — all  natives  of  Europe — are 
smaller,  and  have  bright  yellow  flowers  ; 
but  all  have  much  the  same  aspect. 

COMMELINA  (Blue  Spiderwort) .— A 
charming  old  garden  plant  with  flowers 
of  a  fine  blue,  C.  Ccelestis  delights  in 


light  warm  soils.  The  roots  arc 
fleshy,  and  in  some  districts  it  is  well 
to  cover  them  with  coal  ashes  on  the 
approach  of  winter.  In  cold,  wet 
districts  the  roots  may  be  lifted  and 
stored  in  dry  leaf-mould.  On  some 
warm  or  stony  soils,  and  in  districts 
near  the  sea  where  light  soil  prevails, 
it  grows  like  a  weed.  It  is  so  fine  in 
colour  that  a  group  or  small  bed  is 
always  welcome.  There  is  a  white 
form.  Mexico. 

Comptonia.     See  MYRICA. 

CONANDRON.  —  C.  ramondioides 
is  a  small  Japanese  plant  allied 
to  Ramondia,  having  thick  wrinkled 
leaves,  in  flat  tufts,  from  which  arise 
erect  flower-stems  some  6  inches  high, 
bearing  numerous  lilac-purple  and 
white  blossoms.  It  cannot  be  relied 
on  as  quite  hardy,  and  requires  a 
sheltered  position,  such  as  is  afforded 
by  a  snug  nook  in  the  rock  garden. 
Plants  placed  between  blocks  of  stone 
thrive  if  there  is  a  good  depth  of 
soil  in  the  chink  and  the  soil  is 
moist. 

CONVALLARIA  MAJALIS  (Lily- 
of -the- Valley}.  —  It  is  well  to  have  a 
plantation  of  Lilies-of-the-Valley  upon 
a  south  aspect,  for  the  sake  of  earliness 
and  of  producing  them  in  succession, 
for  by  this  means  flowers  may  be 
gathered  a  fortnight  or  three  weeks 
earlier.  The  best  places  are  those 
which  afford  shade  and  moisture,  in 
which  they  revel.  Give  liberal  surface- 
dressings  of  rotten  manure  annually  in 
autumn.  Frost  is  destructive  to  the 
blooms,  which  appear  with  the  leaves. 
Spruce  or  other  evergreen  branches 
placed  sparsely  over  the  beds  are  a 
protection,  and  encourage  growth. 

The  best  time  to  plant  is  early  in 
autumn,  immediately  after  the  foliage 
decays,  selecting  plump  single  crowns 
and  dividing  them.  For  beds  likely  to 
remain  undisturbed  for  several  years, 
the  crowns  should  be  planted  6  inches 
apart.  Cover  the  surface  after  plant- 
ing with  i  or  2  inches  of  rotten  manure, 
thorough  maturity  being  only  insured 
by  repeated  applications  of  water — 
weak  manure-water  being  the  most 
effective.  Treated  thus,  with  annual 
surface-dressings  of  manure,  the  beds 
will  keep  in  good  condition  for  years, 
and  bears  fine  blossoms  in  abundance. 
When  the  plants  become  crowded  with 
shoots  they  should  be  thinned  out, 
or,  better  still,  lifted  and  replanted. 
It  is  now  largely  forced  into  flower 


CONVOLVULUS.        THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         COPROSMA.         407 


early,  the  roots  being  usually  imported 
from  the  Continent,  where  they  are 
grown  and  prepared  for  the  purpose. 
It  may  be  naturalised,  too,  on  any 
place  sufficiently  moist  and  shaded, 
and  soon  spreads  into  broad  masses. 
There  is  a  variety  with  gold-striped 
foliage,  and  another  with  double 
flowers,  but  this  is  not  pretty.  The 
finest  form  is  called  Fortin's,  which  is 
more  robust  than  the  common  kind, 
having  larger  flowers. 

CONVOLVULUS  (Bindweed}.— 
Handsome  climbing  herbs ;  some 
hardy,  and,  where  properly  used,  effec- 
tive. 

C.  ALTH^IODES. — A  graceful  trailer  with 
numerous  rosy  flowers,  hardy  and  free 
among  rocks.  Seeds  or  division  of  root. 
Mediterranean  region. 

C.  CNEORUM.  —  A  silvery  -  leaved 
shrubby  species  of  high  ornament  and 
beauty,  growing  3  to  5  feet  high.  In 
favoured  localities  it  is  excellent  for  sunny 
positions  on  rock  work ;  otherwise  it 
should  be  planted  near  a  wall.  Cuttings 
root  readily.  S.  Europe. 

C.  DAHURICUS  (Dahurian  C.). — A  showy, 
twining  perennial,  bearing  in  summer 
rosy-purple  flowers.  Excellent  for  cover- 
ing bowers,  railings,  stumps,  cottages,  etc., 
and  also  for  naturalisation  in  hedgerows 
and  copses.  It  grows  in  almost  any  soil, 
and,  like  its  relation  the  Bindweed,  is 
readily  increased  by  division  of  the  roots, 
which  creep.  Syn.  Calystegia.  Cauca- 
sus. 

C.  MAJOR.     See  IPOMOZA. 

C.  MAURITANICUS  (Blue  Rock  Bind- 
weed).— A  beautiful,  prostrate,  twining 
plant  from  N.  Africa,  with  slender  stems. 
The  flowers  blue,  i  inch  across,  with  a 
white  throat  and  yellow  anthers.  The 
rock  garden  and  raised  borders  ;  supposed 
to  require  sunny  positions,  in  sandy,  well- 
drained  soil,  but  I  find  it  fine  on  stiffish 
cool  soils.  Seeds  or  cuttings.  . 

C.  PUBESCENS  FL.-PL.  (Double  Bind- 
weed). — Handsome  and  useful  for  cloth- 
ing trellises,  stumps,  porches,  and  rustic- 
work.  It  grows  rapidly  to  the  height  of 
6  feet.  The  flowers  are  large,  double,  and 
of  a  pale  rose,  appearing  in  June  and  on- 
ward. Division.  China. 

C.  SOLDANELLA  (Sea  Bindweed). — A 
distinct  trailing  species  with  fleshy  leaves  ; 
flowering  in  summer,  pale  red,  and  hand- 
some in  the  rock  garden,  if  planted  so  that 
its  shoots  droop  over  stones.  Also  suited 
for  borders,  in  sandy  soil.  Division. 
Europe  and  Britain. 

C.  SYLVATICUS. — No  plant  forms  more 
beautiful  and  delicate  curtains  of  foliage 
and  flowers  than  this,  which  grows  vigor- 
ously in  any  soil.  The  wild  garden  is  the 


place  where  it  is  most  at  home,  and  where 
its  vigorous  roots  may  ramble  without 
doing  injury  to  other  plants.  Among 
bushes  or  hedges,  over  railings,  or  on 
rough  banks,  it  is  charming,  and  takes 
care  of  itself.  The  rosy-pink  form  incar- 
nata  is  supposed  to  be  a  native  of  N. 
America,  but  is  naturalised  in  some  parts 
of  Ireland.  Native  of  S.  Europe  and  N. 
Africa. 

C.  TRICOLOR. — One  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful of  hardy  annuals.  There  are  numerous 
varieties,  varying  more  or  less  in  colour 
of  flowers  or  in  habit  of  growth.  The 
flowers  of  the  type  are  blue,  yellow,  and 
white,  and  the  plant  being  perfectly  hardy, 
may  be  sown  in  the  open  ground  in  Sep- 
tember for  flowering  in  spring,  or  sown  in 
February  in  a  heated  frame  for  trans- 
planting in  May  for  midsummer  flowering, 
and  in  the  open  ground  from  April  to  the 
end  of  May  for  flowering  in  late  summer 
and  autumn.  Syn.  C.  minor. 

COPROSMA.  —  Dwarf  evergreen 
shrubs  from  New  Zealand,  best  seen 
in  shore  and  southern  gardens,  and 
most  at  home  on  a  bold  rock  garden. 
The  Coprosmas  are  widely  distributed 
in  New  Zealand,  some  of  the  Pacific 
Islands,  Chili,  and  elsewhere.  Of  the 
forty  or  more  known  species  a  few  only 
have  been  introduced  to  cultivation  in 
this  country,  those  few  being  chiefly 
natives  of  New  Zealand.  They  are  too 
tender  for  general  outdoor  planting  in 
the  British  Isles,  although  they  thrive 
in  the  milder  parts,  and  very  few  are 
grown  indoors  except  in  botanic  collec- 
tions of  plants.  As  evergreens  they 
are  most  useful,  for  they  have  little 
flower  beauty,  the  blooms  being  very 
small,  and  not  bright  enough  to  make 
them  conspicuous.  When  fruit  is 
borne  freely  it  has  attractions,  but 
fruit  cannot  be  depended  upon  in  this 
country.  Given  suitable  climatic  con- 
ditions, they  are  not  difficult  to  culti- 
vate, for  they  thrive  in  well-drained, 
loamy  soil,  to  which  a  little  peat  or 
leaf-mould  has  been  added.  Cuttings 
inserted  in  a  close  and  warm  frame 
during  summer  root  with  little  trouble, 
and  soon  form  good  plants. 

Of  the  various  species  the  following 
are  most  easily  obtained  : — 

C.  ARBOREA. — A  bush  or  small  tree  20 
to  30  feet  high,  with  dark  green  or 
brownish-green  leaves,  each  I  to  3  inches 
long,  and  up  to  i  \  inches  wide.  It  is  the 
Tree  Karamee  of  the  Maoris,  and  when 
grown  in  the  open  forms  a  wide,  bushy 
head.  When  grown  close  together,  how- 
ever, tall,  slender  trunks  with  small  heads 


408 


COPTIS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


CORDYLINE. 


are  formed.  The  male  and  female  flowers, 
borne  by  different  plants,  are  in  small, 
terminal  heads,  and  are  not  showy.  The 
berries  are  two-seeded  and  black  when 
ripe.  The  wood  is  yellow,  tough,  and 
straight-grained,  and  is  used  for  ornamen- 
tal cabinet  work. 

C.  BAUERI. — One  of  the  best  for  outdoor 
planting  in  the  South  of  England,  it  forms 
a  handsome  evergreen,  with  glossy,  oval,  or 
oblong  leaves,  which  are  thick  in  texture, 
2  to  3  inches  long,  and  up  to  2^  inches 
wide.  The  flowers  are  of  no  consequence, 
but  the  orange-coloured  fruits  are  said  to 
be  attractive  when  produced  freely. 
There  are  gold  and  silver  variegated 
varieties  worth  planting.  In  New  Zealand 
and  the  Norfolk  Islands  it  grows  from 
12  to  25  feet  high  under  favourable  con- 
ditions, but  when  growing  in  exposed, 
rocky  places  it  is  often  a  prostrate  shrub 
or  low  bush.  Kirk,  in  the  Forest  Flora  of 
New  Zealand,  says  that  there  is  a  Maori 
legend  connected  with  this  species,  which 
states  that  it  originated  from  the  paddles 
and  skids  of  the  canoe  which  landed  the 
original  Maori  immigrants  in  the  Bay  of 
Plenty.  The  paddles  and  skids  are  said 
to  have  been  stuck  in  the  ground,  and 
to  have  developed  into  a  grove  of  trees, 
from  which  all  the  other  trees  of  the 
same  kind  have  originated.  A  plant  at 
Maketu  was  standing  a  few  years  ago,  and 
was  pointed  out  as  a  direct  descendant 
of  one  of  the  original  trees  grown  at  that 
point. 

C.  LINEARIFOLIA,  sometimes  called  Yel- 
low-wood, is  a  small  tree  up  to  25  feet 
high,  with  narrow  leaves  up  to  i|  inches 
long.  It  is  not  such  a  fine  evergreen  as 
some  of  the  other  species,  and  cannot  be 
said  to  be  very  ornamental. 

C.  LUCIDA  has  much  in  common  with  C. 
Baueri.  Both  it  and  C.  Baueri  are  recom- 
mended for  planting  near  the  sea,  even 
where  washed  by  spray,  violent  winds  and 
dashing  spray  being  said  to  brighten  the 
glossy  surface  of  the  leaves.  They  are 
planted  as  hedges  in  New  Zealand,  and 
are  said  to  withstand  clipping  very  well. 
A  third  bold-leaved  species  is  C.  robusta, 
which  may  be  included  with  C.  lucida  and 
C.  Baueri. 

C.  PENDULA  is  worth  growing  on  account 
of  its  fine  branchlets  and  semi-pendulous 
habit.  The  small,  brownish-green  leaves 
are  rounded,  and  often  less  than  half  an 
inch  across.  It  grows  into  a  bush  at  least 
8  feet  high. 

COPTIS.  —  The  interesting  genus 
Coptis  belongs  to  the  Ranunculus 
family,  and  consists  of  about  half  a 
dozen  species  of  low-growing  evergreen 
plants  spread  over  the  whole  of  the 
North  Temperate  Zone.  Coptis  is 
closely  related  to  Anemone,  Helle- 
borus  and  Thalictrum.  The  name 


Coptis  signifies  ' '  cut ' '  in  reference  to 
the  numerous  divisions  of  the  leaves. 
The  species  are  mostly  woodland 
plants,  and  all  thrive  in  partly  shaded 
situations.  They  flower  very  early  in 
the  year,  and  are  useful  subjects  for 
the  rock  garden.  Most  of  the  species 
produce  seeds,  by  means  of  which  they 
can  be  increased.  All  grow  well  in 
light,  rich,  well-drained  soils  that  do 
not  become  excessively  dry.  The 
following  five  species  are  probably  all 
in  cultivation  : — 

C.  ASPLENIFOLIA. — The  leaves  of  this 
species  have  very  much  the  appearance 
of  the  Spleen  wort  or  Asplenium,  from 
which  the  specific  name  is  derived.  They 
are  biternate,  while  the  leaflets  are  pinna- 
tifid  and  deeply  cut.  The  scapes  grow 
about  9  inches  high,  and  usually  bear  two 
white  flowers  with  five  petals.  This 
species  is  found  in  the  Sphagnum  bogs  of 
N.W.  America  and  also  in  Japan. 

C.  BRACHYPETALA. — This  plant  is 
similar  to  C.  asplenifolia  in  habit,  but 
has  more  finely-cut  leaves,  which  have 
acute  divisions.  The  pretty  white  flowers 
are  produced  early  in  March  on  scapes  a 
few  inches  high.  This  species  is  a  native 
of  Japan. 

C.  OCCIDENTALIS. — This  is  one  of  the 
largest  species.  It  grows  more  than  a  foot 
in  height.  The  leaves  are  trifoliolate  and 
the  leaflets  are  about  3  inches  across, 
deeply  and  unequally  cut  and  lobed.  The 
white  flowers  have  six  petals  and  are 
usually  produced  three  together  on  each 
scape.  N.  America. 

C.  ORIENTALIS.— This  species  blooms  in 
February,  and  makes  a  good  plant  for 
the  alpine  house  with  its  bronzy  leaves 
and  scapes  of  white  flowers.  When  in 
flower  the  plant  is  about  6  inches  high  ; 
the  flower  scapes  of  this  species,  as  well 
as  those-of  all  the  others,  develop  consider- 
ably after  flowering.  Japan. 

C.  TRIFOLIA. — This,  the  most  widely 
spread  and  commonest  species  of  all  the 
Coptis,  is  found  in  the  mossy  woods  of 
Canada,  Siberia,  and  N.  Europe.  It  forms 
a  dwarf-growing,  creeping  plant  with  tri- 
foliolate leaves  and  pretty  white  flowers 
on  single-flowered  scapes  3  to  4  inches 
long.  The  roots  are  yellow,  and  together 
with  the  leaves  are  used  for  producing  a 
yellow  dye.  From  this  fact  it  receives 
its  common  name  of  "  Gold  Thread."  It 
is  a  suitable  plant  for  the  peaty  bog,  soon 
spreading  and  forming  an  evergreen  carpet 
studded  from  April  to  July  with  flowers. — 
Gardeners'  Chronicle. 

CORDYLINE  (Club  Palm).  —  Fine- 
leaved  shrub  plants  common  in  green- 
houses, but  only  in  the  mildest  parts 
of  England  and  Ireland  can  they  be 


CORDYLINE. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


CORDYLINE. 


409 


grown  well  in  the  open  air.  In  the 
Isle  of  Wight,  and  from  thence  along 
the  shores  of  Devonshire  and  Cornwall 
to  the  Scilly  Isles,  they  succeed  well, 
forming  a  fine  feature  even  in  cottage 
gardens,  whilst  in  some  larger  gardens 
whole  avenues  are  planted.  But,  in 
far  less  favoured  places,  it  is  often  seen 
thriving  for  years  in  the  open  air, 
though  it  is  not  worth  trying  in  cold, 
high,  and  inland  places,  especially  on 
clay  soils. 


Dublin,  a  plant,  16  feet  high,  with  a 
stem  some  6  inches  in  diameter, 
annually  flowered  and  bore  an  abun- 
dance of  seeds,  from  which  seedlings 
were  easily  raised  in  a  cold  frame.  In 
the  Scilly  Islands  the  plant  becomes  a 
great  tree,  in  the  warmth  and  moisture 
from  the  Gulf  Stream.  The  fact  that 
in  Dublin  young  plants  annually 
flower  and  ripen  seed  is  sufficient  proof 
of  its  hardiness  and  of  its  prospects 
of  success  in  many  districts.  It  is 


Cordyline  australis,  Bosachan,  Cornwall. 


The  true  C.  indivisa  is  distinct,  and 
a  large  number  of  plants  have  at  dif- 
ferent times  been  in  cultivation  ;  owing, 
however,  to  their  being  treated  as 
tropical  plants,  they  usually  proved 
short-lived.  One  of  the  finest  speci- 
mens in  the  country  is  in  Mr  Rash- 
leigh's  garden  at  Menabilly,  Cornwall. 
C.  i.  lineata  is  a  fine  variety,  with 
leaves  much  broader  than  those  of 
the  type,  and  sometimes  4  inches 
across,  coloured  with  reddish-pink  at 
the  sheathing  base.  There  are  many 
forms.  At  Knockmaroon  Lodge,  near 


readily  increased  also  from  pieces  of 
the  stem  and  offsets.  If  a  plant  is 
cut  down  close  to  the  ground,  there 
soon  spring  up  a  number  of  young 
shoots,  which  can  be  taken  off  as 
cuttings,  and  which  strike  with  free- 
dom. Recent  severe  winters  may  have 
hurt  it  in  many  places  ;  but  after  so 
many  years'  success  no  one  in  a  likely 
district  will  give  up  its  culture. — B. 

C.  ERYTHRORACHIS. — A  distinct  and 
beautiful  plant,  hardy  only  in  the  warmest 
parts  of  Britain,  and  then  only  when  of  a 
certain  age.  It  does  not  form  a  main  stem 


4io 


COREMA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


CORIARIA. 


like  most  of  the  Dracaena  family,  but 
remains  as  a  bold  spreading  tuft,  which 
sends  up  graceful  arching  spikes  of  ivory- 
white  flowers  every  year  from  near  the 
ground  to  a  height  of  4  to  6  feet.  The 
leaves  are  very  stout,  about  4  feet  long 
and  3  inches  wide,  with  dark  edges  and 
tapering  rapidly  ;  towards  the  base  they 
become  deeply  channelled,  with  the  edges 
rolled  inwards  until  they  almost  meet  as 
a  tube.  The  plant  seeds  freely,  the  seed- 
vessels  being  white  at  first  and  then  blue. 
It  grows  freely  from  seed,  but  the  young 
plants  should  be  wintered  under  glass 
until  three  or  four  years  old.  Botanically 
it  is  classed  as  a  form  of  C.  Banksii,  but  for 
garden  purposes  it  is  quite  distinct.  N. 
Australia. 

COREMA  (Plymouth  Crowberry).— 
An  evergreen  Heath-like  shrub,  native 
of  America  and  S.W.  Europe  ;  one  a 
Portuguese.  The  American  Crowberry 
is  said  to  be  pretty  in  its  own  country, 
but  is  not  known  in  ours. 

COREOPSIS  ( Tickseed) .  —  Showy 
N.  American  herbs,  perennial  or 
annual  ;  the  annuals  being  pretty 
summer  flowers,  and  the  perennials 
valuable  late-blooming  plants.  One  of 
the  best  of  the  perennials  is  C.  auricu- 
lata,  about  2  feet  high,  with  a  spreading 
growth,  and  bearing  in  autumn  abun- 
dance of  rich  yellow  blossoms  on  slender 
stalks.  Nearly  allied  and  similar  to 
it  is  C.  lanceolata,  an  equally  showy 
plant,  also  delighting  in  a  rich,  damp 
soil.  C.  rosea  is  a  neat  and  pretty 
plant.  C.  verticillata  (tenuifolia)  is  a 
pretty  plant,  with  elegant  feathery 
foliage  and  rich  golden-yellow  blossoms 
from  summer  till  autumn.  It  is  less 
robust  than  the  taller  kinds,  and  there- 
fore requires  a  more  select  spot,  such 
as  the  front  rows  of  a  mixed  border  or 
parts  of  the  rock  garden.  The  annuals 
are  among  the  showiest  summer 
flowers  ;  being  hardy,  they  make  a 
fine  display  in  spring  from  seeds  sown 
in  September  ;  while  an  almost  con- 
tinuous bloom  may  be  had  from  July 
to  October  by  sowing  successively 
from  early  March  till  the  middle  of 
June  in  ordinary  garden  soil — that  of 
a  moist  description  being  preferable 
for  the  spring  sowings.  The  following 
are  the  principal  annuals  :  C.  aristosa, 
2  to  3  feet  high,  with  large  golden- 
yellow  blossoms  ;  C.  Atkinsoniana, 
i  to  3  feet  high,  flowers  orange-yellow 
spotted  with  brown  in  centre  ;  C. 
coronata,  orange-yellow,  with  a  circle 
of  brownish-crimson  in  centre  ;  C. 
Drummondi,  I  to  \\  feet  high,  golden- 
yellow  ;  C,  tinctoria,  i  to  3  feet  high, 


flowers     crimson-brown     tipped     with 
orange-yellow. 

C.  GRANDIFLORA. — A  very  fine  showy 
plant.  It  fully  deserves  its  name,  as  its 
flowers  are  very  much  larger  than  those  of 
any  other  Coreopsis  grown  in  gardens. 
Even  if  we  come  to  treat  it  entirely  as  an 
annual,  this  will  not  detract  from  its  value, 
for  it  is  a  graceful  flower  and  worthy  of 
special  care.  Raising  a  batch  of  seedlings 
once  a  year  is  easily  done.  The  seed  may 
be  sown  at  any  time  in  spring,  and  strong 
plants  be  rea'dy  to  put  out  into  their 
flowering  quarters  in  autumn.  Its  hand- 
some flowers  are  borne  on  strong  stems 
12  to  1 8  inches  in  length.  In  the  garden 
the  flowers  are  brilliant  and  long-lasting, 
and  they  are  also  valuable  for  cutting. 

CORIARIA.— This  group  now  con- 
tains two  or  three  new  and  hand- 
some kinds  of  value.  The  peculiarity  of 
these  shrubs  is  in  the  formation  of 
their  berry-like  fruits.  The  flowers 
are  small  and  inconspicuous,  with 
scale-like  petals  of  green,  yellow, 
brown,  or  pink,  and  the  sexes  mostly 
apart,  though  found  upon  the  same 
plant.  After  flowering,  however,  the 
tiny  petals  thicken  and  swell  into  a 
juicy  fruit-like  envelope  surrounding 
the  seeds,  and  handsome  when  bril- 
liantly coloured,  as  in  the  finer  kinds. 
While  these  fruits  are  of  tempting 
appearance,  they  are  all  more  or  less 
poisonous  -a- fact  to  be  borne  in  mind 
by  planters.  All  the  kinds  are  of  the 
easiest  culture  in  moist,  loamy  soils, 
the  best  kinds  being  hardy  (at  least, 
at  the  root),  and  growing  again  if  cut 
down  by  frost.  The  following  are  in 
cultivation  : — 

C.  JAPONICA.— A  handsome  shrub  with 
red-brown  woody  stems  8  or  10  feet  high. 
The  leaves  come  in  opposite  pairs  arranged 
regularly  along  either  side  of  the  stem, 
while  the  tiny  flowers,  of  a  pretty  pink 
or  coral-red,  appear  early  in  June  as 
racemes  of  i£  to  3  inches  upon  the  stem 
of  the  previous  year.  The  fruits  are 
round  and  bright  red. 

C.  NEPALENSIS. — A  stout  rambling  shrub 
of  nearly  20  leet,  with  woody  stems 
bearing  three-nerved  leaves  and  axillary 
clusters  of  flowers  and  fruit,  which  dis- 
tinguish it  at  once  from  C.  terminalis, 
with  which,  however,  it  was  long  con- 
fused. The  flowers  are  brown,  appear- 
ing in  May,  and  followed  by  black  fruits. 
In  the  south-west  of  England  and  along 
the  south  coast,  this  plant  succeeds 
in  the  open,  but  inland  it  makes  little 
progress.  In  the  variety  maxima,  the 
fruits  are  larger  and  of  a  bluish  colour. 
Himalayas,  China,  and  Japan. 

C.  RUSTIFOLIA  is  a  tall  shrubby  climber 
of  10  to  20  feet,  with  square  stems 


CORIS. 


THE  ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 


CORNUS. 


411 


and  slender  arching  shoots,  covered  with 
fresh  green  foliage  and  sprays  of  tiny 
green  flowers  drooping  prettily  from 
the  leaf-axils.  It  is  hardy  even  into 
Scotland,  where  it  dies  down  like  an 
herbaceous  perennial.  The  flowers  come 
in  slender  racemes  of  6  to  12  inches, 
and  towards  autumn  the  tiny  green 
petals  swell  into  juicy  fruits,  of  a  rich 
purple  colour  in  September  and  October, 
when  this  is  one  of  the  most  striking 
of  wall  or  border  plants.  New  Zealand. 

C.  TORMINALIS. — A  plant  from  the 
Thibetan  frontier  of  China,  and  quite 
hardy  in  the  south  of  Britain  at  least, 
making  a  shrubby  root-stock  and  her- 
baceous stems  of  2  or  3  feet,  which  die 
back  each  winter.  The  bark  is  rough 
and  warty,  and  the  shoots  thickly  set 
with  pairs  of  rounded,  dull  green  leaves. 
The  brown  and  yellow  flowers  appear  in 
long  racemes  from  the  tips  of  the  shoots, 
differing  in  this  from  other  kinds,  in 
which  they  burst  from  the  leaf-axils. 
These  inconspicuous  flowers  give  place 
to  glossy,  orange-yellow  fruits  of  great 
beauty,  crowded  upon  long  tapering 
spikes  of  6  to  9  inches.  These  last 
well  upon  the  p'.ar.t,  but  are  worthless 
for  cutting. 

CORIS  (Montpelier  C.}.  —  C.  mon- 
speliensis  is  a  pretty  dwarf  plant  of  the 
Primrose  order,  about  6  inches  high, 
usually  biennial  in  our  gardens,  thriving 
on  dry  sunny  parts  of  the  rock  garden, 
in  sandy  soil,  and  among  dwarf  plants. 
South  of  France.  Seed. 

CORNUS  (Dogweed  :  Cornel).— Most 
of  the  Dogwoods  known  in  cultiva- 
tion are  shrubs  or  small  trees. 
Some  are  pretty  shrubs,  useful  in  the 
park  and  pleasure  garden,  or  along 
watercourses,  the  shoots  of  some 
giving  fine  colour  in  winter ;  and  there 
are  two  very  dwarf  species  for  the 
bog  garden. 

C.  ALBA,  the  white-fruited  Dogwood,  is 
a  native  of  Asia,  growing  to  a  height  of 
from  5  to  10  feet,  with  slender  branches 
clothed  with  bright-red  bark,  giving  a 
charming  effect  all  through  the  year, 
either  in  a  mass  or  as  a  specimen  plant 
on  a  lawn  or  in  the  shrubbery.  The 
flowers,  white  or  cream-coloured,  are  in 
crowded  cymes,  followed  by  white  fruits. 
The  variety  Spathi  is  one  of  the  finest  of 
shrubs,  with  coloured  leaves.  In  spring 
the  leaves  are  bronzy,  in  summer  deeply 
and  irregularly  margined  with  gold.  The 
habit  of  the  plant  is  vigorous,  the  variega- 
tion constant,  and  the  foliage  does  not 
scorch  in  bright  sunlight,  as  is  the  case 
in  not  a  few  plants  with  golden  variegated 
leaves. 

C.  BRETSCHNEIDERI. — Native  of  China, 
it  was  brought  into  prominent  notice  in 


1899,  when  a  figure  and  description 
appeared  in  Le  Jar  din.  Since  that  time 
ample  opportunity  has  occurred  of  judging 
its  merits  as  an  ornamental  shrub,  and 
although  this  group  of  the  family  is  some- 
times despised  for  its  flowering  qualities, 
it  has  the  advantage  of  producing  attrac- 
tive fruit  towards  the  end  of  August,  the 
berries  being  alternately  white  and  bluish 
in  colour.  Its  bark  has  the  familiar  red 
colouring  of  several  other  species  in  the 
group,  although  it  is  less  bright  than  that 
of  C.  alba  and  its  varieties.  It  can  be 
grown  almost  anywhere  and  in  almost  any 
deeply-worked  soil.  By  inserting  cuttings 
a  foot  long  out  of  doors,  in  autumn  or 
winter,  it  is  easily  increased.  It  is  of 
vigorous  habit,  and  requires  plenty  of 
room.  Has  to  be  severely  pruned  to  keep 
it  from  smothering  other  subjects. 

C.  CANADENSIS  (Bunchberry)  is  a  pretty 
little  plant  with  creeping  underground 
rhizomes  and  upright  stems  from  4  to 
8  inches  high,  the  leaves  in  a  whorl  of  four 
or  six  near  the  summit  of  the  stems  ;  the 
true  flowers  are  minute,  but  the  four  rather 
large  white  or  cream-coloured  bracts  con- 
spicuous. The  berries  are  red,  and  show 
well  above  the  short  stems  :  in  taste  they 
are  sweet  and  palatable.  Japan  and  N. 
America. 

C.  CAPITATA  (Strawberry-tree). — This  is 
more  widely  known  under  the  name  of 
Benthamiafragifera.  It  is  a  sub-evergreen 
tree,  a  native  of  N.  India  and  China.  In 
the  gardens  of  Mr  R.  G.  Lake,  Trevarrick, 
St  Austell,  some  trees  are  about  40  feet 
high,  and  the  trunk  is  one  of  5  feet  in 
diameter  at  5  feet  from  the  ground.  There 
are  numbers  of  fine  specimens  at  Trelissick 
and  in  Devon  and  Cornwall.  The  large 
bracts,  white  tinged  with  pink  or  rose, 
make  this  one  of  the  most  beautiful  trees 
when  in  flower,  and  the  large  clear  red 
fleshy  fruits  somewhat  resembling  a 
Strawberry. 

C.  CIRCINATA. — This  is  conspicuous  by 
reason  of  its  large  round  leaves,  which  are 
4  or  5  inches  long  and  3  inches  or  more 
wide,  and  its  clusters  of  bright-blue  fruits, 
each  being  about  the  size  of  a  Pea.  It  is 
3  feet  or  more — rarely  reaching  10  feet — in 
height,  and  has  rather  rigid  erect  stems 
covered  with  warted  bark,  which  is  at  first 
pale  green,  and  later  becomes  light  brown 
or  purple.  N.  America. 

C.  FLORIDA  (Flowering  Dogwood)  is  very 
showy  in  flower,  scarcely  less  so  in  fruit, 
and  beautiful  in  autumn,  when  the  leaves 
change  colour  before  falling.  Unfor- 
tunately, we  do  not  obtain  sufficient  sum- 
mer heat  to  thoroughly  ripen  the  wood, 
and  so  the  flowering  of  this  species  in 
Britain  is  not  common,  although  it  was 
one  of  the  earliest  amongst  N.  American 
shrubs  to  find  its  way  to  British  gardens. 

C.  FLORIDA  RUBRA. — It  is  a  source  of 
regret  to  shrub-lovers  that  the  ordinary 
C.  florida  rarely  flowers  in  England,  but 


412 


CORNUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


CORNUS. 


this  variety  does  so  well.  It  has  pure  pink 
bracts.  There  is  also  a  variety  known  as 
C.  florida  pendula,  with  a  weeping  habit. 
The  large  white  bracts  which  surround  the 
flowers  come  in  great  abundance  before 
the  leaves  appear. 

C.  KOUSA  is  a  native  of  Japan,  quite 
hardy,  but  needs  to  be  well  established 
and  several  years  old  before  it  shows  to 
advantage.  The  white  flowers  appear  in 
May  and  June. 


fruit  much  larger  than  that  of  the  wild 
plant.  The  Cornelian  Cherry  is  a  native 
of  C.  and  S.  Europe,  and  sometimes  attains 
20  feet  in  height. 

C.  NUTTALLI. — A  tree,  in  its  native 
country,  50  or  60  feet  high.  Generally  it 
has  six  large,  broad  white  bracts  2  or  3 
inches  long,  so  that  the  so-called  flower 
measures  4  or  6  inches  across.  It  is  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  trees  in  the  forests 
in  many  parts  of  California  and  Oregon. 


Cornusjlorida  rubra. 


C.  MAS  (Cornelian  Cherry). — Although 
the  flowers  of  this  are  small,  they  are  borne 
so  freely  by  old  trees  that  the  clusters  of 
yellow  flowers  are  conspicuous  on  the 
leafless  twigs.  Old  trees  fruit  freely,  and 
bear  fruit  half  an  inch  long  or  more,  bright 
red  and  individually  as  handsome  as  a 
Cherry.  On  the  Continent  in  many  places 
selected  varieties  are  grown  for  the  sake 
of  the  fruit,  for  preserving.  Amongst  the 
forms  are  some  with  yellow,  bright  blood - 
red,  and  violet  fruits,  and  another  with 


C.  PAUCINERVIS. — One  of  the  most  com- 
pact growing  of  the  Dogwoods,  and  a 
pretty  flowering  shrub.  It  forms  a  dense- 
growing  bush.  The  flowers  are  borne  in 
flattish  clusters.  In  August  it  is  very 
useful. 

C.  STOLONIFERA  (Red  Osier  Dogwood). — 
It  spreads  and  multiplies  freely  by  pros- 
trate or  subterranean  shoots,  and  grows 
6  or  8  feet  high  ;  the  leaves  light  green 
above  and  paler  beneath  ;  fruit  varying 
from  white  to  lead  colour.  In  winter  the 


COROklA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.          cofcVbALis.         413 


growths,  especially  those  of  the  previous 
season,  are  a  bright  red-purple  colour.  In 
its  native  habitats  it  grows  in  wet  places, 
but  in  Britain  thrives  in  our  ordinary  soil. 
N.  America. 

C.  SUECICA  is  a  native  of  N.  and  Arctic 
Europe,  Asia,  and  America,  in  Britain 
occurring  on  high  moorlands  from  York- 
shire northwards,  and  ascends  to  3000 
feet.  It  is  a  charming  little  plant,  flower- 
ing in  July  and  August,  with  rather  large 
white  bracts,  followed  by  red  drupes.  It 
should  be  grown  in  light  soil  or  in  peat  in 
partial  shade  in  the  bog  garden. — N. 

COROKIA. — Two  pretty  evergreen 
shrubs  from  New  Zealand,  allied  to  the 
Dogwoods,  and  hardy  only  in  the 
warmer  parts  of  Britain.  Plants  more 
unlike  are  seldom  found  so  nearly 
related.  Increase  by  cuttings  or  by 
layers  in  the  autumn. 

C.  BUDDLEOIDES  is  from  the  New  Zea- 
land coast-belt,  with  glossy  leaves  forming 
a  handsome  shrub  10  feet  high  and 
through,  with  lance-shaped  dark  green 
leaves,  silvery  on  the  under  side,  from  a 
downy  covering  which  extends  to  the 
stems  and  branches.  Starry  yellow 
flowers  with  an  orange  centre  appear  in 
loose  spike-like  clusters  during  May  and 
June,  followed  by  oval  yellow  berries.  It 
likes  a  half-shaded  position  in  good  loam, 
growing  fast  and  fruiting  freely. 

C.  COTONEASTER. — Coming  from  the 
mountains,  this  kind  is  hardier,  and  easily 
grown  in  southern  gardens.  Though  really 
evergreen,  the  leaves  are  so  small  and 
scattered  that  even  in  full  growth  the 
plant  has  a  peculiar  appearance,  and  yet 
so  thickly  do  the  stems  interlace  that  there 
is  no  suggestion  of  nakedness.  The  tiny 
leaves  are  bright  green  while  young, 
becoming  dark,  and  finally  orange-red 
before  falling.  The  plant  grows  well  in 
a  north  aspect  and  in  partial  shade,  but 
will  also  bear  the  sun  in  sheltered  spots  on 
the  lawn  or  in  the  rock  garden,  where  its 
tendency  is  to  spread. 

CORONILLA. — Flowering  shrubs  of 
the  Pea  family. 

C.  EMERUS  (Scorpion  Senna). — An  ele- 
gant loose  bush,  3  to  6  feet  high,  in  mild 
seasons,  remaining  green  through  the 
winter.  The  flowers  are  reddish  when 
first  expanded,  becoming  yellow.  It 
blooms  freely  in  early  summer,  and  flowers 
again  in  autumn,  This  is  the  only  bushy 
Coronilla  that  can  be  well  grown  in  the 
open  air  in  our  country,  but  in  mild  dis- 
tricts C.  glauca,  a  beautiful  shrub  with 
glaucous  foliage  and  yellow  flowers,  usually 
grown  in  greenhouses,  may  be  grown  out 
of  doors.  S.  Europe. 

C.  CAPPADOCICA  (IBERICA)  is  a  vigorous 
trailer  well  suited  to  the  larger  rock 
garden.  In  early  summer,  with  its  bright 
yellow  blossoms,  resting  on  deep  glaucous 


blue  foliage,  it  is  very  effective.  Cuttings, 
division  and  seed.  Asia  Minor. 

C.  MINIMA  is  similar  to  C.  iberica,  but 
smaller  ;  a  pretty  rock  plant.  It  is  not 
frequent,  though  quite  good. 

C.  VARIA. — A  handsome  plant,  with 
rose-coloured  flowers  ;  found  in  stony 
places  and  on  many  railway  banks  in 
France  and  N.  Italy,  forming  low,  dense 
tufts,  sheeted  with  rosy-pink,  their  beauty 
conspicuous  among  the  weeds.  Seeds. 

CORYDALIS  (Fumitory}.— A  numer- 
ous family,  of  the  Poppy  order,  not 
many  important  for  the  garden. 

C.  BRACTEATA  (Bracted  Fumitory). — A 
distinct  kind,  with  yellow  flowers.  More 
erect  than  some  other  kinds,  the  flowers 
cluster  together  at  intervals.  The  plant 
is  of  quite  easy  culture.  Siberia. 

C.  BULBOSA  (Bulbous  Fumitory). — A 
compact  tuberous-rooted  kind,  4  inches 
to  6  or  7  inches  high,  with  dull  purplish 
flowers  in  April,  and  a  solid  bulbous  root, 
quite  hardy,  and  of  easy  culture  in  almost 
any  soil.  A  pretty  little  plant  for  borders, 
for  naturalising  in  open  spots  in  woods, 
and  also  for  the  spring  garden.  It  is 
naturalised  in  several  parts  of  England, 
but  its  home  is  in  the  warmer  parts  of 
Europe. 

C.  CAVA. — One  of  the  dwarfest  race, 
flowering  early  in  the  year,  with  purplish 
blossoms.  A  prettier  kind  is  the  variety 
albiflora,  which  is  similar,  save  the  colour 
of  the  flowers. 

C.  LEDEBOURIANA  (Ledebour's  Fumi- 
tory).— Distinct  on  account  of  its  peculiar 
glaucous  leaves,  arranged  in  a  whorl  about 
half-way  up  the  stem,  9  to  12  inches  high. 
Flowers  are  a  deep  vinous  purple,  with 
pinkish  spurs.  It  is  early  and  hardy. 
Siberia. 

C.  LUTEA  (Yellow  Fumitory). — Graceful 
masses  of  delicate  pale  green  leaves  dotted 
with  spurred  yellow  flowers.  It  is  pretty 
in  borders,  and  grows  to  perfection  on 
walls,  and  the  tufts,  when  emerging  from 
some  chink  in  a  fortress  wall  where  rain 
never  falls  upon  them,  are  often  as  full  of 
flower  as  when  planted  in  fertile  soil.  A 
naturalised  plant  in  England.  Seeds. 

C.  NOBILIS  (Noble  Fumitory). — A  dis- 
tinct and  handsome  plant,  10  inches  or 
i  foot  high ;  the  flower-stems  are  stout 
and  leafy  to  the  top,  and  in  summer  bear 
a  head  of  rich  golden-yellow  flowers  with 
a  small  reddish  point  in  the  centre  of  each. 
It  is  easy  of  culture  in  warm  borders,  but 
is  rather  slow  of  increase.  Division. 
Siberia. 

C.  SEMENOVII. — A  pretty  kind  from 
Turkestan.  The  yellow  flowers  cluster 
together  in  the  upper  part  of  the  stem 
and  assume  a  somewhat  pendent  position. 
The  spur  in  this  kind  is  very  short.  It 
flowers  usually  in  early  spring. 

C.  THALICTRIFOLIA. — A  charming  addi- 
tion to  rock  garden  plants.  One  foot  high, 


414      CORYLOPSIS.       THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        COTONEASTER. 


tufted,  and  spreading,  the  thin,  wiry  stems    ' 
each  carry  two  pairs  of  leaves  on  pedicels 
an  inch  long,  and  a  terminal  leaflet,  all    ' 
deeply  notched.     The  blossoms  are  yellow, 
each  about  an  inch  long.     It  flowers  pro- 
fusely from  May  to  October.     China. 

CORYLOPSIS. — A  small  group  of 
hardy  shrubs,  allied  to  the  Witch 
Hazel  from  China,  Japan,  and  N. 
India.  They  are  thin  and  dwarf, 
have  ribbed  leaves  resembling  the 
Hazel,  and  bear  flowers  in  drooping 
racemes.  As  these  are  early  spring- 
flowering  shrubs,  they  should  be 
planted  in  spots  sheltered  from  cold 
winds. 

C.  MULTIFLORA  resembles  somewhat 
closely  the  C.  Veitchiana ;  the  racemes 
are  rather  longer.  There  are,  however, 
certain  botanical  differences  connected 
with  the  arrangement  and  hairiness  of  the 
leaves  which  separate  the  two  species. 

C.  PAUCIFLORA,  another  Japanese 
species,  is  .a  very  beautiful  shrub  when 
well  grown,  for  its  long,  slender  branches 
are  clothed  with  rather  thin,  heart-shaped 
leaves.  The  upper  surface  of  the  leaves 
is  green,  the  under  side  glaucous,  but 
there  is  usually,  when  young,  a  well-defined 
margin  of  red  or  brown.  The  fragrant 
flowers,  which  have  primrose-coloured 
petals  and  red  anthers,  come  in  April. 

C.  SPICATA,  the  commonest  kind,  is  a 
native  of  Japan,  and  was  introduced  about 
1864.  Mature  bushes  are  3  feet  or  so  high 
and  rather  more  through.  During  March 
and  early  April  the  primrose-coloured 
flowers  appear  in  drooping  catkins  each 
2  to  3  inches  in  length.  In  the  absence  of 
frost  they  are  showy  for  a  period  of  several 
weeks,  whilst  their  fragrance  is  very  notice- 
able. 

C.  VEITCHIANA  is  one  of  six  species 
which  occur  in  E.  and  C.  China.  It  forms 
a  shrub  5  to  6  feet  high,  with  long  and 
rather  slender  branches.  When  young 
the  leaves  are  margined  with  red  and 
brown.  Ten  to  fifteen  primrose-coloured 
flowers  are  borne  together  in  dense 
racemes. 

C.  WILSONI. — This  is  distinguished  from 
other  kinds  from  C.  China  by  having  one 
or  more  leaves  developed  on  the  flower- 
ing branches  at  the  time  the  leaves 
expand,  whereas  in  most  cases  no  leaves 
are  developed  until  after  the  flowers  have 
faded.  The  flowers  have  the  usual  prim- 
rose colour  and  fragrance. 

CORYLUS  (Hazel-nut}.  —  A  small 
group  of  European  and  Asiatic  trees, 
represented  in  our  country  by  the 
Hazel,  C.  avellana,  which  is  precious 
in  its  nut-bearing  forms  for  our  gar- 
dens. There  are  varieties,  including 
a  weeping  one,  pendula,  and  cut-leaved 
and  nettle-leaved  forms.  Other  species 


worth  growing  are  C.  americana, 
heterophylla,  mandshurica,  and  maxima, 
with  its  very  fine  variety  atropurpurea, 
and  other  forms,  among  them  the 
varieties  of  cobs  and  filbert  nuts  grown 
for  their  fruits.  It  is  a  very  pleasant 
way  to  plant  a  group  of  the  best 
fruiting  Hazel  in  the  pleasure  ground, 
or  to  form  what  is  called  a  Hazel  walk. 

COSMOS.— Mexican  plants  allied  to 
the  Dahlia.  C.  bipinnatus  is  a  hand- 
some annual,  3  feet  to  5  feet  high, 
having  finely-divided,  feathery  foliage, 
and  large  Dahlia-like  bright  red-purple 
blossoms,  with  yellow  centres.  It  is 
best  raised  a  tender  annual  by  sowing 
the  seeds  in  February  or  March  in  a 
heated  frame,  and  transplanting  in 
May  in  good,  rich  soil  with  a  warm 
exposure.  It  flowers  from  August  to 
October,  is  good  for  grouping  with 
bold  and  graceful  annuals.  There  arc 
now  varieties  rose,  white,  purple,  and 
orange.  C.  atropurpurea,  called  the 
"  Black  Dahlia,"  is  a  handsome  plant 
with  nearly  black  flowers,  thriving  in 
ordinary  soil. 

COTONEASTER  (Rockspray). 
— Trailing,  or  erect,  shrubs  of  the 
highest  garden  value,  with  a  great 
variety  of  habit — little  things  to 
crawl  over  walls  or  rock  gardens,  and 
also  medium  and  most  graceful  shrubs 
like  horizontalis,  and  brilliant  fruiting 
trees  like  the  Indian  C.  frigida,  coming 
in  among  the  ornamental  trees.  The 
cultivation  is  usually  very  simple,  the 
plants  thriving  in  any  soil,  and  easy 
to  increase  by  seed  or  division  of  the 
dwarf  creeping  kind.  Hardy  and 
close  in  growth,  they  are  among  the 
best  shrubs  for  exposed  situations.  As 
fence  plants  they  have  been  advertised, 
but  I  found  them  of  no  use  in  that  way. 

C.  ADPRESSA. — A  new,  and  as  yet  rare, 
kind,  forming  a  low,  dense,  spreading 
shrub.  It  is  related  to  C.  buxifolia,  with 
flowers  resembling  those  of  C.  horizontalis 
—i.e.,  white,  with  the  extremities  of  the 
petals  rose.  The  fruit  is  a  brilliant  red, 
and  ripens  in  August.  It  is  likely  to  be 
a  valuable  shrub  for  the  rock  garden. 
China. 

C.  ANGUSTIFOLIA.- — A  new  kind,  3  to  5 
feet  high,  with  spreading  spiny  stems, 
loaded  with  brilliant  red  berries,  persistent 
throughout  the  winter.  If  this  plant 
proves  hardy  in  our  winters,  it  will  be  of 
great  value  in  gardens. 

C.  BULLATA. — A  shrub  reaching  3  to  4 
feet  in  height,  with  a  somewhat  drooping 
habit,  bearing  berries  of  a  dark  blood-red 
colour.  A  distinct,  new,  and  deciduous 
species,  with  blistered  leaves  (bulle)  ;  the 


COTONEASTER.        THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.       COTYLEDON.      413 


flowers  white  and  borne  in  corymbs  ;  fruit 
brilliant  and  about  the  size  of  a  Pea. 
Thibet. 

C.  BUXIFOLIA. — A  free-growing  bush 
that  at  times  attains  the  height  of  6  feet, 
forming  a  rather  wide-spreading  bush,  the 
branches  clothed  with  deep  green  box-like 
leaves  ;  the  crimson  berries,  nestling  in 
profusion  among  the  leaves,  are  pretty  in 
autumn. 

C.  FRANCHETI.  —  An  erect-growing 
handsome  shrub,  4  to  5  feet  in  height, 
stems  at  first  covered  with  white  hairs, 
then  brown.  It  flowers  in  June,  white, 
marked  with  red  on  the  outside  of  the 
petals  ;  the  berries,  light  orange  in  colour, 
appear  in  September,  and  last  during  a 
great  part  of  the  winter.  Handsome  in 
form  and  berry,  and  likely  to  be  very  useful 
in  gardens.  Yunnan. 

C.  FRIGIDA. — A  low  tree  reaching  20  feet 
or  more.  During  mild  winters  some  of  the 
leaves  will  be  retained  throughout  the 
year,  while  if  the  weather  is  very  sharp  it 
will  become  quite  bare,  the  showy  fruits 
being  of  a  bright  crimson.  If  untouched 
by  birds,  the  berries  retain  their  beauty 
a  long  time  ;  but  if  the  weather  be  severe, 
they  soon  disappear.  Mountains  of  India. 
It  is  useful  for  grouping  here  and  there, 
its  main  value,  however,  being  from  the 
beauty  of  its  richly-coloured  fruits  in 
autumn.  Himalayas.  Certain  other 
allied  Indian  kinds,  without  being  any 
better  in  effect  than  this,  such  as  C.  affinis, 
C.  baxilaria,  all  free-growing,  hardy,  low 
trees. 

C.  HENRYANA. — A  sparse-habited  ever- 
green species,  reaching  10  to  12  feet  high. 
The  finely-pointed  leaves  are  roughish  to 
the  touch,  dark  green  above,  greyish 
beneath.  Flowers  white  in  June  in 
corymbs.  The  brownish-crimson  fruits 
are  egg-shaped.  Good  plant  for  a  wall. 
It  is  allied  to  C.  salicifolia,  and  not  infre- 
quently referred  to  as  a  form  of  C.  rugosa. 
C.  China. 

C.  HORIZONTALS  (Plumed  C.). — In  this 
the  branches  are  frond-like  and  almost 
horizontal,  while  the  small  leaves  are 
regularly  disposed  along  the  thick,  sturdy 
branches.  A  charm  of  this  species  is  the 
manner  in  which  the  leaves  die  off  in  the 
autumn  ;  frequently  the  leaves  will  be  of 
a  glowing  red  colour,  with  the  exception  of 
those  on  the  tips  of  the  shoots.  The  ber- 
ries are  very  showy,  bright  vermilion,  and 
the  flowers  pretty.  China. 

C.  MICROPHYLLA  (Wall  C.). — An  ever- 
green clothed  with  tiny  deep  green  leaves, 
in  spring  crowded  with  whitish  blossoms, 
the  berries  crimson,  and,  if  untouched, 
remaining  on  the  plants  for  a  long  time. 
There  are  some  well-marked  varieties  of 
C.  microphylla.  It  is  useful  for  sloping 
banks  or  like  positions,  while  it  will  cover 
a  wall  with  such  a  dense  mass  that 
nothing  else  can  be  seen.>  Again,  in  the 
larger  parts  of  the  rock  garden  a  place  may 


be  found  for  it ;  and  its  variety  congestais, 
more  at  home  when  draping  a  large  stone 
than  in  any  other  way.  Himalayas. 

C.  PANNOSA.— A  free  and  graceful  kind, 
a  native  of  Yunnan,  white  flower  and  a 
woolly  calyx,  and  a  red,  pear-shaped  fruit. 

C.  ROTUNDIFOLIA  is  like  the  preceding, 
but  with  thicker  branches  and  rounder 
leaves.  The  berries  are  of  a  brighter  tint. 
Both  these  species  may,  where  a  group  of 
the  larger  Cotoneasters  is  planted,  be  used 
for  the  outskirts  of  the  clump. 

C.  SIMONSII. — An  erect,  woody  shrub  of 
medium  height,  with  long  slender  branches 
and  shoots  covered  with  stiff  hair.  The 
blossoms  appear  at  the  beginning  of  July, 
borne  singly,  or  at  most  in  umbels  of  twos 
or  fives,  white  with  red  stains  ;  the  fruit, 
bright  vermilion.  I  have  found  this  a 
poor  kind  for  effect,  only  useful  as  an 
undergrowth,  and  poor  at  that.  It  is 
much  overplanted. 

C.  THYMIFOLIA  (Thyme  Rockspray). — A 
small  shrub,  bearing  the  smallest  leaf  of 
the  family.  The  shoots,  at  first  covered 
with  soft  hairs,  soon  become  smooth  and 
red-brown  in  colour.  The  flowers  and 
berries  are  smaller  than  those  of  micro- 
phylla. Himalayas. 

C.  ZABELI. — A  loose-habited  bush  of  a 
sub-evergreen  character,  clothed  with 
ovate,  pointed  leaves,  each  about  a  couple 
of  inches  in  length.  The  berries,  borne  in 
great  profusion,  are  of  a  brownish-crimson 
tint. 

COTYLEDON.— As  understood  by 
botanists,  this  now  includes  the  groups 
long  known  as  Echeveria  and  Umbili- 
cus. The  first  of  these  is  still  known 
so  universally  under  the  old  name 
that  we  have  no  hesitation  in  keeping 
to  it  in  this  book,  and  we  have  therefore 
only  to  deal  with  the  Pennyworts — 
little  succulent  plants  similar  to  the 
Houseleeks  and  once  grouped  under 
Umbilicus.  They  are  planted  as 
edgings  or  in  dry  places  where  few 
other  things  would  live,  and  even  thus 
the  kinds  are  not  all  hardy.  Four  or 
five  sorts  are  grown  : — 

C.  chrysanthus,  a  little  plant  like  a  small 
Houseleek,  about  4  inches  high,  with 
white  or  creamy-yellow  flowers  in  short 
panicles.  C.  sempervivum  grows  rather 
taller,  its  dull  green  rosettes  shaded  with 
brown,  and  the  pink  flowers  coming  as 
large  clusters  in  early  autumn.  This 
kind  is  most  used  for  carpet-bedding, 
and  the  flowers  are  then  carefully  pinched 
out.  Kurdistan.  C.  spinosus  is  a  quaint 
little  plant  like  a  small  Apicra  or 
Haworthia,  with  a  rosette  of  flat,  spoon- 
shaped  leaves,  each  tipped  with  a  spine, 
and  a  spike  of  yellow  flowers  in  early 
summer.  It  sometimes  reaches  a  height 
of  12  inches  or  more,  and  is  only  hardy  in 
dry  and  sunny  places  ;  in  a  sharp  winter 


TH£  ENGLISH  FLOWER  GARDEN. 


and  in  cold  places  it  is  only  safe  under 
glass,  and  it  needs  careful  protection  from 
slugs  at  all  times.  Siberia,  China,  and 
Japan.  Syn.  Sempervivum  spinosum.  S. 
sedoides  is  a  little  plant  with  thick  reddish 
leaves  like  a  Sedum,  from  S.  Europe. 
C.  simplicifolia  is  an  interesting,  desirable, 
and  free-growing  subject  for  the  rock 
garden  ;  flowers  rich  yellow  in  June  and 
July,  on  arching  and  drooping  Laburnum- 
like  racemes.  Seeds  and  cuttings.  C. 
Umbilicus  is  a  hardy  British  plant,  with 
queer  rounded  leaves  almost  like  a  tiny 
mushroom,  and  greenish-yellow  flowers 
in  June.  It  grows  on  walls  and  rocky 
places  near  the  south  and  west  coasts, 
with  stems  of  6  to  18  inches,  and  leaves 
coming  after  the  flowers  are  past. 

CRAMBE. — One  of  the  finest  of 
hardy  and  large-leaved  herbaceous 
plants,  as  easily  grown  as  the  common 
Seakale,  and  in  rich  ground  having 
many  stout  leaves  and  dense  sprays  of 
small  white  flowers.  C.  covdifolia  may 
be  planted  wherever  a  bold  type  of 
vegetation  is  desired.  C.  juncea,  a 
dwarf  kind,  has  white  flowers  and 
much-branched  stems,  the  ramifica- 
tions of  which  are  elegant,  but  it  is 
not  so  valuable  as  C.  cordifolia. 

CRAT^GO  MESPILUS.— The  name 
is  a  dreadful  invention  of  some  one 
with  a  callous  mind,  as  if  we  had  not 
enough  of  ugly  names  already.  It  is 
given  to  a  supposed  hybrid  between 
the  Hawthorn  and  the  Medlar.  These 
hybrids  sometimes  arise  from  grafting. 
We  have  so  many  beautiful  and  noble 
hardy  trees  that  we  can  well  dispense 
with  grafted  hybrids.  One  was  known 
in  old  times  as  Mespilus-Smithi,  and  is 
rather  common  in  old  London  gardens. 

CR  AT  JE  GU  S  ( Thorns}.  —  Hardy 
flowering  trees,  of  which  some  of  the 
most  beautiful  kinds  are  seldom 
planted  ;  many  are  charming  for  their 
flowers,  others  for  their  fruits,  while  in 
a  few  the  habit  is  picturesque.  Per- 
haps the  most  beautiful  of  all  is  C. 
Oxyacantha,  the  Hawthorn  or  White- 
thorn, and  its  varieties  have  every 
gradation  of  tint,  from  deep  crimson, 
through  pinks,  to  the  snowy  whiteness 
of  the  double  sort.  Paul's  Double 
Scarlet,  the  double  pink,  double  white, 
the  single  scarlet  (Punicea),  rose  (Car- 
minata  or  Rosea),  and  various  others, 
are  precious  for  the  garden.  Some 
varieties,  like  the  graceful  Pendula,  are 
remarkable  for  their  habit ;  others 
have  distinct  foliage,  and  a  few  differ 
as  regards  fruit,  there  being  white  and 
yellow  berried  varieties. 

Other  species  deserving  of  a  place  in 


gardens  are  many.  A  selection  of  the 
best  includes  the  Cockspur  Thorn 
(C.  Crusgalli),  from  North  America, 
usually  about  10  feet  high,  is  remark- 
able for  peculiar  growth,  especially 
the  variety  pyracanthifolia.  In  this 
the  branches  spread  out  like  a  table, 
and  the  older  the  tree  becomes  the 
more  pronounced  the  table-like  growth. 
Other  distinct  sorts  of  the  Cockspur 
Thorn  are  nana,  linearis,  ovalifolia, 
and  prunifolia.  The  Scarlet-fruited 
Thorn,  also  N.  American,  is  beautiful 
both  when  covered  with  white  bloom 
in  early  summer  or  with  scarlet  fruits 
in  autumn.  The  Tansy-leaved  Thorn 
(C.  tanacetifolia)  is  distinct  in  foliage, 
with  cut  leaves  of  a  whitish  hue,  and 
it  is  one  of  the  latest  Thorns  to  flower. 
C.  Azarolus,  Aroma,  and  oriental  is  are 
all  natives  of  the  Levant,  and  they  are 
so  beautiful  in  autumn,  with  fine- 
coloured  fruits  as  big  as  Hazel  nuts, 
that  they  deserve  a  place.  One  speci- 
men of  any  of  these  on  a  lawn  would 
be  sufficient  in  a  small  garden,  as  they 
are  spreading,  and  in  good  soils  15  or 
20  feet  high.  The  Washington  Thorn 
( C.  cordata)  flowers  when  all  the  others 
are  past ;  hence  its  value.  C.  glandu- 
losa,  also  known  as  C.  flava,  has  yellow 
fruits.  C.  Douglas i  has  dark  purple 
haws,  and  C.  melanocarpa  and  C.  nigra 
have  black  haws.  The  Pyracantha 
(C.  Pyracantha),  so  common  as  a  wall 
climber,  is  a  favourite  because  of  its 
orange-scarlet  berries  and  evergreen 
foliage.  It  is  suitable  for  planting  in 
the  open,  and  some  beautiful  effects 
may  be  made  by  making  its  spreading 
and  trailing  growth  serve  as  a  margin 
to  groups  of  taller  Thorns,  or  other 
small  trees.  The  variety  Lcelandi 
fruits  more  freely  than  the  common 
Pyracantha  when  planted  as  a  bush, 
and  another  variety,  Pausiflora,  is 
dwarfer  and  closer  in  habit,  and,  in 
France,  where  these  shrubs  are  much 
grown,  is  found  to  be  the  hardiest. 

Until  of  late  the  Hawthorns  of 
America  were  little  known  ;  many 
kinds  have  now  been  described,  among 
which  the  following  kinds  are  said  to 
be  of  garden  value.  They  are  adapted 
to  all  kinds  of  ornamental  planting, 
and  seem  to  prefer  heavy  limestone 
soil,  for  they  occur  very  sparingly  in 
light  or  sandy  soils.  Planters  have 
an  idea  that  they  are  difficult  to  trans- 
plant, but  if  pruned  back  rather 
severely,  quite  large  plants  may  be 
moved  without  loss,  and  in  two  or 
three  years'  time  they  will  be  objects 
of  great  beauty. 


CRAT^GUS.          TUB   ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN.        CRAT^GUS.        417 


C.  ANGUSTIFOLIA. — This  is  proving  much 
more  attractive  as  a  wall  shrub  than 
appeared  likely  when  it  was  first  intro- 
duced a  few  years  ago,  fruiting  very  freely 
and  growing  luxuriantly.  It  is  quite 
evergreen,  like  the  common  Pyracantha, 
but  differs  from  it  in  its  narrower  downy 
leaves.  The  fruits  become  a  brilliant 
orange,  and  on  sunny  winter  days  make  a 
bright  effect. 

C.  ARNOLDIANA,  a  tree  15  or  20  feet 
in  height,  with  a  broad  irregular  head. 
The  flowers  are  borne  as  loose  downy 
clusters  towards  the  end  of  May.  The 
bright  crimson  fruit,  usually  a  little 


clusters,  ripens  at  the  end  of  September 
or  early  in  October.  The  foliage  is  a 
deep  blue-green,  and  the  tree  is  exceedingly 
handsome  when  in  flower. 

C.  COCCINOIDES. — Comes  rather  near  C. 
Durobrivensis,  but  differs  in  its  dark 
grey  branches,  smaller  flowers,  and  the 
early  dropping  of  its  fruit.  It  is  a  hand- 
some species,  found  from  S.  Illinois  to 
E.  Missouri. 

C.  DUNBARI. — Forms  a  dense  round- 
topped  shrub  of  12  to  15  feet.  The  flowers, 
with  rose-coloured  anthers,  gathered  into 
long  compound  clusters,  open  about 
2oth  May.  The  large  drooping  clusters 


Cratcegus  Elliva.ngeria.no.. 


longer  than  broad,  ripens  about  the  middle 
of  August,  and  soon  falls.  The  tree  is 
remarkable  for  the  early  ripening  of  its 
finely-coloured  fruits  in  summer  or  early 
autumn. 

C.  BAXTERI. — A  spreading  shrub,  with  a 
broad  head  and  12  to  14  feet  high.  The 
flowers  come  about  the  first  week  in  June, 
and  the  orange-red  fruits  ripen  about  the 
middle  of  October.  The  leaves  are  dull 
bluish-green,  nearly  oval  in  outline,  and 
with  a  peculiarly  concave  surface,  by 
which  the  tree  is  easily  recognised. 

C.  BEATA. — A  handsome  shrub  of  15  to 
1 8  feet,  bearing  large  saucer  -  shaped 
flowers,  an  inch  or  more  across,  with  dark 
crimson  anthers,  coming  into  bloom 
during  the  last  week  in  May.  The  oblong, 
crimson  fruit,  gathered  in  large  drooping 


of  showy  crimson  fruit  ripen  towards  the 
end  of  September.  The  leaves  are  very 
distinct  in  outline,  oval  or  almost  evenly 
rounded. 

C.  DUROBRIVENSIS. — A  tall,  upright 
shrub  of  15  to  18  feet,  with  olive-grey 
stems.  The  large  showy  flowers,  with 
rose-coloured  anthers,  open  in  the  last 
week  of  May,  and  the  glowing  scarlet  fruits 
ripen  about  the  end  of  September  and 
hang  without  loss  of  beauty  all  through 
the  autumn  and  early  winter,  when  their 
colour  is  very  valuable. 

C.  ELLWANGERIANA. — A  handsome  tree 
25  or  more  feet  high,  with  a  trunk  a  foot 
in  diameter,  and  branching  into  a  spread- 
ing head  25  to  30  feet  across.  The 
fragrant  flowers,  an  inch  across,  with  rosy 
anthers,  conie  in  large  clusters  about 

2    D 


4i8 


CREPIS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWED    GARDEN. 


CRlNUM. 


2oth  May.  The  drooping  crimson  fruits 
ripen  early  in  September,  and  fall  towards 
the  end  of  the  month  ;  when  just  matured 
their  effect  is  very  striking,  but  the  birds 
soon  find  them  out.  The  leaves  are  large, 
oval,  and  dark  green. 

C.  FERENTARIA. — A  tall,  handsome  shrub 
of  15  to  1 8  feet,  with  hairy  clusters  of 
flower,  open  towards  the  end  of  May.  The 
small  fruits  of  a  glowing  crimson  hang  in 
broad  drooping  clusters,  fully  coloured 
from  about  the  middle  of  September.  The 
leaves  turn  to  a  fine  yellow  in  the  autumn, 
and  fall  early. 

C.  FORMOSA. — A  tall,  branching  shrub  of 
12  to  15  feet,  with  a  spreading  head. 
The  large  showy  flowers  come  into  bloom 
about  the  last  week  in  May,  and  the 
glaucous  fruits  ripen  in  October.  The 
foliage  is  of  a  distinct  yellowish-green. 

C.  HOLMESIANA. — A  tree  30  feet  in 
height,  with  upright  branches  and  a  broad 
compact  head.  The  cup-shaped  flowers, 
with  purple-red  anthers,  open  about  the 
middle  of  May.  The  bright  crimson  lus- 
trous fruits  ripen  and  fall  early  in  Septem- 
ber. The  leaves  are  yellowish-green  in 
colour,  with  prominent  lobes  and  long 
sharp  teeth. 

C.  LANEYI. — A  tall  shrub  with  slender, 
spreading  branches,  rare  even  in  its  own 
country.  The  large  flowers  on  stems 
covered  with  shaggy  hairs,  come  into 
bloom  during  the  first  week  of  June,  and 
the  orange-red  fruits  ripen  in  October. 

C.  PEDICILLATA. — Bears  flowers  with 
rose-coloured  anthers,  which  expand  about 
24th  May.  The  bright  scarlet  fruits  ripen 
early  in  September  and  fall  about  the 
middle  of  the  month.  The  leaves  are 
broadly-oval  and  rich  dark  green  in 
colour.  Prof.  Sargent  regards  this  as 
"  one  of  the  largest  and  most  beautiful 
thorn- trees  of  the  northern  United  States." 
C.  PRINGLEI. — Forms  a  dense  oval  head, 
branching  from  near  the  ground  and 
reaching  a  height  of  20  to  30  feet.  The 
white  flowers,  with  reddish  anthers,  open 
about  the  middle  of  May,  and  the  dull-red 
fruits — occasionally  marked  with  yellow- 
ish freckles — ripen  about  the  end  of  August 
and  fall  about  three  weeks  later.  This 
Hawthorn  is  readily  distinguished  by  its 
drooping  leaves  of  convex  form,  this  being 
due  to  the  infolding  of  the  sides  towards 
the  mid-rib. 

C.  SPISSIFLORA. — A  shrub  or  low  tree  in 
which  the  flowers,  with  ten  stamens  and 
purple-red  anthers,  are  borne  in  dense 
short  clusters,  and  come  into  beauty  just 
after  the  middle  of  May.  The  bright 
scarlet,  almost  pear-shaped  fruits  are 
borne  in  dense  clusters,  which  began  to 
colour  in  August,  but  are  not  fully  ripe  till 
the  middle  of  September.  The  foliage  is 
ample,  and  the  fruit  remarkably  handsome 
when  ripe. 

CREPIS    (Hawk's-beard).  —  Of   this 
genus    of    Composite,    few    save    B. 


rubra,  the  Reel  Hawk's-beard,  are 
worthy  of  culture.  It  is  a  hardy 
Italian  annual,  bearing  pretty  pink 
flowers  about  the  size  and  form  of  the 
Dandelion,  and  should  be  sown  in 
spring  or  autumn  like  other  hardy 
annuals  in  any  ordinary  garden  soil. 
It  flowers  from  June  to  September,  anel 
is  suitable  for  borders  or  beds  of  annual 
flowers.  There  is  also  a  variety  with 
white  flowers.  C.  aurea  is  a  perennial, 
6  to  12  inches  high,  with  small  orange 
blossoms,  but  seldom  more  than  one 
to-  each  slender  stem.  C.  incisa  is  a 
good  species  for  borders,  owing  to  its 
compact  habit  and  large  showy  light 
purple  flowers,  as  is  also  indica,  a 
dwarf  species,  free-flowering  and 
pretty.  Division  and  seed. 

CRINUM. — A  few  S.  African  species 
of  these  are  hardy  and  very  beautiful. 
One  of  the  best  known  is  C.  capense, 

2  to    3    feet    high,    flowering    late    in 
summer,  the  large  funnel-shaped  pink 
blossoms  in  umbels  of  ten  or  fifteen 
blooms   on  a  stout  stem.     There   are 
several  varieties — album,   pure  white  ; 
riparium,     deep     purple  ;      fortuitum, 
white  ;   and  striatum,  striped  pink  and 
white  ;  and  fine  hybrids  have  also  been 
raised — all    good    in    borders    or   with 
groups  of  hardy  plants  that  flower  in 
early  autumn  ;    or  for  grouping  near 
water. 

C.  CRASSIFOLIUM. — Grows  well  in  warm 
soils,  such  as  in  the  Cambridge  Botanic 
Garden.  It  flowers  earlier  than  C.  capense, 
in  June  and  July,  with  compact  heads  of 
flowers  nine  to  twelve  in  number  ;  many 
of  them  open  at  the  same  time.  They  are 

3  inches  long,  white  turning  to  deep  rose, 
and  very  fragrant. 

C.  POWELLII. — The  best  o.f  hardy 
Crinums,  raised  as  a  cross  between 
C.  Mooreanum  and  C.  capense.  It  bears 
smaller  flowers  than  Mooreanum,  but  is 
hardier,  and  with  a  little  care  in  severe 
winters  will  grow  well  in  almost  any  part 
of  Britain.  It  makes  a  large  club-shaped 
bulb  2  to  3  feet  long,  with  spreading  leaves 
many  feet  in  length  and  massive  spikes  of 
fragrant  flowers  during  August.  Strong 
bulbs  will  give  three  spikes  in  one  season, 
eack  spike  bearing  twelve  to  twenty  pink 
flowers  6  inches  across,  with  buds  a  deeper 
red,  and  opening  in  succession,  so  that  the 
display  lasts  for  some  weeks.  The  bulb 
should  be  so  deeply  planted  as  to  show  only 
the  upper  part  of  the  neck,  the  whole  being 
surrounded  with  clean  sand  and  the  crowns 
covered  up  with  leaves  and  bracken  during 
winter.  In  cold  places  a  spot  at  the  foot 
of  a  south  wall  is  best,  and  shelter  for  the 
leaves  from  cutting  winds  should  be  con- 
sidered even  where  the  extra  warmth  is 


CROCUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


CROCUS. 


419 


unnecessary.  There  are  two  or  three 
colour  varieties — album,  pure  white  and 
the  best  of  all. 

C.  YEMENSE  is  also  hardy  in  the  south- 
west and  other  favoured  parts  of  Britain, 
bearing  large  sweet-scented  flowers  of  a 
beautiful  satin-white  colour.  The  true 
plant  is  rare.  In  flower  beauty,  however, 
surpassing  all  other  white  flowering  kinds. 

CROCUS. — Of  a  genus  of  nearly 
seventy  species,  it  is  surprising  that 
only  three  or  four  are  generally  used 
for  garden  decoration,  and  these — C. 
aureus  and  C.  vernus  and  their  varie- 
ties, and  perhaps  one  or  two  other 
species — have  been  in  cultivation  at 
least  three  hundred  years.  Crocuses 
flower  at  a  time  when  every  flower  is 
of  value,  and  we  do  not  doubt  that 
ere  long  species  recently  introduced 
will  add  largely  to  our  means  of  garden 
decoration  during  the  dull  months 
from  late  autumn  to  early  spring. 

Cultural  Directions  seem  almost 
superfluous,  but  there  are  a  few  points 
to  which  it  may  be  convenient  to  refer. 
The  genus  must  be  viewed  as  in  succes- 
sion, from  the  beginning  of  August  till 
April ;  but  of  these  only  the  earlier 
autumnal,  or  the  distinctly  vernal, 
species  can  be  relied  upon  for  open-air 
decoration.  Although  all  are  hardy, 
those  that  flower  in  November,  Decem- 
ber, and  January  are  so  liable  to  injury 
by  frost  and  rain  that  they  are  prac- 
tically worthless. 

Crocuses  are  easily  multiplied  by 
seed,  which  should  be  sown  in  July  as 
soon  as  ripe,  though  germination  will 
not  take  place  till  the  natural  growing 
period  of  the  species.  Seedlings  take 
from  two  to  three  years  to  arrive  at 
maturity,  and  should  be  left  for  the 
first  two  years  undisturbed  in  the 
seed-bed,  and  then  taken  up  and 
replanted.  Holland,  with  its  rich, 
light,  alluvial  soil,  and  Lincolnshire, 
with  its  "  Trent  warp,"  have  for  many 
generations  been  the  sources  from 
which  the  English  market  has  been 
supplied  with  the  varieties  of  the  three 
or  four  species  grown  in  English  gar- 
dens. The  last  five  or  six  years  have 
put  us  in  possession  of  nearly  the 
whole  of  the  known  species,  and  we 
must  commend  them  to  the  Dutch 
and  Lincolnshire  bulb-growers. 

For  the  less  robust  and  less  flori- 
ferous  species  a  brick  pit  is  necessary. 
The  bottom  of  this  should  be  well 
below  the  level  of  the  ground,  and  it 
should  be  filled  up  with  about  i  foot 
in  depth  of  fine  river  silt  or  sandy 
loam,  the  surface  of  which  should  be 
a  little  below  the  level  of  the  adjacent 


ground.  Proper  drainage  is  essential, 
but  Crocuses  delight  in  a  uniformly 
moist  subsoil  during  their  period  of 
growth.  It  is  convenient  to  separate 
the  different  species  by  strips  of  slate 
or  tiles,  buried  below  the  surface,  the 
corms  being  planted  about  3  inches 
deep.  A  mulching  of  rotted  Cocoa-nut 
fibre  or  finely-sifted  peat  keeps  the 
surface  moist,  and  prevents  the  loam 
from  clogging  or  caking  on  the  surface. 
At  the  time  of  the  maturity  of  the 
foliage,  generally  about  the  end  of 
May,  water  should  be  withheld  and 
the  bed  covered  up  and  allowed  to 
get  quite  dry  till  the  end  of  July, 
when  a  copious  watering  may  be  given, 
or  the  pit  may  be  exposed  to  rain. 

Of  the  earlier  autumnal  species 
suitable  for  the  open  border,  the 
following  may  be  enumerated  for 
successional  flowering  : — 

C.  Scharcjani,  orange  ;  early  in 
August. 

,,  vallicola,  straw-coloured  ;  late  in 
August  and  early  in  Sep- 
tember. 

,,   nudiftorus,  blue 

,,   pulchellus,  lilac  : 
October. 

,,   speciosus,  blue  ; 
October. 

,,   iridiftorus,  blue 
October. 

,,    Salzmanni\li\3iC  or  blue ;  October 

,,    Clusi          ]      and  November. 

, ,    cancellatus 

,,    Cambessidesis 

,,    hadriaticus 

These  are  succeeded  by  a  long  series  of 
late  autumnal,  winter,  and  early  vernal 
species,  which  are  grown  to  best  advan- 
tage in  a  brick  pit. 

Of  the  vernal  species  suitable  for 
the  border,  the  earliest  is  C.  Imperati, 
flowering  in  February,  followed  by 

C.  susianus,  or  Cloth  of  Gold,  in 
February. 

, ,    biftorus  \ 

, ,    etruscus 

,,    sauveolens 

, ,   versicolor 

,,   vernus 

, ,    Tommasinianus 

, ,    dalmaticus 

, ,    banaticus 

, ,    Sieberi  and  var.  versicolor 

,,    chrysanthus 

, ,    aureus 

, ,    sulphureus 

,,   vars.  pallidus  and  stviatus 

, ,    stellarist  . 

,    Olivier* 


in 

September. 
September  and 

September  and 
September  and 


dUU 

}' 


in     the     early 
autumn. 


mnmus 


J 


420 


CROCUS. 


ZNGltSti   FlOWEtl    GARDEN. 


CROCUS. 


Of  the  Crocuses  recently  introduced, 
many  vernal  species  will  probably  be 
suitable  for  the  spring  garden,  but  as 
they  are  rare  and  scarcely  procurable, 
we  give  those  more  generally  known 
and  easy  to  obtain. 

C.  ALTAVICUS. — The  flowers  of  this  new 
Asiatic  species  are  white,  yellow  towards 
the  throat,  the  outer  surface  of  the  outer 
segments  being  freckled  with  rich  purple. 
It  is  a  free-flowering  species,  but  from  its 
early-flowering  time,  January  and  Febru- 
ary, it  can  only  be  grown  to  advantage 
under  a  cold  frame.  A  white  variety 
without  external  purple  freckling  is  not 
uncommon.  The  leaves  are  produced  at 
the  flowering  time  in  early  spring. 

C.  AUREUS. — A  handsome  plant  from 
the  Banat,  Transylvania,  European  Tur- 
key, Greece,  and  W.  Bithynia,  generally  at 
low  elevations,  flowering  in  February.  It 
was  one  of  the  first  introduced  to  cultiva- 
tion, and  is  the  parent  of  our  yellow  garden 
or  Dutch  yellow  Crocus,  and  of  a  number 
of  old  varieties — lacteus,  sulphureus,  palli- 
dus,  striatus,  etc.,  the  history  of  which  is 
unknown  ;  they  are  not  found  wild,  and 
are  sterile.  The  wild  plant  varies  con- 
siderably, from  unstriped  orange  to  varie- 
ties striped  with  grey  lines,  like  those  in 
the  Dutch  yellow  Crocus.  The  stigmata 
are  short,  unbranched,  pale  yellow,  and 
much  shorter  than  the  anthers  ;  in  the 
Transylvanian  plant  the  stigmata  are 
occasionally  orange.  The  anthers  are 
wedge-shaped  tapering  towards  the  point, 
and  notably  divergent.  The  unstriped 
form  readily  produces  seed  when  in  culti- 
vation, but  the  striped  Dutch  yellow  is 
sterile,  though  effete  capsules  are  occasion- 
ally formed.  C.  Olivieri  resembles  C. 
aureus,  but  is  smaller. 

C.  BANATICUS. — Common  in  the  Banat, 
Hungary,  and  Transylvania,  where  it 
takes  the  place  of  C.  vernus,  to  which  it 
is  allied.  It  is  highly  ornamental ;  the 
flowers  are  a  rich  deep  purple,  occasionally 
varied  with  white,  with  a  darker  purple 
blotch  near  the  end  of  the  segments.  The 
throat  is  glabrous,  which  easily  distin- 
guishes it  from  C.  vernus.  It  is  cultivated 
in  several  Continental  and  English  gardens 
under  the  name  of  C.  veluchensis — a  dis- 
tinct species.  Flowers  in  February  and 
March. 

C.  BIFLORUS. — The  Scotch,  or  Cloth  of 
Silver,  Crocus  is  a  large  variety  of  the 
typical  form,  and  is  abundant  throughout 
a  large  portion  of  Italy.  The  segments 
vary  from  white  to  a  pale  lavender,  the 
outer  surface  of  the  outer  segments  being 
distinctly  feathered  with  purple  markings. 
In  var.  estriatus,  from  Florence,  the 
flowers .  are  a  uniform  pale  lavender, 
orange  towards  the  base.  In  var.  Weldeni, 
from  Trieste  and  Dalmatia,  the  outer 
segments  ,are  externally  freckled  with 
bright  purple.  In  C.  nubigenus,  a  very 


small  variety  from  Asia  Minor,  the  outer 
segments  are  suffused  and  freckled  with 
brown  ;  C.  Pestalozza  is  an  albino  of  this 
variety.  In  C.  Adami,  from  the  Caucasus, 
the  segments  are  pale  purple,  either  self- 
coloured  or  externally  feathered  with  dark 
purple.  C.  biflorus  is  an  early-flowering 
spring  species,  and  is  high  ornamental  for 
border  decoration. 

C.  BORYI. — Flowers  white,  but  bright 
orange  at  the  throat.  Abundant  at  Corfu 
and  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Patras, 
flowers  in  October,  but  it  does  not  bloom 
freely  in  cultivation,  and  requires  the 
protection  of  glass  for  the  development  of 
its  flowers. 

C.  BYZANTINUS.  See  C.  iridiflorus. 
C.  CANCELLATUS. — A  beautiful  autumnal 
species,  varying  from  white  to  pale  bluish- 
purple.  The  flowers  are  generally  veined 
or  feathered  towards  the  base  of  the  seg- 
ments. They  appear  without  the  leaves, 
which  come  in  spring.  The  flowering  time 
is  from  the  end  of  October  to  December. 
A  robust  species,  easy  of  culture,  but,  like 
many  late  autumnal  species,  is  seen  to 
best  advantage  under  a  cold  frame.  It  is 
known  as  C.  Schimperi,  C.  Spruneri,  C. 
cilicicus,  and  C.  damascenus.  The  western 
forms  are  nearly  white,  and  the  eastern 
are  either  blue  or  purple  ;  but  the  differ- 
ences of  colour  are  not  sufficient  to  distin- 
guish them  as  species. 

C.  CHRYSANTHUS. — A  vernal  Crocus, 
flowering  from  January  to  March  according 
to  elevation,  which  varies  from  a  little 
above  the  sea-level  to  a  height  of  three  or 
four  thousand  feet.  The  flowers  are 
smaller  than  those  of  C.  aureus,  and  are 
usually  of  bright  orange,  but  occasionally 
bronzed  and  feathered  externally.  A 
white  variety  is  also  found  in  Bithynia 
and  on  Mount  Olympus  above  Broussa  ; 
this  species  also  varies  with  pale  sulphur- 
coloured  flowers,  occasionally  suffused 
with  blue  towards  the  end  of  trie  segments 
dying  out  towards  the  orange  throat. 
There  are  four  varieties  of  this  Crocus, 
distinct  in  colouring;  they  arefusco-tinctus, 
fusco-lineatus,  albidus,  and  ccerulescens . 

C.  IMPERATI. — One  of  the  earliest  vernal 
species,  abundant  south  of  Naples,  and  . 
said  to  extend  to  Calabria.  Lilac.  Very 
variable  in  colour  and  markings.  Two 
varieties  occur  near  Ravelle — a  self- 
coloured  white  and  a  clear  rose.  The 
outer  surface  of  the  outer  segments  is 
coated  with  rich  buff,  suffused  with  purple 
featherings.  Its  robust  habit  and  early 
flowering  make  it  one  of  the  most  valuable 
species  for  spring  gardening.  It  flowers  a 
fortnight  and  three  weeks  before  C.  vernus. 
Similar  to  it  is  C.  minimus,  abundant  on 
the  west  coast  of  Corsica,  the  neighbouring 
islets,  and  in  parts  of  Sardinia  ;  it  flowers 
from  the  end  of  January  to  March.  The 
flowers  resemble  those  of  C.  Imperati  in 
miniature,  but  are  of  a  darker  purple  and 
heavily  suffused  with  external  brown 


Crocus  bif torus  pusiluis 


r ./;•;"/'<;    '"£&% 

^4 

Crocus  LeucorHynchjus 


Crocus  retlcuUtus 


422 


CROCUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


CROCUS. 


featherings.  Although  perfectly  hardy,  it 
is  not  robust  enough  for  gardens.  C. 
suaveolens  is  also  closely  allied  to  C. 
Imperati,  and  flowers  in  February.  The 
flowers  are  somewhat  smaller  and  the 
segments  more  acute  than  in  C.  Imperati. 
It  is  hardy  and  free-flowering,  and  under 
bright  sunshine  is  a  good  ornament  to  the 
early  spring  garden. 

C.  IRIDIFLORUS. — The  Banat  and  Tran- 
sylvania. Bears  in  September  and  Octo- 
ber bright  purple  flowers  before  the  leaves. 
Remarkable  for  purple  stigmata  and  the 
marked  difference  between  the  size  of  the 
inner  and  the  outer  segments  of  the 
perianth.  This  beautiful  plant  should  be 
secured  if  possible.  It  is  often  sold  as 
C.  byzantinus. 

C.  L^VIGATUS. — A  pretty  species  from 
the  mountains  of  Greece  and  the  Cyclades. 
The  flowers  vary  from  white  to  lilac,  being 
distinctly  feathered  with  purple  markings. 
Its  usual  flowering  time  is  from  the  end  of 
October  to  Christmas,  but  through  the 
winter  to  March  under  cultivation.  It 
does  not  flower  freely  in  cultivation,  and, 
like  the  allied  species,  it  is  seen  to  best 
advantage  under  a  cold  frame. 

C.  LONGIFLORUS. — Abundant  in  the 
south  of  Italy,  Sicily,  and  Malta  ;  flowers 
in  October.  The  flowers  are  light  purple, 
yellow  at  the  throat.  In  general  aspect 
it  somewhat  resembles  C.  sativus,  especi- 
ally in  the  stigmata,  which  are  usually 
bright  scarlet  and  entire,  but  occasionally 
broken  up  into  fine  capillary  divisions. 
In  Sicily  the  stigmata  are  collected  from 
the  wild  plant  for  saffron.  It  is  free- 
flowering  and  very  ornamental. 

C.  MARATHONISIUS. — One  of  the  finest 
white-flowered  autumn  Crocuses  ;  slightly 
tinged  with  yellow  at  the  base.  It  comes 
into  flower  late  in  October  and  continues 
well  into  November.  The  plant  is  fully 
6  or  7  inches  high. 

C.  MEDIUS. — A  beautiful  purple  autumn- 
flowering  species,  limited  to  the  Riviera 
and  the  adjacent  spurs  of  the  Maritime 
Alps.  The  flowers  are  produced  in  Octo- 
ber before  the  leaves,  which  appear  in  the 
following  spring,  and  rarely  exceed  two 
or  three  to  a  corm  ;  the  blossoms  are  bright 
purple,  veined  at  the  base  ;  the  stigmata 
bright  scarlet  and  much  branched. 

C.  NUDIFLORUS. — A  pretty  and  well- 
known  species.  Pyrenees  and  north  of 
Spain.  Naturalised  at  Nottingham  and 
elsewhere  in  the  midland  counties.  Its 
large  bluish-purple  flowers  are  produced 
in  September  and  October  before  the 
leaves.  Where  established  it  is  difficult 
to  eradicate  ;  the  corms  produce  long 
stolon-like  shoots,  which  form  independent 
corms  on  the  death  of  the  parent,  and  the 
plant  soon  spreads  to  considerable  dis- 
tances. 

C.  OCHROLEUCUS  bears  many  creamy- 
white  flowers,  with  orange  throat,  from 
the  end  of  October  to  the  end  of  Decem- 


ber. It  well  deserves  a  cold  .frame,  to 
preserve  its  showy  flowers  from  frost  and 
rain. 

C.  PULCHELLUS. — An  autumnal  species, 
invaluable  for  the  garden.  The  pale 
lavender  flowers,  with  bright  yellow 
throat,  are  freely  produced  .from  the 
middle  of  September  to  early  in  December. 
Seed. 

C.  SEROTINUS. — South  of  Spain.  Flow- 
ers in  November.  The  blossoms  are  more 
or  less  distinctly  feathered  with  darker 
purple.  C.  Salzmanni  is  closely  allied  to 
C.  serotinus,  but  is  of  larger  stature, 
flowering  with  the  leaves  in  October  and 
November.  It  is  robust  and  readily  mul- 
tiplied. As  the  flowers  are  liable  to  injury 
by  frost  and  snow,  it  is  seen  to  best  advan- 
tage under  a  cold  frame.  C.  CJusi  closely 
resembles  C.  serotinus,  and  flowers  with 
the  leaves  in  October. 

C.  SIEBERI. — A  vernal  species  common 
in  the  Greek  Archipelago  and  the  moun- 
tains of  Greece.  The  flower  is  usually 
bright  lilac,  orange  at  the  base,  but  the 
form  found  in  Crete  and  the  Cyclades 
presents  a  great  variety  of  colour,  from 
white  to  purple,  and  these  colours  are 
mottled,  intermixed,  and  striped  in  endless 
variety,  contrasting  with  the  bright  orange 
throat.  The  Cretan  variety  is  of  excep- 
tional beauty.  It  flowers  in  cultivation 
from  the  end  of  February  to  the  middle  of 
March. 

C.  SPECIOSUS. — Among  the  handsomest 
autumn  Crocuses,  flowering  at  the  end  of 
September  and  early  in  October.  Ranges 
from  N.  Persia,  through  Georgia,  the 
Caucasus,  and  the  Crimea,  to  Hungary. 
The  perianth  segments,  2  inches  high,  are 
rich  bluish-purple,  suffused  with  darker 
purple  veins,  with  which  the  bright  orange 
much-divided  stigmata  form  a  beautiful 
contrast.  It  has  been  long  in  cultivation, 
and  readily  multiplies  by  small  bulbels  at 
the  base  of  the  corm. 

C.  SUSIANUS. — The  well-known  Cloth  of 
Gold  Crocus,  an  early  importation  from 
the  Crimea.  Both  the  orange  and  bronzed 
susianus  are  among  the  earliest  vernal 
Crocuses,  flowering  in  the  open  border  in 
February.  C.  stellaris  is  an  old  garden 
plant  somewhat  resembling  C.  susianus. 
The  flower  is  orange,  distinctly  feathered 
with  bronze  on  the  outer  coat  of  the  outer 
segments.  It  is  sterile,  and  never  pro- 
duces seed.  It  flowers  early  in  March. 

C.  VERNUS  (Spring  Crocus). — One  of  the 
earliest  cultivated  species.  Alps,  Pyre- 
nees, Tyrol,  Carpathians,  Italy,  and 
Dalmatia.  Naturalised  in  several  parts  of 
England.  Remarkable  for  its  range  of 
colour,  from  pure  white  to  deep  purple, 
endless  varieties  being  generally  inter- 
mixed in  its  native  habitats,  and  corre- 
sponding with  the  horticultural  varieties  of 
our  gardens.  Flowers  early  in  March  at 
low  elevations,  and  as  late  as  June  and 
July  in  the  higher  Alps.  The  parent  of 


CRYPTOMERIA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.          CUPHEA. 


423 


nearly  all  the  purple,  white,  and  striped 
Crocuses  grown  in  Holland. 

C.  VERSICOLOR. — A  species  long  been  in 
cultivation.  The  flowers  present  a  great 
variety  of  colouring,  from  purple  to  white, 
and  are  variously  striped  and  feathered. 
It  differs  from  the  two  preceding  species 
in  having  the  whole  of  the  perianth  seg- 
ments similarly  coloured,  and  the  external 
buff  coating  of  C.  Tmperati  and  C.  suaveo- 
lens  is  absent.  Its  flowering  time  is  March. 

C.  ZONATUS. — Mountains  of  Cilicia. 
Bright  vinous-lilac  flowers,  golden  at  the 
base,  abundant  about  the  middle  of 
September.  It  is  highly  ornamental  and 
free-flowering,  and  easy  of  culture.  The 
flowers  come  before  the  leaves,  which  do 
not  appear  till  spring.  It  has  been  in 
cultivation  about  fourteen  years. 

CRYPTOMERIA. —  C.  japonica  is  a 
graceful  and  famous  Japanese  and 
Chinese  tree  much  planted  in  Britain, 
but  rarely  thriving  except  under  the 
genial  influence  of  the  sea,  and  even 
there  never  getting  to  half  the  noble 
dimensions  it  does  in  Japan.  The  finest 
tree  I  have  seen  is  at  Fota. 

CUCURBITA  (Gourd}. — There  is  no 
order  more  wonderful  in  the  variety 
and  shape  of  its  fruit  than  that  to 
which  the  Melon  and  Cucumber  belong. 
From  the  writhing  Snake  Cucumber, 
which  hangs  down  4  or  5  feet  long 
from  its  stem,  to  the  enormous  Giant 
Pumpkin,  their  variation  in  colour, 
shape,  and  size  is  marvellous.  Those 
who  have  seen  a  good  collection  will 
understand  Nathaniel  Hawthorne's 
enthusiasm  when  he  says  :  "A  hun- 
dred Gourds  in  my  garden  were  worthy, 
in  my  eyes  at  least,  of  being  rendered 
indestructible  in  marble.  If  ever  Pro- 
vidence (but  I  know  it  never  will) 
should  assign  me  a  superfluity  of  gold, 
part  of  it  should  be  expended  for  a 
service  of  plate,  or  most  delicate  por- 
celain, to  be  wrought  into  the  shape  of 
Gourds  gathered  in  my  garden."  They 
may  be  readily  grown  in  this  country, 
and  there  are  many  ways  in  which  they 
may  be  grown  with  great  advantage — 
on  low  trellises  ;  depending  from  the 
edges  of  raised  beds  ;  the  smaller  and 
medium-sized  trained  over  arches  or 
arched  trellis-work,  covering  banks,  or 
growing  on  the  level  earth.  A  bold 
and  effective  use  may  now  and  then 
be  made  of  them  on  walls  and  on  the 
roofs  of  sheds  or  outhouses,  as  the 
roofs  "carry"  the  large  leaves  and 
showy  fruit  so  well. 

A  SELECTION  OF  GOURDS. — Amongst 
the  most  beautiful  are  the  Turk's-cap 


varieties,  such  as  Grand  Mogul,  Pasha 
of  Egypt,  Viceroy,  Empress,  Bishop's 
Hat,  etc.  ;    the  Serpent  Gourd,  Goose- 
berry Gourd,  Hercules'  Club,  Gorilla, 
St  Aignan,   M.   Fould,    Siphon,    Half- 
moon,    Giant's    Punchbowl,    and    the 
Mammoth,  weighing  from  170  Ibs.  to 
upwards  of  200  Ibs.  ;  while  amongst  the 
miniature   varieties   the   Fig,    Cricket- 
ball,  Thumb,  Cherry,  Striped  Custard, 
Hen's-egg,      Pear,      Bottle,      Orange, 
Plover' s-egg  are  pretty  examples,  and 
useful    for    ornament.     All    these    are 
well  suited  to  our  climate.     Sowing  in 
a  frame  at  the  end  of  April,  and  expos- 
ing the  plants  to  the  air  during  the  day 
to  prevent  their  being  drawn,  and  then 
removing  the  frame  altogether  to  har- 
den them  off  before  planting  out,  is  the 
best  way  to  secure  an  early  growth. 
Sowing  in  the  open  ground  under  hand- 
lights    would    do,    but    not    so    well. 
Where  there  are  waste  heaps  of  rub- 
bish or  manure  it  is  a  good  plan  to 
cover   them   with   Gourds.     Although 
they   grow   under   the   conditions   de- 
scribed above,  they  do  best  with  plenty 
of  manure,  and  should  be  mulched  or 
well  watered  if  the  soil  be  not  deep  and 
rich. 

CUNNINGHAMIA      SINENSIS.  —  A 

tree  of  the  Pine  tribe,  and  perhaps  the 
most  miserable-looking  ever  intro- 
duced. Something  like  an  Arancaria, 
it  is  usually  full  of  tiny  twigs.  In  its 
own  country,  at  high  elevations,  it  is' 
said  to  form  good  forests.  The  original 
tree  in  our  gardens  was  found  in  the 
island  of  Shusan,  and  may  be  of  a 
tender  race. 

CUPHEA. — Pretty  plants,  of  which 
C.  platycentra  (Cigar-plant)  is  useful 
for  the  summer  flower  garden.  It  is  a 
dwarf  plant,  about  12  inches  high, 
with  vermilion  tube-shaped  blossoms. 
Easily  propagated  by  cuttings  taken 
in  September  or  April,  and  put  in 
slight  heat,  and  also  raised  from  seed 
sown  in  heat  in  spring.  C.  strigulosa 
is  a  pretty  variety,  useful  for  planting 
out  as  single  plants  in  the  mixed 
border  for  cutting  from,  but  chiefly 
used  as  a  pot  plant  for  the  autumn 
greenhouse.  C.  Zimapani  is  a  most 
useful  annual,  growing  about  i^  feet 
high,  with  flowers  of  a  rich  deep  purple 
bordered  with  a  lighter  hue,  resembling 
those  of  a  Sweet  Pea,  and  of  about  the 
same  size.  They  are  well  fitted  for 
cutting,  as  the  branches  lengthen  and 
the  flowers  expand  a  long  time  in 
wrater.  Other  kinds  are  C,  eminens, 


424       CUPRESSUS.          THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        CUPRESSUS. 


Galeottiana,  miniata,  ocymoides,  pur- 
purea,  Roezli,  and  silenoides,  all  of  less 
importance  for  the  flower  garden  than 
those  before  named. 

CUPRESSUS  ( Cypress) .  —  Graceful 
evergreen  trees,  charming  for  back- 
grounds, but  not  many  really  hardy, 
save  in  seashore  and  in  warm  southern 
districts,  and  even  there  they  often 
perish  in  hard  winters.  The  Monterey 
Cypress  is  beautiful  in  Ireland  and  in 
the  western  coast  gardens,  but  even 
there  it  perishes  in  hard  winters.  The 
beautiful  Eastern  Cypress,  so  fine  in 
the  Italian  and  Eastern  landscape,  is 
worth  planting  under  the  best  con- 
ditions ;  so  distinct  a  tree  would,  if 
hardy,  have  been  everywhere  planted 
long  "ago. 

Many  know  the  beauty  of  a  few  of 
these  trees  in  the  small  state,  but  few 
realise  their  dignity  and  beauty  as 
forest  trees,  such  as  the  Great  Japanese 
Cypress,  and  if  we  take  the  trouble  to 
grow  and  group  them  well  there  are 
no  more  effective  trees  in  their  peren- 
nial verdure.  But  the  system  of 
increasing  them  adopted  in  nurseries 
by  which  these  trees,  being  very  free 
in  growth,  lend  themselves  to  increase 
from  cuttings  like  verbenas  and  gera- 
niums, does  not  help  to  the  possession 
of  the  trees  in  all  their  dignity.  Trees 
we  should  raise  always  in  the  natural 
way — i.e.,  from  seed — and  I  find  some 
of  these  cypresses  and  their  allies  break 
into  a  number  of  stems  and  lose  the 
tree  form,  the  result  of  this  cutting 
propagation,  so  entirely  needless  in 
the  case  of  forest  trees  of  the  highest 
beauty,  which  some  of  these  are. 

C.  FUNEBRIS  (Chinese  Funeral  Cypress). 
— A  hardy,  picturesque  tree  in  its  own 
country,  and  sometimes  reaching  a  height 
of  nearly  50  feet.  Robert  Fortune  de- 
scribed it  as  having  a  beautiful  effect  in 
the  Chinese  landscape,  but  it  is  not  hardy 
in  our  country,  though  here  and  there  it 
may  be  seen  in  sheltered  and  warm  places. 

C.  GOWENIANA  (Gowen  Cypress). — A 
low  growing  tree  from  the  neighbourhood 
of  Monterey,  in  California,  and  of  doubtful 
hardiness  in  our  country.  It  may  be 
classed  with  a  group,  unhappily,  many  of 
them  tender  in  this  country.  It  is  known 
from  the  Monterey  Cypress  by  its  spread- 
ing, slender,  and  pendulous  habit  and 
small  cones. 

C.  LAWSONIANA  (Lawson  Cypress). — A 
tall  and  beautiful  tree  of  the  Pacific  coast 
of  N.  America,  100  feet  high,  and  very 
free  in  our  climate.  Owing  to  propaga- 
tion from  cuttings,  instead  of  in  the  natural 
way  from  seed,  the  tree  often  breaks  into 


a  number  of  stems,  which  interferes  with 
its  natural  habit  and  beauty.  It  varies 
very  much  into  what  are  called  "  sports," 
and  which  are  often  a  manifestation  of 
disease,  especially  when  they  take  the 
variegated  form.  There  are  a  number  of 
fastigiate  forms,  but  they  are  mere  mal- 
formations, and  as  they  get  old  the 
branches  are  pressed  so  closely  together 
that  they  die,  unless  we  take  the  trouble 
to  tie  or  wire  them  up  in  some  way  to 
prevent  them  falling  about.  The  spread- 
ing varieties  are  not  so  liable  to  this,  but 
many  of  them  go  back,  as  they  get  older, 
towards  the  natural  form  of  tree  of  which 
they  are  mere  states.  For  the  pendulous 
ones  there  is  perhaps  a  little  excuse — for 
the  globular  ones  none  at  all  ;  and  the 
multiplicity  of  Latin  names  for  these 
varieties  in  catalogues  does  harm  in 
weakening  the  interest  in  the  natural 
tree. 

C.  LUSITANICA  (Cedar  of  Goa). — A  name 
well  known  through  books  and  lists,  and 
a  graceful  tree  of  uncertain  origin,  but  not 
succeeding  in  our  country,  save  in  seashore 
gardens  and  very  mild  districts.  It  is 
naturalised  in  temperate  countries  like 
Spain  and  Portugal. 

C.  MACROCARPA  (Monterey  Cypress). — A 
very  graceful  and  often  stately  tree,  much 
planted  and  succeeding  well  near  the  sea 
coast.  It  is  described  in  catalogues  and 
even  in  books  on  Forestry  as  hardy,  but 
it  is  not  so,  perishing  in  severe  winters. 
Like  many  other  conifers,  it  has  varieties 
of  little  value. 

C.  NOOTKATENSIS  (Yellow  Cypress). — 
Really  a  most  distinct  tree,  and  I  think 
the  most  precious  of  the  whole  family 
for  our  country,  being  quite  hardy.  It 
is  a  native  of  the  N.  Pacific  coast  and 
British  Columbia,  and  has  various 
synonyms  and  several  variegated  varie- 
ties of  no  value.  I  have  found  it  to  thrive 
in  cold  ordinary  soils,  and  it  is  a  pleasure 
to  see  it  at  all  seasons.  The  English  name 
of  Yellow  Cypress  was  given  by  the 
colonists  of  Vancouver's  Island  from  the 
fresh  wood  being  yellow  in  colour. 

C.  OBTUSA  (Great  Japanese  Cypress). — A 
very  beautiful  evergreen  tree  of  the 
mountains  of  Japan,  better  known  in 
our  gardens  under  the  wrong  name  of 
Retinospora.  It  has  many  forms  and 
so-called  varieties  which  are  really  states 
of  growth  only,  and  which  are  nearly 
always  grown  in  nurseries  under  the  name 
of  "  Retinospora."  The  confusion  of 
names  in  this  plant  and  its  varieties 
has  caused  its  great  value  as  a  tree  to  be 
overlooked.  It  grows  nearly  100  feet 
high,  and  is  very  handsome.  In  its  own 
country  it  is  much  used  to  form  avenues. 

C.  PISIFERA  (Peafruited  Cypress). — Here, 
as  with  C.  obtusa,  there  is  much  confusion 
of  names  and  giving  of  Latin  ones  to  mere 
varieties  and  states  of  growth.  It  is  a 
much  smaller  tree  than  the  great  Japanese 


CYANANTHUS.          THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.       CYCLAMEN.        425 


Cypress,  but  a  hardy  and  useful  one. 
Syn.  Retinospora. 

C.  SEMPERVIRENS  (Eastern  Cypress). — 
One  of  the  most  graceful  of  all  evergreen 
trees,  giving  distinct  and  good  effects  in 
many  parts  of  the  East  and  N.  Africa, 
spreading  into  N.  India  also.  In  some 
N.  Italian  gardens  it  grows  well  over 
100  feet,  as  in  the  Giusti  Garden  at  Verona. 
In  Algeria  and  Tunis  I  have  seen  it  form- 
ing noble  shelters  for  the  orange  gardens, 
far  better  than  any  clipped  tree  could  do. 

C.  THYOIDES  (Southern  White  Cedar). — 
This  is  a  tree  of  the  N.  American  woods, 
sometimes  reaching  nearly  100  feet  high 
in  its  best  state,  inhabiting  wet  places 
and  swamps  in  New  England,  westward 
and  southward,  rather  near  the  coast,  and 
forming  very  dark  woods.  Coming  from 
a  very  cold  country,  it  is  hardy,  and  may 
be  planted  in  wet  and  marshy  places. 
There  are  several  varieties,  one  variegated 
and  of  no  value. 

CYANANTHUS  (Lobed  C.).— 
A  pretty  Himalayan  rock  plant,  about 
4  inches  high,  flowering  in  August  and 
September  ;  C.  lobatus  has  purplish- 
blue  flower,  with  a  whitish  centre,  and 
thriving  in  sunny  chinks  in  the  rock 
garden.  It  grows  best  in  a  mixture  of 
sandy  peat  and  leaf-mould,  with 
plenty  of  moisture  during  growth,  and 
is  increased  by  cuttings.  Campanu- 
lacecB. 

C.  INCANUS. — Flowers  more  freely  than 
C.  lobatus  ;  and,  like  that  species,  it  should 
be  planted  in  a  dry,  sunny,  well-drained 
position,  as,  if  the  situation  be  too  damp, 
the  fleshy  root-stock  is  liable  to  rot.  It  is 
even  a  good  plan  to  place  something  over 
the  plant  during  the  resting  season.  The 
flowers  are  not  so  large  as  those  of  the 
other  species,  but  are  more  charming  in 
colour,  their  beauty  enhanced  by  the 
white  tuft  of  silky  hairs  in  the  throat  of 
the  corolla.  Campanulaceee. 

CYATHEA  (Silver  Tree-fern). — This 
very  handsome  Fern,  C.  dealbata, 
known  in  New  Zealand  as  the  Silver 
Tree-fern,  has  a  slender,  almost  black 
stem,  4  to  8  feet  high,  ending  in  a  fine 
crown  of  fronds,  dark  green  above  and 
milk-white  below.  It  may  be  placed 
in  the  open  air,  in  the  southern  and 
milder  districts,  from  the  end  of  May 
till  the  end  of  September. 

CYCAS.— C.  revoluta  is  a  tropical 
plant,  with  a  stout  stem,  sometimes 
6  to  10  feet  high,  from  the  top  of  which 
issues  a  beautiful  crown  of  superb 
dark  green  leaves  2  to  6  feet  long.  It 
is  one  of  the  most  valuable  greenhouse 
plants  that  may  be  placed  out  from 
the  end  of  May  till  October,  always  in 
a  warm  position, 


CYCLAMEN  (Sowbread).  —  Except 
the  Persian,  Cyclamens  are  as  hardy  as 
Primroses  ;  but  they  love  the  shelter 
and  shade  of  low  bushes  or  hill  copses. 
The  Ivy-leaved  Cyclamen  is  in  full 
leaf  through  winter  and  early  spring, 
and  for  the  sake  of  the  beauty  of  the 
leaves  alone  it  is  desirable  to  place  it 
so  that  it  may  be  safe  from  injury.  It 
is  easy  to  naturalise  the  hardier 
Cyclamens  in  many  parts  of  the  coun- 
try. Good  drainage  is  necessary  to 
their  open-air  culture,  as  they  grow 
naturally  among  broken  rocks  and 
stones  mixed  with  vegetable  soil,  grit, 
etc.,  where  they  are  not  surrounded 
by  stagnant  water.  They  are  well 
suited  for  the  rock  garden,  and  enjoy 
warm  nooks,  partial  shade,  and  shelter 
from  dry,  cutting  winds.  They  may 
be  grown  on  any  aspect  if  the  con- 
ditions above  mentioned  be  secured, 
but  an  eastern  or  south-eastern  one  is 
best. 

They  are  best  propagated  by  seed 
sown,  as  soon  as  it  is  ripe,  in  well- 
drained  pots  of  light  soil.  Cover  the 
soil  after  sowing  with  a  little  Moss,  to 
ensure  uniform  dampness,  and  place 
them  in  shelter  out  of  doors.  As  soon 
as  they  begin  to  appear,  which  may 
be  in  a  month  or  six  weeks,  gradually 
remove  the  moss.  When  the  first 
leaf  is  fairly  developed  they  should  be 
transplanted  about  i  inch  apart  in 
seed  pans  of  rich  light  earth,  and 
encouraged  to  grow  as  long  as  possible, 
being  sheltered  in  a  cold  frame,  but 
always  allowed  abundance  of  air. 
When  the  leaves  have  perished  in  the 
following  summer,  the  tubers  may  be 
planted  out  or  potted,  according  to 
their  strength. 

There  appears  to  have  always  been 
great  difficulty  in  defining  the  species 
of  Cyclamen,  from  the  great  variation 
in  shape  and  colour  of  the  leaves, 
both  above  and  below.  Too  much 
dependence  on  these  characteristics 
has  caused  confusion  and  an  undue 
multiplication  of  species.  Some  of  the 
varieties  become  so  fixed,  and  repro- 
duce themselves  so  truly  from  seed, 
as  to  be  regarded  as  species  by  some 
cultivators. 

C.  ATKINSI. — A  hybrid  variety  of  the 
Coum  section.  The  flowers  are  larger 
than  in  the  type,  varying  in  colour  from 
deep  red  to  pure  white,  and  are  plentiful 
in  winter. 

C.  COUM  (Round-leaved  Cyclamen). — 
This,  like  the  others  of  the  same  section, 
is  perfectly  hardy,  and  frequently  in  bloom 
jn  the  open  ground  before  the  Snowdrop  ; 


426 


CYCLAMEN. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


CYDONIA. 


yet,  to  preserve  the  flowers  from  unfavour- 
able weather,  the  plants  will  be  better  for 
slight  protection,  or  a  pit  or  frame  in 
which  to  plant  them  out.  Grown  in  this 
way  during  the  early  spring,  from  January 
to  the  middle  of  March,  they  are  one  sheet 
of  bloom.  When  so  cultivated,  take  out 
the  soil,  say  i|  to  2  feet  deep,  place  at 
the  bottom  a  layer  of  rough  stones  9  to 
12  inches  deep,  and  cover  them  with 
inverted  turf  to  keep  the  soil  from  washing 
down  and  injuring  the  drainage  ;  then 
fill  up  with  soil  composed  of  about  one- 
third  of  good  free  loam,  one-third  of  well- 
decayed  leaf-mould,  and  one-third  of 
thoroughly  decomposed  cow  manure. 
Plant  i£  to  2  inches  deep,  and  every  year, 
soon  after  the  leaves  die  down,  take  off 
the  surface  as  far  as  the  tops  of  the  tubers, 
and  fresh  surface  them  with  the  same 
compost,  or  in  alternate  years  give  them 
only  a  surface  dressing  of  well-decayed 
leaves  or  cow  manure.  During  summer, 
or  indeed  after  April,  the  glass  should  be 
removed,  and  they  ought  to  be  slightly 
shaded  with  Larch  Fir  boughs  (cut  before 
the  leaves  expand)  laid  over  them,  to 
shelter  from  the  extreme  heat  of  the  sun. 
As  soon  as  they  begin  to  appear  in  the 
autumn,  gradually  take  them  off. 

C.  CYPRIUM. — This  well-defined  species 
has  rather  small  heart-shaped  leaves  of 
dark  green,  marbled  on  the  upper  surface 
with  bluish- grey  and  of  a  deep  purple 
beneath.  The  flowers  which  are  pure 
white,  tinted  with  soft  lilac  (the  restricted 
mouth  being  spotted  with  carmine-purple), 
are  well  elevated  above  the  foliage.  It  is 
one  of  the  most  chaste  and  beautiful  of 
the  hardy  kinds.  S.  Europe.  It  is  found 
on  shaded  rocks  in  mountainous  districts. 

C.  EUROPIUM  (European  Cyclamen). — 
The  leaves  of  this  species  appear  before 
and  with  the  flowers,  and  remain  during 
the  greater  part  of  the  year.  Flowers 
from  August  to  November,  or,  with  slight 
protection,  until  the  end  of  the  year.  The 
flowers  are  a  reddish  purple.  C,  europium 
thrives  freely  in  various  parts  of  the  coun- 
try in  light,  loamy,  well-drained  soil,  as 
a  choice  border  and  rock-garden  plant. 
Where  it  does  badly  in  ordinary  soil  it 
should  be  tried  in  a  deep  bed  of  light  loam, 
mingled  with  pieces  of  broken  stone.  It 
luxuriates  on  old  walls  and  on  the  moun- 
tain side,  with  little  earth  to  grow  in. 

C.  HEDER^FOLIUM  (Ivy-leaved  Cycla- 
men).— Tuber  not  unfrequently  I  foot  in 
diameter,  and  covered  with  a  brownish 
rough  rind,  which  cracks  irregularly  so 
as  to  form  little  scales.  The  root-fibres 
emerge  from  the  whole  of  the  upper  surface 
of  the  tuber,  but  principally  from  the 
rim  ;  few  or  none  issue  from  the  lower 
surface.  The  leaves  and  flowers  gener- 
ally spring  direct  from  the  tuber  without 
any  stem  (there  is  sometimes,  however,  a 
small  stem,  especially  if  the  tuber  be 
planted  deep)  ;  at  first  they  spread  hori- 


zontally, but  ultimately  become  erect. 
The  leaves  are  variously  marked  ;  the 
greater  portion  appear  after  the  flowers, 
and  continue  in  great  beauty  the  whole 
winter  and  early  spring,  when,  if  well 
grown,  they  are  one  of  the  greatest  orna- 
ments of  borders  and  rock  gardens. 
Often  these  leaves  are  6  inches  long, 
5^  inches  diameter,  and  100  to  150  spring 
from  one  tuber.  This  species  has  been 
naturalised  on  the  mossy  floor  of  a  thin 
wood,  on  very  sandy,  poor  soil,  and  may 
be  naturalised  almost  everywhere.  It 
would  be  peculiarly  attractive  in  a  semi- 
wild  state  in  pleasure  grounds  and  by 
wood  walks. 

C.  IBERICUM  (Iberian  Cyclamen). — 
There  is  some  obscurity  respecting  the 
authority  for  the  species  and  its  native 
country.  The  leaves  are  very  various. 
It  flowers  in  spring,  the  flowers  varying 
from  deep  red-purple  to  rose,  lilac,  and 
white,  with  intensely  dark  mouth. 

C.  VERNUM  (Spring  Cyclamen). — The 
leaves  rise  before  the  flowers  in  spring  ; 
they  are  generally  more  or  less  white  on 
the  upper  surface,  and  are  often  purplish 
beneath.  Though  one  of  the  most  inter- 
esting species,  and  perfectly  hardy,  it  is 
seldom  cultivated  successfully  in  the  open 
border  or  rock  garden  ;  it  is  impatient  of 
excessive  wet  about  the  tubers,  and  likes 
a  light  soil,  in  a  rather  shady  nook  shel- 
tered from  winds,  its  fleshy  leaves  being 
soon  injured.  The  tubers  should  be 
planted  deep ;  say  not  less  than  2  to 
2 1  inches  below  the  surface. 

Cyclobothra.     See  CALOCHORTUS. 

CYDONIA  (Quince}. — Among  the 
most  beautiful  of  hardy  flowering 
shrubs  long  known  as  Pyrus.  Free, 
hardy,  of  rich  colour,  and  easily  grown. 
Few  shrubs  have  given  so  many  fine 
varieties  ranging  in  colour  from  deep 
crimson  and  scarlet  through  shades  of 
cherry  and  salmon  red  to  pink  and  pure 
white.  The  flowers  also  are  larger  and 
very  abundant,  there  is  much  variety 
in  habit  of  growth,  and  whereas  the 
old  kinds  are  best  on  a  wall  in  our 
colder  districts,  these  garden  forms  do 
well  anywhere  in  the  open  in  the  south. 
They  thrive  in  almost  any  soil,  and 
even  on  chalk,  though  what  they  like 
best  is  a  deep  warm  loam,  and  what 
most  tries  them  are  dry  and  sandy 
heath  soils,  where  they  grow  slowly 
and  flower  less  freely.  Their  flowers 
continue  in  succession  during  several 
months,  and  branches  cut  while  in 
bud  will  open  prettily  in  a  room  and 
last  fresh  for  a  considerable  time  in 
water.  Syn.  Pyrus  japonica. 

C.  JAPONICA. — Varieties  of  these  are 
numerous,  though  many  are  much  alike, 


CYDONIA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


CYDONIA. 


427 


Among  the  best  are  Knap  Hill  Scarlet, 
with  large  crimson-scarlet  flowers  ;  nivalis, 
the  best  pure  white  ;  albo-cincta,  in  which 
they  are  tinted  pink  ;  coccinea,  bright 
scarlet ;  princeps,  glowing  crimson  ;  um- 
bilicata,  bright  pink  and  one  of  the  best, 
its  flowers  thickly  clustered  and  yet  well 
distributed  ;  Moerloosei,  crimson-scarlet ; 
rosea,  rosy-pink  ;  sulphured,  pale  creamy- 
yellow  ;  and  cardinalis,  deep  purplish- 


shoots  show  to  perfection.  These  are 
C.  Sargenti,  from  the  mountains  of  Japan, 
with  a  semi-prostrate  habit  and  rather 
small,  bright  red  flowers  borne  very  freely. 
C.  pygmaea  is  only  2  feet  high,  of  a  more 
erect  habit,  and  so  near  C.  Maulei  in  ap- 
pearance and  colour  of  its  orange-salmon 
flowers  that  it  is  supposed  to  have  come 
from  that  kind.  C.  Simonii,  a  seedling 
form  of  C.  japonica,  is  of  prostrate  habit, 


Flower  Spray  of  the  Vranja  Quince. 


crimson.  New  continental  forms  are 
Baltzii,  with  rosy-red  flowers  on  the  new 
wood  ;  Mallardi,  rosy  flowers  edged  with 
white ;  Gaugardi,  salmon-red  ;  semper- 
florens,  with  a  very  long  succession  of 
bright  red  flowers  ;  and  macrocarpa  and 
Columbia,  f  remarkable  for  their  large 
fruits,  which  in  the  last  kind  sometimes 
measure  10  inches  in  circumference. 
There  are  beside  several  kinds  of  distinct 
habit,  useful  for  planting  in  the  rock 
garden  where  the  larger  kinds  would  be 
out  of  place,  and  yet  where  the' trailing 


with  large  blood-red  flowers  of  rich  effect 
in  the  rock  garden. 

C.  MAULEI  (Maule's  Quince).  —  This 
differs  in  its  smaller  growth,  smaller 
foliage,  spiny  branches,  smaller  flowers, 
and  also  in  the  fruits,  which  are  more 
deeply  grooved,  turn  to  a  bright  golden 
colour  with  ruddy  cheeks,  and  are  strongly 
scented.  The  plant  has  shown  far  less 
variation  than  the  Japan  Quince,  but 
there  are  a  few  named  forms,  and  other 
good  seedlings  distinct  in  colour  are  now 
in  cultivation.  Trie  best  variety  is 


428 


CYDONIA.         THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        CYPRIPEDIUM. 


, 


superba,  with  flowers  of  a  deeper,  richer 
colour  than  the  bright  orange-scarlet  of 
the  parent.  This  is  a  beautiful  shrub  of 
prostrate  habit,  covered  with  flowers  in 
early  May,  and  pretty  again  in  autumn 
when  loaded  with  its  handsome  apple-like 
fruits. 

C.  SINENSIS  and  C.  CATHAYENSIS  are 
kinds  ot  minor  interest  seen  only  in  botani- 
cal collections,  but  a  word  may  be  said  as  to 
C.  vulgaris,  the  Common  Quince,  a  native 
of  Europe,  which,  though  grown  chiefly 
for  its  fruit,  is  a  charming  tree  for  the 
lawn,  especially  when  old.  In  spring  it 
bears  large  bluish-pink  flowers,  and  in 
autumn  is  again  .attractive  with  its  large 
golden  fruits.  The  pear-shaped  variety 
is  the  most  ornamental,  the  branches 
of  well-laden  trees  sweeping  gracefully  to 
the  turf. 

FRUITING  KINDS. — Beside  the  older 
varieties  of  Quince  known  for  generations 
past,  there  are  now  many  improved  forms. 
The  old  Orange  Quince,  a  round-shaped 
fruit  of  deep  colour,  was  long  the  standard 
American  kind,  but  has  now  largely  given 
place  to  Rea's  Mammoth,  with  larger 
fruits  of  tender  flesh,  free  from  the  hardi- 
ness and  harshness  of  the  old  Pear  Quince. 
A  newer  kind,  Champion,  is  also  grown  in 
the  States.  It  begins  to  bear  very  early 
and  its  fruits  come  a  fortnight  later  than 
the  Orange — a  useful  succession  where 
the  winter  is  not  too  early.  They  are 
apple-shaped,  bright  yellow,  of  good 
quality  and  rich  colour,  while  18  ounces 
is  no  uncommon  weight.  Another  good 
late  kind  much  grown  for  the  American 
market  is  Meech's  Prolific.  Other  Ameri- 
can varieties  little  known  in  this  country 
are  the  Fuller  Quince,  with  large  pale 
yellow  fruits  of  soft  flesh  and  fine  flavour  ; 
and  Van  Deman,  a  seedling  from  the  Portu- 
gal Quince,  with  handsome  fruits  of  great 
size  and  good  quality.  A  variety  thought 
well  of  in  France  is  De  Bourgeaut,  a  vigor- 
ous tree  with  large  rounded  fruits  of 
t olden  yellow.  Nor  are  the  new  sorts  con- 
ned to  America,  for  several  good  ones 
have  been  found  in  S.  Europe,  such  as 
the  Lescovez  Quince  (from  the  town  of 
that  name,  where  it  has  grown  for  genera- 
tions), an  apple-shaped  fruit  of  immense 
size  and  refined  flavour,  said  to  be  the 
best  of  all  for  marmalade,  yielding  a  clear 
jelly  of  rich  colour.  The  tree  is  of  rather 
weak  habit,  with  small  and  very  dark 
green  leaves.  Another  kind  from  the 
Balkans  is  the  Bereczki  Quince  (also  known 
as  the  Vranja,  from  its  native  place),  a 
tree  of  robust  growth  with  large  leaves, 
very  free  even  from  a  small  size  in  its 
large  golden  fruits  with  a  clear  shining 
skin.  The  Quince  De  Baden  bears  large 
pear-shaped  fruits  ;  Monstrueux  de  Bazine, 
fruits  of  the  same  shape,  but  nearly  2  Ibs. 
in  weight  and  excellent  for  preserves ; 
while  the  Zucker  or  "  Sugar  Quince  "  is  a 
smaller  kind  from  Asia,  very  sweet  and 


good  for  stewing.  Other  sorts  offered 
continental  growers  are  the  Maskat 
Quince,  the  Persian  Quince,  the  Con- 
stantinople Quince,  and  the  Angers  \  this 
last  comes  freely  from  seed,  and  is  that 
most  used  for  grafting  Pears. 

CYNARA  (Artichoke).—  This  plant, 
C.  Scolymus,  much  grown  as  food,  is 
of  noble  form  and  much  beauty.  Its 
long,  silvery,  deeply  divided  leaves  and 
purplish  flower-heads  make  it  useful 
for  pleasure  grounds,  but  it  may  get 
killed  in  hard  winters. 

CYPERUS  (Galingale}.  —  A  water 
plant  of  fine  form  from  2  to  3  feet 
high,  C.  longus  is  crowned  by  a  hand- 
some, loose,  umbellate  panicle  of 
chestnut-coloured  flower-spikes,  at  the 
base  of  which  there  are  three  or  more 
leaves,  often  i  or  2  feet  long,  the  lower 
ones  of  a  bright  shining  green  arching 
gracefully.  The  root-stock  is  thick  and 
aromatic,  and  was  formerly  used  much 
as  a  tonic.  A  rare  native  plant. 

CYPRIPEDIUM  (Lady's  Slipper).— 
Handsome  Orchids,  embracing  several 
hardy  species,  of  which  the  Mocassin- 
flower  (C.  spectabile)  is  the  finest  culti- 
vated hardy  kind. 

C.  ACAULE  (Stemless  Lady's  Slipper). — • 
A  dwarf  species  with  a  naked  downy 
flower-stalk,  8  to  12  inches  high,  bearing 
a  green  bract  at  the  top,  flowers  early  in 
summer,  large,  solitary,  purplish  with  a 
rosy-purple  (rarely  white)  lip,  nearly 
2  inches  long,  which  has  a  singular  closed 
fissure  down  its  whole  length  in  front. 
N.  America  in  woods  and  bogs.  Thriving  in 
moist,  peaty,  or  sandy  soil. 

C.  CALCEOLUS  (English  Lady's  Slipper). 
— The  only  British  species  and  the  largest 
flowered  of  our  native  Orchids,  i  to  i  J  feet 
high,  flowers  in  summer,  solitary  (some- 
times two)  large  flowers  of  a  dark  brown 
colour,  with  an  inflated  clear  yellow  lip 
netted  with  darker  veins,  and  about  i  inch 
in  length.  N.  Europe,  and  occasionally 
in  the  northern  counties  of  England,  where, 
however,  it  is  now  almost  exterminated. 
Very  ornamental  for  the  rock  garden, 
where  it  should  be  planted  in  sunny 
sheltered  nooks  of  calcareous  soil,  or  in 
narrow  fissures  of  limestone  rock,  in 
well-drained,  rich,  fibrous  loam,  in  attJ 
east  aspect. 

C.  GUTTATUM  (Spotted  Lady's  Slipper). 
— A  beautiful  kind,  6  to  9  inches  high ; 
flowers  in  summer  solitary,  rather  small, 
white,  heavily  blotched,  with  rosy  purple. 
Grows  in  dense  forests  amongst  the  roots 
of  trees  in  black  vegetable  mould.  Re- 
quires a  half-shady  position  in  leaf-mould, 
moss,  and  sand,  and  not  wet  in  winter, 
N.  Europe  and  Asia. 


cVpRiPEDiuM.         THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARbEN.        CVRILLA.         429 


C.  JAPONICUM  (Japanese  Lady's  Slip- 
per).— About  i  foot  high,  and  its  hairy 
stems,  which  are  as  thick  as  one's  little 
finger,  bear  two  plicate  fan-shaped  leaves 
of  bright  green,  rather  jagged  round  the 
margins.  The  flowers  are  solitary,  the 
sepals  being  of  an  apple-green  tint ;  the 
petals,  too,  are  of  the  same  colour,  but 
are  dotted  with  purplish  crimson  at  the 
base. 

C.  MACRANTHUM  (Large  Lady's  Slipper). 
— A  choice  species,  the  flowers,  large,  of  a 


C.  SPECTABILE  (Mocassin-flower) . — The 
most  beautiful  of  this  group;  15  inches 
to  2^  feet  high,  flowers  in  summer,  one  or 
two  on  each  stem  (rarely  three),  large, 
with  inflated,  rounded  lip,  about  i£  inches 
long,  white,  with  a  large  blotch  of  bright 
rosy  carmine  in  front.  A  variety  (C.  s. 
album)  has  the  lip  entirely  white.  In 
America  it  grows  in  open  boggy  woods, 
moist  meadows,  and  also  in  peaty  bogs  in 
the  Northern  States.  Good  native  speci- 
mens produce  from  fifty  to  seventy  flowers 


Mocassin-flower  (Cyprifediuin  spectabile]. 


uniform  purplish  rose  with  deeper  coloured 
veins ;  early  in  June.  Lip  globose, 
inflated,  and  finely  marked  with  deep 
purple  reticulations.  Grows  best  in  pure 
loam  of  a  heavy  nature.  Siberia. 

C.  PUBESCENS—  A  dwarf  species  with 
a  pubescent  stem,  seldom  more  than  2  feet 
high,  flowers  early  in  summer,  on  each 
stem  one  to  three  flowers ;  scentless, 
greenish  yellow,  spotted  with  brown,  with 
a  pale  yellow  lip  from  i|  to  2  inches  long, 
and  flattened  at  the  sides.  America, 
found  in  bogs  and  low  woods,  from  Penn- 
sylvania to  Carolina.  An  accommodating 
species,  and  does  well  in  leaf-soil,  loam, 
stones,  and  grit. 


on  a  single  tuft,  3  feet  across,  formed  on 
a  thick  mat  of  fleshy  roots.  The  plant  is 
hardy,  and  succeeds  if  planted  out  in  a 
deep,  rich,  peaty  soil,  with  loam  and  leaf- 
mould  added.  Woodland  shade  and 
moisture  are  very  desirable,  with  a  few 
nodules  of  sandstone  or  rough  sandstone 
grit  mixed  with  the  soil.  It  also  thrives 
in  turfy  loam  on  a  moist  bottom  ;  in  any 
case,  deep  planting  is  necessary. 

CYRILLA  RACEMIFLORA(  Leather- 
wood}. — A  shrub,  or  low  tree,  covering 
a  vast  area  in  the  warmer  parts  of 
America,  yet  hardy  in  the  warmest 
parts  of  this  country,  where  it  grows 


430      CYSTOPTERIS.        THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.  CYTISUS. 


as  a  shrub  of  about  5  feet  high,  of 
slender  growth,  with  fine  glossy  green 
foliage,  which  is  nearly  evergreen  in 
warm  places,  and  in  a  mild  season. 
The  flowers  come  as  narrow,  slender 
white  spikes  of  graceful  effect  from 
June  to  August,  and  the  leaves  take 
glowing  tints  of  orange  and  crimson  in 
the  autumn.  Seed. 

CYSTOPTERIS  (Bladder  Fern).— 
The  cultivated  kinds  of  this  native 
group  are  small  elegant  Ferns  of 
delicate  fragile  texture.  They  grow 
on  rocks  and  walls,  chiefly  in  moun- 
tainous districts.  The  best  -  known 
are  :  C.  fragilis,  which  has  finely-cut 
fronds  about  6  inches  high.  It  is  of 
easy  culture,  succeeding  in  an  ordinary 
border,  though  seen  to  best  advantage 
on  shady  parts  of  the  rock  garden  in  a 
well-drained  soil.  There  are  two  or 
three  varieties,  Dickieana  being  the 
best.  C.  alpina  is  much  smaller,  and 
when  once  established  not  difficult  to 
cultivate  or  increase,  but  more  affected 
by  excessive  moisture  than  C.  fragilis. 
A  sheltered  situation  in  a  well-drained 
part  of  the  rock  garden  suits  it.  C. 
montana  is  another  elegant  plant 
requiring  the  same  treatment  as  C. 
fragilis. 

CYTISUS  ( Broom) .  —  Beautiful 
shrubs,  mostly  from  the  warmer  and 
arid  hills  of  S.  and  W.  Europe,  some 
hardy  in  our  country.  They  are  easily 
raised  from  seed,  and  profuse  in  effec- 
tive bloom.  Many  kinds  come  freely 
from  seed  scattered  here  and  there,  if 
care  be  taken  to  give  the  young  plants 
some  little  protection  from  accident 
in  their  earliest  stages  ;  it  may  also 
be  taken  as  an  axiom  that  no  kind 
should  be  grafted  that  can  possibly  be 
obtained  on  its  own  roots. 

CYTISUS  ALDUS  (White  Spanish  Broom) . 
— A  graceful  shrub,  reaching  a  height  of 
5  or  6  feet  in  three  or  four  years  from 
seed,  while  old  plants  sometimes  reach 
15  feet.  When  thickly  covered  with  its 
white  blossoms,  borne  in  long  racemes, 
there  are  few  finer  flowering  shrubs.  The 
plant  ripens  seed  in  abundance,  from  which 
young  plants  are  easily  raised.  Two  or 
three  varieties  of  this  kind  are  grown — 
incarnatus,  bearing  flowers  tinged,  especi- 
ally when  in  bud  and  newly  opened,  with 
pink  or  red-purple  ;  multiflorus,  a  free- 
flowered  garden  variety  with  flowers  of 
creamy  white ;  and  grandiflorus,  with 
blossoms  that  are  larger  and  of  a  fine  pure 
white. 

C.  ARDOINII  (Dwarf  Alpine  Cytisus). — A 
low- trailing  shrub,  4  to  6  inches  high,  and 
a  gem  for  the  rock  garden.  It  is  covered 


during  April  and  May  with  deep  yellow 
flowers,  thriving  in  dry  and  sunny  spots, 
its  silky  trifoliate  leaves  carried  upon  fine 
rod-like  stems.  Maritime  Alps.  Cuttings 
or  seed. 

C.  ARGENTEUS  (Silver-leaved  Cytisus). — 
A  silvery-leaved  plant  found  in  the 
Maritime  Alps,  its  leaves  and  stems 
densely  clothed  in  thick  down  white,  and 
growing  in  the  sunniest  and  most  arid 
spots. 

C.  AUSTRIACUS  (Austrian  Cytisus). — A 
hardy  kind  from  the  east  of  Europe,  grow- 
ing as  a  compact  leafy  bush  of  2  to  4  feet, 
bearing  terminal  clusters  of  yellow  flowers 
during  early  summer  and  again  in  autumn. 

C.  BEANII  (Bean's  Cytisus). — A  cross 
between  Ardoinii  and  biflorus,  which 
originated  in  the  Royal  Gardens,  Kew. 
It  is  a  dwarf,  prostrate  shrub,  with  the 
habit  of  Ardoinii,  useful  in  masses  for  the 
rock  garden,  its  yellow  flowers  coming 
early  in  May. 

C.  BIFLORUS  (Twin-flowered  Cytisus). — 
The  earliest  of  the  Brooms,  it  is  neat  in 
habit,  growing  very  freely  and  about 
4  feet  high.  The  bright  yellow  flowers 
appear  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves  throughout 
the  long  shoots. 

C.  CAPITATUS  (Cluster-flowered  Cytisus). 
— A  low,  semi-evergreen  shrub  growing  in 
the  outskirts  and  clearings  of  sunny  woods 
throughout  C.  and  S.  Europe,  bearing 
clusters  of  pale  yellow  flowers  at  times 
shaded  with  bronze,  at  the  tips  of  the 
long  erect  shoots.  Though  less  showy 
than  some  kinds,  its  habit  is  neat  and 
compact,  and  it  flowers  from  the  middle  of 
July  into  autumn,  when  few  sorts  are  in 
beauty.  Seed. 

C.  DECUMBENS  (Trailing  Cytisus). — A 
dwarf,  prostrate  shrub  from  E.  Europe, 
with  large  pale  yellow  flowers  in  long  erect 
spikes  coming  from  June  till  August,  and 
pretty  in  the  rock  garden. 

C.  GLABRESCENS  (Italian  Cytisus). — A 
hardy  plant  from  the  mountains  of  N. 
Italy,  and  almost  untried  in  gardens, 
though  pretty  as  a  rock  plant.  It  forms 
a  small  bush  with  the  pendulous  habit  of 
C.  purpureus,  but  with  golden  flowers 
crowded  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves  ;  these 
are  deciduous,  smooth  above,  and  covered 
with  soft  hairs  beneath. 

C.  HIRSUTUS  (Hairy  Cytisus).— A  dwarf 
shrub  i  to  2  feet  high,  with  trailing  stems 
and  yellow  flowers  in  June  and  July,  and 
useful  in  the  rock  garden  or  the  front  line 
of  the  shrubbery.  The  hairiness  is  only 
in  the  young  growths,  the  adult  leaves 
being  smooth.  S.E.  Europe. 

C.  KEWENSIS  (Kew  Cytisus). — A  beau- 
tiful prostrate  plant  raised  in  Kew  Gardens 
as  a  cross  between  Ardoinii  and  the  White 
Broom,  but  distinct  in  habit  from  both 
parents.  It  spreads  by  long  trailing 
shoots,  rising  only  about  3  inches,  but  in 
old  plants  covering  a  wide  surface.  Its 
creamy  white  or  pale  yellow  flowers 


CYTISUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


DAHLIA. 


43* 


thickly  cover  the  pendent  shoots  during 
May  and  June. 

C.  NIGRICANS  (Summer-flowering  Cyti- 
sus). — Of  neat  habit,  with  long  slender 
shoots  reaching  6  feet  or  more  when  full 
grown,  hardy  and  thriving  in  dry  warm 
ground.  The  pale  yellow  flowers  are 
borne  in  long  erect  spikes  of  9  inches  at 
the  ends  of  the  new  growths  ;  it  is  easily 
raised  from  seed.  Two  or  three  varieties 
of  this  plant  are  grown  in  longispicatus, 
with  longer  spikes  of  flower,  and  Carlieri, 
with  a  long  season  of  bloom  and  showing 
flower-spikes  and  reddish  seed-pods  inter- 
mingled. 

C.  PURGANS  (Auvergne  Broom). — A  bush 
of  2  or  3  feet,  the  flowers,  in  April  and  May, 
yellow  and  fragrant,  while  the  plant 
retains  its  good  habit  longer  than  many 
kinds.  It  is  easily  increased  from  seed  or 
cuttings  under  glass  in  August.  A  native 
of  the  mountains  of  France,  it  is  quite 
hardy. 

C.  PURPUREUS  (Purple  Cytisus). — A 
hardy  plant  from  E.  Europe,  often  grafted 
standard  high  upon  the  Laburnum,  and 
in  that  way  short  lived  ;  it  is  better  on 
its  own  roots  as  a  low  spreading  bush  in 
rock  garden,  its  drooping  shoots  hung 
with  purple  flowers  from  May  onwards. 
It  is  so  readily  increased  from  seed  or 
cuttings  that  there  is  no  need  for  grafting. 
There  are  several  varieties. 

C.  SCHIPKAENSIS  (Schipka  Cytisus). — Of 
low  spreading  habit,  flowering  in  a  long 
succession  from  the  end  of  June,  the 
yellowish-white  flowers  borne  in  clusters. 
It  is  distinct,  hardy,  but  a  greatly  over- 
rated kind. 

C.  SCOPARIUS  (Common  Broom). — 
Though  a  native  wild  plant,  the  Broom 
sometimes  surfers  in  severe  winters, 
especially  when  upon  low  valley  bottoms  ; 
in  this  way  is  less  hardy  than  the  white 
and  early  Brooms.  There  are  several 
varieties  of  the  Common  Broom,  the  finest 
is  Andre's  Broom  (C.  Andreanus),  in  which 
the  lower  petals  are  richly  shaded  with 
crimson  or  bronze  colour.  When  grafted 
it  never  lives  long,  often  disappearing 
suddenly  ;  but  on  its  own  roots  it  is  as 
indifferent  to  adverse  conditions  as  any 
of  the  Brooms,  fine  mature  plants  reaching 
a  height  of  12  feet  or  more,  fully  branched, 
and  of  great  beauty  when  in  flower.  The 
most  effective  way  to  grow  the  Broom  in 
country  places  is  to  throw  it  out  of  hand 
on  any  waste  spots,  such  as  railway  banks, 
newly-formed  fences,  bare  patches  in 
woodland. 

C.  VERSICOLOR  (Many-coloured  Cytisus). 
— A  peculiar  plant,  hybrid  of  purpureus 
and  hirsutus,  in  growth  and  outline  like 
the  Purple  Cytisus.  Its  leaves  and  shoots 
are,  however,  thickly  pubescent,  and  its 
flowers,  appearing  in  May,  pass  from 
creamy- white  to  rose  and  lilac,  the  several 
stages  showing  in  the  same  cluster. 


Though  not  a  new  plant,  this  hybrid  is 
uncommon  and  distinct. 

The  many  forms  of  Laburnum,  including 
the  peculiar  graft-hybrid  once  known  as 
Cytisus  Adami,  are  now  classed  by  them- 
selves in  a  separate  group. 

Daboecia.    See  ERICA. 

DACRYDIUM  (Huon  Pine).— -A  tree 
of  the  Pine  order  of  exquisite  grace, 
but  not  hardy  in  Britain  except  in 
the  Cornish  and  Devon  gardens,  and 
others  of  the  south  of  England  and 
Ireland.  There  are  two  species,  D. 
Franklini  (Huon  Pine)  and  D.  cupres- 
sinum  (New  Zealand  Cypress),  a  com- 
mon New  Zealand  tree  attaining  nearly 
100  feet  in  height. 

DACTYLIS  (Cocksfoot).— The  varie- 
gated forms  of  this  native  grass  are 
attractive  to  those  concerned  much 
with  bedding-out,  D.  glomerata  varie- 
gata  being  one  of  the  most  useful  of 
edging  plants,  and  easily  increased  by 
division  in  autumn  or  spring,  thriving 
in  almost  any  soil. 

DAHLIA. — Distinct  groups  of  Dah- 
lias present  a  fine  effect,  if  the  colours 
are  well  chosen,  and  many  good  effects 
are  spoilt  by  mixing  up  tall  and  dwarf 
bushy  kinds  indiscriminately. 

"  CACTUS"  DAHLIAS. — These  origin- 
ated from  D.  Juarezi,  which  was 
introduced  from  Mexico  about  1879, 
and  they  retain  the  characteristic 
shape  of  that  species,  the  petals 
twisted,  so  to  say,  and  reminding  one 
of  those  of  some  of  the  Cacti.  The 
earlier  Cactus  Dahlias  had  one  fault — 
hiding  the  flowers  amongst  the  leaves  ; 
but  this  is  to  a  large  extent  changed, 
so  that  we  have  now  a  beautiful  race 
of  garden  plants  for  summer  and 
autumn,  with  flowers  of  bold  form 
and  charming  and  varied  colours.  A 
new  group  is  formed  by  the  single 
Cactus  kinds.  The  flowers  are  quite 
single,  about  as  large  as  those  of  a 
good  single  Dahlia  of  the  ordinary 
type,  and  with  twisted  petals. 

The  following  are  good  garden  varie- 
ties : — Amos  Perry,  Avoca,  Clarisse, 
Duchess  of  Sutherland,  Eclaire,  Erecta, 
Glare  of  the  Garden,  Hon.  Mrs  Greville, 
Mauve  Queen,  Mrs  J.  H.  Usmar, 
Juarezi,  Primrose  Queen,  Sweet  Briar, 
White  Ensign. 

COLLERETTE  DAHLIAS. — A  compara- 
tively new  section  of  virtually  single- 
flowered  varieties  which  is  well  suited 
to  the  garden,  and  rapidly  becom- 
ing popular.  Good  sorts  are  Argyll, 
Bonfire,  Black  Watch,  Cormorant, 


43* 


DAHLtA. 


THE   EtfGLtSti   FLOWE&   GARDEN. 


DAHLIA. 


Cameron,  Eden,  Fusilier,  Nightingale, 
Royal  Scot,  Starling,  Scarlet  Queen, 
Wren. 

FANCY  DAHLIAS. — These  are  not  so 
much  grown  in  gardens  as  formerly, 
but  are  still  seen  at  the  exhibi- 
tion, Dahlias  being  shown  in  a  far 
freer  way  than  was  usual  a  genera- 
tion ago,  and  the  Cactus  and  Single 
classes  have,  to  some  extent,  over- 
shadowed the  formal  Show  and  Fancy 
varieties.  The  reason  why  these  are 
less  valuable  than  many  other  kinds 
of  Dahlia  in  the  garden  is  because  of 
the  weight  of  the  flowers.  There  is 
little  graceful  beauty  about  them,  the 
stems  being  bent  with  the  burden  of 
a  too  heavy  blossom,  hence  the  greater 
popularity  of  the  many  lovely  Cactus 
varieties. 

Fancy  Dahlias  are  Buffalo  Bill, 
Charles  Wyatt,  Comedian,  Duchess 
of  Albany,  Frank  Pearce,  Gaiety, 
General  Gordon,  H.  Eckford,  H.  Glass- 
cock,  Fanny  Sturt,  Mrs  Ocock,  Mrs 
Saunders,  Peacock,  Rebecca,  Rev.  J.  B. 
M.  Camm,  Sunset,  T.  W.  Girdlestone. 

P^ONY-FLOWERED       DAHLIAS. The 

flower-heads  are  of  huge  size  on 
vigorous  habited  plants.  Aprodite, 
Amber  Queen,  Beacon,  Edina,  Fire 
Dragon,  Holman  Hunt,  Old  Gold, 
Portia,  and  White  Flag  are  some  good 
and  distinct  sorts. 

POMPON  OR  BOUQUET  DAHLIAS. — 
These  should  be  quite  small,  as  the 
name  Pompon  suggests,  not  like  a 
Show  or  Fancy  Dahlia.  Although 
many  additions  have  been  made  to 
this  section,  the  pure  white  variety, 
White  Aster,  still  retains  its  popularity, 
and  it  is  grown  largely  for  cutting,  and 
also  for  its  effects.  The  Pompon 
Dahlias  are  very  free-blooming,  throw- 
ing their  charming  flowers  well  above 
the  leaves.  Admiration,  Arthur  West, 
Countess  von  Sternberg,  Coquette, 
Crimson  Beauty,  Cupid,  Darkness, 
Dove,  E.  F.  Jungker,  Eurydice,  Eva, 
Fairy  Tales,  Gem,  German  Favourite, 
Glowworm,  Golden  Gem,  Hedwig  Poll- 
wig,  Juno,  Lilian,  Little  Bobby,  Little 
Ethel,  Marion,  Midget,  Pure  Love, 
Tommy  Keith,  Vivid,  White  Aster. 

SINGLE  DAHLIAS. — D.  coccinea  (D. 
Mercki),  D.  variabilis,  and  others 
formed  the  foundation,  so  to  say,  of 
this  group.  The  value  of  Single 
Dahlias  as  beautiful  garden  flowers 
was  not  considered  until  a  reaction 
set  in  against  the  show  blooms,  and 
then  the  elegant  single  kinds  became 
popular.  In  the  best  kinds  the  flowers 
are  carried  erect  above  the  foliage,  the 


growth  bushy  and  the  flowers  abun- 
dant. No  summer  flower  gives  a 
greater  variety  of  brilliant  colours, 
rich  selfs  and  delicate  hues  of  mauve 
and  rose  to  pure  white.  With  all  this 
choice,  one,  unfortunately,  sees  much 
of  the  striped  kinds,  too  often  praised, 
for  the  reason  perhaps  that  they  are 
well  shown  at  some  exhibition  ;  but 
a  new  Dahlia  should  be  seen  in  the 
garden  to  judge  of  its  merits.  The 
striped  kinds  are  also  sportive,  like 
striped  Carnations,  and  depend  in  a 
large  measure  for  their  peculiar  colour 
upon  the  weather.  This  class  must 
not  be  confounded  with  those  that  have 
flowers  boldly  margined  with  colour. 
As  the  round-flowered  form  of  Single 
Dahlia  is  declining  in  popularity  one 
sees  less  of  the  big  saucer-shaped 
blooms,  so  large  that  it  was  necessary 
to  support  them  when  gathered. 
These  flabby  varieties  won  few  friends, 
and  the  more  recent  kinds  are  far 
smaller  and  better.  Cardinal,  Chil- 
well  Beauty,  Conspicua,  Duke  of  York, 
Duchess  of  Westminster,  Eclipse,  En- 
sign, Evelyn,  Gulielpna,  Jack,  James 
Scobie,  Kitty,  Morning  Glow,  Midget 
Improved,  Mikado,  Magpie,  Nellie, 
Paragon,  Rose  Queen,  Yellow  Boy, 
Snowdrop. 

"STAR"  OR  "  COSMEA-FLOWERED  " 
DAHLIAS. — These  are  invaluable  for 
the  garden  or  as  cut  flowers,  and  being 
of  medium  size,  excellent  in  decoration. 
Crawley  Star,  White  Star,  Yellow  Star, 
Mars,  Jupiter,  and  Mercury  are  some 
of  them.  All  are  single  flowered  or 
semi-double  and  prodigal  bloomers. 

TOM  THUMB  DAHLIAS. — This  is  a 
very  dwarf  race,  the  plants  forming 
little  bushes,  but  they  are  not  satis- 
factory, as  they  appear  not  to  bloom 
with  great  freedom,  whilst  the  growth 
does  not  retain  its  true  dwarf  character. 
When  true,  the  habit  is  compact, 
dense,  and  the  single  flowers  borne 
well  above  the  mass  of  leaves.  For- 
tunately the  colours  of  the  flowers  are 
for  the  most  part  simple,  and  raisers 
should  steer  clear  of  the  ugly  striped 
kinds.  Dwarfing  any  flower  naturally 
tall  and  graceful  is  a  doubtful  practice. 

SPECIES. — Amongst  these  we  may 
note  the  following  : — 

D.  COCCINEA. — A  tall  plant  with  bright 
scarlet  flowers  that  rarely  vary.  Nearly 
related  to  it,  and  differing  only  in  some 
slight  points,  is  D.  Cervantesi,  also  with 
showy  scarlet  flowers. 

D.  GLABRATA  is  a  beautiful  plant 
dwarf  spreading  growth,  more  slen 
than  any  of  the  other  species. 


DAHLIA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


DAHLIA. 


433 


flowers  are  smaller  than  those  of  other 
kinds,  and  vary  from  pure  white  to  deep 

gjrple.  It  is  hardier  than  any  other 
ahlia,  and  plants  left  in  the  ground  are 
generally  uninjured  throughout  the  win- 
ter. Its  dwarf  growth  adapts  it  for  posi- 
tions unsuitable  for  the  latter  kinds,  and 
it  has  a  good  effect  in  masses,  its  colour 
being  unlike  that  of  any  other  Dahlia.  It 
is  known  also  as  D.  Mercki,  repens,  and 
Decaisneana. 


D.  JUAREZI. — Now  well  known.  It  is 
the  more  desirable  because  of  its  easy 
culture,  as  it  requires  no  different  treat- 
ment from  ordinary  Dahlias.  It  is  not 
quite  double,  but  is  very  fine  in  form  and 
brilliant  in  colour,  though  it  flowers 
somewhat  sparsely. 

D.  VARIABILIS. — Supposed  parent  of 
all  the  garden  varieties.  The  wild  plant 
has  scarlet  flowers  like  coccinea,  and  is  of 
similar  growth.  A  packet  of  seed,  how- 


Cactus  Dahlia  "Juarezi." 


D.  GRACILIS. — A  distinct  and  graceful 
plant,  with  slender  stems  and  finely 
divided  foliage,  which  gives  it  a  freer 
habit  than  any  other  Dahlia.  The  bright- 
scarlet  flowers  are  of  the  ordinary  size. 

D.  IMPERIALIS. — Large  and  graceful 
much-divided  leaves,  and  flowers  of  a 
beautiful  French  white,  thrown  up  in  a 
great  cone-like  mass.  It  rarely  flowers  in 
the  open  air,  but  it  is  of  service  both  in 
the  flower  garden  and  conservatory. 
Planted  in  rich  soil,  and  placed  in  a  warm, 
sheltered  position  in  the  open  air  at  the 
end  of  May,  it  grows  well  in  summer. 


ever,  will  yield  plants  with  flowers  of  all 
shades,  from  crimson  to  white  and  yellow. 

To  get  a  good  result  it  is  essential  to 
have  rich,  deep,  and  moist  soil,  and  to 
put  out  strong  plants  as  early  as  may 
be  safe,  so  as  to  secure  a  good  growth 
or  autumn  bloom.  If  planted  in  May 
and  frost  is  feared,  protect  the  young 
plants  at  night  by  turning  a  garden 
pot  over  them.  Pot  roots  of  the 
previous  year,  and  the  more  youthful 
portions  of  the  old  stools  are  particu- 

2  E 


434 


DAHLIA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


DAPHNE. 


larly  valuable  for  garden  beds  and 
borders  where  a  big  early  display  is 
required.  Plant  these  in  April  4  to  6 
inches  deep.  If  the  soil  is  not  deep, 
rich,  and  moist,  manure-water  should 
be  used.  Watering  is  usually  necessary 
in  early  growth,  afterwards  it  is  not 
so  in  moist  districts  where  the  plant  is 
well  treated  as  regards  depth  and 
quality  of  soil.  In  dry  places  water  is 
essential  in  most  seasons.  Staking  and 
tying  out  the  shoots  must  be  attended 
to,  as  the  stems  break  early  under 
little  wind  -  pressure.  Earwigs  are 
great  enemies  to  Dahlias,  but  can  be 
trapped  in  small  round  troughs,  which 
may  be  got  from  any  pottery.  They 
may  also  be  caught  on  pieces  of  Hem- 
lock stem,  6  inches  long,  by  leaving  a 
joint  at  one  end  and  sticking  the  pieces 
here  and  there  through  the  Dahlias. 
Small  pots,  with  a  little  bit  of  dry 
Sphagnum  Moss  inside,  inverted  on  the 
tops  of  stakes,  also  form  good  traps. 

In    increasing     Dahlias     the    usual 
practice  is  to  take  up  the  roots  and 
store  them  in  a  dry  frost-proof  cellar 
in    winter.     Dahlias    may    be    propa- 
gated by  cuttings,   root-division,   and 
seed,    the   last  way   being   used   only 
where  new  kinds  are  sought.     Cuttings 
are  the  means  adopted  by  the  special- 
ists,  though  division  of  the   roots   is 
also    practised    by    the    amateur.     If 
started   in   February   or   March   in   a 
temperature   of   60°   to    70°   F.,    each 
crown    will    produce    three    or    four 
cuttings    every    two    or    three    days. 
These  may  be  taken  off  close  to  the 
crown    when    about    3    inches    long. 
When   the   crowns   have   supplied   all 
the  cuttings  that  can  be  got  from  them 
they  may  be   divided,   and   therefore 
nothing    is    lost.     Cuttings    may    be 
successfully  struck  during  the  summer 
months  ;   but  this  is  unusual  except  in 
the  case  of  choice  varieties,  or  when  pot 
roots    are    desired    for    the   following 
year.     Three-inch    pots    are    best    for 
putting  the  cuttings  into,  one  or  two 
in  each  pot.     They  should  be  plunged 
in  a  brisk  bottom-heat,  covered  with 
hand-glasses,  and  shaded   from  bright 
sunshine.     In    less    than    a    fortnight 
they  will  be  all  rooted,  and  may  be 
potted  off  singly  into  large  3-inch  pots. 
To  raise  seedlings,  sow  the  seed  in 
heat  in  February,  and  treat  the  young 
plants  in  the  same  way  as  cuttings. 

As  long  as  the  weather  keeps  mild 
Dahlia  roots  are  best  in  the  soil,  and 
need  not  be  taken  up  till  the  end  of 
November  ;  but  should  sharp  frosts 
be  followed  by  heavy  rain  they  should 


be  promptly  removed  from  the  ground. 
Lift  the  roots  on  a  dry  day  and  cut  off 
the  stems  to  within  2  or  3  inches  of 
the  crown.  Remove  the  greater  por- 
tion of  the  soil  from  the  tubers  and 
lay  the  latter  out  in  the  sun  to  dry 
before  storing.  The  floor  of  a  green- 
house where  frost  can  be  excluded,  or 
a  dry  cellar,  is  a  good  place  to  store 
the  roots  in.  A  little  ventilation  is 
necessary  to  keep  them  from  getting 
mouldy  ;  but  a  hot,  dry  atmosphere 
must  also  be  avoided,  as  the  tubers 
might  shrivel  in  it.  The  roots  may  be 
kept  plump  during  the  winter  by 
storing  in  soil  in  a  cool  place  secure 
from  frost. 

The  species  of  Dahlia  are  natives  of 
Mexico  and  adjacent  regions — i,  arbor ea  ; 
2,  astrantia 'flora  ;  3,  coccinea  ;  4,  excelsa  ; 
5,  gracilis ;  6,  imperialis ;  7,  Maximi- 
liana ;  8,  Mercki ,  9,  platylepis ;  10, 
pubescens  ;  n,  scapigera  ;  12,  variabiHs  ; 
13,  Juarezi. 

DAPHNE  (Garland  Flower}. — Alpine 
and  mountain  shrubs,  beautiful,  fra- 
grant, and  of  high  value  for  the  garden. 
They  are  chiefly  natives  of  Europe, 
and  in  cultivation  do  best  when  shaded 
in  summer  from  the  mid-day  sun,  and 
in  winter  screened  from  cold  winds. 
If  nurtured  by  the  fallen  leaves  of 
trees,  they  will  grow  with  a  vigour 
that  we  can  scarcely  hope  to  see  in 
ordinary  soil.  They  have  but  few 
roots,  and  are  best  transplanted  when 
young.  The  best  soil  is  a  mixture  of 
free  loam  and  decayed  leaf-mould, 
with  some  old  road-sand  added.  None 
of  them  require  a  rich  soil,  and  some 
of  them  even  prefer  old  road-sand  to 
any  other. 

D.  ALPINA  (Mountain  Mezereon). — A 
dwarf  summer-leafing  and  distinct  rock 
shrub,  about  2  feet  high,  the  flowers 
yellowish- white,  silky  outside,  fragrant, 
in  clusters  of  five  from  the  sides  of  the 
branches.  It  is  a  low,  branching  shrub, 
flowering  from  April  to  June,  and  bearing 
red  berries  in  September.  C.  and  S. 
Europe. 

D.  ARBUSCULA. — A  native  of  Transyl- 
vania, it  bears  a  resemblance  to  the  small- 
growing  D.  petrcea  from  the  same  region, 
differing  mainly  in  its  more  robust  habit. 
It  is  also  said  to  grow  wild  in  Grass  land, 
whilst  D.  petrcea  more  frequently  inhabits 
rocky  ground.  The  evergreen  leaves  are 
linear  and  not  more  than  i  inch  long, 
whilst  the  fragrant,  rosy-pink  flowers  are 
borne  in  terminal  heads  of  six  flowers  to 
ten  flowers  each.  It  is  essentially  a  plant 
for  the  rock  garden,  and  should  be  planted 
in  soil  containing  lime  or  amongst  lime- 
stone rocks.  Seeds. 


DAPHNE. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


DAPHNE. 


435 


D.  BLAGAYANA  (King's Garland  Flower). 
— A  dwarf  alpine  shrub,  3  to  8  inches  high, 
of  straggling  growth,  the  leaves  forming 
rosette-like  tufts  at  the  tips  of  the 
branches,  encircling  dense  clusters  of 
fragrant,  creamy-white  flowers,  blooming 
in  spring  and  thriving  in  the  rock  garden. 
It  is  vigorous  and  free  if  planted  in  well- 
drained  loam — calcareous  for  preference — 
and  leaf-soil,  and  likes  best  a  rather  cool 
spot.  Increased  by  layers.  Layering,  in 
the  strict  sense,  is  not  necessary.  Pegging 
down  the  shoots  of  the  previous  season's 
growth,  or  weighting  them  down  to  the 
soil  by  placing  stones  upon  the  branches, 
is  ample.  If  this  is  indulged  in  annually, 
new  root  activity  and  increased  vigour 
are  continuously  promoted.  The  species 
is  so  choice  and  fragrant  as  to  be  worthy 
our  best  endeavours  to  make  it  a  success. 

D.  CNEORUM  (Garland  Flower). — A 
dwarf  spreading  shrub,  from  6  inches  to 


Garland  Flower  (Daphne  Cneorum). 

10  inches  high,  and  bearing  rosy-lilac 
flowers,  and  so  sweet  that  where  much 
grown  the  air  often  seems  charged  with 
their  fragrance.  It  is  a  native  of  most  of 
the  great  mountain  chains  of  Europe,  and 
is  one  of  the  best  plants  for  the  rock 
garden,  thriving  in  peaty  and  very  sandy 
soils  ;  in  stiff  soils  often  fails  ;  is  usually 
increased  by  layers. 

D.  COLLINA  (Box  -  leaved  Garland 
Flower). — The  leaves  of  this  much  re- 
semble in  shape  and  size  those  of  the 
Balearic  Box,  the  upper  surface  of  a 
dark  glossy  green.  The  flowers  are  in 
close  groups,  and  of  a  light  lilac  or  pinkish 
colour,  the  tubes  rather  broad  and  densely 
coated  with  silky  white  hairs.  It  forms 
a  low,  dense,  evergreen  shrub,  the  branches 
of  which  always  take  an  upright  direction 
and  form  a  level  head,  covered  with 
flowers  from  February  to  May.  S. 
Europe.  D.  Neapolitana  is  a  variety  of 
it. 

D.  DAUPHINI. — Flowering  as  it  does 
.during  the  depth  of  winter,  the  blossoms 


of  this  pretty  and  interesting  Daphne  are 
much  appreciated.  It  has  been  long 
known,  but  is  even  now  decidedly  uncom- 
mon. It  is  said  to  be  the  result  of  a  cross 
between  the  S.  European  D.  sericea  and 
D.  odora.  Outdoors  D.  odora  can  only  be 
grown  in  especially  favoured  parts  of  the 
country,  while  the  hybrid  is  also  somewhat 
tender,  and  in  the  London  district  must 
be  looked  upon  as  a  greenhouse  plant 
rather  than  a  hardy  shrub.  The  blossoms 
are  purplish  in  the  bud,  but  more  of  a 
lilac  tint  when  fully  expanded.  They 
have  to  a  great  extent  the  fragrance  of 
D.  odora. 

D.  EDGWORTHIA  CHRYSANTHA  (Golden 
Daphne). — A  very  distinct  plant  of  China 
and  Japan,  flowering  in  midwinter.  Is 
closely  related  to  the  Daphnes,  is  very 
interesting  in  structure  of  the  flower,  and 
has  a  delicate  fragrance.  Our  midwinter 
climate  invites  us  to  take  it  into  the  house, 
where  it  will  help  to  prove  that  there  is  no 
dearth  of  flowers  in  winter,  even  for  those 
who  have  no  hot-house.  The  English 
name  I  here  propose  for  it  for  the  first 
time  is  as  above.  It  seems  quite  hardy 
here,  but  may  require  a  wall  in  the  north. 

D.  FIONIANA  (Fion's  Garland  Flower). — 
A  compact  shrub,  the  heads  of  bloom  are 
in  clusters,  five  fragrant  flowers  in  each, 
of  a  pale  lilac  colour,  the  tubes  densely 
covered  externally  with  short  silvery  hairs. 
This  shrub  flowers  from  March  to  May, 
and  is  hardy  about  London. 

D.  GENKWA  (Lilac  Garland  Flower)  is 
a  summer-leafing  shrub  of  from  2  to  3  feet 
in  height,  with  downy  branches,  and 
fragrant  violet-coloured  flowers  thickly 
set  on  the  leafless  branches  in  early  spring. 
There  appears  to  be  several  varieties  of 
D.  Genkwa,  some  with  much  larger 
flowers  than  others,  and  some  of  a  darker 
shade  of  purple.  It  is  not  quite  hardy 
in  cold  districts.  Syn.  D.  Fortunei. 

D.  HOUTTEIANA  (Van  Houttes  Meze- 
reon). — This  forms  a  robust  spreading 
bush,  3  or  4  feet  high,  with  all  the  leaves 
collected  on  the  young  branches,  while 
the  old  ones  are  naked.  It  is  distinct, 
hardy,  flowering  in  the  spring  before  the 
leaves  appear,  and  is  said  to  be  a  hybrid 
between  Mezereon  and  the  Spurge  Laurel. 
Its  leaves  are  from  3  to  3^  inches  long, 
purple  on  the  upper  side  when  fully 
developed,  and  when  quite  young  and  in 
the  bud  state,  of  a  dark  purple  colour. 
The  flowers  are  small,  dark  purple,  quite 
smooth,  and  are  borne  along  the  shoots 
of  the  previous  year  before  the  young 
leaves  appear. 

D.  MEZEREUM  (Mezereon). — A  wild 
plant  in  English  woods,  is  a  charming 
and  fragrant  bush,  and  the  earliest  to 
flower,  often  in  February.  Where  the 
shrubby  rock  garden  is  carried  out,  nothing 
is  more  lovely  for  its  adorning  than  a 
group  of  this.  Though  quite  hardy,  it  is 
slow,  and  not  so  pretty  on  some  cold  soils. 


436     DAPHNIPHYLLUM.       THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         DATURA. 


It  is  best  to  begin  with  little  plants,  and 
it  is  easily  raised  from  seed,  thriving  best 
in  calcareous  soils. 

D.  ODORA  (Sweet  Daphne). — A  fragrant 
and  beautiful  kind,  in  mild  and  southern 
districts  hardy  on  the  rock  garden,  usually 
best  on  western  aspects  ;  but  in  the  north 
a  greenhouse  plant.  There  are  varieties 
called  alba,  rubra,  Mazeli,  punctata. 
Mazeli  is,  according  to  Max  Leichtlin, 
hardier  than  the  older  kind.  Syn.  D. 
indica.  China. 

D.  PETRJEA  (Syn.  D.  rupestris)  (Rock 
Garland  Flower). — A  neat  little  shrub, 
with  erect  shoots  forming  dense,  compact 
tufts,  2  inches  high,  often  covered  with 
flowers  of  a  soft-shaded  pink,  in  clustered 
heads.  It  is  a  mountain  plant,  growing 
wild  in  fissures  of  limestone  in  peaty  loam, 
of  slow  growth,  and  it  takes  some  years  to 
form  a  good  tuft.  It  seems  to  thrive  in 
very  stony  and.  peaty  earth,  with  abund- 
ance of  white  sand,  and  should  be  planted 
in  a  well-drained  but  not  a  dry  spot. 
D.  p.  grandiflora  is  a  much  larger  form, 
well  deserving  its  name. 

D.  STRIATA  (Fairy  Garland  Flower). 
— A  hardy  trailing  kind,  forming  dense, 
spreading  masses,  i  to  3  feet  across,  in 
June  and  July  are  covered  with  rosy- 
purple  scented  flowers  in  clusters.  The 
spreading  habit  of  this  plant  recommends 
it  for  covering  bare  spots  in  the  rock 
garden.  Alps. 

DAPHNIPHYLLUM.  Evergreen 

shrubs  of  fine  effect  of  foliage  and  little 
beauty  of  flower.  D.  Glaucescens 
grows  well  in  the  home  counties  so 
far  as  tried,  the  leaves  over  6  inches 
long,  and  glaucous  underneath,  the 
flowers  small,  in  the  autumn  ;  but  the 
habit  is  so  fine  wherever  evergreens  are 
cared  for  that  this  will  be  worth  grow- 
ing, at  least  in  the  southern  and 
warmer  counties.  The  other  species 
known  is  D.  josoenses.  It  is  a  much 
dwarfer  plant,  and  is  an  under  shrub 
in  the  forests  of  Yezo.  These  plants 
seem  to  be  hardy  enough  in  the 
southern  districts  of  Britain,  and  rich 
as  we  are  in  evergreen  plants  in  Britain, 
these  are  distinct  enough  to  take  a 
good  place. 

DARLINGTONIA  (Californian 
Pitcher-plant). — A  most  singular  plant, 
resembling  the  Sarracenias,  but  very 
distinct ;  the  leaves  of  D.  calif ornica 
rise  to  a  height  of  2  feet  or  more,  are 
hollow,  and  form  a  curiously  shaped 
hood,  from  which  hang  two  ribbon- 
like  appendages,  the  hood  often  a 
crimson-red,  and  the  flowers  are  almost 
as  curious.  This  remarkable  plant  is 
found  to  grow  in  our  climate  if  care 
be  taken  with  it,  and  it  would  be 


difficult  to  name  a  more  interesting 
plant  for  a  sheltered  bog  garden.  It 
is  less  trouble  out  of  doors  than  under 
glass  ;  indeed,  it  only  requires  a 
moderately  wet  bog  in  a  light  spongy 
soil  of  fibrous  peat  and  chopped 
Sphagnum  Moss.  A  place  should  be 
selected  by  the  side  of  a  stream,  or  in  any 
moist  place,  and  the  plants  should  be 
fully  exposed  to  direct  sunlight,  but 
sheltered  from  the  cold  winds  of  early 
spring  when  they  are  throwing  up 
their  young  leaves.  They  require  fre- 
quent watering  in  dry  seasons,  unless 
they  are  in  a  naturally  wet  spot.  Seed. 

DATISCA  (Bastard  Hemp).—D. 
Cannabina  is  a  tall  and  graceful  her- 
baceous perennial  from  4  to  7  feet 
high,  the  long  stems  clothed  with  large 
pinnate  leaves,  yellowish-green  flowers 
appearing  towards  the  end  of  summer. 
The  male  plant  is  very  strong  and 
graceful  in  habit ;  the  female  remains 
green  much  longer  than  the  male  ; 
when  it  is  laden  with  fruit,  each  shoot 
droops  gracefully,  and  the  plant  should 
be  included  in  any  selection  of  hardy 
plants  of  good  form.  Seed  will  be 
found  the  best  way  to  increase  it,  and 
would  secure  plants  of  both  sexes. 
The  border  is  not  its  place  ;  it  is,  above 
most  other  plants,  suited  for  the  grassy 
margin  of  an  irregular  shrubbery. 
Himalayas. 

DATURA  (Thorn  Apple}. — Natives 
of  Mexico  and  similar  countries,  none 
are  hardy,  but  owing  to  rapid  growth 
some  succeed  well  if  treated  as  half- 
hardy  annuals,  and  make  effective 
plants  in  a  short  season.  The  best 
are  :  D.  ceratocaula,  from  2  to  3  feet 
high,  with  large,  scented,  trumpet-like 
flowers,  often  6  inches  in  length,  and 
4  or  5  inches  across,  white,  tinged  with 
violet-purple,  expanding  in  the  after- 
noon and  closing  on  the  following 
morning.  D.  fastuosa  is  a  handsome 
species,  having  white  blossoms  smaller 
than  the  preceding  ;  there  is  a  fine 
variety  of  it  with  the  tube  of  the 
flower  violet  and  the  inside  white. 
The  most  striking  forms  of  this  species 
bear  "double"  flowers,  the  primary 
corolla  having  a  second  and  sometimes 
a  third  corolla  arising  from  its  tube, 
all  being  perfectly  regular  in  form,  and 
often  being  parti-coloured,  as  in  the 
single  variety  with  violet  flowers.  D. 
meteloides  is  a  handsome  Mexican  plant, 
called  in  gardens  Wright's  Datura. 
Isolated  specimens  of  it  have  a  fine 
aspect  in  sunny  but  sheltered  nooks. 


DATURA. 


THE    ENGLISH    PLOW ER 


DATURA. 


437 


It  is  from  3  to  4  feet  high,  has  wide- 
spreading  branches,  and  blooms  from 
the  middle  of  July  till  frost  sets  in, 
the  flowers  white,  tinged  with  mauve  ; 
from  4  to  6  inches  across,  showy  and 
sweet,  but  the  leaves  emit  a  disagree- 
able odour. 

The  plants  hitherto  known  as  Brug- 
mansia  are  now  considered  to  belong 


should  be  given  early  in  the  spring, 
and  they  should  be  kept  within  bounds. 
Under  glass  the  chief  enemy  is  green 
fly,  but  fumigation  soon  disposes  of 
this.  The  propagation  of  these  plants 
is  simple,  the  young  shoots  being 
merely  taken  off  in  spring  and  struck 
in  a  gentle  heat,  one  cutting  in  a  small 
pot.  Grow  them  on  as  fast  as  possible 


D.  cornigera,  (Brugmansia  Knighti)  in  the  flower  garden. 


to  Datura.  They  are  of  easy  cultiva- 
tion, and  soon  make  large  plants.  The 
best  way  of  growing  is  as  standards,  so 
that  their  long  drooping  flowers  may 
be  better  seen.  In  the  flower  garden  a 
sheltered  but  sunny  position  should  be 
chosen.  The  plants  may  be  safely 
put  out  about  the  end  of  May  in  good 
warm  soil.  When  in  a  house,  either  in 
tubs  or  in  the  border,  an  annual  priming 


keeping  them  to  the  one  stem  until  of 
good  height.  They  will  yield  a  few 
flowers  the  first  autumn  when  planted 
out,  but  as  they  get  older  they  flower 
more  profusely.  D.  suaveolens,  another 
good  white  variety,  is  a  profuse 
bloomer,  its  flowers  being  perhaps 
larger  than  those  of  D.  cornigera,  but 
single.  D.  sanguined  has  flowers  of  a 
deep  orange-yellow  tinged  with  green 


438        DAVIDIA.         THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN.         DELPHINIUM. 


towards  the  base  ;  it  does  not  flower 
quite  so  freely  as  the  white  kinds,  but 
should  be  grown  for  its  distinct  char- 
acter. 

DAVIDIA  INVOLUCRATA  (Bract 
Tree). — A  remarkable  tree  from  the 
mountains  of  C.  China,  where  the 
winters  are  severe,  it  has  proved  hardy 
in  this  country.  It  belongs  to  the 
Dogwood  family,  and  the  large  white 
bracts  are  more  showy  than  the 
flowers.  It  is  described  by  Dr  Henry 
as  a  large  tree,  bearing  thousands  of 
flowers,  which  are  most  peculiar. 
Inside  a  pair  of  white  bracts  about  the 
size  of  the  hand  is  a  head  of  red- 
anthered  stamens,  and  a  tree  in  full 
flower  is  a  marvellous  sight,  owing  to 
the  alternate  white  and  green  caused 
by  the  large  bracts  intermingling  with 
the  leaves.  Its  value  for  our  islands 
is  known,  and  a  subject  of  such  orna- 
ment and  distinction  merits  the  best 
positions  among  the  choice  trees  and 
shrubs. 

DECAISNEA.  —  Curious  ailantus- 
like  shrubs,  natives  of  mountain  woods, 
China,  and  India  ;  as  yet  little  known 
in  our  country,  but  deserving  of  a  place 
as  soon  as  they  can  be  obtained,  among 
rare  and  beautiful  shrubs.  The  leaves 
of  D.  Fargesi  are  pinnate  and  the 
flowers  not  showy,  but  the  fruits 
become  an  attractive  blue  in  autumn. 
Until  more  common,  cultivate  in  open 
free  soil  and  sheltered  places. 

DECUMARIA.— Two  species  of  this 
interesting  genus  are  in  cultivation  ; 
both  are  hardy,  and  useful  climbers  for 
walls  and  buildings.  D.  barbara,  a 
native  of  Carolina,  where  it  is  found 
in  shady  places  along  the  margins  of 
swamps,  is  a  very  elegant  plant.  The 
branches  cling  to  the  wall  by  small 
rootlets,  as  in  the  Ivy,  and  when 
allowed  to  ramble  at  will  are  very 
grotesque,  ascending  trees  or  walls 
to  a  considerable  height,  and  requiring 
no  nailing  and  little  attention.  The 
flowers  are  in  large  bunches  in  May 
and  June,  pure  white  and  fragrant, 
resembling  Hydrangea.,  D.  sinensis 
is  a  native  of  C.  China,  and  a  beauti- 
ful hardy  species.  It  is  a  climber,  and 
was  found  by  Dr  Henry  covering  the 
cliffs  of  the  Ichang  Gorge  with  clusters 
of  fragrant  white  flowers. 

DEINANTHE  CCERULEA.— An  in- 
teresting Chinese  plant  of  herbaceous 
habit,  when  happy  growing  to 
2  feet  in  height  and  over.  Large 
veined  cordate  leaves,  amongst  which 


nestle  the  double  round  flowers  of  a 
delicate  light  saxe-blue  colour.  It  is 
somewhat  precocious  to  grow,  and  the 
sun  must  not  reach  the  leaves, 
which  are  easily  scorched  and  checked, 
but  it  delights  in  surrounding  warmth, 
and  requires  moisture  when  growth 
starts  in  the  spring  and  throughout 
the  summer.  Place  it  in  leaf-mould, 
peat,  and  good  garden  soil  mixed 
together,  as  it  is  a  hungry  plant.  It  is 
worthy  of  care  and  attention. 

DELPHINIUM  (Larkspur}.  —  Few 
plants  contribute  so  much  to  the  beauty 
of  the  garden  as  these  fine  plants  of 
the  Crowfoot  order.  There  are  in 
cultivation  many  species,  both  annual 
and  perennial,  but  the  most  important 
are  the  tall  hybrid  perennials,  of  which 
there  are  many  varieties  with  a  won- 
derful range  of  lovely  colour.  They 
are  very  valuable  for  their  great  variety 
in  height,  from  i  to  10  feet ;  for  their 
greater  variety  in  shades  of  colour, 
which  range  from  almost  scarlet  to 
pure  white,  from  the  palest  and  most 
chaste  lavender  up  through  every 
conceivable  shade  of  blue  to  deep 
indigo  ;  and  for  the  variety  of  size 
and  form  of  their  individual  blooms, 
some  of  which  are  single,  some  semi- 
double,  and  some  perfectly  double, 
and  all  set  on  spikes  ranging  from  i 
to  6  feet  in  length.  About  a  dozen 
species  have  given  rise  to  the 
cultivated  varieties,  the  chief  species 
being  D.  grandiflorum,  formosum, 
lasiostachyum,  cheilanthum,  elatum, 
and  peregrinum. 

The  combinations  in  which  they  can 
be  placed  are  numerous.  They  are 
splendid  objects  in  various  positions, 
and  may  be  used  in  various  ways — in 
the  mixed  border,  in  masses  or  groups 
in  one  or  several  colours,  or  associated 
with  other  flowering  plants  or  with 
shrubs.  Perennial  Larkspurs  thrive 
in  almost  any  situation  or  soil  ;  they 
are  easily  increased,  and  are  quite 
hardy.  A  deep,  friable  loam,  enriched 
with  rotten  manure,  is  a  good  soil  for 
them,  but  they  will  grow  well  in  a  hot 
sandy  soil  if  it  be  heavily  manured  and 
watered.  Every  three  or  four  years 
they  should  be  replanted  and  divided, 
preferably  in  spring,  just  as  they  are 
starting  into  growth,  or  in  summer  ;  if  it 
is  done  in  summer,  cut  down  the  plants 
intended  foi  division,  and  let  them 
remain  for  a  fortnight  after  flowering 
until  they  start  afresh  ;  then  carefully 
divide  and  replant  them,  shading  and 
watering  until  they  are  established. 


DELPHINIUM.        THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        DELPHINIUM.        439 


Late  autumn  division  is  not  advisable. 
Delphiniums  can  be  made  to  bloom 
for  several  months  by  continually 
cutting  off  the  spikes  immediately  after 
they  have  done  flowering.  If  the 
central  spike  be  removed,  the  side 
shoots  will  flower,  and  by  thus  cutting 
off  the  old  flowers  before  they  form 


Delphinium. 

seeds  we  cause  fresh  shoots  to  issue 
from  the  base,  and  to  keep  up  a 
succession  of  bloom.  Another  plan  is 
to  let  the  shoots  remain  intact  until 
all  have  nearly  done  flowering,  and 
then  to  cut  the  entire  plant  to  the 
ground,  when  in  about  three  weeks 
there  will  be  a  fresh  bloom.  In  this 
case,  however,  to  keep  the  plants  from 
becoming  exhausted,  they  must  have 
a  heavy  dressing  of  manure  or  manure- 
water.  Top-dressings  keep  the  soil 


cool  and  moist,  give  the  plants  a 
healthier  growth,  increase  the  number, 
and  improve  the  quality  of  the  flowers. 

The  following  is  a  selection  of  the 
good  kinds  : — Belladonna  grandiflora, 
Blue  King,  Capri,  China  Blue,  Con- 
spicua,  formosum,  Lamatino,  Mcer- 
heimi  (valuable  pure  white),  Mr  J.  S. 
Brunton,  Persimmon,  Queen  Mary, 
Twertonia,  and  Royal  Blue.  Double 
Varieties. — Ampere,  Col.  Sir  Wynd- 
ham  Murray,  Chantry  Queen,  Dusky 
Monarch,  Elsie,  Harry  Smetham, 
James  W.  Kelway,  King  of  Del- 
phiniums, Lavanda,  Le  Danube,  Lizzie 
Van  Veen,  Monarch  of  All,  Mrs  A.  J. 
Watson,  Mrs  Colin  M'lver,  Mrs  H. 
Kaye,  Mrs  Shirley,  Perfection,  Queen 
Wilhelmina,  Robert  Cox,  Rev.  E. 
Lacelles,  Statuaire  Rude,  The  Alake, 
Willy  O'Breen,  Walter  T.  Ware.  The 
beautiful  old  double  variety  D.  grandi- 
florumfl.-pl.  is  one  of  the  most  charming 
of  border  plants. 

The  best  of  the  numerous  perennial 
species  distinct  from  the  hybrids  are : 
D.  cashmerianum,  with  flowers  nearly 
as  large  as  those  of  D.  formosum,  and 
with  stems  about  15  inches  in  height. 
D.  cashmerianum  is  well  suited  for  the 
border  or  for  a  large  rockery  ;  in  either 
case  perfect  drainage  is  essential,  and 
this  is  best  attained  in  rock  garden 
culture.  Its  branches  have  a  prostrate 
habit,  apparently  adapting  it  to  such 
conditions.  It  is  best  increased  from 
seed.  D.  cardinale  is  a  beautiful 
species  of  tall  growth,  hav  ng  bright 
scarlet  flowers,  like  those  of  D. 
nudicaule.  It  blossoms  later  in  sum- 
mer, and  continues  longer  in  flower 
than  D.  nudicaule,  owing  in  part  to 
its  slower  development.  It  is  a  most 
desirable  plant,  and  as  hardy  as  D. 
nudicaule.  Seedlings  will  probably  not 
flower  till  the  second  season.  In  very 
damp  soil  it  would  be  prudent  in  winter 
to  protect  the  root  with  a  hand-light 
or  inverted  pot.  £>.  chinense  is  distinct 
from  other  Larkspurs,  and  is  neat  and 
rather  dwarf  in  growth,  having  finely 
cut  feathery  foliage,  and  freely  pro- 
ducing spikes  of  large  blossoms,  usually 
of  a  rich  blue-purple,  but  sometimes 
white.  It  is  a  good  perennial,  is  easily 
raised  from  seed,  and  continues  to 
flower  throughout  the  summer  till  late 
in  autumn.  It  is  suited  for  borders 
and  beds.  D.  nudicaule  has  scarlet 
blossoms,  a  dwarf,  compact,  branching 
growth,  a  hardy  constitution,  and  a 
free  blooming  habit,  i  to  3  feet  high. 
The  flowers  are  in  loose  spikes,  each 


440        DELPHINIUM.        THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        DELPHINIUM. 


blossom  being  about  i  inch  in  length  ; 
the  colour  varies  from  light  scarlet  to 
a  shade  verging  closely  on  crimson, 
and  when  seen  in  the  open  air,  especi- 
ally in  sunshine,  dazzles  the  eye  by 
its  brilliancy.  D.  nudicaule  is  per- 
fectly hardy,  and  commences  growth 
so  early  that  it  may  almost  be  termed 
a  spring  flower,  but  it  may  be  had  in 
bloom  during  several  of  the  summer 
months,  and  is  handsome  for  warm 
borders.  Although  somewhat  apt  to 
damp  off  on  level  ground,  it  is  a  per- 
ennial on  raised  ground,  and  keeps  up 
a  succession  of  bloom.  Seed. 

THE  ANNUAL  LARKSPURS. — In  these 
hardy  annuals  there  is  also  a  wealth 
of  beauty  for  the  summer  garden,  and 
we  have  a  host  of  beautiful  sorts  with 
a  wide  range  of  colour.  There  is  great 
diversity,  too,  in  the  habit  of  growth, 
some  being  as  dwarf  as  a  Hyacinth, 
others  3  or  4^  feet  high,  others  with  a 
branching  habit  resembling  a  candela- 
brum. The  species  which  have  given 
rise  to  these  varieties  are  D.  Ajacis 
(Rocket  Larkspur)  and  D.  Consolida. 
D.  Ajacis  has  the  flowers  in  long,  loose 
spikes  forming  an  erect  and  spreading 
panicle,  the  stem  vigorous  with  open 
spreading  branches.  All  the  varieties 
of  the  Rocket  Larkspur  may  be 
arranged  in  three  great  groups : — 
(i)  D.  Ajacis  majus  (large  Larkspur). — 
The  stem  of  this  is  single,  and  varies 
in  height,  from  3  to  4  feet  6  inches  ; 
the  flowers  double,  in  a  long,  single, 
and  compact  spike,  generally  rounded 
off  at  the  extremity.  This  kind  has 
given  the  following  varieties — white, 
flesh-coloured,  rose,  mauve,  or  puce- 
coloured,  pale  violet,  violet,  ash- 
coloured,  claret,  and  brown.  (2)  D. 
Ajacis  minus  (dwarf  Larkspur). — The 
stem  of  this  is  from  20  to  24  inches  in 
height,  and  is  even  shorter  when  the 
plant  is  sown  thickly  or  in  dry  or  poor 
soils.  The  flowers  are  very  double, 
and  in  a  single  well-furnished  spike, 
usually  cylindrical,  and  rounded  off  at 
the  extremity,  but  rarely  tapering. 
The  principal  varieties  are — white, 
mother-of-pearl,  flesh  colour,  rose, 
mauve,  pale  mauve,  peach  blossom, 
light  violet,  violet,  blue -violet,  pale 
blue,  ash-grey,  brown,  light  brown, 
white  striped  with  rose,  white  striped 
with  grey,  rose  and  white,  and  flax- 
coloured  and  white.  (3)  D.  Ajacis 
hyacinthiflorum  (dwarf  Hyacinth  - 
flowered  Larkspur). — The  varieties  of 
this  group  have  been  raised  in  Belgium 
and  Germany.  They  do  not  differ 


from  other  kinds  in  form  of  flower, 
but  only  in  the  spike  on  which  the 
flowers  are  set,  being  more  tapering, 
and  the  flowers  farther  apart  than 
those  of  the  two  previously  mentioned 
groups.  There  is  a  strain  called  the 
tall  Hyacinth  Larkspur.  Other  strains 
mentioned  in  catalogues  are  the  Ranun- 
culus-flowered (rannnculiflorum]  and 
the  Stock-flowered,  both  of  which  are 
worth  cultivating. 

D,  Consolida  (branched  Larkspur). — 
This  species  has  branching  stems  and 
beautiful  violet-blue  flowers  hung  on 
slender  stalks,  and  coming  later  than 
those  of  D.  Ajacis.  It  embraces 
several  varieties,  both  single  and 
double,  all  of  which  may  be  reproduced 
from  seed.  The  principal  sorts  are 
white,  flesh  colour,  red,  lilac,  violet, 
flaxen,  and  variegated.  The  varieties 
especially  worthy  of  cultivation  are 
candelabrum,  bearing  pyramidal  spikes 
of  flowers  of  various  colours  ;  and  the 
Emperor  varieties,  of  symmetrical  bushy 
habit,  which  form  compact  and  well- 
proportioned  specimens,  i|  feet  high 
by  3^  feet  in  circumference,  doubleness 
of  flowers  possessing  great  constancy. 
There  are  three  colours — viz.,  dark 
blue,  tri-coloured,  and  red-striped.  In 
D.  tricolor  elegans  the  flowers  are 
rose-coloured,  streaked  with  blue  or 
purple,  and  about  3  feet  high. 

Annual  Larkspurs  should  be  sown 
where  they  are  to  remain  at  any 
time  after  February  when  the  weather 
permits  —  usually  in  March  and 
April.  They  may  also  be  sown  in 
September  and  October,  and  even 
later  when  the  ground  is  not  frozen, 
but  the  produce  of  winter  sowing  is 
liable  to  be  devoured  by  slugs  and 
grubs.  The  sowing  may  be  made 
either  broadcast  or  in  rows  4  inches  to 
8  inches  apart,  and  the  plants  should 
stand  4  inches  or  5  inches  asunder. 
The  branching  varieties  may  be  sown 
in  reserve  beds,  and  in  March  when 
about  12  inches  or  16  inches  high  should 
be  transferred  to  the  flower-beds,  lifted 
carefully  with  balls  of  earth  round 
the  roots,  so  that  they  may  not  suffer. 
These  branching  varieties  are  well 
suited  for  the  garden,  either  in  masses 
of  one  colour  or  of  various  colours. 
They  may  be  planted  in  borders  or 
among  shrubs  thinly  planted.  Azure 
Fairy  and  Blue  Butterfly  are  very 
beautiful  sorts.  Larkspurs  are  at  their 
best  in  June  and  July.  Sown  in  March, 
a  succession  is  obtained  into  Septem- 
ber. 


DENDROMECON.       THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        DEUTZIA. 


441 


DENDROMECON          RIGIDUM 

(Shrubby  Poppy). — A  handsome  half- 
shrubby  Poppy  bearing  yellow  flowers 
and  glaucous  grey  leaves  ;  a  little  ten- 
der, and  one  that  requires  a  warm  wall 
and  some  protection  in  winter.  In 
the  extreme  south  it  may  thrive  in  the 
open.  Best  in  free,  warm  loam.  Cali- 
fornia. Seeds  are  not  abundantly 
produced,  but  the  plants  may  be 
increased  from  cuttings  of  half-matured 
shoots  in  summer,  but  it  often  perishes, 
and  seeds  should  give  the  most  enduring 
plants. 

Dentaria.     See  CARDAMINE. 

DESFONTAINEA.— In  favoured  gat- 
dens  along  the  southern  coast,  and  in 
other  mild  parts,  -D.  spinosa,  a  very 
beautiful  evergreen  shrub  from  Chili, 
can  be  grown  and  flowered  out  of  doors. 
It  is  of  moderate  growth,  having  foliage 
very  much  like  the  Holly,  and  hand- 
some flowers  in  the  form  of  a  tube  of 
bright  scarlet  tipped  with  yellow.  It 
usually  flowers  about  the  end  of  sum- 
mer, and  in  some  parts,  as  at  Abbots- 
bury  and  in  Devonshire,  it  blooms 
profusely,  thriving  in  a  light  loamy 
soil,  and  even  round  the  coasts  as  far 
as  the  north  of  Ireland,  but  once  a 
few  miles  from  the  protection  of  the 
sea  air  it  ceases  to  thrive  and  perishes, 
and  is  therefore  only  of  most  value 
on  seashore  or  hill  districts. 

DESMODIUM  (Tick  Trefoil).  —  A 
few  of  the  N.  American  species  are 
cultivated,  but  their  weedy  appearance 
prevents  their  general  culture.  These 
are  D.  canadense,  marilandicum,  and 
Dilleni,  all  from  2  to  4  feet  high,  with 
slender  stems,  terminated  by  dense 
racemes  of  small  purplish  flowers.  D. 
penduliflorum  is  a  really  pretty  shrub, 
and  hardy  if  the  stems  are  annually 
cut  down,  with  graceful  shoots,  bearing 
along  their  upper  portions  numerous 
rich  violet-purple  blossoms  in  Sep- 
tember. It  is  the  name  by  which  the 
beautiful  Lespedeza  bicolor  is  generally 
known.  It  is  a  slender  shrub,  graceful 
when  in  flower,  6  feet  or  more  in 
height,  bearing  drooping  racemes  of 
small  Pea-shaped  flowers  of  a  carmine- 
purple  colour.  China  and  Japan. 

DEUTZIA.— Hardy,  summer-leafing 
shrubs  of  high  value  for  the  garden, 
requiring  no  special  attention,  and  of 
varied  character,  owing  to  hybrids 
having  been  raised  by  M.  Lemoine  and 
others,  and  species  newly  introduced 
from  China.  These  shrubs  deserve  a 
better  fate  than  that  of  the  common 


shrubbery,  mixed  up  with  all  sorts  of 
things  of  different  natures  and  sizes, 
and  should  be  grouped  by  themselves. 
They  thrive  in  ordinary  soils,  and 
when  pruned  should  not  be  reduced  to 
mopheadedness  by  cutting  back,  but 
only  old  and  exhausted  wood  should 
be  cut  out,  the  natural  forms  of  the 
plants  being  kept.  It  is  better  not  to 
prune  at  all  than  to  hack  them  into 
ugly  shapes.  They  ought  to  have  a 
good  position  among  choice  shrubs  on 
banks  or  on  masses. 

D.  CORYMBIFLORA. — Forms  a  shrub 
from  4  to  5  feet  high,  the  young  shoots 
erect  and  clothed  with  bronzy-green  bark. 
The  mature  growths  of  the  previous  year 
carry  massive  clusters  of  white  flowers, 
with  often  from  50  to  100  buds,  and 
expanded  blooms  opening  in  summer. 
Though  a  promising  shrub  in  some  parts 
of  France,  it  in  this  country  appears  to  be 
too  tender  to  prove  valuable.  This  is  the 
D.  corymbosa  of  gardens,  and  D.  setchuensis 
of  Franchet.  China. 

D.  CRENATA. — Reaches  a  height  of 
6  to  10  feet,  the  flowers  in  erect  thyrses, 
each  flower  composed  of  five  pointed 
petals.  Chief  among  its  varieties  are 
D.  crenata,  flore  punlces,  whose  double 
white  flowers  are  shaded  with  rosy-purple 
on  the  exterior  ;  alba  plena,  candidissima 
plena,  and  Pride  of  Rochester,  for  the 
three  are  almost,  if  not  quite,  identical  ; 
Watereri,  white,  flushed  with  rosy-lilac  on 
the  outside  ;  and  Wellsii,  a  double  white 
flower,  but  in  habit  quite  different  from 
the  other  white  forms. 

D.  DISCOLOR. — The  true  plant  is  a 
charming  little  shrub  with  arching,  wand- 
like  shoots  of  2  to  3  feet,  crowded  from 
base  to  tip  with  clusters  of  rose-flushed 
white  flowers,  each  three-quarters  of  an 
inch  across.  At  present  a  rare  plant, 
D.  discolor  is  represented  in  our  gardens 
by  the  variety  purpuvascens,  which  is  a 
more  vigorous  plant  than  the  wild  form, 
reaching  a  height  of  3  to  4  feet,  with  slender 
rounded  stems  of  a  bronzy-green  or  red 
colour,  covered  with  little  starry  scales. 
The  flowers,  six  to  eight  in  a  cluster,  are 
rosy-purple  on  the  outside,  showing  within 
as  a  pretty  flush  ;  the  buds  are  of  a  car- 
mine tint. 

D.  DISCOLOR  FLORIBUNDA. — The  other 
parent  of  this  was  D.  gracilis,  but  it  shows 
more  of  the  influence  of  D.  discolor.  It 
forms  a  somewhat  erect-growing  little 
shrub  that  flowers  freely  ;  the  blossoms 
in  erect  panicles,  white,  with  a  rosy  flush 
on  the  outer  petals  and  buds. 

D.  DISCOLOR  GRANDIFLORA. In  this  the 

influence  of  D.  gracilis  is  shown  in  the 
long  leaves  borne  upon  stiffly  erect  shoots. 
The  flower  panicles  are  longer  than  in 
D.  purpurasctns,  and  the  rosy-tinted 


442 


DEUTZIA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


DIANTHUS. 


flowers  themselves  larger,  covering  the 
stems  throughout  their  length. 

D.  GRACILIS. — Between  this  and  D. 
discolor  purpurascens,  M.  Lemoine  has 
raised  a  number  of  hybrids,  two  of  which 
have  been  just  dealt  with.  The  following, 
however,  of  the  same  parentage,  are  so 
much  more  nearly  related  to  D.  gracilis 
that  they  may  well  be  regarded  as  varieties 
of  that  well-known  species. 

D.      GRACILIS      CAMPANULATA. This      IS 

taller  than  the  others  of  its  class,  and 
bears  long  sprays  of  large  milk-white 
flowers,  which  are  bell-shaped  and  borne 
on  dark  coloured  stems. 

D.  GRACILIS  ROSEA. — A  dense  shrub  a 
yard  or  more  in  height,  hardy,  and  free- 
flowering.  Its  growth  is  erect,  with  small 
narrow  leaves,  and  upright  sprays  of  open 
bell-shaped  flowers,  rosy-grey  on  the  out- 
side and  soft  carmine  within. 

D.  KALM^EFLORA. — A  hybrid  3  to  4  feet 
high,  flowering  towards  the  end  of  May 
in  spreading  clusters  of  a  pale  silvery-rose 
colour,  deepening  towards  the  edges  of 
the  waved  petals.  The  outside  of  the 
petals  and  the  buds  are  of  a  bright  rose- 
lake  tint,  while  the  peculiarity  to  which 
the  plant  owes  its  name  is  the  ring  of 
petal-like  stamens  forming  a  raised  disc 
in  the  centre  of  the  flower. 

D.  LEMOINEI  APPLE  BLOSSOM. — An 
erect  shrub,  2  feet  high,  laden  with  rounded 
clusters  of  twenty  to  thirty  flowers, 
springing  erect  from  every  joint.  The 
petals  fold  back  prettily,  with  margins 
fringed  and  waved,  passing  from  rose  in 
the  bud  to  blush-pink,  becoming  white 
when  fully  expanded. 

D.  LEMOINEI  AVALANCHE. — In  this  the 
stems  are  densely  clothed  with  small  dark 
green  leaves  and  a  profusion  of  crowded 
flower  clusters,  whose  weight  causes  the 
stems  to  arch  over  in  a  pleasing  manner. 
The  flowers  are  of  medium  size,  and  it  is 
hardy. 

D.  LEMOINEI  ROSEBALL. — A  counter- 
part of  the  last,  save  in  the  flowers,  which, 
opening  towards  the  end  of  May,  are  of  a 
blush-pink  with  yellow  stamens,  the  red 
flush  deepening  at  the  edges  and  on  the 
outside  of  the  petals. 

D.  LEMOINEI  SNOWBALL. — Nearer  to 
D.  parviflora  than  its  other  parent,  the 
flowers  of  this  are  mostly  borne  at  the 
tips  of  the  branches  in  compact  rounded 
heads.  Individually  they  are  of  great 
substance,  with  wavy  petals,  and  in  colour 
creamy-white,  relieved  by  stamens  and 
disc  of  pale  yellow. 

D.  LONGIFOLIA. — One  of  the  new 
Chinese  species,  and,  like  all  the  Deutzias, 
very  free-flowering.  The  shoots  are  dis- 
posed in  a  graceful  arching  manner,  and 
the  flowers,  which  are  borne  in  rounded 
clusters,  are  of  a  pretty  blush-mauve  tint 
when  first  expanded,  but  afterwards  be- 
come almost  white.  The  central  cluster 


of  yellow  stamens  forms  a  noticeable 
feature.  It  is  said  to  force  well. 

D.  MYRIANTHA. — The  massive  flower 
clusters  of  this  open  early  in  June,  the 
blooms  each  three-quarters  of  an  inch 
wide  and  of  snowy  whiteness,  save  for  the 
pale  yellow  stamens.  From  the  period 
at  which  it  flowers  this  forms  a  valuable 
succession  to  those  just  named,  while,  in 
addition,  it  is  perfectly  hardy. 

D.  PARVIFLORA. — This  species,  which 
has  played  a  part  in  the  production  of 
some  of  the  varieties  above  named,  is  in 
itself  a  handsome  shrub  of  4  to  5  feet,  its 
erect  stems  being  crowned  in  spring  by 
flattened  clusters  of  flowers,  suggestive  of 
those  of  the  Hawthorn.  The  manner  in 
which  the  bark  peels  away  in  bands  from 
the  older  stems  is  characteristic  of  this 
kind.  It  flowers  in  April  and  May,  and 
it  is  by  no  means  proof  against  spring 
frosts. 

D.  SCABRA. — To  M.  Lemoine  we  owe 
the  reintroduction  of  this  scarce  shrub, 
the  true  D.  scabra,  a  name  often  errone- 
ously applied  in  gardens  to  D.  crenata. 
The  true  D.  scabra,  which  is  from  Japan, 
flowers  about  the  middle  of  May,  and  is 
sometimes  injured  by  late  frosts.  The 
shrub  itself  is  a  rather  loose  grower,  while 
the  flowers  borne  in  spike-like  clusters 
are  each  about  half  an  inch  across,  and 
of  snowy  whiteness  with  yellow  stamens. 

D.  VEITCHI. — A  very  promising  Deutzia, 
whose  flowers,  borne  very  freely,  are  of  a 
deep  pink  when  fully  expanded,  but  rich 
rose  in  the  bud  state.  About  an  inch 
across,  with  a  central  cluster  of  yellow 
stamens.  It  appears  to  be  later  in  bloom- 
ing than  some  of  the  other  Deutzias,  and 
should  prove  of  considerable  value  to  the 
hybridist. 

D.  VILMORIN.E. — A  new  kind  of  con- 
siderable promise,  native  of  China.  It 
bids  fair  to  attain  a  height  of  5  to  6  feet, 
while  the  flowers,  at  their  best  in  the  early 
part  of  June,  are  disposed  20  to  35  together 
in  large  clusters,  which,  at  first  erect, 
become  afterwards,  from  their  weight, 
partially  drooping.  This,  though  charm- 
ing from  the  graceful  habit  of  the  plant 
and  its  bloom,  has  yet  to  be  tested  as  to 
its  value  in  the  open  air  in  this  country. 

D.  WILSONI. — A  handsome  shrub  from 
W.  China,  introduced  by  Wilson  in  1901. 
The  large  flowers  are  white  and  borne  in 
corymbose  panicles.  The  leaves,  4  to 
5  inches  long,  are  ovate  oblong,  dull  green 
above  and  grey  beneath. 

DIANTHUS  (Pink).  —  Plants  of 
the  highest  garden  value,  containing 
several  of  our  finest  families  of  hardy 
flowers — the  Carnation,  Pink,  and 
Sweet  William  —  besides  numerous 
alpine  and  rock  plants  that  are 
among  the  most  charming  of  mountain 
plants.  Many  of  the  species  are 


DIANTHUS.  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         DIANTHUS.         443 


plants  of  the  heath,  dry  meadow,  or 
maritime  Alps  ;  or  shore  plants,  such 
as  the  Fringed  Pink  (D.  superbus)  ; 
and,  so  far  as  our  climate  is  concerned, 
they  are  almost  at  home  in  lowland 
gardens.  On  the  other  hand,  some 
are  among  the  very  highest  alpine 
plants,  like  the  Glacier  Pink  and  the 
Alpine  Pink. 


in  a  fully  exposed  spot,  and  carefully 
guarded  against  drought,  especially  when 
recently  planted.  It  is  not  difficult  to 
increase  from  seed,  and  it  comes  true  ; 
and  it  may  be  also  increased  by  division. 
Alps  of  Austria. 

D.  BARBATUS  (Sweet  William). — One  of 
the  most  admired  of  garden  flowers.,  hardy 
and  vigorous,  with  a  profusion  of  bright 
flowers. 


Deutzia  pann ; flora. 


The  following  is  a  selection  of  the 
best  species  for  gardens : — 

D.  ALPINUS  (Alpine  Pink). — A  beautiful 
and  distinct  plant,  distinguished  at  a 
glance  from  any  other  cultivated  Pink  by 
blunt-pointed,  shining  green  leaves.  The 
stems  bear  in  summer  solitary  circular 
flowers  of  deep  rose  spotted  with  crimson, 
and  when  the  plant  is  in  good  health  they 
are  so  numerous  as  to  hide  the  leaves.  In 
poor,  moist,  and  very  sandy  loam  this- 
Pink  thrives,  and  forms  a  dwarf  carpet, 
though  the  flower-stems  are  little  more 
than  i  inch  in  height  ;  but  both  leaves 
and  stems  are  much  more  vigorous  and 
tall  in  deep,  moist,  peaty  soil.  Wire- 
worms  cause  its  death  more  frequently 
than  unsuitable  soil.  It  should  be  placed 


The  Sweet  William  has  been  greatly 
improved  of  late  years,  and  the  old 
varieties  are  surpassed.  The  colours 
vary,  and  they  may  be  classed  under 
two  heads — dark  and  light  kinds.  Of 
the  latter  there  is  a  strain  known  as  the 
Auricula-eyed,  the  blooms  of  which 
have  a  clear  white  eye  in  a  setting  of 
red  or  purple,  or  some  other  rich  dark 
colour.  The  finest  strain  is  usually 
found  where  year  after  year  care  has 
been  exercised  in  selecting  only  the 
finest  flowers,  with  the  largest  trusses 
and  most  various  markings.  The  only 
self-coloured  flowers  are  those  of  pure 
white,  pink,  or  crimson  ;  all  the  others 
are  parti -coloured  or  variously  marked, 


444         DIANTHUS.         THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


DI  AN  THUS. 


some  very  prettily  mottled,  others 
more  or  less  edged  with  white  or  pale 
pink. 

Their  culture  is  very  simple.  Sow 
the  seed  in  April,  in  a  well-prepared 
bed  in  a  sunny  spot,  transplanting 
when  they  are  large  enough,  about 
6  inches  apart,  in  good  soil.  About 
the  end  of  September  transplant  them 
to  their  permanent  quarters,  and  in  the 
following  summer  they  will  bloom. 
Plant  out  in  light  loam,  dressed  only 
with  a  little  leaf-mould  or  loam  from 
rotted  turfs,  placing  the  seedlings  so 
that  a  few  of  the  lower  joints  are  under 
the  soil.  Sweet  Williams  may  also  be 
propagated  by  cuttings  taken  off  in 
early  summer,  but  good  kinds  from 


Dianthus  alpinus  (Alpine  Pink). 

seed  are  best;  for  the  main  stems, 
which  should  rise  for  bloom,  creep 
along  the  ground,  and  throw  up  from 
every  joint  shoots  suitable  for  cuttings  ; 
and  a  little  sheaf  of  cuttings  may  be 
taken  from  the  tips  of  the  main  stems, 
so  that  each  plant  would  furnish  over 
a  hundred  cuttings. 

Double-flowered  kinds,  as  a  rule,  are 
not  desirable,  except  the  double  dwarf 
magnificus,  the  deep  velvety  crimson 
flowers  of  which  are  the  finest  among 
the  double  kinds  :  the  large  heads  of 
flower  are  numerous,  the  colour  is  rich 
and  effective,  it  is  a  dwarf,  vigorous 
grower,  and  soon  forms  a  strong  tuft. 
The  Sweet  William  is  easily  naturalised 
in  woods  or  copses  by  simply  scattering 
the  seed  in  barish  spots,  using  any 
single  kinds. 


D.  c^sius  (Cheddar  Pink). — One  of  the 
prettiest  of  the  dwarf  Pinks,  the  fragrant 
and  rosy  flowers  appearing  in  spring,  on 
stems  6  inches  high.  In  winter  it  perishes 
in  the  ordinary  border,  while  quite  happy 
on  an  old  wall.  It  is  a  native  of  Europe 
and  Britain  (the  rocks  at  Cheddar,  in 
Somersetshire).  To  establish  it  on  the 
top  or  any  part  of  an  old  wall,  sow  the 
seeds  on  the  wall  in  a  little  cushion  of 
Moss,  if  such  exists,  or,  if  not,  place  a  little 
earth  in  a  chink  with  the  seed,  and  it  may 
also  be  grown  upon  the  rock  garden  in 
firm,  calcareous,  or  gritty  earth,  placed  in 
a  chink  between  two  small  rocks. 

D.  CAL-ALPINUS. — A  hybrid  of  D.  calli- 
zonus  and  D.  alpinus,  and  one  of  the  best 
of  the  dwarf  alpine  set.  The  handsome 
flowers  are  of  rosy  crimson  with  a  darker 
central  zone. 

D.  FREYNII  (Microlepsis),  from  Hungary, 
is  a  minute-growing  kind  of  2  inches  high  ; 
the  flowers  are  pink.  Suited  for  rock 
walls,  crevices,  or  the  moraine. 

D.  SUB-ACAULIS. — Also  a  minute-grow- 
ing species  having  glaucous  tufts  an  inch 
high,  covered  in  its  day  with  pale  pink 
flowers.  Dauphiny. 

D.  CARYOPHYLLUS  (Carnation). — This 
beautiful  flower,  so  much  loved  in  all 
countries  where  it  can  be  grown,  both 
under  glass  and  in  the  open  air,  is  derived 
from  a  wild  Dianthus  of  W.  Europe  and 
the  Alps,  which,  as  regards  our  own 
country,  is  wild  on  Norman  castles  such 
as  Rochester.  From  very  early  days  it 
seems  to  have  been  a  favourite  flower,  as 
in  Dutch  pictures  nearly  three  hundred 
years  old  the  Carnation,  mostly  in  its 
striped  forms,  is  shown  in  perfection.  At 
a  very  early  date  the  Carnation  was 
divided  into  four  classes,  viz.,  Flakes, 
Bizarres,  Picotees,  and  Painted  Ladies. 
The  Flakes  had  two  colours  only,  the 
stripes  going  the  whole  length  of  the 
petals.  Bizarres  (from  the  French,  mean- 
ing odd  or  irregular)  were  spotted  or 
striped  with  three  distinct  colours.  Pico- 
tees  (from  the  French  piquoUe]  had  a 
white  ground  with  additional  colours  in 
spots,  giving  the  flowers  the  appearance 
of  being  dusted  with  colour.  Painted 
Ladies  had  the  under  side  of  the  petals 
white  and  the  upper  side  red  or  purple,  so 
laid  on  as  to  appear  as  if  really  painted. 
Unfortunately  this  class  has  so  entirely 
disappeared  that  many  growers  are  not 
aware  that  it  ever  existed.  The  first  two 
classes  still  remain  unchanged  ;  but  the 
Picotee,  instead  of  being  spotted,  has  the 
colours  confined  to  the  edge  of  the  petals, 
and  any  spot  on  the  ground  colour  (which 
may  be  either  white  or  yellow)  would 
detract  from  the  merits  of  the  flower  as 
an  exhibition  flower. 

Another  class,  too  long  neglected, 
consists  of  self-colouredL  kinds.  A 
familiar  type  is  the  old  Crimson  Clove, 


DIANTHUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


DIANTHUS. 


445 


a  sweet  and  lovely  thing,  which  may 
be  had  also  in  several  different  shades 
of  self-colour.  The  florists  of  the  old 
school  did  not  pay  much  attention 
to  self-coloured  Carnations,  and  till 
recently  there  was  a  scarcity  of  fine 
varieties.  We  may  now  have  them 
in  all  shades  of  colour.  They  combine 
hardiness  and  vigour  with  free  bloom- 
ing and  great  effect.  For  the  flower 
garden  they  are  the  most  important. 
They  should  be  grown  in  bold  groups 
or  simple  masses  associated  with  Roses 
or  choice  hardy  flowers. 

The  Tree  or  perpetual  flowering 
Carnation  is  valuable  as  a  pot  plant ; 
or,  if  planted  out  in  a  greenhouse 
border,  it  produces  flowers  in  winter 
and  spring,  when  none  can  be  had  out 
of  doors.  The  most  popular  of  this 
class  is  Souvenir  de  la  Malmaison,  with 
large  cream-coloured  blossoms  and 
delightful  fragrance,  and  from  this 
have  been  obtained  many  new  and 
beautiful  colours  ;  so  that,  with  these 
and  other  varieties,  there  is  now  no 
difficulty  in  obtaining  all  colours,  from 
pure  white  to  bright  scarlet. 

We  have  had  the  greatest  success 
with  fine  selfs  that  combine  hardiness 
with  good  form  and  colour,  and,  what 
is  more  precious,  a  perpetual  blooming 
habit.  Nothing  could  be  better  than 
Countess  of  Paris,  Carolus  Duran, 
Colin  de  Harville,  Mad  Roland,  Murillo, 
Mme.  Lafausse,  Mdlle.  Rouselle,  Vero- 
nica, Jenny  Lind,  Comte  de  Melbourne, 
and  Flora."  Of  English  kinds  the  only 
one  we  have  had  to  equal  the  preceding 
is  Alice,  a  white  self  of  perfect  form 
and  a  perpetual  bloomer.  Some  stan- 
dard kinds  of  the  present  are  :  Beau 
Nash,  Border  Yellow,  Bookham  Clove, 
Gordon  Douglas,  The  King,  Bookham 
White,  Innocence,  Fujiyama,  Mrs 
Eliot  Douglas.  The  Grey  Douglas, 
Daffodil,  Elizabeth  Shiffner,  Hercules, 
Lawrence,  Linkman,  Lord  Steyne, 
Mephisto,  Miss  Willmott,  Pasquin, 
Ruby,  Pink  Beauty,  Solfaterre,  Ketton 
Rose,  Purple  Emperor,  Rose  Celestial, 
Mary  Morris,  Roy  Moms  (scarlet), 
Trojan  (white),  George  Maquay  (white), 
Mrs  Sudway  (dark  red),  Robinson 
Suisse  (rosy),  Raby  Castle  (rose),  Lady 
Hermione  '(salmon),  Crimson  Clove 
(not  the  old  Clove),  Redskin  (red), 
Mephisto  (rich  velvety  claret),  Suisse 
Seedling  (pale  rose),  and  Fred  Vaughan 
(striped  red  and  dark). 

The  soil  has  a  marked  influence  upon 
Carnations.  In  very  light,  hot  soils, 
as  in  Surrey,  they  cannot  be  grown 


well  at  all.  They  want  a  loamy  soil, 
calcareous  loams  being  the  best.  In 
these  they  make  a  harder  growth,  and 
stand  two  or  more  years,  spreading 
into  great  tufts  and  bushes. 

CULTURE  FOR  BEDS  AND  BORDERS. — 
For  this  purpose  no  type  of  plant  sur- 
passes well-rooted  layers.  To  obtain 
these  the  layering  must  be  done  in 
July,  when  the  young  plants  will  be 
ready  for  their  permanent  quarters  by 
the  end  of  September.  At  that  season 
the  soil  is  usually  warm  and  in  good 
condition,  and  the  plants  quickly  take 
to  their  new  positions.  Planting  must 
be  firmly  done,  and  the  plants  bedded 
in  the  soil  right  up  to  the  lowest  leaves. 
The  border  Carnation  prefers  loam  of 
a  good  holding  type  which  is  also 
moderately  sandy.  Chalky  and  cal- 
careous loams  are  the  best,  and  where 
these  are  not  at  hand  ceiling  plaster  or 
old  mortar  rubble  may  be  added  freely 
to  the  soil.  In  light,  sandy,  and 
gravelly  soils  the  Carnation  is  rarely 
happy,  and  where  these  obtain,  clay 
soil,  if  added  to  the  extent  of  one- third, 
will  materially  benefit.  Air-slaked 
lime  may  also  be  added  to  such  soils 
with  decided  advantage.  Whilst  the 
Carnation  prefers  a  soil  of  moderate 
richness,  the  excessive  use  of  manure 
is  abhorrent  to  it.  Bone-meal  worked 
into  the  soil  prior  to  planting  is  useful 
and  enduring,  or  a  dressing  of  steamed 
bone-flour  and  superphosphate  of  lime 
mixed  in  equal  parts  may  be  given  in 
March  and  pricked  lightly  into  the 
soil  between  the  plants.  This  latter 
is  excellent,  and  while  gently  stimulat- 
ing, promotes  that  firm  and  good 
growth  from  which  the  best  results 
ensue.  Where  from  any  cause  Sep- 
tember planting  is  not  possible,  the 
layers  should  be  potted  and  kept  in  an 
airy  frame  for  the  winter,  bedding 
them  out  in  March.  In  such  a  case, 
however,  the  ground  should  be  pre- 
pared and  treated  as  suggested  above 
during  the  winter  season.  In  certain 
instances  Carnations  so  treated  may 
remain  in  position  for  two  years 
without  layering,  when  they  afford  a 
magnificent  display  of  flowers. 

PERPETUAL  CARNATIONS  IN  THE 
OPEN  AIR. — For  open-air  gardening 
these  have  the  decided  advantage  of 
continuous  flowering  over  the  border 
types  of  Carnations,  and  for  bedding 
out  are  increasing  in  popularity.  To 
ensure  success,  however,  they  require 
to  be  specially  grown  for  the  purpose. 


446 


DIANTHUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         DIANTHUS. 


Cuttings  should  be  rooted  in  July,  and 
the  young  plants  grown  on  in  pots  and 
wintered  in  a  frame  or  cool  greenhouse. 
By  removing  the  point  of  growth  so 
soon  as  the  young  plant  is  established 
in  September,  and  again  six  weeks  or 
so  later,  bushy  plants  having  six  or 
eight  shoots  result,  and  towards  the 
end  of  the  year  should  be  potted  into 
5-inch  pots.  Hardily  grown  subse- 
quently they  will  be  ready  for  bedding 
out  in  March  or  early  April,  and  will 
flower  long  and  continuously  during 
the  ensuing  summer  and  early  autumn 
months.  Stake  and  tie  the  plants  as 
necessary. 

Some  thousands  of  these  flowers  were 
grown  for  years  at  Gravetye  in  the 
open,  and  while  the  result  was  often 
beautiful,  our  cold  retentive  soil  never 
gave  the  same  growth  as  one  finds  on 
the  chalk  hills,  on  the  warm  limestone 
soils  of  Ireland,  or  on  the  satiny  loam 
round  Edinburgh.  In  wet  winters  the 
plants,  on  our  soil,  became  gouty. 
After  many  years  of  labour  in  layering 
and  planting,  the  attempt  to  grow 
named  varieties  in  the  usual  way  was 
abandoned,  and  the  plan  was  adopted 
of  raising  seedlings,  the  Carnation 
being  thus  treated  practically  as  a 
biennial.  Unquestionably  more  vigor- 
ous plants  and  more  abundant  and 
continuous  bloom  are  obtained  by 
raising  the  Carnation  from  seed, 
though  the  average  quality  of  bloom 
may  not  equal  that  of  selected  and 
named  varieties.  These,  however,  may 
be  had  by  wintering  layers  under  glass 
and  planting  them  out  in  late  April  or 
early  May.  At  the  same  time,  Car- 
nations, however  carefully  managed, 
are  liable  to  have  their  blooms  spoiled 
in  the  open  by  continuous  rains,  so 
that  where  the  soil  is  not  specially 
favourable  to  Carnation  growing,  it 
might  be  found  advisable  to  substitute 
the  stronger-growing  Pinks,  which  are 
bright  in  colour  and  fragrant,  and  less 
liable  to  decay  in  damp  winters  than 
the  Carnation.  Both  the  Carnation 
and  the  Pink,  from  the  beauty  and 
sweetness  of  their  bloom  and  the 
cheerful  effect  of  their  foliage  in  winter, 
are  well  deserving  of  cultivation  in  all 
gardens  where  soil  and  climate  suit 
these  flowers.  Our  mild  and  moist 
southern  winters  are  really  less  favour- 
able to  the  cultivation  of  the  Carnation 
than  the  more  rigorous  winter  of  the 
north,  where  a  covering  of  snow 
secures  for  the  flower  a  complete  period 
of  rest.  It  is  damp  and  not  cold  that 


tries  the  constitution  of  the  Carnation 
in  winter. 

SEEDLING  RAISING. — The  seed-bear- 
ing plants  being  carefully  selected  and 
artificially  pollinated  is  the  means 
whereby  new  and  improved  varieties 
are  obtained.  It  is  a  fascinating  pur- 
suit, albeit  the  number  of  high-class 
novelties  obtained  is  relatively  small. 
Some  of  the  specialists,  indeed,  who 
raise  these  flowers  largely  from  seed, 
consider  a  dozen  first-rate  sorts  a  fair 
return  from  a  batch  of  seedlings  3000 
strong,  so  high  is  the  standard  of 
perfection  already  attained,  and  so 
exacting  the  demands  of  the  florist.  It 
may  be,  however,  that  quite  half  the 
number  of  those  rejected  may  be  of 
merit,  and  not  a  few  of  them  equal 
to  many  already  bearing  distinctive 
names.  The  phase  of  seedling  raising 
to  which  it  is  desired  to  direct  atten- 
tion at  the  moment,  however,  is  that 
whereby  our  gardens  could  be  beautiful 
to  a  far  greater  extent  than  is  now  the 
case  by  raising  seedling  Carnations 
periodically  and  systematically.  A 
layered  plant  gives  but  one  flowering 
stem  each  year.  A  well-grown  per- 
petual sort  may  give  a  dozen  or  more, 
while  the  correctly  grown  seedling 
plant,  when  sixteen  months  old,  will 
easily  produce  a  sheaf  of  fifty  flowering 
stems,  and  often  twice  that  number. 
It  is  true  that,  unless  the  plants  are 
generously  cultivated,  many  flowers 
will  not  be  high  class  ;  but  even  so, 
the  magnitude  of  the  display  is  beyond 
dispute,  just  as  the  wealth  of  the 
flowers  and  their  fragrance  would  be 
unparalleled.  To  achieve  such  results, 
sow  the  seeds  in  a  greenhouse  tem- 
perature in  February  or  March,  using 
light  sandy  soil.  Pot  them  singly  in 
3-inch  pots  when  large  enough,  and  in 
May  plant  out  in  well-cultivated 
ground  i|  or  2  feet  apart.  Beyond 
the  usual  cultural  needs,  nothing  more 
will  be  required.  A  few  of  the  more 
precocious  may  attempt  to  flower  the 
same  autumn,  but  the  flowering  spike 
should  be  removed  as  soon  as  seen, 
the  object  being  to  provide  for  a  big 
display  in  the  ensuing  summer.  From 
a  high-class  strain,  80  per  cent,  will 
give  double  flowers,  a  well-flowered 
bed  constituting  a  fine  feature  in  any 
garden.  By  sowing  a  few  seeds  annu- 
ally a  flowering  bed  may  be  had  each 
year,  and  once  the  amateur  has  seen 
the  results  he  will  hardly  forgo  its 
pleasure  in  the  future. 


DIANTHUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.      DIANTHUS. 


447 


PIPINGS. — When  the  plants  throw 
up  shoots  too  numerous  to  layer,  or 
when  the  root  is  attacked  by  disease, 
the  shoots  may  be  taken  off  as  follows  : 
Take  the  shoot  just  above  the  fourth  or 
fifth  joint  from  the  top,  and  with  a 
sharp  pull  draw  it  out  from  the  socket 
formed  by  the  next  joint,  which  it  will 
pull  away  with  it.  Insert  on  sandy 
soil  under  a  hand-light,  water  thor- 
oughly, and  in  three  or  four  weeks  the 
pipings  will  be  rooted.  They  may 
then  be  potted  off  singly  or  bedded 
like  layers,  and  will  flower  the  next 
year.  Plants  thus  struck  are  never  so 
good  as  those  propagated  by  layers, 
but  this  method  is  a  useful  expedient 
to  save  a  good  sort  or  to  get  up  a  good 
stock. 

LAYERS. — This  is  the  best  and  most 
generally  accepted  method  of  propagat- 
ing Carnations  and  Pico  tees.  It  should 
be  commenced  at  latest  the  last  week 
in  July,  and  finished  by  the  second 
week  in  August.  It  is  performed 
as  follows  : — Scrape  away  the  earth 
round  the  plant  to  the  depth  of 
2  inches,  and  substitute  for  the  earth 
removed  the  compost  prescribed. 
Strip  each  shoot  up  to  the  top  three 
or  four  joints,  going  all  round  the 
plant  before  proceeding  farther.  Then 
with  a  sharp  knife  cut  half  through  a 
shoot,  just  below  a  joint,  make  a 
slanting  cut  up  through  the  joint,  and 
bring  the  knife  out  just  above  it ;  take 
a  peg  with  a  hook  in  it  and  thrust  it 
into  the  fresh  compost  just  above  the 
tongue,  so  that  as  the  peg  comes  down 
it  will  catch  the  tongue  and  peg  it  into 
the  earth.  Cover  it  with  a  little  more 
compost  placed  firmly.  Proceed  thus 
all  round  the  plant,  finally  watering 
carefully  with  a  fine  rose  waterpot 
to  settle  the  soil  around  the  layers. 
In  about  a  month  the  layers  will  be 
rooted,  and  by  the  second  week  in 
October  all  the  young  plants  ought  to 
be  in  their  winter  quarters. 

Several  diseases  affect  Carnations. 
Two  of  the  worst  are  fungoid  growths. 
One  of  these  is  a  fungus  which  grows 
between  the  membranes  of  the  leaf, 
and  the  only  method  of  destroying  it 
is  to  pick  off  and  burn  every  infected 
leaf.  It  appears  at  first  as  a  small 
blister  which  bursts,  scattering  its 
spores  and  leaving  a  dark  brown  scar. 
A  more  familiar  disease  is  that  known 
as  spot ;  a  damp  atmosphere  or  over- 
crowding of  the  plants  being  the  causes. 
It  spreads  rapidly,  but  some  kinds 
enjoy  a  complete  immunity  from  it. 


Dusting  the  plants  two  or  three  times 
with  a  mixture  of  soot  and  sulphur 
has  been  found  effectual.  The  gout  is 
a  swelling  of  the  stem  close  to  the 
surface  of  the  ground,  which  eventually 
bursts,  supposed  to  be  caused  by  little 
worms  which  eat  their  way  into  the 
collar  of  the  plant  and  lay  eggs  there 
which  hatch  worms  that  feed  upon 
and  eventually  kill  the  plant.  The 
Maggot  is  a  small  insect  with  great 
powers  for  mischief.  It  comes  from 
an  egg  laid  no  doubt  in  the  skin  or 
tissues  of  the  leaf,  and  eating  its  way 
under  the  skin  of  the  leaf,  makes  a 
home  in  the  main  stem  of  the  plant, 
eating  out  the  centre  and  killing  it. 
The  only  remedy  appears  to  be  dili- 
gently searching  for  and  hunting  it  out 
before  it  has  traversed  the  leaf.  By 
spraying  with  quassia  and  soft  soap 
the  plants  are  made  better  and  dis- 
tasteful to  the  pest,  which  is  deterred 
from  depositing  eggs  on  the  plants. 
Wire-worm  is  a  pest  to  be  reckoned 
with,  but  usually  only  gives  trouble  in 
fresh  soil.  Spittle-fly,  which  appears 
when  the  flower-spikes  are  growing, 
must  be  destroyed,  or  it  will  do  serious 
harm.  An  open  situation  and  a  well- 
drained  soil  are  conditions  unfavour- 
able to  the  spot  diseases,  whilst  rotation 
in  planting  keeps  the  stock  free  from 
the  worm  pests  and  maggots. 

D.  DELTOIDES  (Maiden  Pink). — A  pretty 
native  plant,  with  bright  pink-spotted  or 
white  flowers,  on  stems  from  6  to  12  inches 
long.  It  grows  almost  anywhere,  in  bor- 
ders or  on  rockwork ;  does  not  so  much 
suffer  from  wire-worm.  It  may  be 
readily  raised  from  seed,  and  is  easily 
increased  by  division.  The  variety  glauca 
has  white  flowers  with  a  pink  eye.  It  is 
abundant  on  Arthur's  Seat,  near  Edin- 
burgh, and  forms  a  charming  contrast  to 
the  crimson  kind. 

D.  DENTOSUS  (Amoor  Pink). — A  distinct 
and  pretty  dwarf  Pink,  with  violet  lilac 
flowers,  more  than  i  inch  across,  the 
margins  toothed,  and  the  base  of  each 
petal  having  a  regular  dark  violet  spot, 
which  forms  a  dark  "  eye  "  nearly  \  inch 
across  in  the  centre  of  the  flower.  The 
plant  flowers  from  May  or  June  till 
autumn,  and  thrives  in  sandy  soil,  in 
borders,  or  on  rockwood.  Seed.  S.  Rus- 
sia. 

D.  NEGLECTUS  (Glacier  Pink). — A  bril- 
liant alpine  plant,  forming,  very  close  to 
the  ground,  tufts  like  short  wiry  grass, 
from  which  spring  many  flowers,  i  inch 
across,  and  of  bright  rose.  It  grows  freely 
in  very  sandy  loam,  either  in  pots  or  on 
the  rock  garden,  rooting  into  the  sand 
through  the  oottom  of  the  pots  as  freely 


44* 


D1ANTHUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


DIANTHUS. 


as  any  weed,  is  hardy,  easily  grown,  and 
best  increased  from  seed.  Alps  and 
Pyrenees.  Syn.  D.  glacialis. 

D.  PETROUS  (Rock  Pink). — A  charming 
Pink,  forming  hard  tufts,  i  or  2  inches 
high,  from  which  spring  numerous  flower- 
stems,  each  bearing  a  fine  rose-coloured 
flower.  It  seems  to  escape  the  attacks  of 
wire-worm.  It  flowers  in  summer,  and 
should  be  planted  on  the  rock  garden  in 
sandy  and  rather  poor  moist  loam.  Hun- 
gary. Seed  or  division. 

D.  PLUMARIUS  (The  Common  Pink). — 
This  is  the  parent  of  our  numerous  varie- 
ties of  Pinks,  and  has  single  purple  flowers, 
rather  deeply  cut  at  the  margin,  and  is 
naturalised  on  old  walls  in  various  parts 


surface  of  the  beds  should  be  stirred  a 
little  and  given  a  top-dressing  of  fine  old 
manure  and  a  slight  dusting  of  guano. 
The  culture  of  Pinks  for  the  garden  is 
simple,  and  the  outlay  small.  Get  newly 
struck  pipings  in  August  and  September — 
the  best  months  to  plant  them  in  a  sunny 
place.  In  a  smoky  town  a  cold  frame  will 
be  needed  ;  but  if  the  air  be  clear,  an  open 
bed  will  do.  When  the  pipings  are  once 
planted  in  the  open  garden,  they  require 
little  care  till  they  begin  to  push  up  their 
flower-stems. 

GARDEN  OR  BORDER  PINKS. — The 
show  Pinks  may  be  left  to  the  ex- 
hibitor. There  are  certain  kinds,  both 


Dianthus  neglectus  (Glacier  Pink) 


of  England.  The  wild  plant  is  rather 
handsome  when  grown  in  healthy  tufts, 
but  on  the  level  ground  it  is  apt  to  perish. 
The  many  fragrant  double  varieties  are 
welcome  everywhere,  and  should  be  culti- 
vated as  rock  or  bank  plants,  as  they  live 
longer  and  thrive  better  when  raised  above 
the  general  level  of  the  ground,  though 
they  grow  well  in  ordinary  soil.  They 
have  for  many  years  been  amongst  the 
favourite  "  florists'  "  flowers  in  European 
countries,  and  are  hardier  and  dwarfer 
than  the  Carnation.  In  August,  Pinks 
should  be  planted  9  inches  apart,  the 
ground  being  rich  and  well  prepared.  If 
the  winter  be  very  severe,  a  little  litter 
should  be  put  over  them,  and  in  spring  the 


old  and  new,  which  must  be  taken  care 
of  by  the  "  general  lover"  of  flowers, 
These  are  the  hardier  border  kinds, 
grown  for  their  beauty  and  fragrance. 
As  in  the  case  of  the  hardier  Carnations, 
we  must  encourage  these.  Some  of 
the  best  of  the  hardier  kinds  are  : — 
Alice,  Brightness,  Coronation,  Elsie, 
Joyce,  Market  Favourite,  Salmon  Rose, 
Anne  Boleyn,  Ascot  (soft  pink),  Fim- 
briatus  major,  Fragrans,  Hercules, 
Lady  Blanche,  Mrs  Moore,  Mrs  Sinkins, 
Marie  Pare  (Mule  Pink),  Napoleon  III., 
Multiflorus,  Newmarket,  Pluto,  Purity. 
Robustus,  Rubens,  High  Clere,  Multi- 
florus flore-pleno,  Multiflorus  roseus, 


DIANTHUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


DICENTRA. 


449 


Coccineus,  Early  Blush,  Fimbriatus 
albus  (old  white),  the  Clove  Pink,  Her 
Majesty. 

All  the  garden  or  border  Pinks  are 
best  increased  by  means  of  pipings  ; 
no  other  method  approaches  it.  The 
latter  half  of  June  and  early  July  is 
the  best  time.  A  "  piping"  is  created 
by  detaching  the  upper  part  of  the 
freshly-made  shoot,  and  should  be 
about  3  inches  in  length.  Grasp  a 
shoot  with  the  left  hand  near  the 
ground  and  hold  firmly.  Now  take 
the  upper  part  of  the  shoot  by  the 
right  hand,  and  with  a  sharp  upward 
pull  remove  it  from  its  socket.  The 
"  piping  "  is  in  your  right  hand.  Insert 
without  more  ado  —  no  "making" 
being  required — in  sandy  soil  under 
hand-light  or  bell-glass.  Roots  are 
emitted  in  three  or  four  weeks  if 
watering  has  been  attended  to,  when 
the  hand-light  should  be  removed.  In 
early  September  they  may  be  planted 
where  required.  Pipings  are  removed 
more  readily  and  with  greater  certainty 
if  the  stock  plants  (in  dry  weather)  be 
thoroughly  soaked  with  water  the  day 
previous  to  taking  them. 

D.  SINENSIS  (Chinese  Pink). — This  has 
given  rise  to  a  race  of  beautiful  garden 
flowers.  It  is  an  annual,  or  biennial, 
according  to  the  way  it  is  sown  and  grown. 
If  sown  early  the  plants  will  flower  the 
first  year  ;  if  late,  the  second.  On  dry 
soils,  and  if  the  winters  be  mild,  they  will 
live  for  two  or  three  years.  The  varieties, 
both  single  and  double,  are  now  very 
numerous  and  beautiful,  and  may  be 
classed  under  D.  Heddewigi  and  D.  lacini- 
atus.  The  forms  of  Heddewigi,  the 
Japanese  variety,  are  dwarf  and  hand- 
some, while  there  are  double-flowered 
forms,  particularly  diadematus,  the  flowers 
of  which  are  large  and  very  double.  The 
petals  of  the  laciniated  section  are  very 
deeply  cut  into  a  fine  fringe.  Of  this  class 
there  are  also  double-flowered  forms.  The 
colours  of  both  are  much  varied,  and  there 
are  striped  crimson  and  white  sorts.  Two 
beautiful  and  distinct  selected  sorts, 
Crimson  Belle  and  Eastern  Queen,  are 
among  the  best  varieties.  Sow  D.  sinensis 
under  glass  in  February,  with  very  little 
or  no  bottom-heat ;  give  air  freely  during 
open  weather,  and  in  April  plant  out  in 
well-cultivated  soil,  which  need  not  be 
rich.  Place  the  plants  9  to  12  inches 
apart  each  way,  and  they  will  form  com- 
pact tufts.  Encourage  the  laterals  by 
pinching  off  decayed  flowers,  and  the  result 
will  be  a  mass  of  blossom  throughout  the 
summer,  and  probably  till  November. 
These  Pinks  are  admirable  for  the  flower 
garden,  either  in  beds  by  themselves  or 
mixed  ;  they  may  be  well  used  with  taller 


plants    of    a    different    character    dotted 
sparsely  among  them. 

D.  SUPERBUS  (Fringed  Pink). — A  fra- 
grant wild  Pink,  easily  known  by  its  petals 
being  cut  into  strips  for  more  than  half 
their  length.  It  inhabits  many  parts  of 
Europe  from  Norway  to  the  Pyrenees, 
and  is  a  true  perennial,  though  it  perishes 
so  often  in  gardens  that  many  regard  it  as 
a  biennial.  It  is  more  likely  to  perish  in 
winter  on  rich  and  moist  soil  than  on  poor 
and  light  soil,  and  when  it  is  desired  to 
establish  it  as  a  perennial,  it  should  be 
planted  in  fibry  loam,  well  mixed  with 
sand  or  grit.  It  grows,  however,  on  nearly 
any  soil,  and  by  raising  it  every  year  from 
seed  an  abundant  stock  may  be  kept  up 
even  where  the  plant  perishes  in  winter. 

DIAPENSIA  (D.  lapponica)  is  a 
sturdy  and  dwarf  evergreen  alpine 
shrub,  often  under  2  inches  in  height, 
growing  in  dense  rounded  tufts,  having 
narrow,  closely-packed  leaves,  and 
bearing  in  summer  solitary  white 
flowers  about  half  an  inch  across.  It 
may  be  grown  well  on  fully  exposed 
spots  on  the  rock  garden,  in  deep, 
sandy,  and  stony  peat  which  is  kept 
well  moistened  during  the  warm 
season.  N.  Europe  and  N.  America, 
on  high  mountains  or  in  Arctic  latitudes. 

DIASCIA. — A  pretty  group  of  herbs 
from  S.  Africa,  allied  to  Alonsoa.  The 
only  kind  in  cultivation  is  D.  Barbara, 
a  neat  annual  9  to  12  inches  high, 
with  square  stems  and  small  wedge- 
shaped  leaves.  Raised  in  heat  in 
spring  and  planted  out  in  May,  it 
flowers  until  late  autumn,  the  soft 
coral-pink  flowers  with  two  spurs. 
Though  mostly  treated  as  a  half-hardy 
annual,  the  roots  are  perennial  in  the 
warm  soils  of  southern  gardens,  spread- 
ing by  stolons  into  handsome  tufts. 
Seeds. 

DICENTRA  (Bleeding  Heart}.  — 
Graceful  plants  of  the  Fumitory  order, 
including  about  half  a  dozen  cultivated 
species,  of  which  the  finest  are  : — 

D.  CHRYSANTHA. — This  handsome  plant 
forms  a  spreading  tuft  of  rigid  glaucous 
foliage,  from  which  arises  a  stiff  leafy 
stem,  3  to  4  feet  high,  with  long  branching 
panicles  of  bright  golden-yellow  blossoms, 
about  i  inch  long  in  August  and  Septem- 
r.  It  seems  hardy  in  light  rich  soil  if 
warm  and  sheltered.  Seed.  California. 

D.  CUCULLARIA  (Dutchman's-breeches) 
and  D.  thalictnfolia  are  less  important, 
and  rather  belong  to  the  curious  garden. 

D.  EXIMIA  combines  a  Fern-like  grace 
with  the  flowering  qualities  of  a  good 
hardy  perennial.  From  i  to  i£  feet  high, 
with  numerous  reddish-purple  blossoms  in 
ong  drooping  racemes.  It  is  useful  for 

2    F 


45° 


DICKSONIA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


DIGITALIS. 


the  rock  garden  and  the  mixed  border,  or 
for  naturalising  by  woodland  walks  ; 
thriving  in  rich  sandy  soil.  Division.  N. 
America. 

D.  FORMOSA  is  similar  to  the  preceding, 
having  also  Fern-like  foliage,  but  is 
dwarfer  in  growth,  its  racemes  shorter  and 
more  crowded,  and  its  flowers  lighter. 
Suitable  for  same  positions  as  D.  eximia. 
California. 

D.  SPECTABILIS. — A  beautiful  plant, 
bearing  singular  flowers,  resembling  rosy 
hearts,  and  in  strings  of  a  dozen  or  more 
gracefully  borne  on  slender  stalks.  It 
succeeds  best  in  warm,  light,  rich  soils,  if 
in  sheltered  positions,  being  liable  to  be 
cut  down  by  late  spring  frosts.  It  is, 
moreover,  suited  for  the  mixed  border, 
but  is  of  such  remarkable  beauty  and 
grace  that  it  may  be  used  with  the  best 
effect  near  the  lower  flanks  of  rockwork,  in 
bushy  places  near  it.  It  is  excellent  for 
mixed  borders,  and  for  snug  corners  on 
the  fringes  of  choice  shrubs  in  peat. 
Division  in  autumn. 

DICKSONIA  (D.  antarctica}.—K 
noble  evergreen  Tree  Fern,  having 
a  stout  trunk,  30  feet  high  or  more, 
the  fronds  forming  a  magnificent 
crown,  often  20  to  30  feet  across. 
They  are  from  6  to  20  feet  long,  becom- 
ing pendulous  with  age.  It  is  the 
hardiest  of  Tree  Ferns,  and  the  most 
suitable  for  the  open  air,  in  sheltered 
shady  dells.  From  the  end  of  May  to 
October.  In  favourable  localities  it 
may  even  be  left  out  all  the  winter. 

D.  PUNCTILOBULA. — A  beautiful  hardy 
Fern  found  in  shady  woods  and  moist 
copses  in  N.  America,  from  New  Bruns- 
wick and  Canada  to  the  Central  United 
States.  Its  graceful  pale  green  fronds  are 
i  to  2  feet  long  and  5  to  9  inches  broad, 
twice  or  thrice  divided,  and  carried  upon 
roots  which  creep  just  under  the  ground. 
The  fronds  are  held  very  erect  upon  hairy 
stems,  are  soft  in  texture,  and  dry  prettily 
in  the  autumn,  when  the  tiny  glands  on 
the  under  surface  give  out  a  pleasing 
fragrance  to  which  the  plant  owes  its 
name  of  the  Hay-scented  Fern.  It  is 
hardy  in  Britain,  thriving  in  peaty  or  leafy 
soils  in  partial  shade. 

DICTAMNUS  ( Fraxinella) .—D. 
Fraxinella  is  a  favourite  old  plant, 
about  2  feet  high,  forming  dense  tufts, 
flowers  pale  purple,  and  with  darker 
lines  (there  is  a  white  form)  borne  in 
racemes  in  June  and  July.  This  plant 
does  best  in  a  light  soil.  It  is  propa- 
gated by  seeds  sown  as  soon  as  they 
are  ripe,  or  by  its  fleshy  roots,  which, 
if  cut  into  pieces,  in  spring,  will  form 
good  plants  much  quicker  than  seed- 
lings. It  is  a  slow-growing  plant  in 
most  gardens,  though  it  is  freer  in 


some  warm  soils,  and  a  very  long-lived 
plant  where  it  likes  the  soil.  It  is  at 
home  in  the  sunny  mixed  border 
among  medium-sized  plants.  Cauca- 
sian Mountains. 

The  Caucasian  kind  is  a  larger  and 
more  handsome  form.  There  is  also 
a  white  form  albus. 

DIDISCUS.— A  native  of  New  Hol- 
land, and  from  i  to  2  feet  high.  In 
D.  cceruleus  the  stems  are  erect  and 
much  branched,  each  branch  ter- 
minating in  a  flat  umbel  of  small 
flowers,  of  a  pleasing  clear  blue  colour, 
which  are  borne  freely  from  August  to 
October.  It  is  a  half-hardy  annual, 
and  requires  rather  careful  treatment, 
as  it  is  impatient  of  excessive  moisture, 
especially  in  the  early  stages  of  its 
growth.  It  requires  to  be  raised  in  a 
gentle  hot-bed,  and  the  seedlings  should 
be  transplanted  in  May  to  a  warm 
friable  soil,  in  which  they  will  flower 
freely. 

Dielytra.     See  DICENTRA. 

Dierama.     See  SPARAXIS. 

Diervilla.     See  WEIGELA. 

DIETES.— Rather  tall,  graceful  Iris- 
like  plants.  One  kind  only  is  known 
to  be  hardy  in  our  country  (Huttoni), 
which  grows  freely  in  my  garden  in 
ordinary  soil  at  the  foot  of  a  west  wall. 
S.  Africa. 

DIGITALIS  (Foxglove).— The  most 
important  plant  of  this  genus  is  our 
native  Foxglove,  the  handsomest  of 
the  several  species  in  cultivation. 
The  best  of  the  exotics  is  D.  grandi- 
flora,  a  tall,  slender  plant,  bearing  large 
bell-shaped  yellow  blossoms  in  long 
racemes.  The  other  kinds  are  £>. 
ferruginea,  aurea,  eriostachys,  fulva, 
IcBvigata,  lanata,  lutea,  ochroleuca,  parvi- 
flora,  Thapsi,  tomentosa,  but  these  are 
suited  mainly  for  botanical  collections. 

D.  PURPUREA  (Foxglove). — Wild  Fox- 
gloves seldom  differ  in  colour,  but  culti- 
vated ones  assume  a  variety  of  colours, 
including  white,  cream,  rose,  red,  deep  red, 
and  other  shades.  The  charm  of  these 
varieties,  however,  lies  in  their  pretty 
throat-markings — spots  and  blotchings  of 
deep  purple  and  maroon,  which  make  large 
flowers  resemble  those  of  a  Gloxinia.  The 
seed  is  small,  and  is  best  sown  in  pans  or 
boxes,  under  glass,  early  in  May.  When 
the  young  plants  are  well  up  they  should 
be  placed  out  of  doors  to  get  thoroughly 
hardened  before  being  finally  planted  out. 
In  shrubbery  borders  varied  clumps  of 
several  plants  produce  a  finer  effect  than 
when  set  singly.  The  Foxglove  frequently 
blooms  two  years  in  succession  ;  but  it  is 
always  well  to  sow  a  little  seed  annually, 


DIGRAPHIS.          THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.       D.  PALUSTRIS.       451 


and  if  there  be  any  to  spare,  it  may  be 
scattered  in  woods  or  copses  where  it  is 
desired  to  establish  the  plants. 

DIGRAPHIS  (Ribbon  Grass).  — 
Grasses,  of  which  the  Ribbon  Grass 
(D.  arundinacea  variegata)  is  the  most 
familiar.  Being  hardy  and  perennial, 
it  is  valuable  for  good  effect  in  the 
flower  garden.  It  should  be  treated 
liberally,  and  renewed  by  young  plants 
every  other  year.  If  it  be  not  desired 
in  the  flower  garden  proper,  a  few 
tufts  by  a  back  shrubbery  will  suffice. 
It  grows  anywhere. 

Dimorphanthus.     See  ARALIA. 

DIMORPHOTHECA  (Cape  Mari- 
gold) . — A  hardy  annual  from  the  Cape, 
1 8  inches  to  2  feet  high  ;  the  flowers  of 
D.  pluvialis  are  white  and  purplish- 
violet  beneath,  expanding  in  fine 
weather.  Plants  from  spring-sown 
seed  flower  from  July  to  September. 
It  is  a  bold,  free  annual,  thriving  in 
any  good  soil  and  an  effective  ground 
plant  with  the  larger  flower  garden 
subjects  ;  alone,  however,  it  is  well 
worth  growing.  Composites. 

D.  AURANTIACA  (The  Mamaqualand 
Daisy)  is  a  brilliantly  flowered  half-hardy 
annual  rather  less  than  a  foot  high.  A 
sun-lover  of  the  first  water.  Flower-heads 
richest  golden,  the  florets  having  a  blackish 
or  crimson  zone  at  their  base  near  the 
disc.  Should  be  raised  in  slight  warmth 
in  March  and  April,  the  seedlings  potted 
singly  and  planted  in  the  open  in  May. 
A  raised  position  on  a  sunny  rock  garden 
in  rich  soil  suits  it  well. 

DIOSPYROS  (Persimmon). — Trees 
from  China  and  Japan  which,  in  our 
warm  counties,  appear  to  be  hardy, 
but  do  not  often  produce  fruits  except 
in  warm  soils  in  the  best  conditions. 
One  is  a  native  of  America,  where  the 
fruit  is  eaten.  Others  are  natives  of 
China. 

DIOSTEA  JUNCEA.— This  rather 
uncommon  shrub  presents,  when  in 
flower,  quite  a  pleasing  appearance. 
At  Glasnevin  it  forms  a  densely- 
branched  shrub  of  about  10  feet  high, 
with  green  twiggy  branches  sparingly 
•clothed  with  tiny,  green,  ovate  leaves. 
It  is  at  its  best  towards  the  end  of 
June,  and  at  that  time  it  carries 
myriads  of  sweetly  fragrant  tubular 
flowers.  The  flowers  are  quite  small, 
being  only  about  £  inch  long,  and  are 
of  a  very  pale  lilac  colour.  It  is  quite 
hardy.  Chili. 

DIOTIS  (Sea  Cotton-weed). — D.  mari- 
tima  is  a  dwarf  cottony  herb,  and 
sometimes  used  in  the  flower  garden 


as  an  edging  plant.  It  is  apt  to  grow 
rather  straggling,  and  to  prevent  this 
it  is  kept  neatly  pegged  down  and  cut 
in  well.  It  should  have  deep  sandy 
soil.  Native  of  our  southern  shores. 

DIPELTA  FLORIBUNDA. — Among 
the  recent  discoveries  in  China  are  four 
species  of  the  interesting  group  called 
Dipelta.  Allied  to  the  Honeysuckles, 
they  are  distinct  in  their  fruits,  which 
have  attached  to  them  two  shield-like 
discs  of  the  same  texture  as  the  wings 
of  Elm  seeds.  The  blossoms  are 
funnel-shaped,  i  inch  to  i finches  long, 
dividing  at  the  mouth  into  five  rounded 
divisions  and  measuring  there  i  inch 
across  ;  they  are  pale  pink,  stained 
with  yellow  in  the  throat,  and  fragrant. 
It  is  deciduous  and  described  as 
being  10  to  15  feet  high  in  a  wild 
state,  the  bark  of  the  stem  and  older 
branches  peeling  off  in  thin  flakes. 

DIPHYLLEIA  CYMOSA.  —  A  per- 
ennial of  the  Barberry  family,  about 
i  foot  high,  having  large  umbrella-like 
leaves  in  pairs.  It  flowers  white,  in 
loose  clusters  in  summer,  and  suc- 
ceeded by  bluish-black  berries.  North 
America,  on  the  borders  of  rivulets  and 
on  mountains,  thriving  in  peat  borders 
and  fringes  of  beds  of  American  plants 
in  moist  soil. 

DIPLACUS  GLUTINOSUS  (Shrubby 
Mimulus) .  —  A  beautiful  flowering 
shrub  from  California.  In  the  south- 
west of  Britain  as  hardy  as  a  Fuchsia, 
starting  away  well  every  spring,  free 
from  insect  pests,  and  with  a  long 
season  of  beauty.  In  many  gardens, 
even  as  far  north  as  Yorkshire,  it  may 
be  grown  well  against  a  wall,  and  even 
if  destroyed  in  a  hard  season  increase 
is  so  easy  that  the  loss  is  soon  made 
good.  Seed  or  cuttings. 

Diplopappus.     See  ASTER. 

DIPSACUS  ( Teasel)  .—Coarse-grow- 
ing plants,  annual  or  biennial,  striking 
in  form,  in  woods  and  hedgerows. 
There  are  three  native  species,  D.  Ful- 
lonum,  pilosus,  and  sylvestris ;  the 
boldest  kind  is  D.  laciniatus,  a  European 
species  growing  5  to  8  feet  high,  with 
large  deeply-cut  foliage.  The  seed 
may  be  sown  in  woody  places  and  by 
freshly  broken  hedge-banks,  where  the 
plants  will  often  perpetuate  themselves. 

DIPTERONIA  SINENSIS.— A  little 
known  summer  -  leafing  Chinese  tree 
with  beautiful  foliage. 

DIRCA  PALUSTRIS  (Leatherwood). 
— A  rough  little  summer-leafing  shrub 
in  our  country  from  N.  America,  long 


452    D.  CERCIDIFOLIUS.    THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


DORCNICUM. 


introduced  but  mainly  in  botanic 
gardens.  The  American  Indians  are 
said  to  have  used  the  bark  for  making 
ropes,  hence  the  name  "  Leather- wood.' ' 

DISANTHUS   CERCIDIFOLIUS.— A 

native  of  Japan,  and  a  near  relative  of 
the  Witch  Hazels.  Like  them,  it  is 
remarkable  for  the  curious  twisted 
petals  of  its  weird-looking  flowers. 
The  most  attractive  period  of  this 
shrub  is  in  the  autumn,  when  the 
leaves  assume  a  rich  red-purplish  hue. 
According  to  Professor  Sargent,  the 
colour  of  the  flowers  is  dark  purple, 
while  the  fruit  resembles  that  of  the 
Witch  Hazels.  He  also  says  :  "In 
the  autumn  colour  of  its  leaves, 
Disanthus  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
shrubs  I  saw  in  Japan." 

DISCARIA  (Wild  Irishman) .—Spiny 
shrubs  allied  to  Colletia  and  Ceanothus, 
and  only  hardy  in  the  open  in  the  more 
favoured  parts  of  the  south  and  south- 
west, though  thriving  against  walls 
near  London  and  farther  north.  D. 
serratifolia  from  Chili  is  a  loosely 
branched  shrub  covered  with  stout 
thorns  an  inch  or  more  long  and  sharp 
as  a  needle.  The  small  bell-shaped 
flowers  are  white,  coming  in  pairs  at 
the  base  of  the  spines.  The  leaves 
are  very  small.  D.  toumaton,  from 
New  Zealand,  bears  thorns  almost  at 
right  angles  with  the  stems,  and  the 
tiny  leaves  are  more  numerous.  The 
flowers  also,  though  much  smaller,  are 
in  larger  clusters  and  pretty  when 
abundant  as  in  a  good  season.  Light 
loamy  soil  and  a  sunny  sheltered  spot 
are  the  best  conditions.  Increase  by 
seed  or  layers. 

DISTYLIUM.— Two  species  of  small 
evergreen  trees  allied  to  the  Witch 
Hazel,  and  much  used  for  hedges  in 
China  and  Japan.  D.  racemosum  has 
recently  been  introduced  and  is  prob- 
ably hardy,  but  still  on  its  trial  in 
this  country.  The  leaves  are  thick, 
leathery,  and  narrowly  -  oblong  in 
shape,  and  in  one  kind  prettily  varie- 
gated. The  flowers  are  small  and 
devoid  of  petals,  but  described  as 
glowing  like  red  fringed  buttons  all 
along  the  stems  in  early  spring.  Seed. 

DODECATHEON  (American  Cow- 
slip}.— Beautiful  plants  of  the  Primrose 
family  ;  perennials  from  N.  America. 
They  are  all  hardy,  requiring  a  cool 
situation  and  light  loamy  soil,  but  in 
some  soils  apt  to  perish.  The  nature 
of  the  soil  is,  however,  of  small  import- 
ance, as  they  grow  almost  as  freely  in 


peat  or  leaf-mould  as  in  loam  ;  situa- 
tion is  the  principal  point.  In  borders 
where  Primulas  thrive,  Dodecatheons 
will  soon  establish  themselves.  The 
best  time  for  transplanting  them  is 
early  autumn  or  the  beginning  of 
February,  when  the  roots  are  becoming 
active.  All  may  be  easily  raised  from 
seed  snow  after  ripening. 

D.  INTEGRIFOLIUM. — A  lovely  flower  ; 
the  petals  have  a  white  base,  and  spring 
from  a  yellow  and  dark  orange  cup,  the 
flowers  deep  rosy  crimson,  on  stems  from 
4  to  6  inches  high,  in  March.  It  is  a  native 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  a  choice 
plant  for  the  rock  garden,  if  planted  in 
sandy  peat  or  sandy  loam  with  leaf-mould. 
Strong  well-established  plants  produce 
abundance  of  seed,  which  should  be  sown 
soon  after  it  is  gathered.  Careful  division. 

D.  JEFFREYI. — A  stout  kind,  more  than 
2  feet  high  in  good  soil,  with  larger  and 
thicker  leaves  than  D.  Meadia,  reddish 
midribs  strong  and  conspicuous,  and  the 
flower  somewhat  larger  and  darker.  D. 
Jeffreyi  is  a  hardy  and  distinct  plant, 
thriving  best  in  light,  rich,  and  deep  loam, 
in  a  cool  and  sheltered  spot,  where  its 
great  leaves  are  not  broken  by  high  winds. 

D.  MEADIA  (American  Cowslip). — A 
graceful  plant  and  a  favourite  among  old 
border  flowers,  its  slender  stems  from  10  to 
1 6  inches  high,  bearing  umbels  of  elegantly 
drooping  flowers,  the  purplish  petals 
springing  up  vertically  from  the  pointed 
centre  of  the  flowers,  something  like  those 
of  the  greenhouse  Cyclamen.  It  loves  a 
rich  light  loam,  and  is  one  of  the  most 
suitable  plants  for  the  rock  garden,  for 
choice  mixed  borders,  or  for  the  fringes 
of  beds  of  American  plants. 

DONDIA  (D.  Epipactis)  is  a  singular 
little  herb,  3  to  6  inches  high,  having 
small  heads  of  greenish-yellow  flowers 
in  spring,  and  suitable  for  the  rock 
garden,  margins  of  borders,  or  banks  ; 
increased  by  division  after  flowering. 
Carinthia  and  Carniola. 

DORONICUM  (Leopard's  Bane).— 
Showy  plants  of  the  order  Composite, 
of  which  half  a  dozen  species  are  in 
gardens,  all  of  vigorous  growth,  flower- 
ing in  spring,  and  thrive  in  any  soil  ; 
they  are  therefore  excellent  for  rough 
places,  for  naturalising,  or  for  dry 
banks,  where  little  else  will  thrive. 
All  are  readily  increased  by  division 
of  the  roots.  They  range  in  height 
from  9  inches  to  3  feet,  and  have  large, 
bright  yellow  Daisy-like  flowers.  The 
best  species  are  D.  austriacum  and 
caucasicum.  Other  kinds  are  D.  Clusi, 
carpelanum,  Columns,  Pardalianches, 
and  plantagineum,  all  natives  of 
Europe.  D.  plantagineum  var.  excel- 


DOWNINGIA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         DRYAS. 


453 


sum  (syn.,  Harper  Crewe)  is  by  far  the 
best. 

DOWNINGIA.— Charming  little  Cali- 
fornian  half-hardy  annuals,  generally 
known  as  Clintonia.  There  are  two 
species,  D.  pulchella  and  elegans. 
D.  pulchella  is  of  dwarf  habit,  rarely 
exceeding  6  inches  in  height,  and  is 
suitable  for  edging  small  beds  or  bor- 
ders, as  when  covered  with  its  bright 
blue  flowers  it  is  very  pretty.  In 
March  and  April  the  seed  should  be 
sown  in  the  open  ground  in  a  free 
soil  and  an  open  situation  ;  but  if  the 
plants  are  intended  for  pot  culture, 
the  sowing  should  be  two  months 
earlier.  Each  plant  should  be  allowed 
quite  8  inches  for  development,  and  in 
hot  weather  those  from  the  latest 
sowing  should  be  well  watered.  The 
flowers  of  the  several  varieties  of  D. 
pulchella  differ  in  colour,  the  best 
variety  being  alba  (white),  rubra  (red) 
and  atro-purpurea  (dark  purple).  All 
may  be  raised  from  seed. 

DRAB  A  (Whitlow  Grass}. — Minute 
alpine  plants,  most  of  them  having 
bright  yellow  or  white  flowers,  and 
leaves  often  in  neat  rosettes.  They 
are  too  dwarf  to  take  care  of  them- 
selves among  plants  much  bigger  than 
Mosses,  and  therefore  there  are  few 
positions  suitable  for  them  ;  but  it 
would  be  very  interesting  to  try  them 
on  mossy  walls,  ruins,  or  bits  of 
mountain  ground  with  sparse  vegeta- 
tion. The  best-known  and  showiest  is 
D.  aizoides,  found  on  old  walls  and 
rocks  in  the  west  of  England.  It 
forms  a  dwarf,  spreading,  cushion-like 
tuft,  which  in  spring  is  covered  with 
bright  yellow  blossoms.  D.  Aizoon, 
alpina,  ciliaris,  cuspidata,  lapponica, 
rupestris,  frigida,  and  helvetica  are 
very  dwarf,  compact-growing  plants. 
In  each  the  small  flowers,  white 
or  yellow,  are  produced  abundantly. 
Rarer  kinds  are  D.  Mawi,  glacialis,  and 
brunitf folia,  all  worth  growing  in  a 
full  collection  of  alpine  flowers  for  a 
choice  rock  garden. 

Dracaena.     See  CORDYLINE. 

DRACOCEPHALUM  (Dragon's  - 
head). — Plants  of  the  Sage  family, 
among  thein  a  few  choice  perennials 
suitable  for  the  rock  garden  or  the 
mixed  border,  succeeding  in  light 
garden  soil  and  increased  by  division 
or  seed.  D.  altaiense  has  bright  green 
leaves,  and  axillary  clusters  of  large 
tubular  flowers  of  a  dense  Gentian-like 
blue,  spotted  with  red  in  the  throat. 
D.  austriacum  has  flower-stems  nearly 


i  foot  in  height,  densely  covered  with 
rich  purple  blossoms ;  D.  Ruyschia- 
num,  a  handsome  species,  has  narrow 
Hyssop-like  leaves  and  purplish-blue 
flowers,  but  its  variety  japonicum,  a 
new  introduction  from  Japan,  is  even 
more  showy.  D.  peregrinum,  with 
pretty  blue  flowers  always  produced 
in  pairs,  is  desirable,  and  so  is  D. 
argunense,  which  is  a  variety  of 
D.  Ruyschianum.  The  most  beautiful 
of  all  is  D.  grandiflorum,  a  rock  garden 

Flant,  which  is  the  earliest  in  flower, 
t  is  very  dwarf,  and  has  large  clusters 
of  intensely  blue  flowers,  which  scarcely 
overtop  the  foliage.  In  D.  speciosum, 
a  Himalayan  species,  the  small  deep 
purple  flowers  are  nearly  smothered 
by  the  large  green  bracts. 

DRIMYS. — Evergreen  shrubs  of  the 
Magnolia  family,  natives  of  Tasmania, 
Australia,  and  S.  America,  thriving  also 
as  evergreens  in  much  of  the  southern 
parts  of  England  and  Ireland.  D. 
aromatica  is  sometimes  known  as 
Tasmannia  aromatica,  R.Br.  ;  D.  Win- 
teri  (Winter's  Bark)  is  a  native  of 
S.  America ;  these  graceful  shrubs 
are  worth  a  place  in  the  range  of 
southern  country,  while  they  thrive 
in  free  soil  and  sheltered  lawns,  but 
are  often  cut  down  in  severe  winters. 

DROSERA  (Sundew). — Most  inter- 
esting little  bog  plants,  of  which  all 
the  hardy  species  but  one  are  natives 
of  Britain.  All  have  leaves  covered 
with  dense  glandular  hairs.  In  a  bog 
on  a  very  small  scale  it  is  not  easy  to 
secure  the  humid  atmosphere  they 
have  at  home,  but  they  will  grow 
wherever  Sphagnum  grows.  The 
native  kinds  are  intermedia,  longifolia, 
obovata,  and  rotundifolia.  The  North 
American  Thread-leaved  Sundew  (D. 
filiformis]  is  a  beautiful  bog  plant, 
with  very  long  slender  leaves  covered 
with  glandular  hairs,  the  flowers  purple- 
rose  colour,  half  an  inch  wide,  and 
opening  only  in  the  sunshine. 

DRYAS  (Mountain  Avens). — Moun- 
tain plants  of  the  Rose  family,  con- 
taining two  or  three  dwarf  alpine 
plants  of  spreading  growth  and  neat 
evergreen  foliage.  They  thrive  in 
borders  in  light  soil,  though  they  are 
seen  to  best  advantage  in  the  rock 
garden,  where  they  can  spread  over 
the  brows  and  surfaces  of  limestone 
rocks,  best  on  an  exposed  spot,  not 
too  dry,  though  when  well  established 
they  will  flourish  under  almost  any 
conditions.  Division  in  spring.  The 
kinds  are  D.  Drummondi,  a  dwarf, 


454       ECCREMOCARPUS.       THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.       ECHINOPS. 


hardy,  evergreen  trailer,  with  flower- 
stems  3  to  8  inches  high  ;  its  yellow 
flowers,  i  inch  across,  appear  in 
summer.  A  native  of  North  America. 
D.  octopetala,  a  creeping  evergreen, 
forming  dense  tufts,  with  pretty  white 
flowers.  It  is  a  British  plant,  and 
there  are  two  others,  D.  lanata,  a 
native  of  Europe,  and  D.  integrifolia, 
American. 

ECCREMOCARPUS.— E.  Scaber  is  a 
delightful  old  climber  for  walls,  trellises, 
and  pillars,  its  orange-red  flowers  are 
beautiful,  and  its  rambling  shoots 
graceful.  If  the  roots  are  protected 
during  winter  they  are  uninjured,  and 
the  plant  annually  increases  in  size. 
Increased  freely  by  seed,  and  should 
be  raised  in  this  way  occasionally. 
Syn.,  Calampelis. 

ECHEVERIA.  —  Dwarf  succulent 
plants,  much  used  in  the  flower  garden, 
especially  the  •  half-hardy  species  like 
secunda.  Other  species  are  tenderer, 
and  need  a  greenhouse  to  keep  them 
through  the  winter,  and  a  warm  house 
or  frame  to  propagate  them  in  the 
spring.  £.  metallica  is  a  noble  species, 
and  distinct  in  the  size  of  its  leaves 
and  in  their  rich  metallic  hue.  The 
fine  E.  metallica  is  very  effective  on 
the  margins  of  beds  and  groups  of  the 
dwarfer  foliage  plants,  or  here  and 
there  among  hardy  succulents.  It 
should  be  planted  out  about  the  middle 
of  May. 

As  soon  as  the  seed  is  ripe,  prepare 
to  sow  it.  Fill  some  4-inch  pots  to 
within  £  inch  of  the  rim  with  equal 
proportions  of  leaf-mould  and  well- 
sanded  loam.  Make  the  surface  very 
firm,  and  water  the  soil  so  that  the 
whole  body  of  it  becomes  thoroughly 
moistened.  Having  allowed  the  mois- 
ture to  drain  away,  scatter  the  seed 
lightly  and  cover  it  thinly  with  silver 
sand.  Place  the  pot  in  a  hand-light 
or  in  a  close  frame  ;  cover  with  a  pane 
of  glass  and  shade.  The  seed  will  ger- 
minate before  the  soil  can  dry,  and  if  it 
is  sown  as  soon  as  it  is  ripe  every  seed 
will  come  up.  As  soon  as  the  see'dlings 
are  large  enough  to  handle,  prick  them 
out  thinly  into  pans  or  6-inch  pots  ; 
keep  them  close  until  they  are  fairly 
established,  and  then  allow  them  the 
full  benefit  of  sun  and  air.  After  the 
middle  of  September  give  no  water, 
and  take  care  to  remove  all  decay  as 
soon  as  it  is  perceived.  If  planted 
early  in  April  in  well-worked  and  fairly 
enriched  soil,  these  little  plants  will  be 
strong  by  the  autumn,  but  they  are  of 
little  value  for  the  northern  gardens. 


Echinacea.     See  RUDBECKIA. 

ECHINO CACTUS.— E.    Simpsoni   is 
a  beautiful  little   Cactus   (Pincushion 
Cactus]    plant,   a   native  of  Colorado, 
occurring    at    great    elevations,     and 
hardy.     It  grows  in  a  globular  mass, 
3  or  4  inches  across,  which  is  covered; 
with  white  spines.     It  flowers  early  in 
March,  bearing  large  pale  purple  blos- 
soms,   which   are   very   beautiful.     In 
its    native    habitat    it    enjoys    a    dry 
climate,  and,  in  some  seasons  at  least,  '• 
is  more  or  less  protected  from  frost  by 
a  covering  of  snow.     In  this  country, 
however,  it  has  withstood  32°  of  frost.  ( 
The  flowers  are  pink  or  red,  arranged 
in  a  cluster  or  circle  at  the  top  of  the. 
plant.     This  grows  all  among  the  loweri 
mountains  and  foothills,  and  in  Britain* 
is  best  on  warm  spots  in  the  rock  gar-; 
den. 

ECHINOCEREUS. — Plants     of     the 
Cactus   family    (from   arid   regions   inj 
N.  America),  some  of  which  are  hardy. 
All  are  beautiful,  and  some  quite  splen- 


Echinocereus. 


did  when  in  flower.  E.  Fendleri 
some  of  the  brightest  flowers.  Other; 
kinds  are  E.  ncephiceus,  gonacanthus,k 
viridiflorus,  and  paucispinus.  Givq 
them  soil  which  is  well  drained  and! 
a  sunny,  exposed  place  away  from 
all  protection,  taking  care  so  to  place 
them  in  relation  to  surrounding  objects 
that  their  stems  cannot  easily  be  hurt, 
A  few  protecting  stones  cah  be  grouped 
so  as  to  keep  off  the  digger  and  other 
dangerous  animals.  A  close  turf  oj 
some  dwarf  clean  alpine  will  prevent 
earth  splashings  and  will  improve  the 
effect. 

Echinochloa.     See  PANICUM. 

ECHINOPS  (Globe   Thistle).—  A  fine 
hardy  plant  from  S.  Russia,  3  to  5  feet 


ECHIUM. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         EL^AGNUS.       455 


high,  covered  with  a  silvery  down, 
E.  ruthenicus  having  the  flowers  blue, 
in  round  heads.  Thrives  in  ordinary 
soil.  Easily  multiplied  by  division  of 
the  tufts,  or  by  cuttings  of  the  roots 
in  spring.  It  is  the -most  ornamental 
of  its  distinct  family,  and  is  highly 
suitable  for  grouping  with  the  bolder 
herbaceous  plants.  It  would  also  look 
well  when  isolated  on  the  turf.  E. 
humilus  is  a  very  good  kind. 

ECHIUM  (Viper's  Bugloss] .—Hand- 
some plants  of  the  Forget-me-not 
order,  the  finer  kinds  of  which,  though 
superb  in  the  open  gardens  of  S. 
Europe,  are  too  tender  for  our  gardens. 
E.  plantagineum  is  one  of  the  hand- 
somest of  the  annual  or  biennial  species. 
Its  showy  flowers,  of  rich  purplish- 
violet,  are  in  long  slender  wreaths  that 
rise  erect  from  a  tuft  of  broad  leaves. 
It  is  handsomer  than  our  indigenous 
species,  E.  pustulatum  and  E.  vulgar e. 
E.  rubrum  is  a  scarce  and  handsome 
species,  its  habit  is  similar  to  those 
above  mentioned,  but  its  colour  is  a 
reddish- violet,  similar  to  the  attractive 
E.  creticum.  They  are  all  showy 
and  of  the  simplest  culture.  The 
seeds  should  be  sown  in  ordinary 
garden  soil,  either  in  spring  for  the 
current  year's  flowering,  or  late  in 
autumn  for  flowering  in  early  summer. 
Our  native  E.  vulgare  is  good  in  certain 
positions  ;  its  long  racemes  of  blue 
flowers  are  handsomer  than  those  of 
the  Italian  Anchusa.  Against  a  hot 
wall,  where  nothing  else  would  grow, 
Dr  Acland,  of  the  Grammar  School, 
Colchester,  planted  some,  and  they 
gave  a  beautiful  bloom.  It  is  valuable 
for  such  positions,  particularly  on  hot 
gravelly  or  chalky  soils. 

Edraianthus.     See  WAHLENBERGIA. 

Edwardsia.     See  SOPHORA. 

EL^AGNUS  (Oleaster}.— Shrubs  of 
much  garden  value. 

E.  ANGUSTIFOLIA,  the  form  which  grows 
wild  in  S.E.  Europe,  is  the  wild  Olive  of 
the  old  Greek  authors.  The  long,  silvery- 
grey  fruit  is  constantly  sold  in  the  Con- 
stantinople markets  under  the  name  of 
"  Ighide  agaghi,"  and  is  sweet  and 
pleasant  to  the  taste,  abounding  as  it 
does  in  a  dry,  mealy,  saccharine  substance. 
The  general  aspect  of  this  form  is  much 
more  that  of  a  Willow  than  an  Olive,  the 
long  lanceolate  leaves  being  greyish  above 
and  silvery-white  beneath.  Best  in  sandy 
or  warm  soil. 

E.  ARGENTEA  (the  Silver  Berry  or 
Missouri  Silver  Tree). — Has  very  fragrant 
tubular  yellow  flowers,  followed  by  an 
abundance  of  nearly  globular,  dry,  mealy, 
edibJe  fruit.  This  species  gives  a  charac- 


teristic feature  to  the  vegetation  of  the 
Upper  Missouri  valley,  and  in  a  wild  state 
grows  8  or  10  feet  in  height.  The  oval 
leaves  are  silvery- white.  In  nearly  all 
British  and  foreign  nurseries  this  species 
is  confused  with  the  Buffalo  Berry 
(Shepherdia  argented),  a  genus  belonging 
to  the  same  natural  order,  but  altogether 
different  from  it. 

E.  HORTENSIS. — A  somewhat  variable 
plant  with  a  wide  geographical  distribu- 
tion, is  cultivated  in  many  countries  for 
the  sake  of  its  fruit.  In  Dr  Aitchison's 
Botany  of  the  Afghan  Delimitation  Com- 
mission it  is  described  as  a  shrub  or  tree 
occurring  at  an  elevation  of  3000  feet  and 
upwards,  near  running  streams,  and  cul- 
tivated largely  in  orchards  for  its  fruit. 

E.  LONGIPES. — Prof.  Sargent  thus  writes 
of  it  in  Garden  and  Forest  :  "  The  plant 
may  well  be  grown  for  the  beauty  of  its 
fruit  alone,  which,  moreover,  is  juicy  and 
edible,  with  a  sharp,  rather  pungent,  agree- 
able flavour.  Both  the  size  and  the 
flavour  can  doubtless  be  improved  by 
careful  selection,  and  it  is  quite  within  the 
range  of  possibility  that  it  may  become  a 
highly  esteemed  and  popular  dessert  and 
culinary  fruit.  To  some  persons,  even  in 
its  present  state,  the  flavour  is  far  prefer- 
able to  that  of  the  Currant  or  the  Goose- 
berry." The  fruit,  as  implied  by  the 
specific  name,  is  borne  on  long  stalks  ;  it 
is  bright  red  in  colour  and  covered  with 
minute  white  dots.  The  branches  are 
covered  with  rusty  brown  scales,  and  the 
somewhat  leathery  leaves  are  dark  green 
above  and  silvery-white  beneath. 

E.  MACROPHYLLA,  an  evergreen  species 
from  China  and  Japan,  has  large  roundish 
leaves,  greyish  above  and  silvery  beneath. 
It  is  quite  distinct  in  appearance  from  any 
other  hardy  shrub,  and  is  a  very  fine 
silvery  evergreen,  distinct  in  effect. 

E.  PUNGENS,  E.  GLABRA,  and  E.  REFLEXA 

are  beautiful  evergreens,  which  are  not 
very  dissimilar  in  general  aspect,  and 
which  without  long  dry  scientific  descrip- 
tions it  would  be  impossible  to  distinguish. 
Variegated  forms  exist  of  all  three,  and 
any  of  them,  as  well  as  the  types,  are 
well  worthy  of  a  place  in  the  pleasure- 
ground.  They  are  all  natives  of  Japan, 
etc.,  but  do  not  appear  to  be  quite  as 
hardy  as  the  species  previously  mentioned  ; 
all  could  be  tried,  however,  with  every 
prospect  of  success  in  the  southern  coun- 
ties. Some  of  them  in  the  south  of 
Europe  assume  a  somewhat  climbing  habit, 
and  round  the  N.  Italian  lakes,  for 
example,  grow  up  to  the  tops  of  high  Fir 
and  Pine  trees. 

E.  UMBELLATA  is  a  beautiful  shrub. 
The  leaves  are  deep  green  and  glabrous  on 
the  upper  surface  ;  in  a  young  state  earlier 
in  the  season  they  are  silvery-grey,  and 
silvery- white  beneath.  The  creamy- white 
flowers  are  produced  in  the  greatest  pro- 


456     E.  RACEMOSA.      THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         EMBOTHRIUM. 


fusion  in  June.  In  some  localities  the 
plant  is  nearly  evergreen,  and  is  probably 
hardy  throughout  Britain,  as  it  withstands 
the  winters  of  N.  Germany.  In  a  wild 
state  it  occurs  from  the  Himalayas  to 
China  and  Japan. 

ELLIOTTIA    RACEMOSA.— A    low 

tree  from  15  to  20  feet  high,  forming  a 
pyramidal  head  of  oblong  dark  green 
leaves  4  inches  long,  and  large  racemes 
of  flowers  each  an  inch  in  diameter, 
and  consisting  of  four  white  petals 


and  distinct,  which,  if  planted  in  deep 
soil  near  the  margin  of  a  shrubbery, 
or  on  a  bank  on  the  grass,  makes  an 
effective  plant,  growing  4  feet  high, 
and  as  we  should  cultivate  it  for  the 
leaves,  there  would  be  no  loss  if  the 
flowers  were  removed.  It  is  frequent 
on  our  shores,  but  more  abundant  in 
the  north  than  in  the  south.  E.  con- 
densatus  (Bunch  Grass)  is  a  vigorous 
perennial  grass  from  British  Columbia, 
forming  a  dense,  compact,  column-like 


Lyme  Grass   (Elymus  arenarius) 


borne  on  a  short  tubular  hairy  red- 
brown  calyx.  So  far  it  has  proved 
quite  hardy  at  Kew.  It  is  very  rare 
even  in  its  own  country,  where  it  is 
found  growing  in  sandy  woods  S 
United  States. 

ELSHOTZIA     STAUNTONH.  —  Re- 
cently introduced  half-woody  plant  of 
the  Sage  order,  and  often  dying  back. 
In  our  isles  it  is  best  in  the  full  sun 
China. 

ELYMUS   (Lyme    Grass}.— E.   aren- 
arius is  a  wild  British  grass,  vigorous 


frowth,  and  more  than  8  feet  high, 
t  is  covered  from  the  base  almost  to 
the  top  with  long,  arching  leaves,  and 
in  the  flowering  season  is  crowned  with 
erect  rigid  spikes  6£  inches  long,  so 
that  it  resembles  an  elongated  ear  of 
wheat.  It  is  very  ornamental,  and 
may  be  grown  in  the  same  way  as  the 
.Lyme  Grass. 

EMBOTHRIUM  (Fire  Bush).—E.  coc- 
cineum  is  a  very  beautiful  South  Ameri- 
can evergreen  shrub  of  the  Protea 
family,  hardy  in  warm  parts  of  Britain, 


EMPETRUM. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        EPILOBIUM. 


457 


even  without  the  protection  of  a  wall. 
At  Coombe  Royal,  in  South  Devon,  it 
grows  quite  20  feet  high,  and  is  a 
spectacle  of  wondrous  beauty  about 
the  end  of  April  or  the  beginning  of 
May,  when  every  twig  carries  a  cluster 
of  fiery  flowers.  Even  on  the  favoured 
Devonshire  coast  a  sharp  late  frost 
will  sometimes  injure  the  flowers.  It 
thrives  near  the  coast  in  Southern 
Ireland  and  in  Wicklow  at  Mr  Acton's, 
but  soon  perishes  in  less  favoured 
places. 

EMPETRUM  ( Crowberry) .  —  E.  ni- 
grum  is  a  small  evergreen  Heath-like 
bush,  of  the  easiest  culture,  which 
may  be  associated  with  the  dwarfer 
rock  shrubs.  It  is  a  native  plant,  and 
the  badge  of  the  Scotch  clan  M'Lean. 
There  are  several  other  varieties,  but 
the  plants  have  less  flower  beauty 
than  many  other  mountain  shrublets. 

ENKIANTHUS.  —  E.  campanulatus 
is  a  graceful  shrub,  native  of  North- 
ern Japan.  It  has  slender  branches 
covered  with  a  light  brown  bark,  and 
campanulate  flowers  produced  in  a 
pendulous  cluster,  and  of  a  pale  rosy- 
red  colour,  with  three  darker  lines  on 
each  of  the  five  sections  of  the  corolla. 

E.  CERNUUS. — A  little-known  species 
only  recently  introduced  from  Japan, 
where  it  is  said  to  be  a  bush  6  to  8  feet 
high.  The  reddish  flowers  are  campanu- 
late, and  slightly  five-lobed.  Syn.,  Meis- 
teria  cernua. 

E.  JAPONICUS. — A  rare  shrub,  first  dis- 
covered by  Sir  Rutherford  Alcock  near 
Nagasaki,  Japan,  in  1859,  and  afterwards 
introduced  by  Messrs  Standish.  The 
leaves  turn  to  a  beautiful  deep  orange 
colour  before  falling  in  autumn.  The 
pendent  flowers  are  pure  white,  globose, 
and  contracted  to  a  much  narrower  mouth 
than  in  E.  campanulatus. 

EOMECON  (Cyclamen  Poppy}.— E. 
chionanthus  is  a  hardy  perennial  Poppy- 
wort.  The  root-stocks  are  usually  as 
thick  as  the  finger  ;  they  run  freely 
underground  and  increase  rapidly. 
The  flowers,  2  to  3  inches  in  diameter, 
are  pure  white,  with  a  bunch  of  yellow 
anthers  in  the  centre  ;  several  borne 
on  stems  about  i  foot  high.  It  is  apt 
to  grow  too  freely  in  good  soil.  China. 

EPHEDRA  (Shrubby  Horsetail).  — 
;  Curious  greyish,  wiry,  trailing  bushes 
of  S.  Europe  and  N.  Africa,  rare  in  our 
gardens,  but  hardy  here  and  there,  as 
in  the  Cambridge  Botanic  Gardens, 
where  there  is  light,  warm  soil. 

All  these  plants  resemble  to  a  certain 
extent  the  Equisetums,  and  though 
they  are  leafless,  or  nearly  so,  the  bright 


green  colour  of  the  bark  makes  them 
conspicuous  at  all  seasons.  E.  dis- 
tachya  is  a  native  of  the  southern  part 
of  France  and  Spain,  in  sandy  soils  on 
the  seashore,  a  yard  or  more  high, 
forming  a  spreading  mass  of  bright 
green  cylindrical  branches  distinct 
from  all  hardy  shrubs  ;  the  berries, 
which  do  not  always  appear  in  this 
country,  are  red.  It  is  also  known  as 
E.  nebrodensis.  E.  vulgaris  is  a 
smaller  plant,  and  one  that  will  resist 
more  cold,  as  it  is  a  native  of  Siberia, 
also  some  of  the  more  southern  districts 
of  Asia.  Other  species  are  found  in 
different  parts  of  the  world. 

EPIG-ffiA  (Mayflower).  —  A  small 
Evergreen  found  in  sandy  soil  in  the 
shade  of  Pines  in  many  parts  of  N. 
America,  E.  repens  having  pretty 
rose-tinted  flowers  in  small  clusters, 
which  exhale  a  rich  odour,  and  appear 
in  spring.  Its  natural  home  is  under 
trees,  and  it  would  be  well  to  plant 
some  of  it  in  the  shade  of  Pines  or 
shrubs.  It  is  a  charming  plant, 
thriving  best  in  sandy  or  peaty  soil 
under  shrubs,  growing  only  a  few 
inches  high. 


Epigcea.  repens  (Mayflower). 

EPILOBIUM  (French  Willow). — Few 
of  these  plants  are  worthy  of  cultiva- 
tion, but  some  are  important,  and  the 
best  perhaps  is  the  showy  crimson 
native  E.  angustifolium,  of  which  there 
is  a  pure  white  variety.  This  plant 
runs  in  a  border  so  quickly  as  soon  to 
become  a  troublesome  weed,,  but  is 
fine  when  allowed  to  run  wild  in  a 


EPIMEDIUM. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         EREMURUS. 


rough  shrubbery  or  copse,  where  it 
may  bloom  with  the  Foxglove.  It  is 
a  native  of  Europe  and  many  parts  of 
Britain.  Division.  Other  kinds  some- 
what less  vigorous  are  E.  angustissi- 
mum,  E.  Dodon&i,  and  E.  rosmarini- 
folium.  The  common  native  E.  hir- 
sutum  is  stouter  than  the  French 
Willow,  and  is  only  useful  by  the 
margins  of  streams  and  ponds,  associ- 
ated with  the  Loosestrife  and  such 
plants.  There  is  a  variegated  form. 
The  Rocky  Mountain  Willow  Herb 
(E.  obcordatum}  is  a  beautiful  rock 
plant.  The  Willow  Herbs  of  our  own 
latitudes  are  very  tall  and  vigorous, 
but  on  the  dreary  summits  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains  and  the  Californian 
Sierras  one  species  has  succeeded  in 
contending  against  the  elements  by 
reason  of  its  very  dwarf  stature  ;  it 
has  imitated  the  Phloxes  and  Pent- 
stemons  of  the  same  region  ;  though 
not  more  than  3  inches  high,  it  has 
retained  the  size  and  beauty  of  flower 
of  the  finest  species,  the  colour  being 
rosy-crimson.  It  is  hardy,  and  thrives 
in  ordinary  sandy  soil  in  the  rock 
garden.  Some  of  the  small  New 
Zealand  species,  such  as  glabellum, 
nummularicB folium,  and  longipes,  are 
very  useful  for  draping  stones  on 
rock  gardens. 

EPIMEDIUM  (Barren-wort}. — Inter- 
esting and,  when  well  grown,  elegant 
plants  of  the  Barberry  order,  but  not 
shrubby.  E.  pinnatum  is  a  hardy 
dwarf  perennial  from  Asia  Minor, 
8  inches  to  2^  feet  high,  with  hand- 
some leaves,  and  bearing  long  clusters 
of  yellow  flowers.  The  old  leaves 
remain  fine  until  the  new  ones  appear 
in  the  ensuing  spring.  I  have  found 
this  a  most  useful  bold  edging  to  large 
beds,  and  growing  so  close  that  it  will 
keep  all  weeds  off.  Other  species  are 
alpinum,  macranthum,  Musschianum, 
purpureum,  rubrum,  niveum,  and  viola- 
ceum,  all  loving  half-shady  spots  in 
peat,  or  in  moist,  sandy  soil.  None 
are  so  valuable  for  general  culture  as 
the  first  mentioned. 

EPIPACTIS  (Marsh  E.). — E.  palus- 
tris  is  a  somewhat  showy  hardy 
Orchid,  i  to  i£  feet  high,  flowering 
late  in  summer,  and  bearing  rather 
handsome  purplish  flowers.  A  native 
of  moist  grassy  places  in  all  parts  of 
temperate  and  Southern  Europe.  A 
good  plant  for  the  bog  garden,  or  for 
moist  spots  near  a  rivulet,  in  soft  peat. 
In  moist  districts  it  thrives  very  well 
in  ordinary  moist  soil. 


EQUISETUM (Giant  Horse-tail}.— E. 
Telmateia  is  a  tall  British  plant,  of 
much  grace  of  habit  when  well  devel- 
oped, and  from  3  to  6  feet  high  in 
moist,  peaty,  or  clay  hollows  in  woods. 
The  stem  is  furnished  from  top  to 
bottom  with  spreading  whorls  of 
slender  branches,  slightly  drooping, 
the  whole  forming  a  graceful  pyramid. 
It  is  fit  for  the  hardy  fernery,  shady 
peat  borders,  near  cascades,  or  among 
shrubs,  and  grows  in  any  moist  soil. 
Division.  E.  sylvaticum  is  another 
native  Horse-tail,  much  dwarfer,  but 
graceful  when  well  grown,  8  to  15 
inches  high,  and  covered  with  slender 
branches.  Usually  these  plants  are 
not  fit  for  garden  culture,  but  some 
are  troublesome  weeds. 

ERAGROSTIS  (Love  Grass}.  — 
Grasses,  some  of  which  are  worth 
cultivating  for  their  elegant  feathery 
panicles.  E.  cegyptiaca,  with  silvery- 
white  plumes,  maxima,  elegans,  pilosa, 
amabilis,  pellucida,  capillaris,  plumosa, 
are  all  elegant  annuals.  They  are 
useful  for  cutting  for  the  house  dur- 
ing summer.  Seed  may  be  sown  in 
autumn  or  spring  in  the  open  air,  on 
or  in  a  slightly  heated  frame.  For 
preserving,  the  stems  should  be 
gathered  before  the  seeds  are  too 
ripe. 

ERANTHIS  (Winter  Aconite}. — E. 
hyemalis  is  a  pretty  early  plant  with 
yellow  flowers  surrounded  by  a  whorl 
of  shining  green.  It  is  3  to  8  inches 
high,  and  flowers  from  January  to 
March.  It  is  seen  best  in  a  half-wild 
state  under  trees  or  on  banks  in  woody 
places,  though  it  is  occasionally  worthy 
of  a  place  among  the  earliest  border 
flowers.  It  often  naturalises  itself 
freely  in  grass,  and  is  very  beautiful 
when  the  little  yellow  flowers  peep  out 
in  early  spring.  We  may  therefore 
enjoy  it  without  giving  it  positions 
suited  for  more  delicate  plants,  or 
taking  any  trouble  about  it,  but  it  is 
more  vigorous  on  chalky  or  warm 
soils,  and  dwindles  on  some  cold 
soils.  E.  cilicicus  is  a  recent  introduc- 
tion of  like  stature  and  character, 
though  distinct  as  a  species,  and  of  like 
value  and  hardiness. 

EREMURUS.  —  Noble       tuberous  -  ; 
rooted  plants  from  N.    India,   Persia, 
and  C.  Asia,  now  finding  favour  in  our  I 
gardens.     Most  of  the  kinds  are  hand- 
some,  and  well  suited   for  the  warm 
sheltered  glades  of  gardens  where  hardy  \ 
flowers    and    plants    are    grown    in    a 
natural  and  informal  way.     In  such  a  3 
home  they  are  seen  to  advantage  in  , 


EREMURUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.      ERIANTHUS. 


459" 


bold  groups  with  some  of  the  finest 
hardy  plants,  with  a  background  of 
shrubs.  These  plants  are  far  more 
accommodating  than  at  first  was 
imagined.  Groups  of  the  bolder  kinds 
associated  with  Hydrangea  panic- 
ulata  grandiflora,  Lilium  Henryi,  and 
Azalea  mollis  are  effective  for  months 
on  end,  and  all  revel  in  deep  rich  loam, 
old  manure,  and  leaf-mould.  The 
plants  named  afford  them  shelter  from 
spring  frosts,  which  is  important. 
Such  bold  and  vigorous  growers  as 
E.  robustus  and  E.  Elwesianus  should 
never  be  planted  in  prepared  "  holes," 
but,  because  of  their  extended  root 
systems,  on  a  much  more  generous 
plan,  so  that  their  thong-like  roots, 
radiating  like  the  spokes  of  a  wheel 
from  its  hub,  may  be  catered  for.  In 
planting,  keep  the  crowns  of  these 
giants  of  the  race  fully  6  inches  deep : 
they  will  come  to  the  surface  a  year 
or  two  later  by  the  very  nature  of  their 
crown-above-crown  annual  increase. 
In  all  my  ill-drained  and  clay  soils 
they  succeed  quite  well.  The  modern, 
late-flowering  hybrids  are  not  averse 
to  thin  partial  shade,  and  in  such  last 
well,  while  the  earliest  sorts  are  capable 
of  fine  effect  amid  their  plantings  of 
Rhododendrons  or  other  shrubs. 
They  thrive  admirably  in  deep,  rich, 
sandy  loam,  with  the  addition  of  some 
decayed  cow  manure.  Autumn  is  the 
best  period  for  planting. 

The  Rev.  F.  Page-Roberts  writes 
from  Scole  Rectory  : — 

"  With  a  little  trouble  Eremuri  may 
be  grown  successfully  by  every  lover 
of  beautiful  flowers.  All  that  is 
necessary  for  their  well-being  is  pro- 
tection from  slugs,  which  soon  scent 
them  from  afar.  I  keep  a  perforated 
zinc  collar  round  the  crown  and  protect 
from  spring  frosts.  The  plant  early 
forces  its  way  up  even  through  the 
frost-bound  earth,  but  the  tender 
flower-spike,  tender  only  in  infancy,  is 
nipped  in  the  bud  if  rain  fall  on  it  and 
freezes.  Protection  also  from  cutting 
winds  which  destroy  the  foliage  is 
needed.  With  such  precautions  and 
planted  in  loam,  deep  but  not 
too  stiff,  in  a  well  -  drained  sunny 
border,  and  with  an  occasional  dose 
of  weak  liquid  manure,  they  will 
repay  one  for  all  the  care  given  to 
them." 

E.  AITCHISONII. — A  fine  kind  from 
Afghanistan,  where  it  grows  on  ridges  of 
the  hills  nearly  12,000  feet  above  sea-level, 
bearing  in  June  dense  spikes  of  pale 


reddish  flowers,  robust,  and  on  stems  from 
3  to  5  feet  high. 

E.  AURANTIACUS.  —  A  dwarf  plant, 
hardy,  flowering  in  April,  the  numerous 
spikes  of  bright  citron-yellow  flowers 
giving  quite  a  character  to  part  of  the 
Hariab  district,  where  it  is  one  of  the 
commonest  plants  on  rough  ground.  It 
is  the  vegetable  of  the  Hariab  district 
upon  which  the  inhabitants  depend  for 
at  least  two  months  of  the  year.  The 
leaves  are  cut  from  the  root-stock,  as 
close  to  the  ground  as  possible,  and 
cooked. 

E.  BUNGEI. — A  beautiful  plant  with, 
wand-like  spikes  of  yellow  flowers  2  to 
3  feet  high.  E.  B.  pallidus  (primrose 
yellow)  and  E.  B.  superbus,  a  magnificent 
plant  with  towering  spikes  of  yellow 
flowers,  are  notable  varieties.  Native  of 
Persia,  flowering  in  July. 

E.  HIMALAICUS  is  a  beautiful  white- 
flowered  kind.  The  flower-stems  are  4  to- 
8  feet  high,  the  dense  racemes  taking  up 
quite  2  feet  of  the  upper  portion,  with 
flowers  as  large  as  a  florin.  It  is  one  of 
the  hardiest  and  best  of  the  known  kinds. 
It  flowers  in  May  and  June,  and  is  a  native 
of  the  temperate  Himalayas. 

E.  OLG^E. — A  dwarf  kind,  and  one  of 
the  latest  to  flower.  The  flower-stem  is 
nearly  4  feet  high,  and  is  densely  set'  with 
handsome  lilac  flowers  as  large  as  a  five- 
shilling  piece.  It  is  certainly  one  of  the 
handsomest  species.  E.  O.  roseus  and 
E.  O.  Salmon  Queen  are  beautiful  varieties. 
A  native  of  Turkestan,  flowering  in  June 
and  July. 

E.  ROBUSTUS. — One  of  the  best  known 
in  gardens,  with  a  huge  flower-stem  6  to 
10  feet  high,  bearing  a  dense  raceme  of 
peach-shaped  lilac  flowers  nearly  2  inches 
in  diameter.  It  is  hardy,  and  may  often 
be  seen  forcing  its  shoots  through  frozen 
ground.  Native  of  Turkestan,  flowering 
in  June. 

In  addition  to  the  above  named  are 
E.  Shelford  and  E.  St  Michael,  raised 
by  the  late  Sir  Michael  Foster,  and 
considered  by  him  to  be  the  best  of 
his  many  seedlings  ;  Tubergini  and 
Warei,  of  coppery-pink  hue,  and  a 
wide  range  of  seedlings  affording  shades 
of  cream,  pink,  buff,  salmon,  and 
orange,  which,  apart  from  colour, 
beauty,  and  novelty,  have  greatly 
added  to  the  value  of  the  group  by 
their  late  (July)  flowering. 

ERIANTHUS. — A  fine  grass  from  S. 
Europe,  E.  Ravennce  is  somewhat  like 
the  Pampas  Grass  in  habit,  but  smaller 
in  size,  having  violet-tinged  leaves. 
The  flowering  stems  grow  from  5  to- 
6£  feet  high,  but  as  it  only  flowers 
with  us  in  a  very  warm  season,  it 
must  be  valued  for  its  foliage  alone. 
Its  dense  tufts  are  strongest  with  us- 


46o 


ERICA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


ERICA. 


in  light  or  warm  soil,  in  positions  with 
a  south  aspect.  It  is  poor  on  cold 
soils,  and  will  probably  not  grow  well 
north  of  London.  It  is  fitted  for 
association  with  such  grasses  as 
Arundo  conspicua.  Division  of  the 
tufts  in  spring  or  autumn.  E.  strictus 
is  another  species,  but  is  not  so  good 
as  E.  Ravennce. 

ERICA  (Heath}. — Beautiful  shrubs, 
of  which  the  kinds  that  are  wild  in 
Europe  are  very  precious  for  gardens. 
We  should  take  more  hints  from  our 
own  wild  plants  and  bring  the  hardy 
Heaths  of  Britain  into  the  garden. 
Why  should  we  have  such  things  as 
the  Alternanthera  grown  with  care 
.and  cost  in  hothouses,  and  then  put 
out  in  summer  to  make  our  flower 
gardens  ridiculous,  while  neglecting 
:such  lovely  hardy  things  as  our  own 
Heaths  and  their  many  pretty  varie- 
ties ?  But  very  many  people  do  not 
know  how  happy  these  Heaths  are  as 
garden  plants,  and  how  well  they  mark 
the  seasons,  and  for  the  most  part 
at  a  time  when  people  go  into  the 
country.  Where,  as  in  many  country 
places,  the  Heaths  abound,  there  is 
less  need  to  cultivate  them,  although 
we  cultivate  nothing  prettier.  In 
places  large  enough  for  bold  Heath 
gardens  it  would  be  well  to  plant 
*hem,  but  a  small  place  is  often  large 
•enough  for  a  few  beds  of  hardy  Heaths. 
Once  established  they  need  very  little 
attention.  The  varieties  are  often 
quite  as  free  as  the  wild  sorts,  and  give 
delightful  colour  in  a  Heath  garden, 
which  need  not  by  any  means  be  a 
pretentious  affair,  but  quite  simple  ; 
for  heaths  are  best  on  the  nearly  level 
ground.  This  group  of  plants  has  as 
yet  had  but  scant  care,  and  if  grown 
at  all,  is  grown  in  a  poor  way,  and  more 
for  its  "  botanical  interest  "  than  from 
any  just  sense  of  its  great  beauty. 
That  can  only  be  fairly  judged  of  by 
those  who  see  Heaths  on  mountains 
and  moors,  where  they  are  among  the 
most  beautiful  of  plants  in  effect  in 
broad  masses.  This  can  hardly  ever 
be  shown  in  small  gardens,  but  why 
should  it  not  be  in  large  ones  ?  We 
need  not  even  have  a  garden  to  culti- 
vate Heaths  in  a  picturesque  way,  as 
almost  any  rough  open  ground  will  do, 
and  some  kinds  will  do  among  bushes 
and  in  woody  places.  The  larger 
Heaths,  where  grown,  should  be  massed 
in  visible  groups,  and  the  dwarf  ones 
seen  in  masses  also,  and  not  treated  as 
mere  "  specks "  on  rockeries.  They 
are  all  of  easy  culture,  and  all  the 


dwarf  kinds  of  easy  increase  by  pulling 
in  pieces  and  re-planting  at  once  any 
time  from  October  to  April. 

E.  ARBOREA  (Tree  Heath). — A  tall  and 
graceful  shrub  of  Southern  Europe  and 
N.  Africa  ;  white  flowered,  and  covering 
vast  areas  in  the  upland  woods  of  Oak  or 
other  trees,  attaining  a  height  of  12  feet 
or  more  in  N.  Africa,  and  in  the  Canaries 
becoming  a  tree.  This  Heath  is  tender  in 
Britain  generally,  but  may  be  grown  in 
southern  and  warm  districts  and  on  warm 
soil  in  sheltered  valleys  near  the  sea  with 
its  friendly  warmth. 

E.  AUSTRALIS  (Southern  Heath). — A 
pretty  bush  heath  of  the  sandy  hills  and 
wastes  of  Spain  and  Portugal,  2  feet  to 
3  feet  high,  flowering  in  spring  in  Britain. 
The  flowers  are  rosy  purple  and  fragrant. 
It  deserves  a  place  in  healthy  soils. 

E.  CARNEA  (Alpine  Forest  Heath). — A 
jewel  among  mountain  Heaths,  and  hardy 
as  the  rock  Lichen.  On  many  ranges  of 
Central  Europe  at  rest  in  the  snow  in 
winter,  in  our  mild  winters  it  flowers  in 
January  in  the  south,  and  in  all  districts 
is  in  bloom  in  the  dawn  of  spring — deep 
rosy  flowers,  carpeting  the  ground,  the 
leaves  and  all  good  in  colour.  There  are 
one  or  two  varieties,  one  white.  This 
Heath  is  not  averse  to  loamy  soils,  and 
often  thrives  on  them  as  well  as  on  peat 
soil.  Syn.,  E.  herbacea. 

E.  CILIARIS  (Dorset  Heath). — A  lovely 
plant,  and  as  pretty  as  any  Heath  of 
Europe.  A  native  of  Western  France  and 
Spain  in  heaths  and  sandy  woods ;  it 
also  comes  into  Southern  England,  and 
is  hardy  farther  north  than  the  districts 
it  inhabits  naturally.  The  flowers  are  of 
a  purple-crimson,  and  fade  away  into  a 
pretty  brown.  It  is  excellent  in  every 
way,  thriving  in  loamy  as  well  as  in  peaty 
soils,  and  flowering  in  summer  and  into 
late  autumn. 

E.  CINEREA  (Scotch  Heath). — A  dwarf 
and  pretty  Heath  common  in  many  parts 
of  Britain,  and  particularly  Scotland,  very 
easily  grown,  and  having  good  varieties. 
Among  them  are  alba,  bicolor,  coccinea, 
pallida,  purpurea,  and  rosea ;  flowering 
in  summer,  and  very  pretty  for  rock 
gardens. 

E.  HIBERNICA  (Irish  Heath). — Mr  Bos- 
well  Syme,  whose  knowledge  of  British 
plants  was  profound,  considered  this  Irish 
plant  distinct  from  the  Mediterranean 
Heath,  the  flowering  not  taking  place 
in  the  Irish  plant  till  three  or  four  months 
after  the  Mediterranean  Heath ;  a  fine 
shrub  in  Mayo  and  Galway,  growing 
from  2  to  5  feet  high. 

E.  HYBRIDA  (Hybrid  Heath). — A  cross 
between  E.  carnea  and  E.  mediterranea. 
It  is  a  good  plant,  and  flowers  through  the 
winter  and  far  into  the  spring,  thriving 
in  loamy  soil  almost  as  well  as  in  peat, 


ERICA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


ERIGERON. 


46! 


and  is  excellent  as  a  groundwork  below 
Azaleas. 

E.  LUSITANICA  (Portuguese  Heath). — 
This  is  for  Britain  the  most  precious  of 
the  taller  Heaths,  2  to  4  feet  high,  and, 
hardier  than  the  Tree  Heath,  it  may  be 
grown  over  a  larger  area.  Even  in  a  cool 
district  I  have  had  it  in  a  loamy  soil  ten 
years,  and  almost  every  year  it  bears 
lovely  wreaths  of  flowers  in  mid-winter, 
white  flowers  with  a  little  touch  of  pink, 
in  fine,  long,  Foxbrush-like  shoots.  This 
would  probably  perish  in  the  north,  but 
is  a  shrub  of  rare  beauty  for  sea  coast  and 
mild  districts.  Syn.,  E.  codonodes. 

E.  MEDITERRANEA  (Mediterranean 
Heath). — A  bushy  kind,  3  to  5  feet  high, 
best  in  peat,  and  flowering  prettily  in 
spring.  Although  a  native  of  Southern 
Europe,  it  is  hardier  in  our  country  than 
the  Tree  Heaths  of  Southern  Europe.  Of 
this  species  there  are  several  varieties. 

E.  SCOPARIA  (Broom  Heath). — A  tall  and 
wiry-looking  Heath,  reaching  8  feet  or 
more  in  our  country,  flowering  in  summer, 
not  showy.  I  have  seen  this  in  cold  parts 
of  France  (Sologne),  and  it  is  hardier 
than  most  of  the  larger  Heaths  ;  it  is 
often  naked  at  the  bottom  and  bushy 
and  close  at  the  top. 

E.  STRICTA  (Corsican  Heath). — A  wiry- 
looking  shrub,  compact  in  habit,  about 
4  feet  high,  and  a  handsome  plant.  A 
native  of  the  mountains  of  Corsica, 
nowering  in  summer. 

E.  TETRALIX  (Marsh  or  Bell  Heather). — 
This  beautiful  Heath  is  frequent  through- 
out the  northern,  as  well  as  western, 
regions,  thriving  in  moist  or  boggy  places, 
but  also  in  ordinary  soil  in  gardens.  This 
Heath  has  several  varieties,  differing  in 
colour  mainly.  E.  Mackaiana  is  thought 
to  be  a  variety  of  the  Bell  Heather. 
There  is  also  a  supposed  hybrid  between 
this  and  the  Dorset  Heath.  E.  Watsoni 
is  a  hybrid  between  the  Bell  Heather  and 
Dorset  Heath.  Flowering  summer  and 
early  autumn. 

E.  VAGANS  (Cornish  Heath)  is  a  vigorous 
bush  Heath  thriving  in  almost  any  soil, 
2  to  4  feet  high.  A  native  of  Southern 
Britain  and  Ireland,  and  better  fitted 
for  bold  groups  in  the  pleasure  ground 
or  covert  than  the  garden.  There  are 
several  varieties,  alba  and  rubra  grandiflora 
being  the  best,  with  St  Keverne  (rosy 
pink)  the  most  beautiful  of  all. 

E.  VULGARIS  (Heather:  Ling).  —  As 
precious  as  any  Heath  is  the  common 
Heather  and  its  many  varieties,  none  of 
them  prettier  than  the  common  form, 
but  worth  having,  excluding  only  the 
very  dwarf  and  monstrous  ones,  which  are 
useless  except  in  the  rock  garden,  and 
not  of  much  good  there.  Heathers  are 
excellent  for  forming  low  covert,  and,  of 
all  the  plants,  none  so  quickly  clothes  a 
bare  slope  or  shaly  soil,  not  taking  any 
notice  of  the  hottest  summer  in  such 


situations.  Among  the  best  varieties  are 
alba,  Alporti,  coccinea,  decumbens,  Ham- 
mondi,  pumila,  rigida,  Serlei,  and  tomen- 
tosa.  Syn.,  Calluna. 

E.  DABCECII  (Daboecs  Heath). — The  name 
of  this  fine  plant  has  been  so  often  changed 
by  botanists  that  it  is  difficult  to  find  it 
by  name  in  books,  and  I  give  it  by  the 
Linnean  name  here.  It  is  a  beautiful 
shrub  1 8  inches  to  30  inches  high,  bear- 
ing crimson  -  purple  blooms  in  drooping 
racemes.  There  is  a  white  variety  even 
more  beautiful,  and  one  with  purple  and 
white  flowers,  called  bicolor.  I  have  had 
the  white  form  in  flower  throughout 
the  summer  and  autumn  on  a  slope 
fully  exposed  to  the  sun,  and  in  very 
hot  years  too.  Syn.,  Menziesia  polifolia, 
also  Dabacia  and  Boretta.  West  of 
Ireland. 

E.  MAWEANA  (Maw's  Heath). — Of  this 
Heath,  Mr  Robert  Lindsay  writes  as 
follows  :  "  This  is  one  of  the  handsomest 
of  all  the  hardy  Heaths,  and  was  dis- 
covered by  Mr  George  Maw  in  Portugal 
in  1872.  It  may  be  best  described  as 
a  very  vigorous  -  growing  E.  ciliaris, 
which  it  resembles,  but  is  more  robust 
in  all  its  parts  ;  the  flowers  also,  besides 
being  larger  than  those  of  E.  ciliaris,  are 
darker  in  colour.  It  flowers  from  July  to 
December." 

E.  MULTIFLORA  (Many-flowered  Heath). 
— Somewhat  like  a  white  Cornish  Heath, 
but  dwarf  and  close-set ;  flowers,  in  the 
form  usually  grown,  white  ;  many  in  close 
racemes.  Southern  Europe  and  North 
Africa  on  calcareous  soil,  thriving  in 
ordinary  soil  in  gardens. 

ERIGERON  (Fleabane).  —  Michael- 
mas Daisy-like  plants  of  dwarf  growth, 
somewhat  alike  in  general  appearance, 
and  having  pink  or  purple  flowers 
with  yellow  centres.  They  flourish  in 
any  garden  soil,  and  some  are  of  a 
weedy  nature.  One  or  two  are  best 
suited  for  the  rock  garden ;  of  these, 
E.  alpinum  grandiflorum  is  the  finest. 
It  is  similar  to  the  alpine  Aster,  having 
large  heads  of  purplish  flowers  in  late 
summer,  and  remaining  in  beauty  a 
long  time.  Suitable  for  the  rock 
garden  and  well  -  drained  borders. 
Division  or  seed.  E.  Roylei,  a  Hima- 
layan plant,  is  another  good  alpine,  of 
very  dwarf,  tufted  growth,  having 
large  blossoms  of  a  bluish-purple  with 
yellow  eye.  By  far  the  best  of  the 
taller  kinds  is  E.  (Stenactis)  speciosus, 
3i  vigorous  species,  with  erect  stems 
that  grow  about  2|  feet  high,  and 
bear  during  June  and  July  many 
large  purplish  lilac  Aster-like  flowers 
with  conspicuous  orange  centres.  E. 
macranthus,  another  showy  species,  is 


462 


ER1NUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


ERODIUM. 


of  a  neat  habit  and  about  i  foot  high. 
It  bears  an  abundance  of  large,  purple, 
yellow-eyed  blossoms  in  summer,  and, 
like  E.  speciosus,  will  grow  in  any  soil. 
E.  mucronatus,  known  also  as  Vitta- 
denia  triloba,  is  a  valuable  border 
flower,  neat  and  compact,  and  for 
several  weeks  in  summer  is  a  dense 
rounded  mass  of  bloom  about  9  inches 
high.  The  flowers  are  pink  when  first 
expanded,  and  afterwards  change  to 
white,  and  the  plant  therefore  pre- 
sents every  intermediate  shade.  Other 
kinds  in  gardens  are  E.  multiradiatus, 
glabellus,  glaucus,  bellidifolius,  strigosus, 
and  philadelphicus — the  last  two  being 
the  prettiest.  All  are  easily  increased 
by  division  in  autumn  or  spring.  The 
most  effective  and  useful  of  the  genus 
is  E.  speciosus,  which  is  excellent  for 
groups  or  borders. 

ERINUS  (Wall  E.}. — E.  alpinus  is 
a  pretty  alpine  plant,  with  racemes 
of  violet-purple  flowers,  abundant  on 
dwarf  tufts  of  leaves  in  early  summer. 
In  winter  it  perishes  on  the  level 
ground  in  most  gardens,  but  it  is 
permanent  when  allowed  to  run  wild 
on  old  walls  or  ruins,  and  it  is  easily 
established  on  old  ruins  by  sowing 
seeds  in  mossy  or  earthy  chinks.  It 
is  well  suited  for  the  rock  garden, 
where  it  grows  in  any  position,  and 
often  flowers  bravely  on  earthless 
mossy  rocks  and  stones.  E.  hirsutus 
is  a  variety  covered  with  down.  There 
is  a  white  variety.  Pyrenees. 

ERINACEA  PUNGENS.— A  dwarf, 
much-branched  shrub,  forming  foot- 
high  cushions  of  spiny  branches,  and 
producing  in  May  and  June  pea-shaped 
flowers  of  an  exquisite  blue  shade. 
The  species  is  an  old  introduction  from 
Spain,  and  despite  hardiness  and  dis- 
tinctive beauty,  still  remains  one  of  the 
most  rare  of  hardy  plants.  Best  suited 
to  sunny  positions  in  the  rock  garden. 
Increased  by  seeds  when  procurable, 
and  layers.  It  grows  well  in  sandy 
loam,  or  this  with  peat  added. 

ERIOBOTRYA  (E.  japonica : 
Loquat). — A  large-leaved  shrub  from 
Japan  ;  in  our  country  tender,  and 
only  suitable  for  walls  in  warm  and 
sheltered  places.  Its  large  evergreen 
leaves  are  handsome,  and  in  warm 
districts  it  flowers,  the  blossoms  white, 
but  it  does  not  fruit  in  the  open  air 
in  England. 

ERIOGONUM.— N.  American  alpine 
plants  which,  on  the  mountains  of 
California,  are  of  much  beauty.  From 
a  dense  tuft  of  leaves  E.  umbellatum 


throws  up  numerous  stems,  6  to  8 
inches  high,  on  which  golden-yellow 
blooms,  in  umbels  4  inches  or  more 
across,  form  a  neat  and  conspicuous 
tuft.  In  light  sandy  soil  of  the  rock 
garden  it  has  never  failed  to  bloom 
profusely.  Other  kinds  are  E.  com- 
position, flavum,  Jamesi,  racemosum, 
ursinum. 

ERIOPHORUM  (Cotton  Grass).  - 
Sedge-like  plants,  whose  heads  of  white 
cottony  seeds  make  them  interesting 
in  the  bog  garden  or  in  wet  places  in 
grass.  E.  polystachyon  is  the  best  for 
a  garden ;  it  is  plentiful  in  some 
marshy  districts. 

ERITRICHIUM  (Fairy  Forget-me- 
not). — E.  nanum  is  an  alpine  gem, 
closely  allied  to  the  Forget-me-nots, 
which,  however,  it  excels  in  intensity 
of  azure-blue.  Though  reputed  to  be 
difficult  to  cultivate,  a  fair  amount  of 
success  may  be  ensured  by  planting  it 
in  broken  limestone  or  sandstone, 
mixed  with  a  small  quantity  of  rich 
fibry  loam  and  peat,  in  a  spot  in  the 
rock  garden  where  it  will  be  fully 
exposed,  and  where  the  roots  will 
be  near  half -buried  rock.  The  chief 
enemy  of  this  little  plant,  and  indeed 
of  all  alpine  plants  with  silky  or 
cottony  foliage,  is  moisture  in  winter, 
which  soon  causes  it  to  damp  off.  In 
its  native  habitat  it  is  covered  with 
dry  snow  during  that  period.  Some, 
therefore,  recommend  an  over-hanging 
ledge,  but  if  such  protection  be  not 
removed  during  summer,  it  causes  too 
much  shade  and  dryness.  A  better 
plan  is  to  place  two  pieces  of  glass  in 
a  ridge  over  the  plant,  thus  keeping 
it  dry  and  allowing  a  free  access  of  air, 
but  these  should  be  removed  early  in 
spring.  Alps,  at  high  elevations.  A 
stone  or  slate  over  the  plant  for  the 
worst  months  (November  to  end  of 
February)  is  a  good  way. 

ERODIUM  (Stork's  -  bill).  —  Like 
hardy  Geraniums,  but  usually  smaller 
and  more  southern  in  origin.  Suited 
for  chalky  banks  or  the  rock  garden, 
and  some  are  suited  for  borders,  while 
others  may  be  naturalised  in  the  grass 
in  warm  soil.  Among  the  best  species 
are  : — 

E.  CORSICUM. — A  choice  alpine  species 
of  easy  culture,  having  tufts  of  grey  leaves 
and  rose-coloured  flowers.  Four  inches 
high.  Seeds. 

E.  MACRADENIUM. — A  dwarf  Pyrenean 
plant,  6  to  10  inches  high,  with  the  blooms 
of  French  white  delicately  tinged  with 
purple,  and  veined  with  purplish-rose ; 
the  lower  petals  are  larger  than  the  others  ; 


ERYNGIUM. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


ERYNGIUM. 


463 


the  two  upper  ones  have  each  a  dark  spot. 
This  plant  should  be  exposed  to  the  full 
sun,  in  crevices  situated  between  two 
rocks,  and  where  the  roots  can  penetrate 
gritty  or  stony  soil  to  the  depth  of  3  feet. 
The  flowers  come  in  abundance  during 
the  summer  months,  and  the  plant  has 
an  aromatic  fragrance. 

E.  MANESCAVI  is  a  vigorous  herbaceous 
plant,  and  the  most  showy  kind.  It  grows 

1  to  iij  feet  high,  and  throws  up  strong 
flower-stalks  above  the  foliage,  each  with 
seven  to  fifteen  purplish  flowers,   i  to  i£ 
inches  across.     It  is  not  fastidious  as  to 
soil  or  situation,  but  its  best  place  is  in 
dry  soil,  fully  exposed.     If  the  soil  be  too 
rich,  the  plant  bears  so  many  leaves  that 
the  flowers  are  hidden.     Seed  or  careful 
division. 

E.  PETR^EUM  (now  MOLTKIA  PETR^A). 

This  has  three  to  five  purplish-rose  flowers 
on  each  stalk,  which  are  4  to  6  inches 
high.  The  leaves  and  flower-stalks  are 
densely  clothed  with  minute  hairs.  It 
thrives  best  among  the  dwarfer  alpine 
plants,  in  warm  positions,  in  deep  sandy 
or  gravelly  soil. 

E.    REICHARDI. — A    miniature    species 

2  to  3  inches  high  when  in  flower.     The 
small  heart-shaped  leaves  lie  close  to  the 
ground,  and  form  little  tufts  from  which 
arise  slender  stalks,  each  bearing  a  solitary 
white  flower,  marked  with  delicate  pink 
veins ;     flowering    for    many    weeks.     It 
should  be  grown  in  gritty  peat  mixed  with 
a  small  portion  of  loam. 

To  the  foregoing  may  be  added  :  E. 
caruifolium,  6  to  10  inches  high ; 
flowers  red,  about  |  inch  in  diameter, 
and  in  umbels  of  nine  or  ten  blos- 
soms. E.  romanum,  6  to  9  inches 
high  ;  flowers  purplish,  in  spring  and 
early  summer.  E.  trichomanefolium,  a 
pretty  kind,  4  to  6  inches  high,  with 
leaves  deeply  cut ;  flowers  flesh- 
coloured,  marked  with  darker  veins. 
E.  chrysanthum,  with  lemon-yellow 
flowers,  and  E.  guttatum,  these  being 
mostly  fitted  for  the  warmer  parts  of 
the  rock  garden.  E.  daucoides.  E. 
supracanum. 

Erpetion.     See  VIOLA. 

ERYNGIUM  (Sea  Holly]  .—Hand- 
some perennials  or  biennials  of  the 
Parsley  order,  but  so  unlike  that  class 
of  plants  in  general  appearance  as  to 
be  often  mistaken  for  Thistles.  For 
the  garden — whether  the  decoration 
of  the  border,  or  rock  garden,  or  the 
lawn — few  plants  yield  a  greater 
charm  from  the  size  and  colour  of 
involucres  and  stems.  The  stems  are 
so  singularly  beautiful  with  their  vivid 
steel-blue  tints,  surmounted  with  an 
involucre  even  more  brilliant,  that  the 
effect  of  good  large  groups  is  hardly 


excelled  by  that  of  any  plants  that 
live  in  our  climate.  The  great  diver- 
sity in  the  form  of  the  leaves  is  very 
interesting,  ranging  from  the  great 
Pandanus-like  foliage  of  E.  pandani- 
folium  to  the  very  small  thistle-like 
leaves  of  E.  dichotomum.  Those  be- 
longing to  the  Pandanus  set,  such  as 
E.  Lasseauxi,  eburneum,  bromelics- 
folium,  are  less  hardy  than  some,  but 
are  useful  among  fine-leaved  plants, 
their  leaves  being  mostly  of  a  thick 
succulent  nature,  and  not  liable  to  be 
damaged  by  the  cold  nights  in  early 
autumn  ;  indeed,  in  all  but  very  damp 
places  or  heavy  soils  they  continue 
effective  as  regards  foliage  all  through 
the  winter  season.  E.  alpinum,  Oli- 
verianum,  and  giganteum  are  very  useful 
for  borders,  and  all  are  the  more  valu- 
able for  this  purpose  owing  to  the 
length  of  time  they  continue  in  bloom, 
and  retain  their  handsome  blue  tints. 
They  are  hardier,  too.  A  good  rich 
and  well-drained  soil  suits  most  of  the 
species  ;  damp  carries  off  more  of  the 
tender  species  during  winter  than  cold. 
Protection  is  not  needed,  as  the  Sea 
Hollies  will  stand  any  exposure  so  long 
as  the  drainage  is  good.  E.  alpinum 
may  be  made  an  exception  to  the  above 
directions,  as  in  the  south  of  England  ; 
at  any  rate,  it  prefers  a  shady  spot  in 
a  good  stiff  soil.  Much  the  same 
treatment  will  also  answer  in  the  case 
of  E.  Oliverianum. 

The  best  way  of  increasing  perennial 
Sea  Hollies  is  by  root  cuttings.  They 
may  also  be  easily  raised  from  seed. 
Sow  the  seed  in  pans  as  soon  as 
gathered,  and  place  in  a  cold  frame. 
The  seeds  will  germinate  in  the  spring, 
and  if  properly  managed  will  be  ready 
to  plant  out  the  following  year.  These 
plants  often  "  sow  themselves,"  afcd 
seedlings  come  up  in  all  sorts  of  places. 

The  under-mentioned  are  a  few  of 
the  best  kinds  : — 

E.  ALPINUM  (Alpine  Sea  Holly). — This 
is  found  in  the  alpine  pastures  of  Switzer- 
land, and  when  well  grown  is  not  surpassed 
in  beauty  by  any  plant.  The  involucres, 
as  well  as  the  stems,  are  of  a  fine  blue,  and 
its  flower-stems,  about  2  feet  high,  arise 
during  July  and  August. 

E.  AMETHYSTINUM  (Amethyst  Sea 
Holly). — This-  has  been  confounded  with 
the  much  more  robust  E.  Oliverianum, 
although  they  have  little  in  common. 
E.  amethystinum  rarely  exceeds  i  foot  to 
i£  feet  in  height,  is  of  a  somewhat  strag- 
gling habit,  and  has  flower  heads  and 
stems  of  the  finest  amethyst  blue.  It  can 
be  increased  by  division,  and  easily  raised 
from  seed.  Dalmatia  and  Croatia. 


464 


ERYNGIUM. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


ERYSIMUM. 


E.  GIGANTEUM  (Giant  Sea  Holly). — This 
is  an  excellent  plant  for  grouping,  and  a 
picturesque  object,  growing  from  3  to  4  feet 
high,  with  stout  stems  and  deeply-lobed, 
spiny,  glaucous  leaves.  The  involucre,  of 
eight  to  nine  large,  oval,  spiny  leaves,  pale 
grey  or  glaucous,  is  very  effective.  Cauca- 
sian Alps  and  Armenia. 


The  Amethyst  Sea  Holly  (E.  amethystinuni). 

E.  MARITIMUM  (Common  Sea  Holly). — 
This  native  plant  (Mertensia  maritima)  is 
a  very  pretty  kind,  requiring  no  special 
culture.  It  is  one  of  the  most  glaucous  of 
the  species,  flowering  from  July  to  Octo- 
ber, and  grows  from  6  inches  to  i£  feet 
high. 

E.  OLIVERIANUM  (Oliver's  Sea  Holly). — 
This  is  of  easy  cultivation,  and  the  abun- 
dance of  its  highly  coloured  flower-heads 
makes  it  attractive  in  the  flower  border. 
It  grows  2  to  3  feet  and  often  4  feet  in 
height.  The  ten  to  twelve  bracts  com- 
posing the  involucre  are  longer  than  the 
head  of  flowers,  and  have  about  half  a 
dozen  teeth  on  each  sid6.  It  ripens  seed 
freely,  and  in  this  way  it  may  be  readily 
increased.  S.  Europe. 

Other  attractive  kinds  are  E.  Bour- 
gati,  campestre,  cceruleum,  planum,  of 


which  there  is  a  very  beautiful  variety, 
dichotomum,  triquetrum,  creticum,  glad- 
ale,  spina-album. 

THE  PANDANUS  GROUP. — To  this 
group,  chiefly  natives  of  Mexico  and 
Brazil,  belong  some  of  the  extra- 
ordinary forms  in  this  genus.  Begin- 
ning with  Serra,  we  have  a  large 
broad  -  leaved  species  with  curious 
double  spines  ;  Carrierei,  said  to  be 
the  finest  of  all,  having  a  compact 
habit  combined  with  large,  beautiful 
leaves.  E.  bromeliczfolium  is  a  charm- 
ing plant,  striking  and  distinct  in 
habit,  and  forming  elegant  Yucca-like 
tufts,  with  its  graceful  leaves  sur- 
mounted with  whitish  flower-heads. 
E.  pandanifolium  is  a  noble  plant,  very 
effective  when  grown  as  an  isolated 
plant  on  a  lawn.  E.  Lasseauxi  is 
nearly  allied,  and  quite  hardy  in  the 
open  air.  E.  eburneum,  aquaticum, 
virginianum,  Leavenworthi,  and  others 
are  all  worthy  of  attention  for  their  fine 
foliage,  but  not  so  beautiful  in  colour 
as  the  European  Sea  Hollies. 

ERYSIMUM.  —  Wallflower-like 
perennials,  biennials,  and  annuals, 
mostly  of  dwarf  growth.  Of  the 
perennials  the  following  are  the  finest  : 

E.  OCHROLEUCUM  (Alpine  Wallflower). — 
This  handsome  plant  forms,  under  cultiva- 
tion, neat  rich  green  tufts,  6  to  12  inches 
high,  and  in  spring  is  covered  with  sulphur 
flowers.  The  rock  garden  is  most  con- 
genial to  it ;  but  it  does  very  well  on  good 
level  ground,  though  it  is  apt  to  get  naked 
about  the  base,  and  may  perish  on  heavy 
soils.  Division  and  cuttings.  Alps  and 
Pyrenees.  There  are  several  varieties. 
Syn.,  Cheiranthus  alpinus. 

E.  PUMILUM  (Fairy  Wallflower). — A 
very  small  plant,  rare  in  cultivation, 
resembling  the  alpine  Wallflower  in  the 
size  and  colour  of  its  flowers,  but  lacking 
its  vigorous  and  rich  green  foliage.  It  is 
often  only  i  inch  high,  and  it  bears  very 
large  flowers  for  its  size.  They  appear 
above  a  few  narrow  sparsely  toothed 
leaves,  which  barely  rise  from  the  ground. 
Alps  and  Pyrenees.  It  requires  an  ex- 
posed spot  of  very  sandy  or  gritty  loam 
in  the  rock  garden,  where  it  must  be  sur- 
rounded by  a  few  small  stones  to  guard  it 
from  drought,  and  it  must  be  associated 
with  alpine  plants. 

E.  RH;ETICUM. — A  pretty  mountain 
flower  which,  though  rare  in  cultivation, 
is  a  common  alpine  in  Rhaetia  and  the 
neighbouring  districts,  where  in  early 
summer  its  broad,  densely-tufted  masses 
are  aglow  with  pretty,  clear,  yellow  blos- 
soms. E.  canescens,  a  S.  European 
species  with  scentless  yellow  flowers,  is 
also  a  neat  alpine,  and  so  is  E.  rupestre, 
which  is  desirable  for  the  rock  garden. 


ERYTHRJEA.        THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.      ERYTHRONIUM.         465 


All  of  them  are  easy  to  grow,  and  delight 
in  gritty  soil  and  a  well-drained  and  sunny 
position  on  the  rock  garden.  Among  the 
biennial  and  annual  kinds,  the  best  is 
E.  Perofskianum,  i  to  i£  feet  high,  with 
dense  racemes  of  orange-yellow  flowers. 
For  early  flowering  it  should  be  sown  in 
autumn,  and  again  in  March  and  April 
for  later  bloom.  E.  arkansanum  and 
pachycarpum  are  similar  to  E.  Perofski- 
ant>tm. 


Eryn°iuin  Oliverianum. 

ERYTHRZEA  (Centaury).  —  Pretty 
dwarf  biennials  belonging  to  the 
Gentian  family.  E.  littoralis,  common 
in  some  shore  districts,  is  worth  culti- 
vating. It  is  4  to  6  inches  high,  and 
bears  an  abundance  of  rich  pink 
flowers,  which  last  a  considerable 
time  in  beauty.  The  very  beautiful 
E.  diffusa  is  a  similar  species.  It  is  a 
rapid  grower,  with  a  profusion  of  pink 
blossoms  in  summer. 

E.  MUHLENBERGI. — A  beautiful  plant 
about  8  inches  high,  putting  out  many 
slender  branches.  It  bears  many  flowers, 
the  blossoms  3^  inches  across,  of  a  deep 
pink,  with  a  greenish-white  star  in  the 
centre.  Seeds  should  be  sown  in  autumn, 
and  well  grown  till  the  spring  ;  the  plants 
will  then  flower  earlier  and  produce  finer 
flowers  than  spring-sown  plants.  They 
are  excellent  for  the  rock  garden  and  the 
margins  of  a  loamy  border.  The  soil  must 
be  moist. 

The  native  kind  and  its  forms  are 
pretty  in  the  fields  and  shores,  and  the 
plants  so  far  rarely  have  a  place  in 
gardens. 


ERYTHEINA  (Coral  Tree).— These 
beautiful  trees  are  pretty  general 
through  the  tropics.  Some  attain 
great  dimensions,  while  others  are 
dwarf  bushes  with  woody  root-stocks. 
Many  produce  beautiful  large  Pea 
flowers,  usually  of  a  blood -red  or 
scarlet  colour.  E.  Cristagalli  will 
thrive  for  years  against  a  warm  south 
wall  in  a  light  soil  if  protected  about 
the  roots  in  winter. 

ERYTHRONIUM  (Dog's-tooth  Vio- 
let).— Liliaceous  bulbs,  among  the 
loveliest  of  our  hardy  flowers,  with 
many  species  and  varieties  of  inter- 
est, and  high  garden  value.  These 
belong  to  N.  America,  with  the  excep- 
tion of : — 

E.  DENS-CANIS. — A  beautiful  plant 
found  in  various  parts  of  Europe.  It  has 
handsome  oval  leaves,  with  patches  of 
reddish-brown  ;  the  rosy-purple  or  lilac 
flowers  are  borne  singly  on  stems  4  to 
6  inches  high,  and  droop  gracefully.  It 
thrives  in  moist,  sandy,  or  peaty  soil.  In 
sun  or  shade  it  is  most  valuable  for  the 
spring  or  rock  garden,  or  for  a  border  of 
choice  hardy  bulbs,  and  where  it  is  suffi- 
ciently plentiful,  for  edgings  to  American 
plants  in  peat  soil.  The  bulbs  are  white 
and  oblong,  resembling  a  dog's  tooth, 
hence  its  name.  It  is  increased  by  divid- 
ing the  bulbs  every  two  or  three  years, 
and  replanting  rather  deeply.  C.  Europe. 
There  are  now  many  varieties — white, 
purple,  rose,  and  violet.  I  have  planted 
them  largely  in  grass,  and  find  they  thrive 
in  any  soil  in  that  way,  and  are  very  early 
and  pretty  both  in  leaf  and  flower, 
scattered  in  groups  and  colonies  in  turf. 

E.  AMERICANUM  (Yellow  Adder 's- 
tongue). — Common  in  the  woods  of  the 
eastern  states  of  N.  America.  Its  pale 
green  leaves  are  mottled,  and  commonly 
dotted  with  purple  and  white.  Flowers 
i  inch  across,  pale  yellow,  and  spotted 
near  the  base  ;  on  slender  stalks  6  to 
9  inches  high  in  May.  A  variety  (E.  brac- 
teatum)  differs  in  having  a  bract  developed, 
as  E.  grandiflorum  sometimes  has.  It  is 
very  pretty,  but  being  somewhat  shy  to 
flower,  is  seldom  seen  in  cultivation.  In 
poor,  sandy  soil,  this  little  plant  blooms 
better  than  in  compact  or  cold  soil. 

E.  GIGANTEUM. — A  variety  of  E.  grandi- 
florum. Its  showy  flowers  of  pure  white 
have  a  ring  of  bright  orange-red,  and 
measure  3  inches  in  diameter.  It  is  found 
in  California  at  an  elevation  of  6000  to 
10,000  feet,  and  also  in  Vancouver's 
Island. 

E.  GRANDIFLORUM. — The  only  cultivated 
kind  with  more  than  one  flower  on  a  stem. 
In  a  peat  bed,  with  Lilies  and  other  peat- 
loving  plants,  it  is  very  fine,  and  produces 
as  many  as  five  flowers  on  a  stem. 

2    G 


466 


ESCALLONIA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


EUCNIDE. 


For  a  full  account  of  the  western 
Erythroniums,  see  Flora  and  Sylva, 
p.  250,  vol.  i. 

ESCALLONIA. — The  Escallonias  in 
cultivation  are  often  beautiful  shrubs, 
unfortunately  sometimes  perishing  in 
hard  winters  save  in  favoured  districts. 
In  mild  places  the  common  E.  mac- 
rantha  succeeds  in  the  open,  but,  as  a 
rule,  it  must  be  regarded  as  a  wall 
shrub.  Even  in  the  mild  districts  it 
is  cut  down  during  severe  winters,  but 
it  usually  shoots  up  again  strongly 
in  the  returning  spring.  There  is  a 
variety  called  sanguinea,  with  deeper 
coloured  flowers.  Somewhat  similar 
to  E.  macrantha  is  E.  rubra  ;  but  the 
foliage  is  less  handsome  and  the 
flowers  are  paler.  E.  Philippiana  is 
very  beautiful  and  hardy,  as  it  may 
be  grown  as  a  bush  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  London.  It  is  an  evergreen 
with  small  leaves,  and  bears  a  profusion 
of  large  panicles  of  small  white  flowers. 
It  is  a  first-rate  shrub,  and  one  of  the 
best  of  the  Escallonias.  E.  pterocladon 
is  very  free-flowering,  the  small  flowers 
being  white  and  pink,  while  E.  punc- 
tata  has  dark  red  flowers  somewhat 
similar  to  those  of  E.  rubra.  Another 
species,  E.  montevidensis,  also  known 
as  E.  floribunda,  bears  large,  loose 
clusters  of  white  flowers,  and  there 
are  seedling  forms  known  under 
different  names,  especially  in  seaside 
gardens.  Among  these,  E.  Ingrami 
is  one  of  the  best,  being  hardier  than 
E.  macrantha,  though  not  so  hand- 
some. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  best  of  all  is 
E.  langleyensis,  a  hybrid  between 
E.  macrantha  and  E.  Philippiana.  It 
is  a  shrub  of  rapid  growth,  8  to  10  feet 
high,  with  slender  wand-like  shoots 
gracefully  arched,  bearing  small  neat 
leaves  of  a  cheerful  yellow-green, 
becoming  darker  with  age,  and  the 
stems  wreathed  throughout  their  length 
with  vivid  crimson  flowers  as  large  as 
a  sixpence,  in  July.  In  cold  places  it 
needs  the  shelter  of  a  wall,  but  is  fairly 
hardy,  and  so  beautiful  as  to  be  worth 
trying  anywhere.  S.  America. 

ESCHSCHOLTZIA  (Calif ornian 
Poppy). — Brilliant  annual  flowers,  of 
easy  culture  in  ordinary  soil.  To 
have  them  in  all  their  beauty,  they 
should  be  sown  in  August  and  Sep- 
tember for  early  summer  bloom. 
They  may  be  sown  later,  and  should 
then  be  allowed  to  bloom  where  they 
are  sown.  They  get  deeply  and  firmly 
rooted,  and  flower  much  longer  than 
if  sown  in  spring.  They  are  very 


hardy,  and  snails  and  slugs  do  not 
molest  them.  There  are  some  half  a 
dozen  kinds,  well  worth  growing,  viz., 
E.  californica ;  E.  crocea,  saffron 
colour ;  E.  c.  alba,  white  ;  E.  c. 
Mandarin,  orange  and  crimson,  very 
fine;  E.  c.fl.-pl.,  double  ;  E.  c.  rosea, 
and  E.  tenuifplia  ;  and  new  forms  are 
raised  from  time  to  time  and  given  in 
the  seed  lists.  They  are  plants  that 
should  not  be  used  to  any  great  extent 
in  the  select  flower  garden. 

EUCALYPTUS  (Gum  Tree) .—Large 
and  handsome  Australian  trees  and 
shrubs,  of  which,  in  the  south  of 
England  and  Ireland,  a  few  of  the 
species  live  in  the  open  air.  Only  in 
the  more  favoured  districts  have  these 
trees  any  chance,  and  they  never 
present  the  graceful  and  stately  port 
which  they  show  in  countries  that 
really  suit  them,  such  as  parts  of 
Italy  and  California.  I  think  these 
trees  are  unfitted  for  our  climate,  and 
even  in  Algeria,  where  many  species 
were  planted  by  the  French  Govern- 
ment, the  result,  as  I  saw  it  some 
years  ago,  was  anything  but  good. 
Among  the  hardier  kinds  are  E. 
globulus,  Gunnii,  citriodora,  amyg- 
dalina,  cor  data. 

EUCHARIDIUM.  —  Pretty  hardy 
annuals  of  the  Evening  Primrose 
family,  thriving  under  the  same  treat- 
ment as  all  annuals  from  California. 
They  may  be  sown  in  autumn  for  early 
summer  flowering,  or  from  March  to 
June  for  late  summer  and  autumn 
bloom.  They  flower  about  eight 
weeks  after  sowing,  and  remain  in 
bloom  a  long  time.  Three  specie? 
are  cultivated — E.  concinnum,  about 
9  inches  high,  with  many  rosy-purple 
blooms  ;  E.  grandiflorum,  larger  rosy- 
purple  flowers,  streaked  with  white, 
which  has  a  white  variety  (album], 
and  a  variety  with  pink  flowers 
(roseum)  ;  and  E.  Breweri,  an  elegant 
new  annual,  more  robust,  and  with  red 
flowers  of  a  deeper,  richer  colour  than 
E.  grandiflorum.  These  species  are 
of  secondary  importance  in  the  flower 
garden,  and  like  many  other  annuals, 
they  suffer  through  being  judged 
by  spring-sown  plants  of  short-lived 
bloom . 

EUCNIDE. — E.  bartonioides  is  a  half- 
hardy  annual  of  the  Loasa  family, 
from  Mexico.  The  stems  are  about 
i  foot  high,  and  bear  sulphur-yellow 
flowers,  i£  inches  across,  showy  in 
August  and  September  when  several 
are  expanded.  Seeds  should  be  sown 
in  heated  frames  in  early  spring,  but 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


EUONYMUS. 


467 


the  seedlings  should  be  very  carefully 
transplanted  to  the  open  border  in 
May,  as  they  are  then  very  liable  to 
injury. 

EUCOMIS.— Cape  bulbs,  not  very 
showy,  though  deserving  of  cultivation 
in  the  outdoor  garden,  on  account  of 
their  broad  handsome  foliage,  more  or 
less  spotted  with  purple  at  the  base, 
from  which  rise  tall  cylindrical  spikes 
of  blossoms  surmounted  by  a  crown  of 
leaves.  Like  many  Cape  plants,  they 
are  hardy  on  light  and  dry  soils. 
There  are  four  species,  all  of  which  are 
in  cultivation.  E.  undulata  has  leaves 
1 8  inches  long,  wavy  at  the  margins, 
and  profusely  marked  on  the  under 
surface  with  dark  purple  blotches 
which,  in  the  variety  striata,  assume 
the  form  of  stripes.  The  flower  spike 
is  2  to  4  feet  high.  On  the  upper 
half  are  densely  arranged,  in  a  cylin- 
drical manner,  numerous  greenish-white 
blossoms,  with  purplish  centre,  crowned 
by  a  tuft  of  narrow  green  leaves.  E. 
punctata  is  the  largest  kind,  having 
leaves  about  3  feet  long.  E.  regia  is 
dwarf er  than  either  of  the  preceding. 
The  raceme  of  flowers  is  about  i  foot 
high,  and  the  tuft  of  leaves  at  the  top 
is  larger  than  in  other  kinds.  E.  nana 
is  the  smallest.  The  spreading  leaves 
lie  horizontally,  while  in  the  others 
they  are  more  erect.  They  thrive  best 
in  light  sandy  soil,  with  the  roots 
protected  by  a  covering  during  winter. 
The  foot  of  a  south  wall  suits  them  if 
they  are  associated  with  the  larger 
hardy  bulbs,  but  they  are  not  the 
most  effective  or  graceful  of  the  Lily 
family. 

EUCRYPHIA  (The  Brush  Bush}.— 
A  handsome  shrub,  E.  pinnatijolia 
hardy,  a  native  of  S.  America.  The 
flowers,  borne  plentifully,  are  very 
beautiful.  They  come  at  the  end  of  the 
summer,  when  blooming  shrubs  are 
few.  The  shrub  has  pinnate  leaves 
and  large  white  flowers  about  3  inches 
in  diameter.  Propagated  by  layers. 
Seed  should  be  plentiful,  and  that  is 
the  best  way  to  increase  it. 

E.  CORDIFOLIA. — A  shrub  as  fine  as 
that  first  introduced,  but  quite  distinct, 
bearing  very  attractive  berries,  and  grow- 
ing 10  feet  or  more  high.  It  is  said  to  be 
tender  at  Kew,  and  even  against  a  wall 
not  to  succeed,  but  it  seems  quite  hardy 
with  me  in  the  Sussex  hills.  I  think  it 
will  be  one  of  the  best  shrubs  ever  intro- 
duced. It  is  a  native  of  Valdivia  and  the 
island  of  Chiloe,  where  it  attains  to  the 
stature  of  a  small  tree. 


EULALIA.— This  Japanese  Grass, 
E.  gracillima,  is  less  vigorous  in  growth 
than  either  of  the  better  known  kinds, 
the  leaves  being  more  narrow  and 
more  gracefully  recurved.  They  are 
bright  green  in  colour,  with  a  stripe  of 
white  down  the  centre  of  each. 

E.  JAPONICA. — A  hardy  and  ornamental 
perennial  grass  of  robust  growth,  6  to 
7  feet  high.  The  brownish-violet  flower 
panicles  have  at  first  erect  branches,  but 
as  the  flowers  open  these  branches  curve 
over  gracefully  and  resemble  a  Prince  of 
Wales'  Feather.  Each  of  the  numerous 
flowers  has  at  its  base  a  tuft  of  long  silky 
hairs,  which  contribute  greatly  to  the 
feathery  lightness  of  the  whole.  For 
isolated  positions  on  lawns  it  is  excellent. 
Even  more  valuable  than  the  type  are  the 
two  variegated  forms — variegata,  with 
leaves  longitudinally  striped  with  white 
and  green  ;  and  zebrina,  with  distinct 
cross  bars  of  yellow  on  the  green.  Division 
or  seed.  Japan. 

EUONYMUS  (Spindle  Tree}.— "Low 
trees  with  little  beauty  of  flower,  but 
of  good  foliage,  habit,  and  bright  fruit. 
They  grow  well  in  almost  every  variety 
of  soil,  and,  as  a  rule,  they  prefer  open 
sunny  situations,  particularly  the  ever- 
green sorts,  and  all  thrive  near  the  sea. 

E.  AMERICANUS  (American  Spindle 
Tree). — In  mild  winters  and  sheltered 
situations,  a  small  sub-evergreen  shrub, 
of  about  6  feet  in  height.  It  is  found  wild 
over  a  wide  area  in  Canada  and  the  United 
States.  It  has  an  erect  habit  of  growth, 
with  numerous  long  slender  branches 
covered  with  a  smooth  light  green  bark  ; 
the  flowers,  open  in  June,  are  succeeded 
by  rough  warted  brilliant  crimson  cap- 
sules. In  this  country  it  is  generally 
cultivated  as  a  wall  plant. 

E.  ANGUSTIFOLIUS  (Narrow  -  leaved 
Spindle  Tree). — A  sub-evergreen  shrub 
about  4  feet  in  height,  with  long  wiry 
branches,  clothed  with  narrow  oblong 
leaves  of  a  deep  green  colour  in  summer, 
changing  in  autumn  to  a  dull  red  tint. 
The  flowers  are  small,  of  a  greenish-white 
colour,  followed  by  red  fruit  capsules.  It 
is  a  very  distinct  and  interesting  shrub  for 
a  low  wall,  and  has  a  pretty  effect  on 
raised  banks,  growing  freely  in  shady 
sheltered  aspects,  and  in  damp,  heavy 
soils. 

E.  EUROP^EUS  (Common  Spindle  Tree). — 
This  is  a  native  of  England,  and  is  a  bushy 
tree,  from  10  to  25  feet  high  ;  the  leaves 
of  a  warm  green  colour,  changing  as  they 
decay  to  a  reddish  tint.  Its  small  green- 
ish-white flowers  expand  in  May,  and  are 
followed  almost  always  by  an  abundant 
crop  of  fruit,  in  bright  pink  capsules, 
which,  opening  up  in  the  autumn,  reveal 
the  orange-coloured  sac  which  envelops 
the  seeds,  producing  a  beautiful  effect.  Of 
several  varieties,  the  most  interesting  are 


468 


EUONYMUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         EUONYMUS. 


the  white-fruited  kind,  which  differs  from 
the  species  in  producing  white  instead  of 
pink  capsules,  the  variety  with  scarlet 
leaves,  and  nanus  or  pumilus,  a  neat  little 
plant,  very  bushy,  and  one  which  never 
grows  higher  than  about  2  feet,  and  is 
admirably  suited  for  the  rock  garden,  or 


Few  evergreens  thrive  better  near  the 
sea,  and  either  it  or  some  of  its  varieties 
are  frequently  met  with  on  the  west  and 
south  coasts  of  England,  and  west  coast 
of  Scotland,  forming  handsome  specimen 
shrubs  on  lawns  and  shrubberies.  In  the 
inland  districts  it  suffers  from  frosts,  and 


Eulalia  japonica. 


any    situation    where    a    dwarf    plant    is 
desirable. 

E.  JAPONICUS  (Japan  Spindle  Tree).— 
An  evergreen  species  4  to  6  feet  in  height, 
of  bushy  habit,  the  branches  clothed  with 
numerous  leaves  of  a  dark  glossy  green 
colour.  Though  hardy  in  sheltered  dis- 
tricts, it  seldom  flowers  in  this  country. 


can  only  be  depended  upon  on  walls  or 
in  favoured  situations.  During  recent 
years  a  number  of  varieties  have  been 
sent  home  from  Japan  ;  several  of  these, 
and  particularly  the  variegated  forms,  are 
favourites. 

All  the  varieties  thrive  best  in  warm 
sunny  exposure,  and  in  well-drained  soils. 


EUPATORIUM.       THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        EXOGONIUM. 


469 


The  kind  called  argenteus  variegatus  has 
leaves  clothed  with  silver  ;  aureus  varie- 
gatus, leaves  margined  with  deep  yellow  ; 
latifolius  argenteus  and  latifolius  aureus, 
leaves  with  white  and  yellow  variegations 
respectively. 

E.  KEWENSIS. — A  pretty  dwarf-growing 
kind  well  suited  to  dry  banks  and  poor 
soils. 

E.      RADICANS      VARIEGATUS. A      dwarf 

creeping  variety,  its  leaves  are  variegated 
with  white  ;  it  is  hardy,  and  useful  for 
planting  as  an  edging.  On  low  walls  it 
has  a  pretty  effect,  and  as  it  forms  roots 
similar  to  those  of  the  Ivy,  it  requires  little 
care  to  keep  it  to  the  wall  or  other  support. 
E.  LATIFOLIUS  (Broad-leaved  Spindle 
Tree). — Wild  in  the  south  of  France  and 
in  some  parts  of  Germany,  and  a  tree  of 
from  10  to  20  feet  high,  the  leaves  shining 
green  ;  the  flowers,  which  expand  in  June, 
a  purplish  white  ;  the  capsules  large  and 
deep  red,  contrasting,  as  they  open,  most 
effectively  with  the  bright  orange  seed 
pods.  It  is  quite  hardy,  and  forms  an 
ornamental  tree,  well  fitted  for  a  lawn. 

EUPATORIUM  ( Thorough-wort]  .— 
Coarse  Composite  perennials,  most  of 
which  are  better  suited  for  the  wild 
gardens  than  for  borders,  though  two 
or  three  kinds  are  worth  a  place  for 
supplying  cut  flowers  in  autumn.  The 
most  suitable  are  E.  ageratoides, 
altissimum,  and  aromaticum,  which 
are  3  to  5  feet  high,  and  bear  a  pro- 
fusion of  white  blossoms  in  dense  flat 
heads,  E.  cannabinum  (Hemp  Agri- 
mony), E.  perfoliatum,  and  E.  pur- 
pur  eum  (Trumpet- weed),  a  fine  object 
in  the  rougher  parts  of  a  garden,  being 
12  feet  high,  with  stems  terminated  by 
huge  clusters  of  purple  flowers.  All 
grow  in  ordinary  soil. 

EUPHORBIA  (Spurge}.— Perennials 
and  dwarf  bushy  plants,  including  few 
hardy  species  of  value  for  the  flower 
garden.  The  foliage  of  some,  such  as 
E.  cyparissus  (Cypress  Spurge),  is 
elegant.  In  spring  E.  pilosa  and 
amygdaloides  are  attractive  by  their 
yellow  flowers  when  little  else  is  in 
bloom,  but  they  are  scarcely  worth 
growing  in  a  general  way.  Some  of  the 
dwarf  kinds,  such  as  E.  Myrsinites, 
portlandica,  capitata,  and  triflora,  are 
neat  and  distinct  in  habit  and  grow  in 
any  soil.  There  are  a  few  variegated 
forms.  The  well-known  Caper  Spurge 
(E.  Lathyris)  is  often  seen  in  cottage 
gardens,  and  in  habit  is  a  distinct 
plant,  with  a  certain  beauty  of  foliage 
and  habit.  A  few  plants  of  it  on  a 
bank  or  rough  place  are  not  amiss. 
They  are  all  poisonous,  and  are  for  the 
mostjpart  kept  in  botanical  collections. 


EUPTELEA.— Trees  of  China  and 
Japan  as  yet  little  known  in  our 
country,  but  said  to  have  much 
beauty  of  leaf  and  to  be  hardy. 

EUSCAPHIS.  —  Summer  -  leafing 
shrubs  from  the  Far  East,  allied  to 
Staphylea.  There  are  two  kinds,  but 
only  one,  E.  staphyleoides ,  is  in  culti- 
vation, and  that  little  known.  It 
grows  10  or  12  feet  high,  with  smooth 
deeply-cut  leaves  and  clusters  of  white 
or  yellowish  flowers  at  the  tips  of  the 
shoots  in  early  summer.  In  the 
autumn  these  give  place  to  red  blad- 
der-like fruits  of  attractive  appearance, 
filled  with  shining  black  seeds.  China 
and  Japan.  The  plant  needs  good 
soil  and  a  warm  place,  and  is  increased 
by  seeds,  or  cuttings  of  the  ripened 
shoots  rooted  under  glass. 

Eutoca.     See  PHACELIA. 

EVODIA  HUPEHENSIS.  —  Until 
quite  recent  years,  Evodia  was  not 
represented  in  the  outdoor  garden, 
but  there  are  now  several  kinds  suit- 
able for  planting  in  sunny  positions  in 
well-drained  loamy  soil.  E.  hupe- 
hensis  grows  into  a  small,  wide-headed 
tree  or  large  shrub.  The  leaves  are 
made  up  of  about  eleven  ovate  leaflets, 
the  larger  ones  exceeding  5  inches  in 
length  and  2^  inches  in  width.  The 
flowers  appear  in  large  terminal  clus- 
ters in  August,  a  creamy-white  colour. 
Judging  from  its  growth  since  its 
introduction,  it  is  likely  to  become  a 
very  useful  shrub. 

EXOCHORDA  (Pearl  Bush).— Beau- 
tiful summer-leafing,  hardy  shrubs 
with  pearl-like  flower  buds  ;  of  easy 
culture. 

E.  GRANDIFLORA. — One  of  the  loveliest 
of  hardy  shrubs  allied  to  the  Spiraeas,  but 
with  larger  flowers,  forming,  when  full 
grown,  a  rounded  bush  of  about  10  feet 
high.  It  flowers  about  the  middle  of  May, 
just  after  the  foliage  unfolds,  and  affords 
a  charming  contrast  between  tender  green 
leaves  and  snow-white  flowers  as  large  as 
florins.  It  likes  shelter,  and  grows  best  in 
warm  loam,  though  hardy  anywhere. 

E.  ALBERTI. — Has  larger  leaves  borne 
upon  stems  of  stouter  and  more  rigid  habit, 
and  of  a  brighter  reddish-brown.  The 
flowers  are  clustered  in  erect  spikes,  are 
sessile,  of  a  greenish- white,  with  the  petals 
rather  far  apart.  Coming  from  C.  Asia, 
it  is  hardier  than  the  Chinese  plant,  but 
does  not  bloom  freely  in  cold  soils.  A 
cross  between  these  two  species,  known  as 
Alberti  macrantha,  has  great  vigour,  and  is 
more  profuse  in  its  snow-white  flowers 
than  either  of  the  parents. 

EXOGONIUM  (Jalap  Plant).  —  A 
graceful  perennial  trailing  plant,  none 


470 


FABIANA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


FENDLERA. 


more  beautiful  among  climbing  plants 
than  E.  purga,  and  of  its  hardiness 
there  can  be  little  doubt.  It  has  lived 
for  years  at  Bitton,  Gloucestershire, 
without  any  protection,  and  each  year 
it  has  flowered  well.  It  has  grown 
well  at  Kew,  Fulham,  and  in  the 
Edinburgh  Botanic  Gardens.  If  not 
checked  by  late  spring  frosts  at 
Bitton,  it  comes  into  blossom  early 
in  September,  and  continues  to  flower 
till  cut  down  by  frost.  It  has  roundish 
tubers  of  variable  size,  those  of  mature 
growth  being  about  as  large  as  an 
orange  and  of  a  dark  colour.  These 
are  the  true  Jalap  tubers.  The  plant 
gets  its  name  from  Xalapa,  in  Mexico, 
its  native  region,  and  is  increased  by 
division  of  tubers. 

FABIANA  (False  Heath).— F.  imbri- 
cata  is  a  pretty  shrub  of  the  Potato 
family,  but  so  much  resembling  a 
Heath  that  it  might  well  be  mistaken 
for  one.  It  is  slender,  with  evergreen 
leaves,  and  in  early  summer  every 
shoot  is  wreathed  with  small  white 
trumpet-shaped  flowers.  A  native  of 
Chili,  it  is  not  perfectly  hardy  as  a 
bush  except  in  the  southern  and 
western  counties,  in  which  it  is  often 
a  beautiful  shrub. 

FAGUS  (Beech). — Not  a  very  large 
family  of  trees,  but  including  one  of  the 
noblest  of  all  our  native  Beech.  It  is 
a  great  tree  in  all  the  countries  of 
Europe,  from  N.  Greece  to  Den- 
mark, thriving  admirably  in  soils  use- 
less for  the  Oak  and  other  trees, 
and  beautiful  in  many  of  our  poor 
chalky  soils.  It  is  so  often  seen  in 
our  woodlands  that  there  is  no  need 
to  advocate  its  use  elsewhere  ;  a  wild 
tree  common  in  the  woodlands  and 
forests  in  Europe  everywhere  can  have 
little  place  in  gardens.  The  varieties 
of  the  Beech,  however,  are  of  the  high- 
est garden  value  as  lawn  trees,  and 
some  of  the  most  beautiful  weeping 
trees  in  England  are  those  of  the 
weeping  form  of  the  Beech.  The  fine 
character  of  the  pendent  Beech  is  that 
it  is  not  only  graceful  in  a  young  state, 
but  improves  every  year  of  its  life, 
very  old  trees  being  picturesque  in  a 
high  degree.  The  fern-leaved  variety 
is  one  of  the  best,  and  the  purple  Beech 
is  the  most  striking  of  our  coloured 
trees,  and  will  come  true  from  seed, 
which  is  a  gain.  Even  if  all  the  seeds 
do  not  come  true  it  does  not  matter  in 
the  least,  as  long  as  we  get  some  plants 
of  the  colour  we  seek,  and  in  raising 
trees  from  seed  we  always  obtain  some 
slight  variation.  The  Copper  Beech 


is  a  little  paler  and  more  coppery  than 
the  old  purple  Beech,  and  there  is  a 
weeping  form  as  well  as  a  dark  purple. 
These  dark  coloured  forms  should  not 
be  used  too  freely — one  to  three  purple 
Beeches  in  each  parish  are  ample. 

F.  AMERICANA  (American  Beech)  .^Is  in 
its  own  country  a  forest  tree  well  above 
100  feet  high,  inhabiting  the  northern 
regions,  as  well  as  westwards  and  south- 
wards, but  the  European  Beech  is  a  so 
much  greater  tree,  for  our  climate  at  least, 
that  less  importance  is  attached  to  the 
American  sort.  See  also  NOTHOFAGUS 
(Southern  Beeches). 

FALLUGIA  PARADOXA.— A  rare 
and  interesting  shrub,  belonging  to  the 
Rose  family.  Native  of  New  Mexico 
and  regions  near.  About  4  feet  high, 
composed  of  a  thicket  of  slender 
branches  clothed  with  tiny,  dark-green 
leaves,  which  form  a  good  setting  for 
the  white  Potentilla-like  flowers  which 
open  during  summer.  It  might  well 
be  tried  on  walls  or  warm,  sheltered 
banks  by  those  who  are  in  search  of 
raie  and  out-of-the-way  shrubs  for 
warm  walls. 

FARFUGIUM.— A  vigorous  peren- 
nial, F.  grande  having  fleshy  stems 
i  to  2  feet  high,  and  with  broad  leaves 
of  light  green  variously  streaked, 
spotted  with  yellow  in  one  variety, 
and  having  white  and  rose  in  another. 
It  does  best  in  a  half-shady  position 
in  free  moist  soil,  During  the  heats 
of  summer  it  requires  frequent  water- 
ing, and  at  the  approach  of  winter  it 
should  be  moved  to  the  greenhouse, 
except  in  mild  districts.  In  colder 
parts  it  is  scarcely  worth  planting 
out,  as  it  grows  slowly  ;  but  where  it 
thrives  it  is  handsome  in  borders  or 
on  the  margins  of  beds.  Multiplied 
by  division  in  spring  ;  the  offsets  being 
potted  and  kept  in  a  frame  until  they 
are  well  rooted. 

FENDLERA  RUPICOLA.— A  beau- 
tiful shrub  allied  to  Philadelphus, 
reaching  a  height  of  12  feet  in  its  own 
land,  but  rarely  much  over  4  feet 
high  with  us.  Coming  from  dry,  rocky 
places  of  Texas  and  Colorado,  it  is 
hardy  only  in  the  warmer  parts  of 
Britain,  and  does  best  against  a  wall 
in  light  fertile  soil  and  in  a  sunny 
aspect.  The  neat  grey  leaves  are 
nearly  like  those  of  a  Rock  Rose,  while 
the  charming  pure  white  flowers,  com- 
posed of  petals  set  like  a  Maltese  cross, 
are  fragrant  and  appear  in  June. 
Plants  are  sometimes  found  in  which 
the  flowers  have  a  faint  rosy  flush. 
Increase  by  seeds,  which  ripen  in 


FENZLIA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        FORSYTHIA.        471 


September,    or    soft    cuttings    rooted 
under  glass. 
FENZLIA      DIANTHIFLORA.  —  A 

fragile  Californian  annual,  very  attrac- 
tive with  its  exquisitely  formed  flowers 
and  dwarf  growth.  It  is  precious  for 
bare  spots  in  the  rock  garden  or  the 
margins  of  choice  beds.  Sown  in  the 
open  in  April,  it  should  have  a  light, 
well-prepared  soil.  In  cold  soils  a 
good  way  is  to  sow  in  boxes  and  plant 
out  when  small  near  dwarf  plants  only. 
It  is  now  classed  among  the  Gilias, 
but  I  keep  to  the  old  name. 

FERULA  (Giant  Fennel}.  —  Very 
graceful  umbelliferous  plants  long 
known  in  our  botanic  gardens,  their 
charm  consisting  in  large  tufts  of  the 
freshest  green  leaves  in  early  spring. 
The  foliage  is  apt  to  fade  in  summer. 
Where  bold  spring  flowers  are  natur- 
alised, a  group  of  Giant  Fennels  will 
be  effective,  with  their  fine  plumes  in 
early  spring.  They  are  among  the 
true  hardy  plants  of  the  northern 
world,  never  suffering  from  cold. 
Their  fine  forms  in  summer  or  autumn, 
when  they  throw  up  flowering-shoots 
to  a  height  of  10  feet  or  so,  are  remark- 
able enough ;  but  their  appearance 
when  breaking  up  in  spring  charms 
us  most.  The  plants  do  not  bear 
division  well,  though  with  care  they 
may  be  transplanted.  One  of  the 
most  valuable  is  F.  tingitana  ;  it  takes 
several  years  to  form  strong  plants  that 
look  like  massive  plumes  of  filmy 
Ferns.  F.  communis  is  also  a  good 
species,  and  others,  including  F.  glauca, 
neapolitana,  Ferulago,  and  persica,  may 
be  added  where  variety  is  sought. 
S.  Europe  and  N.  Africa.  Seed. 

FESTUCA  (Fescue  Grass).  —  Annual 
and  perennial  grasses,  containing  few 
species  for  the  garden.  A  variety  of 
Sheep's  Fescue  (F.  ovina),  named 
glauca,  is  a  pretty  dwarf  hardy  grass, 
forming  dense  tufts  of  leaves  of  a 
glaucous  hue  or  soft  blue,  and  on  this 
account  sometimes  called  "  blue  " 
Grass.  It  makes  good  edgings,  and 
when  it  is  used  for  this  purpose  the 
flower-spikes  should  be  cut  away.  F. 
ovina  viridis  is  also  a  pretty  edging 
plant,  and  being  of  slow  growth,  does 
not  require  renewal  for  years. 

FICARIA  (Pileworf). — Plants  of  the 
Crowfoot  family,  much  resembling 
some  kinds  of  Buttercup.  F.  ranun- 
culoides  (Lesser  Celandine)  is  a  common 
British  plant,  3  to  6  inches  high,  bear- 
ing glossy  yellow  flowers  in  early 
spring.  It  is  so  common  that  it  would 
not  be  mentioned  but  for  its  pretty 


double  and  white  varieties.  A  good 
plant  for  growing  under  trees,  in  moist 
borders,  in  any  soil.  Division. 

F.  GRANDIFLORA  (Great  Pilewort). — A 
large-flowered  kind,  about  twice  the  size 
of  our  native  kind.  It  is  easily  grown 
and  showy,  and  gould  be  naturalised, 
especially  on  sandy  and  free  soils.  S. 
Europe. 

FITZROYA  PATAGONICA  (Fitz- 
roy's  Cypress). — A  graceful,  and  in  its 
own  country,  stately  evergreen  forest 
tree,  with  some  claim  to  hardiness  in 
Devon,  Cornwall,  and  the  south  and 
sea-coast  of  Ireland.  There  are  beau- 
tiful examples  of  it  at  Fota,  Killerton, 
and  other  southern  gardens,  but  its 
use  is  limited  to  these  and  sheltered 
coast  gardens,  and  there  it  will  thrive 
best  on'  open  free  soils.  Andes  of  S. 
America. 

FORSYTHIA  (Golden  Bell) .—Beau- 
tiful spring-flowering  shrubs,  especially 
F.  suspensa,  whose  long,  slender, 
wand-like  shoots  are  studded  for  a 
considerable  distance  with  bright  gol- 
den blossoms.  Being  of  a  rather  loose 
habit,  it  is  suited  for  training  on  walls 
or  banks  ;  indeed,  few  subjects  are 
superior  to  it  for  a  sunny  spot,  where 
the  wood  will  thoroughly  ripen.  When 
rambling  about  in  a  free  state,  or  when 
hanging  over  a  bank  or  a  cutting,  this 
Forsythia  is  seen  to  very  great  advan- 
tage. F.  viridissima,  another  species, 
is  quite  a  shrub.  It  needs  a  spot  fully 
exposed  to  the  sun,  so  that  a  good 
display  of  bloom  may  be  ensured.  A 
certain  Forsythia  was  sent  here  from 
the  Continent  two  or  three  years 
since  under  the  name  of  F.  intermedia, 
and  was  announced  as  a  hybrid  be- 
tween F.  suspensa  and  F.  viridissima. 
Though  at  first  very  little  disposed 
in  its  favour,  I  have  recently  seen  it 
in  a  better  light.  Its  general  appear- 
ance is  about  midway  between  its 
alleged  parents.  F.  i.  densi flora  and 
F.  i.  spectabilis  are  well-marked  forms 
of  this  plant,  the  last  named  with- 
out doubt  the  most  beautiful  of  all 
known  Forsythias.  Forsythias  may  be 
flowered  under  glass  in  the  greenhouse 
or  the  conservatory  during  the  early 
months  of  the  year,  and  if  so  treated 
they  will  bloom  well.  Owing  to  the 
time  the  blossoms  expand,  when  in  the 
open  ground,  very  little  forcing  is 
necessary  to  have  them  in  bloom  quite 
early.  Fortunei  and  Sieboldi  are  names 
often  used  ;  but  these  represent  only 
vigorous  forms  of  F.  suspensa.  Shoots 
of  the  rambling  kinds  root  from  the 
points  almost  as  readily  as  ajbramble, 


472         FONTANESIA.         THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.       FOTHERGILLA. 


and  cuttings  strike  freely.  A  new 
kind  has  recently  been  found  in 
Europe — 5.  europcea,  and  has  proved 
the  least  ornamental. 

FONTANESIA.  —  Summer  -  leafing, 
Privet-like  shrubs,  one  a  native  of 
China,  another  of  Asia  Minor.  Of 
slight  garden  value  so  far  as  tried. 


Being  only  2  or  3  feet  high,  and  not  a 
very  vigorous  grower,  it  is  unfitted  for 
the  ordinary  rough  shrubbery  ;  but  if 
it  lacks  the  self-assertion  necessary  for 
such  a  position,  there  are  few  more 
charming  plants  for  a  border  of  select 
and  carefully  tended  shrubs.  It  blos- 
soms in  spring,  the  inflorescence  having 


Francoa  ratnosa  (Maiden's  Wreath). 


FOTHERGILLA  GARDENI  (Syn. 
F.  alnifolia). — Although  introduced 
many  years  ago,  this  deciduous  shrub 
has  never  become  common  in  gardens. 
It  is  perfectly  hardy  so  far  as  its 
capability  of  withstanding  our  severe 
winters  is  concerned,  but  it  is  evidently 
in  some  way  lacking  in  robustness, 
otherwise  it  would  not  be  so  scarce. 


a  bottle-brush  appearance  owing  to  the 
length  of  the  white  stamens,  which, 
petals  being  absent,  form  the  only 
conspicuous  part  of  the  flowers.  The 
greatest  beauty  of  this  Fothergilla  is, 
however,  apparent  in  autumn,  when 
its  leaves  turn  a  rich,  glowing  red.  It 
is  a  native  of  Eastern  N.  America,  and 
the  generic  name  was  given  in  honour 


FRAGARIA.          THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.      FRITILLARIA.       473 


of  Dr  John  Fothergill,  famous  in  the 
later  years  of  the  eighteenth  century 
for  his  botanical  collections  at  Upton, 
in  Essex.  F.  Gardeni  enjoys  a  light 
loam,  and  grows  all  the  better  if  peat 
and  leaf-soil  are  mixed  with  the  loam 
at  planting- time. — W.  J.  B.,  in  Gar- 
deners' Chronicle. 

F.  MAJOR. — A  deciduous  shrub  6  to 
8  feet  high,  forming  a  rounded  bush,  with 
mostly  erect  stems.  The  flowers,  pro- 
duced in  May  on  erect  cylindrical  spikes, 
i  to  2  inches  long,  terminating  short 
lateral  twigs.  Native  of  Alleghany  Moun- 
tains from  Virginia  to  S.  Carolina.  It 
was  grown  in  English  gardens  in  1780,  but 
apparently  lost  to  cultivation  until  reintro- 
duced  to  Kew  from  Arnold  Arboretum  in 
1902.  Mr  Bean  (Trees  and  Shrubs) 
describes  it  as  a  charming  shrub,  especially 
to  those  who  love  out-of-the-way  plants, 
and  says  it  is  decidedly  superior  to  the 
commoner  F.  Gardeni.  Cuttings  of  fairly 
firm  wood  in  gentle  heat.  It  is  quite 
hardy. 

FRAGARIA  (Strawberry).— The 
wild  Strawberry  is  pretty  on  banks 
and  on  old  mossy  garden  walls. 
F.  monophylla  is  a  beautiful  rock 
garden  plant,  with  large  white  flowers. 
The  Indian  Strawberry,  F.  indici,  is 
a  pretty  trailer,  bearing  many  red 
berries  and  flowering  late.  All  are  of 
the  easiest  culture. 

FRANCOA  (Maiden's  Wreath}.  — 
Chilian  plants  of  the  Saxifrage  family, 
somewhat  tender,  and  best  for  dry 
sheltered  positions  on  warm  borders 
in  light  loam.  F.  ramosa,  bearing 
white  or  pink  flowers,  and  having  a 
short  stem,  differs  from  F.  appendi- 
culata,  which  is  stemless,  and  has 
flowers  deeper  in  colour  than  the  others. 
F.  sonchifolia  has  also  a  short  stem, 
but  its  leaves  are  sessile  and  not 
stalked,  and  its  flowers  are  rose- 
coloured.  Often  grown  as  window 
plants. 

FRANKENIA  LJEVIS  (Sea  Heath).— 
A  very  small  evergreen  plant  with 
crowded  leaves  like  a  Heath,  common 
in  marshes  by  the  sea  in  many  parts 
of  Europe  and  on  the  east  coast  of 
England.  Best  for  the  rock  garden  in 
ordinary  soil,  among  very  dwarf  herbs. 

FRAXINUS  (Ash).—  The  British  Ash 
is  a  variable  tree,  and  its  varieties  are 
more  valuable  than  those  of  many 
other  trees,  the  best  of  them  not 
depending  on  mere  variegation,  but 
sometimes  on  habit,  as  in  the  pen- 
dulous variety,  so  well  known,  and 
used  for  bowers  and  on  lawns.  There 
is  a  form  of  this  with  yellow  shoots, 
and  certain  kinds  with  singular  leaves — 


mere  monstrosities  without  value,  for 
this  fine  tree  has  not  escaped  the 
variegation  hunter.  There  is  a  variety 
of  F.  Lentiscifolia,  a  native  of  Asia 
Minor,  which  is  pendulous  in  habit. 

The  Ash  is  never  more  beautiful 
than  when  fully  exposed  in  the  cool  and 
northern  parts  of  the  country,  and  in 
Ireland  and  Scotland.  America  is  rich 
in  species,  and  in  past  times,  before 
the  conifers  mania  arose,  they  were 

Slanted,  but  of  late  very  little  attention 
as  been  given  to  them,  and  few  of 
these  reach  the  size  and  fine  form  of 
our  native  Ash. 

Occasionally  very  picturesque  effects 
arise  from  grafting  the  Weeping  Ash 
on  a  very  tall  stem  of  the  ordinary 
kind,  of  which  there  is  a  good  example 
at  Elvaston. 

F.  ORNUS. — The  celebrated  Manna  Ash, 
a  native  of  the  East  and  Mediterranean 
regions,  which  has  several  varieties.  It  is 
an  effective  and  hardy  tree  in  England, 
and  even  in  London  gardens  is  vigorous 
and  handsome.  It  is  grafted  on  the 
Common  Ash,  so  what  it  would  be  if  on 
its  own  roots  we  have  no  knowledge.  Its 
place  is  generally  among  the  larger  flower- 
ing trees.  Syn.  Ornus. 

FREMONTIA  (D.  californica).  —  A 
handsome  Californian  shrub.  A  fine 
old  plant  in  Sir  Harry  Veitch's  garden, 
East  Burnham  Park,  having  outgrown 
the  wall  against  which  it  was  planted, 
has  risen  many  feet  above,  and  flowers 
there  with  remarkable  freedom,  with- 
out the  least  protection,  year  by  year. 
In  flower  it  is  a  fine  sight.  It  has 
large  yellow  bowl-shaped  flowers, 
2  inches  or  more  across,  the  deep, 
green  leaves  being  lobed.  In  favour- 
able places  it  reaches  10  or  12  feet  in 
height,  and  flowers  in  early  summer. 
It  succeeds  best  against  a  north,  west, 
or  east  wall,  a  southern  exposure  being 
usually  too  hot  and  dry.  It  is,  some 
think,  a  naturally  short-lived  tree. 

FRITILLARIA  ( Fritillary)  .—Bulbs 
of  the  Lily  family,  several  of  which  are 
valuable,  some,  such  as  the  Crown 
Imperial,  being  stately  ;  others,  such 
as  F.  recurva,  being  delicate  and 
pretty,  but  most  have  dull-tinted, 
curiously  interesting  flowers.  They 
may  be  put  to  many  uses — the  Crown 
Imperial  is  a  fine  plant  for  the  mixed 
border  or  the  shrubbery.  The  Snake' s- 
head  ( F.  Meleagris)  and  others,  such  as 
F.  latifolia,  pyrenaica,  together  with 
the  choicer  kinds,  are  fitted  to  the  bulb 
border  and  for  grassy  places.  They 
may  all  be  readily  increased  by  offsets 
from  the  old  bulbs,  which  should  be 


474         FRITILLARIA.        THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.       FRITILLARIA. 


lifted  every  three  or  four  years  and 
planted  in  fresh  soil.  The  lifting 
should  be  done  in  autumn,  and  the 
bulbs  replanted  without  delay. 

F.  AUREA. — One  of  the  prettiest  of  the 
genus,  quite  hardy,  about  5  inches  high. 
Has  a  stem  of  4  to  6  inches  thick,  fleshy, 
deep  green  leaves,  with  a  nodding  flower, 
which  is  pale  yellow  spotted,  or  chequered 
with  brown.  Silesia.  Should  be  lifted  and 
rested  each  year  for  a  short  period. 


White  Fritillary. 

F.  BURNETI. — A  handsome  hardy  plant 
about  9  inches  high,  with  solitary  drooping 
blossoms,  2  inches  long,  which  are  of  a 
plum  colour  chequered  with  yellowish- 
green.  Alps.  Flowers  with  the  Snow- 
drop, and  is  as  easy  to  grow. 

F.  IMPERIALIS  (Crown  Imperial). — A 
showy  and  stately  plant,  from  3  to  4  feet 
high,  with  stout  bright  green  shoots, 
crested  by  large  dense  whorls  of  drooping 
bell-like  flowers  and  a  crown  of  foliage. 
There  are  several  varieties,  differing  chiefly 
in  the  colour  of  the  flowers.  The  principal 
are — lutea  (yellow),  rubra  (red),  double  red 
and  double  yellow,  rubra  maxima  (very 
large  red  flowers),  Aurora  (bronzy  orange), 
sulphurine  (large  sulphur-yellow),  Orange 
Crown  (orange-red).  This  plant  thrives 
best  in  a  rich,  deep  loam,  especially  if  the 
bulbs  remain  undisturbed  for  years.  Its 
best  place,  perhaps,  is  in  a  group  on  the 
fringe  of  the  shrubbery  or  a  group  of 
American  plants.  These  are  essentially 


garden  plants,   their  strong  odour  being 
against  them  when  gathered. 

F.  KARELINI. — An  interesting  kind, 
4  to  5  inches  high,  with  two  or  three  broad 
leaves  clasping  its  stem,  and  having  a 
terminal  raceme  of  slightly  drooping,  bell- 
like  flowers.  These  flowers,  about  i  inch 
across,  are  of  a  pale  purple,  with  darker 
veins,  a  few  darker  spots,  and  a  distinct 
yellowish-green  pit  at  the  base  of  each 
reflexed  segment.  Native  of  C.  Asia,  and, 
flowering  in  late  autumn  or  early  winter, 
is  valuable  for  a  collection  of  winter-flower- 
ing outdoor  plants.  According  to  Dr 
Regel,  it  must  be  kept  in  dry  sand  until 
November,  and  should  not  grow  or  show 
bloom  before  spring.  If  planted  in 
November,  growth  is  retarded,  and  it 
does  not  bloom  in  spring,  which  it  ought 
to  do  ;  while  those  flowering  in  autumn 
invariably  dwindle  away,  and  do  not  pro- 
duce any  new  bulbs.  It  should  be  planted 
in  light  soil  in  well-drained  borders  with 
a  warm  exposure. 

F.  LATIFOLIA. — Variable  as  regards  the 
colour  of  the  flowers,  which  are  larger  than 
those  of  our  native  F.  Meleagris,  and  are 
borne  on  stems  about  i  foot  high,  are 
pendulous,  and  vary  in  colour  through 
various  shades  of  purple,  black,  lilac,  and 
yellow.  The  principal  named  varieties 
are — Black  Knight,  Captain  Marryat, 
Caroline  Chisholm,  Cooper,  Dandy, 
Jerome,  Maria  Goldsmith,  Marianne,  Mel- 
lina,  Pharaoh,  Rembrandt,  Shakespeare, 
Van  Speyk,  each  representing  a  different 
shade  of  colour.  They  grow  freely  in  an 
open  situation  in  any  soil,  and  are  excellent 
for  naturalising.  Caucasus. 

F.  MELEAGRIS  (Snake's-head). — An  ele- 
gant native  species,  of  which  there  are 
numerous  varieties.  It  is  9  to  18  inches 
high,  and  in  early  summer  bears  a  solitary 
drooping  flower,  beautifully  tessellated 
with  purple  or  purplish-maroon  on  a  pale 
ground.  The  chief  varieties  are — the 
white  (alba],  which  has  scarcely  any  dark 
markings  ;  nigra,  a  deep  purplish-black  ; 
pallida,  light  purple ;  angustifolia,  with 
long  narrow  leaves  ;  major,  with  flowers 
larger  than  the  type  ;  prcecox,  which 
flowers  about  a  week  earlier  than  the 
other  forms  ;  flavida,  yellowish  ;  and  the 
rare  double  variety.  All  forms  of  this 
beautiful  plant  may  be  used  with  excellent 
effect.  It  grows  freely  in  grass  not  mown 
early,  and  is  therefore  admirable  for  the 
wild  garden  ;  its  various  forms  are  among 
the  most  beautiful  inhabitants  of  the 
hardy  bulb  garden,  and  tufts  of  the 
chequered  or  white-flowered  variety  are 
among  the  most  graceful  plants  in  cottage 
gardens. 

F.  MOGGRIDGEI  (Golden  Snake's-head). 
— A  beautiful  plant  with  pendulous  blos- 
soms, 2  inches  long,  which  are  of  fine 
golden-yellow,  chequered  with  brownish- 
crimson  on  the  inner  surface  of  the  bell. 
It  may  be  seen  on  its  native  Alps,  at  an 


FUCHSIA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


FUNKIA. 


475 


elevation  of  5000  to  7000  feet,  among  the 
short  stunted  grass,  accompanied  by 
alpine  plants,  and  giving  the  slopes  the 
appearance  of  a  sheet  of  golden  bloom. 
It  is  hardy,  and  flowers  early  in  spring. 

F.  PUDICA. — One  of  the  most  charming 
of  hardy  bulbs.  Native  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains  and  the  Sierra  Nevada  of  Cali- 
fornia, in  a  dry,  barren  soil.  It  is  one 
of  the  principal  ornaments  of  the  spring 
flora,  being  nearly  6  inches  high,  and 
having  bright  golden-yellow  flowers,  grace- 
ful in  form  and  drooping  like  a  Snow- 
flake.  It  thrives  in  warm,  sunny  borders 
of  loamy  soil,  or  preferably  in  almost 
pure  sand. 

F.  RECURVA. — The  showiest  of  the 
Fritillaries,  its  red  colour  being  as  bright 
as  some  Lilies,  and  mixed  with  bright 
yellow,  especially  on  the  inside  of  the 
flower.  It  flowers  early  in  May  or  towards 
the  end  of  April.  The  bulbs  consist  of  a 
slightly  flattened  tuberous  stock,  covered 
by  articulated  scales,  somewhat  widely 
placed,  which  at  first  sight  resemble  those 
of  Lilium  philadelphicum.  A  tuft  of 
bright  green  linear  leaves  appears  above 
the  soil,  and  from  this  rises  a  slender 
purplish  stem,  6  inches  to  2^-  feet  high, 
with  several  pendent  Lily-like  flowers.  It 
is  not  robust,  and  has  succeeded  only 
under  careful  cultivation,  growing  best  in 
fibry  loam,  on  a  warm  sunny  border,  near 
a  wall.  Best  when  lifted  and  rested  for 
a  few  weeks  each  year.  California. 

F.  SEWERZOWI. — A  singular  -  looking 
plant,  growing  from  i  to  i£  feet  high, 
having  broad  glaucous  leaves  and  nod- 
ding flowers  that  are  greenish  outside  and 
vinous-purple  within.  A  native  of  the 
mountains  of  Turcomania,  quite  hardy  in 
our  climate.  Propagated  by  bulblets  or 
seed. 

Many  others  are  in  cultivation,  but  the 
majority  are  unattractive,  though  some 
are  useful  for  naturalising.  The  most 
suitable  are — F.  delphinensis,  a  robust 
plant  with  stems  i  foot  or  more  high, 
bearing  brownish-purple  flowers,  more  or 
less  chequered  with  greenish-yellow  ;  F. 
pyrenaica,  a  similar  species,  but  more 
robust. 

FUCHSIA.— Graceful  and  distinct 
shrubs,  flourishing  near  the  coasts,  and 
especially  in  southern  and  western 
parts.  In  other  districts  Fuchsias  are 
cut  down  by  frost,  but  spring  up 
again,  and,  in  fact,  live  the  life  of 
herbaceous  plants  ;  but  in  mild  dis- 
tricts they  often  escape  for  years,  and 
become  handsome  bushes.  All  may 
be  freely  propagated  from  cuttings  in 
spring  or  autumn.  There  are  about 
a  dozen  more  or  less  hardy  kinds  that 
succeed  in  the  open  air  in  the  southern 
and  western  counties. 


F.  COCCINEA. — A  bushy  plant,  graceful, 
hardy,  and  free  in  growth  and  bloom, 
unless  the  soil  be  of  the  coldest  descrip- 
tion, and  even  then  a  slight  covering  of 
coal  ashes  after  the  stems  are  cut  down  in 
autumn  will  protect  the  roots  in  winter. 
Chili. 

F.  CONICA. — A  vigorous  compact  species 
3  to  6  feet  high,  but  not  such  a  free  flowerer 
as  some  of  the  others.  The  flowers  have 
scarlet  sepals  and  dark  purple  petals. 
Chili. 

F.  CORALLINA. — A  beautiful  tall  plant, 
and  therefore  suited  for  walls  and  houses. 
The  flowers  are  large  and  of  a  showy  red 
colour,  and  the  plant  is  a  vigorous  grower 
and  free  bloomer. 

F.  DISCOLOR.— A  dwarf  variety  with 
numerous  small  scarlet  flowers.  It  is  the 
hardiest  of  all.  not  being  injured  by  the 
winters  in  the  milder  parts  of  Scotland  if 
treated  as  a  herbaceous  plant.  F.  pumila 
is  similar,  but  more  slender,  and  equally 
desirable. 

F.  GLOBOSA. — One  of  the  best  of  the 
hardy  Fuchsias.  The  flowers  are  globose 
in  bud,  and  retain  their  shape  for  some 
time  after  they  begin  to  expand,  on 
account  of  the  petals  adhering  at  the  tips. 
It  forms  a  sturdy  and  often  a  large  shrub 
in  seashore  districts. 

F.  GRACILIS. — A  distinct,  slender  plant, 
with  flowers  on  long  slender  stalks.  The 
young  shoots  are  a  purplish-red,  the  calyx 
is  a  brighter  scarlet,  and  the  corolla  has 
a  greater  infusion  of  red  than  other  hardy 
kinds.  There  is  a  variety  called  multi- 
flora,  which  is  very  free-flowering,  and 
which  has  shorter  flowers  and  of  darker 
crimson.  F.  tenella  is  a  seedling  variety. 
Chili. 

•F.  RICCARTONI. — One  of  the  prettiest 
and  hardiest  sorts,  growing  well  without 
protection  even  in  parts  of  Scotland.  It 
is  compact  and  twiggy,  ^and  in  summer 
bears  many  bright  red  blossoms.  A  gar- 
den hybrid. 

Besides  these,  other  kinds  are  in 
cultivation,  such  as  procumbens  —  a 
curious  little  New  Zealand  species — 
serratifolia,  magellanica,  thymifolia,  and 
microphylla,  and  nearly  all  the  hybrid 
kinds  do  out  of  doors  in  summer, 
and  bloom  well,  though  they  may  be 
cut  down  in  winter.  Among  the  most 
distinct  and  pretty  are  the  dwarf  and 
fragile  kinds,  such  as  F.  microphylla, 
F.  pumila,  and  several  hardy  hybrids 
of  the  globosa  section,  all  of  which 
seem  to  flourish  near  the  sea. 

FUNKIA  (Plantain  Lily}. — Valuable 
Japanese  plants  of  the  Lily  order,  of 
which  there  are  about  half  a  dozen 
species  and  numerous  varieties.  The 
different  species  are  free-flowering, 
herbaceous  plants,  with  spikes  of 
bell-shaped  flowers,  but  the  chief  value 


476 


FUNKIA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


FUNKIA. 


is  in  the  foliage.  They  are  noble 
plants,  most  useful  for  many  positions 
in  the  garden,  while  few  lend  such  a 
fine  effect  as  F.  Sieboldi  when  finely 
developed.  They  are  highly  suitable 
for  grouping,  and  few  plants  thrive 
better  in  open  places  in  shrubberies 
or  near  water.  The  bold,  striking 
foliage  of  some  of  the  strongest  plain- 
leaved  section  renders  them  very 
effective  for  edging  large  beds.  They 
are  best  seen  in  well-drained  deep  soil. 


F.  LANCIFOLIA. — A  small  species,  with 
tufts  of  lance-shaped  leaves,  narrowing 
from  the  middle  towards  both  ends. 
There  are  some  interesting  varieties,  chief 
among  which  are  the  white-flowered 
variety,  a  beautiful  plant,  spathulata,  and 
plantaginifolia,  with  long  narrow  leaves. 
There  are  some  varieties  with  leaves  of 
different  variegation,  all  well  worth  grow- 
ing, notably  albo-marginata,  with  a  narrow 
wfcite  line  along  the  margin  of  the  leaf  ; 
undulata  variegata,  in  which  the  leaves 
are  undulated  on  the  margin  and  varie- 


Plantain  Lily  {Funkia  Sieboldi}. 


All  are  easily  multiplied  by  division 
in  spring  or  autumn.     The  best  are  : — 

F.  FORTUNEI. — This  strong  species  has 
smaller  and  more  leathery  leaves  than 
-F.  Sieboldi.  and  they  are  of  a  much  more 
bluish  or  glaucous  tint.  The  flowers  are 
pure  white  or  pale  mauve. 

F.  GRANDIFLORA  (Corfu  Lily). — Is  12  to 
1 8  inches  high,  producing  in  August  and 
September  numerous  large,  pure  white, 
sweet-scented  flowers.  It  is  best  in  groups, 
beds,  or  borders,  in  a  well-drained  sandy 
loam.  About  Paris  it  is  grown  as  a  flower 
garden  plant,  but  with  us  it  does  not 
flower  regularly  unless  in  sunny  spots  and 
warm,  well-drained,  and  very  sandy  loam. 
The  young  leaves  are  a  favourite  prey  of 
slugs  and  snails.  Syn.  F.  subcordata. 


gated  on  the  greater  part  of  the  surface  ; 
and  univittata,  with  a  broad  white  mid-rib 
to  the  leaf. 

F.  OVATA. — Has  large  tufts  of  broad, 
deep,  shining  green  leaves.  Flower-stems 
12  or  1 8  inches  high,  terminating  in  a  short 
raceme  of  lilac-blue  flowers,  which  appear 
in  late  summer  and  autumn.  One  of  the 
strongest  species,  and  when  in  flower  is 
very  handsome.  There  is  a  variegated- 
leaved  form. 

F.  SIEBOLDI. — The  finest  for  foliage.  It 
is  1 8  inches  to  3  feet  high,  and  has  large 
glaucous  leaves,  somewhat  heart-shaped. 
Admirable  plants  for  picturesque  groups, 
very  hardy,  easy  of  increase  by  division, 
thriving  in  any  soil,  but  the  foliage  effect 
is  finer  on  deep,  rich  soil. 


GAILLARDIA.        THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        GAILLARDIA. 


477 


GAILLARDIA  (Blanket  Flower}.— 
Handsome  perennial  and  biennial  herbs 
including  some  of  the  showiest  flowers, 
valuable  for  their  long  duration  both 
on  the  plants  and  in  a  cut  state;  The 
genus  numbers  some  half  a  dozen 
species  from  N.  America,  and  many 
garden  varieties.  The  numerous  kinds 


G.  picta  somewhat  resembles  G.  aristata, 
but  has  smaller  flowers,  and  is  a  biennial. 
It  is  dwarfer,  and  its  flowers  are  brighter. 
G.  amblyodon  is  a  beautiful  Texan  annual, 
introduced  a  few  years  ago.  Its  flowers 
are  even  smaller  than  those  of  G.  picta, 
and  are  of  a  deep  cinnabar  red. 

The   garden  varieties,   as  has  been 


Gaillardia. 


now  in  gardens  appear  to  fall  under 
three  species,  but  there  is  a  strong 
family  likeness  throughout  the  series. 
The  kinds  are  : — 

G.  ARISTATA. — A  perennial  i  to  i£  feet 
high,  with  narrow  leaves,  sometimes 
deeply  cut.  The  flowers  are  i£  to  4  inches 
across,  the  ray  florets  having  an  outer  zone 
of  orange-yellow  and  an  inner  one  of 
brownish-red,  while  the  centre  is  deep 
bluish-purple.  It  is  the  commonest  kind, 
and  having  been  raised  largely  from  seed, 
has  many  varieties,  differing  more  or  less 
widely  from  the  type,  with  various  names. 


stated,    are   numerous,    but  the   most 
distinct  of  those  named  are  : — 

G.  GRANDIFLORA. — Said  to  be  a  hybrid, 
presumably  between  G.  picta  and  G.  aris- 
tata, is  a  beautiful  and  vigorous  plant'with 
large  brightly-coloured  flowers,  which  are 
only  surpassed  by  its  variety  maxima.  It 
is  by  far  the  finest  of  all. 

The  hybrid  Gaillardias  of  to-day  are 
a  great  advance  upon  those  of  former 
years.  Among  modern  improvements 
are  Aurora,  Brilliant,  Lady  Rolleston, 
Monarch,  Shirley,  Sulphur  Gem, 


478       &AILLARDIA.          THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        GALANTHUS. 


Superb,  Vivian  Grey,  and  Yellow 
Prince.  Gaillardias  in  many  soils  soon 
exhaust  themselves  by  their  flowering, 
and  should  be  renewed  periodically 
from  seed,  the  seedlings  being  most 
vigorous  and  free.  Named  sorts  may, 
however,  be  raised  from  root  cuttings 
inserted  from  January  to  March  in 
gentle  heat. 

All  thrive  in  good  friable  garden 
soil,  but  not  on  a  cold  stiff  soil  or  on 
one  that  is  too  light  or  dry.  Where 
possible  they  should  be  grown  in  bold 
groups,  for  they  thrive  better  if  so 
placed  than  as  solitary  plants  in  a 
parched  border,  and  no  plants  have 
a  finer  effect  in  a  bed  by  themselves. 
Where  apt  to  die  in  winter,  they  may 
be  used  in  mixed  borders,  if  treated  as 
half-hardy  annuals  ;  for  if  sown  in  a 
mild  hot-bed  at  the  end  of  February 
or  the  beginning  of  March,  they  may 
be  grown  into  good  plants,  and  give 
a  full  display  of  their  fine  flower-heads 
as  early  as  those  that  have  withstood 
the  winter  in  the  borders.  It  is  well 
to  note  that  these  in  many  soils  are 
not  nearly  so  hardy  or  enduring  as 
many  of  the  perennials  we  have  from 
N.  America,  and  therefore  cannot  in 
cold  soils  be  depended  on. 

The  culture  of  the  perennial  Gaillar- 
dia  is  difficult,  and  the  plant  is 
seen  best  in  bold  groups,  rather 
than  small  clumps  here  and  there 
in  the  border.  If  established  plants 
in  pots  are  obtained  in  April  and 
put  out  in  the  places  they  are  to 
occupy  about  2  feet  apart  each  way, 
a  good  bloom  may  be  expected  the 
same  season  if  the  soil  is  well  dug  and 
mixed  with  well-decayed  manure.  Mr 
W.  Kelway,  of  Langport,  Somerset,  in 
a  note  to  The  Garden  on  27th  January 
1887,  mentions  that  a  collection  planted 
in  this  manner  bore  the  drought  of  the 
previous  five  years  better  than  any  other 
herbaceous  perennial  grown  at  Lang- 
port,  and  stood  the  winter  so  well 
that  not  3  per  cent,  suffered.  Some 
commend  the  Gaillardia  for  bedding, 
though  it  is  seldom  grown  in  this  way, 
but  a  pretty  effect  is  obtained  when 
plants  of  one  distinct  variety,  or  shades 
of  the  same  colour,  are  put  about 
i  foot  apart  with  the  stems  pegged 
down.  The  situation,  however,  where 
the  Gaillardias  remain  out  winter  after 
winter  must  be  warm,  the  soil  not  too 
heavy,  but  light  and  dry.  In  very 
cold  and  wet  seasons  in  Midland  coun- 
ties the  plants  often  succumb  ;  but  it 
is  very  easy  in  the  autumn  to  strike 


cuttings,  which  may  be  taken  off  and 
treated  similarly  to  the  Pelargonium, 
or  seeds  raised  in  March,  and  the  plants 
hardened  off  before  putting  out,  will 
also  give  a  quick  return  in  the  shape 
of  flowers  ;  or  it  may  be  increased  by 
division  in  spring. 

GALANTHUS  (Snowdrop]  .—Always 
loved  in  English  gardens,  the  old  Snow- 
drop is  now  known  to  be  only  one 
member  of  a  large  family,  most  of 
which  have  merits  for  garden  culture. 
The  Snowdrop  never  looks  better  than 
when  naturalised  in  turf  in  orchards, 
on  the  margins  of  lawns,  or  beside 
woodland  walks.  Almost  any  soil  suits 
the  Snowdrop,  but  peaty  and  warm 
open  soils  are  best.  All  the  Snowdrops 
are  hardy,  and  may  be  naturalised, 
grown  on  the  rock  garden,  or  in  the 
wild  garden,  where  they  may  be 
associated  with  Anemone,  early  Cro- 
cuses, Winter  Aconites.  As  cut 
flowers,  Snowdrops  are  most  attrac- 
tive, but  to  cull  the  flowers  in  bud  is 
essential,  as  they  can  be  carried 
better  and  open  fresher  in  water 
than  if  cut  when  fully  open.  Buds 
so  gathered  will  remain  beautiful 
for  ten  days  or  longer,  while  flowers 
cut  after  expansion  will  fade  in  about 
a  week. 

The  present  growing  state  of  our 
knowledge  of  Snowdrops  may  best  be 
gleaned  from  a  paper  read  by  Mr  Jas. 
Allen  before  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society,  of  which  the  following  is  an 
abstract : — 

In  speaking  of  Snowdrops  we  must 
not  forget  that,  besides  the  division 
into  species  and  sub-species,  we  have 
the  arrangements  into  classes,  accord- 
ing to  colours  and  other  peculiarities. 
Consequently  we  hear  of  white  Snow- 
drops and  yellow  Snowdrops,  and  also 
green  Snowdrops. 

G.  IMPERATI. — I  think  no  botanist  would 
be  able  to  say  where  nivalis  ended  and 
Imperati  commenced.  In  the  section  to 
which  G.  nivalis  and  G.  Imperati  belong, 
there  are  some  most  lovely  Snowdrops, 
amongst  which  I  would  mention  first 
Mr  Melville's  Dunrobin  form.  G.  n. 
Atkinsi  is  second  to  none  in  size,  form, 
quality  and  freedom  in  growth.  It  is  the 
plant  known  to  some  as  Imperati  of 
Atkins. 

G.  PLICATUS. — Is  very  distinct,  and 
in  its  best  forms  of  great  beauty.  The 
foremost  place  in  this  section  belongs  to 
G.  p.  maximus.  G.  plicatus  usually 
flowers  late,  but  I  have  a  selected  form, 
G.  p.  pr&cox,  which  flowers  with  the  early 
varieties  of  G.  nivalis.  Another  selected 


GALANTHUS.          THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


GALEGA. 


479 


form,  G.  p.  Omega,  flowers  with  the  very 
latest. 

G.  ELWESI. — The  best  forms  of  this  are 
large  and  handsome,  but  it  wants  the  most 
sheltered  spots  in  the  garden  to  thrive. 
Many  find  it  difficult  to  manage,  but  with 
me  it  grows  very  freely,  especially  on  one 
bed  of  very  light  soil,  where  the  seedlings 
are  almost  a  nuisance. 

G.  LATIFOLIUS. — -The  most  distinct  of 
all  Snowdrops,  with  its  broad  grass-green 
foliage  and  small  pure  white  flowers,  it 
has  a  delicate  beauty  all  its  own,  more 
especially  just  before  the  bud  expands, 
when  the  two  leaves  curve  so  lovingly 
round  the  flower-stem. 

G.  FOSTERI. — The  markings  on  the  inner 
petals  are  very  similar  to  those  of  G.  Elwesi, 
but  the  foliage  is  quite  different,  being 
broad  and  somewhat  blunt,  and  in  shape 
and  colour  much  like  the  leaves  of  Scilla 
sibirica. 

G.  ALLENI. — Mr  Barker  thinks  this  is 
probably  a  hybrid  between  G.  latifolius 
and  G.  caucasicus,  as  it  has  some  of  the 
features  of  each  species.  The  flower  is  of 
much  the  same  character  as  that  of  G. 
latifolius,  but  nearly  twice  as  large,  and 
the  foliage  corresponds  in  size  with  the 
blossoms. 

AUTUMNAL  SNOWDROPS. — In  Greece 
and  the  adjacent  countries  several 
Snowdrops  have  been  found  which 
flower  in  the  autumn  or  early  winter. 
They  seem  to  belong  to  the  nivahs 
section.  One  peculiarity  I  have 
noticed  in  them  is  that  they  have 
a  glaucous  line  running  down  the 
centre  of  each  leaf,  and  by  this  they 
can  be  at  once  distinguished  from  the 
spring-flowering  forms  of  nivalis.  So 
far  as  I  can  learn,  all  these  Snowdrops 
grow  on  high  ground,  mostly  on 
mountains.  I  understand  that  the 
Snowdrops  on  the  lower  grounds  do 
not  flower  until  early  in  the  year. 

G.  OLG;E. — From  the  descriptions  given 
of  it,  G.  Olgce  must  be  a  fine  variety,  and 
it  is  very  unfortunate  that  it  is  lost  to 
cultivation.  M.  Tanka,  the  Hungarian 
botanist,  asserts  that  this  and  G.  octobrenfis 
are  identical,  but  I  do  not  think  so  ;  and 
the  difference  between  G.  octobrensis  and 
G.  Rachels  confirms  my  opinion. 

G.  OCTOBRENSIS. — Lord  Walsingham, 
when  travelling  in  Albania  about  the  year 
1875,  collected  some  bulbs  on  one  of  the 
mountains  and  sent  them  to  the  late  Rev. 
H.  Harpur-Crewe.  Amongst  these  was  a 
bulb  which  proved  to  be  a  Snowdrop 
flowering  in  the  autumn,  usually  in  Octo- 
ber. I  am  sorry  to  say  that  it  is  somewhat 
delicate  and  increases  very  slowly  with 
me. 

G.  RACHELS. — This  is  of  the  same  type 
as  G.  octobrensis,  but  the  flower  is  a  little 
larger,  and  the  leaves  are  quite  a  third 


broader,  and  it  seems  to  have  a  stronger 
constitution  than  that  variety.  It  also 
differs  in  being  a  week  or  ten  days  later  in 
flowering. 

THE  YELLOW  SNOWDROPS  form  but 
a  small  class,  two  varieties  only  being 
known  at  present,  G.  lutescens  and  G. 
flavescens.  It  must  not  be  supposed 
that  the  petals  of  the  flower  are 
yellow  ;  the  name  is  given  because 
of  the  rich  yellow  colour  of  the  ovary, 
and  the  markings  on  the  inner  petals 
are  also  of  that  colour,  instead  of  the 
usual  green,  and  even  the  flower-stalks 
are  more  yellow  than  green. 

With  me  G.  nivalis  grows  freely  in 
all  soils  and  situations.  G.  plicatus  is 
not  very  particular,  but  still  some  of 
its  varieties  require  extra  care,  as  they 
have  an  unpleasant  way  of  disappear- 
ing. G.  Elwesi  does  not  do  well  in 
close  retentive  soil.  The  situation  I 
should  choose  would  be  a  gently 
sloping  bank,  more  or  less  shaded  by 
trees  whose  roots  were  allowed  to 
wander  freely  among  the  Snowdrops. 
I  believe  that  all  bulbs  are  healthier 
when  planted  amongst  active  roots 
than  in  ordinary  beds.  When  the 
bulbs  are  at  rest  it  is  very  essential 
that  the  soil  should  be  kept  sweet  by 
the  activity  of  other  roots.  We  too 
often  lose  sight  of  this  fact.  I  think 
the  autumnal  -  flowering  Snowdrops 
should  be  treated  as  alpine  plants. 
All  my  best  Snowdrops  are  grown  under 
trees,  the  soil  being  quite  full  of  their 
roots.  I  do  not  use  manure  for  them. 

GALAX  (Wand  Plant}.— C.  aphylla 
is  one  of  the  neatest  little  plants  for 
the  rock  garden  ;  its  white  wand-like 
flowers  are  in  dense  spike-like  racemes 
9  to  15  inches  high.  The  heart-shaped 
evergreen  leaves  are  produced  in 
cushion-like  tufts,  and  in  autumn  are 
a  rich  crimson.  Of  easy  culture  in 
moist  peat  or  leaf-soil,  in  the  bog 
garden,  or  on  the  margins  of  beds  of 
dwarf  shrubs  in  peat.  America.  There 
is  a  larger  form,  G.  macrophylla. 

GALEGA  (Goat's  Rue).  —  Graceful 
perennials  of  the  Pea  family  flourishing 
in  any  soil.  On  account  of  their  free 
growth  they  are  useful  for  the  wild 
garden,  and  are  effective  in  groups. 
They  are  herbaceous  perennials,  grow- 
ing from  2  to  5  feet  in  height.  The 
best  kinds  are — G.  officinalis,  or  Com- 
mon Goat's  Rue,  a  native  of  S. 
Europe,  and  3  to  5  feet  high,  in  summer 
bearing  dense  clusters  of  Pea-shaped 
blossoms  of  a  pretty  pink.  There  is 
a  white  variety  (alba]  useful  for 


480          GALTONIA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


GAZANIA. 


cutting.  G.  orientalis  is  from  the 
Caucasus,  3  to  4  feet  high,  with  bluish- 
purple  flowers.  G.  patula  Hartlandi 
has  pale  blue  and  white  flowers,  and 
with  G.  His  Majesty  are  the  most 
ornamental  of  these  plants. 

GALTONIA  (Cape  Hyacinth}.  —  A 
noble  bulb  from  the  Cape,  G.  candicans 
having  spires  of  waxy,  white,  bell- 
like  blossoms,  i£  inches  long,  on 
stems  4  to  6  feet  high,  in  late  summer 
and  autumn.  It  is  of  easy  culture, 
hardy  in  light  soils,  and  valuable  for 
bold  groups  in  the  mixed  border,  in 
the  flower  garden,  or  between  choice 
shrubs  and  among  hardy  Fuchsias. 
Increased  by  offsets  from  the  bulbs, 
or  from  seeds,  which  flower  about  the 
fourth  year.  The  distinct  habit  of 
this  plant  makes  it  -one  of  the  most 
valuable.  Syn.  Hyacinthus  candicans. 

GARRY  A.— G.  Ettiptica  is  a  fine 
Californian  Evergreen,  and  beautiful 
winter-flowering  shrub.  In  mild  win- 
ters it  begins  to  flower  as  early  as 
December,  and  bears  among  handsome 


Garrya  elliptica. 

deep  green  leaves  gracefully  drooping 
tufts  of  pale  green  catkins,  which,  if 
cut  with  the  twigs,  endure  a  long  time 
in  vases,  and  are  welcome  in  winter. 
Though  often  grown  on  walls,  it  is 
hardy  and  makes  a  dense  bush,  5  to 
8-10  feet  high.  In  cold  districts  it  is 


well  to  give  it  shelter,  but  in  the  south 
and  west  it  does  not  require  this. 
There  are  male  and  female  forms,  the 
most  elegant  being  the  pollen-bearing 
plant.  Killed  at  Gavetye,  we  had  to 
give  it  up  as  a  bush  in  the  orchard. 

GAULTHERIA  (Partridge  Berry}.— 
Dwarf  evergreen  shrubs,  G.  procumbens 
having  berries  which  give  it  a  charm 
in  winter,  when  it  is  one  of  the  brightest 
plants  in  the  rock  garden.  Its  droop- 
ing white  flowers  are  also  pretty.  A 
native  of  sandy  places  and  cool  damp 
woods  from  Canada  to  Virginia,  and 
often  found  in  the  shade  of  evergreens, 
it  does  best  in  moist  peat,  and  forms 
edgings  to  beds  where  the  soil  is  of 
that  nature,  but  it  will  also  grow  in 
loam.  Easily  increased  by  division  or 
seeds.  Suitable  for  the  rock  garden, 
for  the  front  margins  of  borders,  and 
for  edgings  to  beds  of  dwarf  American 
plants,  and  it  is  best  where  well 
exposed.  G.  Shallon  is  too  large  for 
all  but  the  rougher  flanks  of  the  rock 
garden,  being  a  vigorous  shrub  and  an 
excellent  covert  for  game. 

G.  TRICHOPHYLLA. — An  elegant  little 
plant  for  the  rock  garden,  doing  admirably 
in  sandy  peat  and  leaf-soil.  The  leaves 
are  very  small  and  numerously  produced 
on  the  sub-prostrate  branches,  and  are 
hairy  at  the  margin.  The  pretty  pink 
flowers  are  succeeded  in  autumn  by  pea- 
cock-blue berries.  Himalayas. 

GAURA. — G.  Lindheimeri  is  a  grace- 
ful perennial,  3  to  4^  feet  high,  flower- 
ing in  summer  and  autumn,  on  long, 
slender  spikes  bearing  numerous  white 
and  rose  flowers. 

GAYLUSSACIA  (Huckleberry).— -The 
kinds  in  cultivation  in  Britain  are  N. 
American,  allied  to  Vaccinium.  Some 
bear  edible  fruit  in  America.  Syn. 

Vaccinium.  • 

GAZANIA  (Treasure  Flower).— 
Handsome  and  distinct  dwarf  plants  ; 
of  some  value,  though  only  hardy 
enough  for  our  summers.  They  are 
most  useful  on  warm  soils,  and  should 
always  be  placed  in  open  sunny  spots 
and  among  dwarf  plants.  They  strike 
freely  in  a  cold  frame  in  August,  but 
later  require  bottom  -  heat.  Unless 
struck  very  early,  spring-struck  plants 
are  almost  worthless,  so  that  it  is  best 
to  put  in  the  stock  in  August  and 
let  them  stand  in  cutting  -  pots  till 
potting-off  time  in  spring.  They  will 
then  come  well  into  flower  when  put 
out  in  May ;  whereas,  if  they  are 
topped  for  spring  cuttings,  both  lots 


GENISTA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


GENTIANA.          481 


will  be  small  and  late.  Short  young 
tops  should  be  used  for  cuttings,  and 
may  be  inserted  pretty  thickly  in  the 
cutting-pots.  When  established  they 
must  be  just  protected  from  frost,  and 
kept  in  dry  airy  quarters.  If  kept 
warm  they  grow  too  much,  and  in 
spring  are  poor  lanky  plants  that  can 


Gazania  nh'ea.. 

hardly  be  handled  ;  but  cool  airy 
treatment  keeps  them  short  and 
sturdy.  G.  rigens  is  the  best  known. 
It  has  long  deep-green  leaves,  silvery 
beneath,  and  bears  flowers  2  inches 
across,  which  are  of  bright  orange- 
yellow,  with  a  dark  centre.  G.  splen- 
dens  is  a  fine  variety,  and  there  is 
also  one  with  variegated  leaves.  Some 
kinds  are  offered  in  the  seed  catalogues 
and  may  be  raised  in  heat  in  spring. 

GENISTA  (Rock  Broom). — Some  of 
these  are  good  garden  and  rock  garden 
shrubs,  thriving  in  almost  any  soil 
which  is  not  too  wet,  and  readily  raised 
from  seeds. 

G.  ^TNENSIS. — A  native  of  Sicily,  is  one 
of  the  best  kinds.  In  a  young  state  the 
twigs  are  sparsely  clothed  with  linear 
silky  leaves,  but  when  old  no  leaves  are 
developed,  and  the  green  slender  twigs 
perform  the  functions  of  leaves.  An  old 
tree — for  this  species  attains  a  height  of 
12  feet  or  more — is  a  beautiful  sight  in 
July  or  August  when  in  full  flower. 

G.  ANGLICA  (Needle  Furze). — A  pros- 
trate spiny  shrub,  sometimes  growing  to  a 
height  of  2  feet,  widely  distributed 
throughout  W.  Europe,  and  in  Britain 
occurring  on  moist  moors  from  Ross  south- 
wards. The  short  leafy  racemes  of  yellow 
flowers  appear  in  May  and  June. 


G.  ASPALATHOIDES. — A  native  of  S.W. 
Europe,  makes  a  densely-branched,  com- 
pact, spiny  bush  from  i  to  2  feet  in  height. 
It  flowers  in  July  and  August,  and  is  a 
good  shrub  for  the  rock  garden. 

G.  GERMANICA. — A  species  widely  dis- 
tributed throughout  Europe,  it  makes  a 
bright  rock  garden  shrub  not  more  than 
a  couple  of  feet  in  height.  It  flowers  very 
freely  during  the  summer  and  autumn 
months,  and  the  stems  are  inclined  to  arch 
when  i  foot  or  more  high. 

G.  HISPANICA. — Native  of  S.W.  Europe, 
and  a  compact  under-shrub,  evergreen 
from  the  colour  of  its  shoots.  It  scarcely 
attains  more  than  i  foot  or  18  inches  in 
height,  and  the  crowded  racemes  of  yellow 
flowers  are  borne  at  the  tips  of  the  spiny 
twigs  from  May  onwards. 

G.  PILOSA.  —  A  dense,  prostrate  bush 
and  a  delightful  rock  garden  plant.  In 
Britain  it  is  rare  and  local,  being  confined 
to  gravelly  heaths  in  the  south  and  south- 
west of  England.  It  grows  freely  and 
flowers  abundantly  in  May  and  June. 

G.  RADIATA. — Native  of  C.  and  S. 
Europe,  3  or  4  feet  in  height,  evergreen 
from  the  colour  of  its  much-branched 
spiny  twigs.  The  terminal  heads  of  bright 
yellow  flowers  are  throughout  the  summer 
months.  It  is  hardy  in  the  south  of 
England. 

G.  SAGITTALIS. — A  frequent  plant  on 
the  alpine  meadows  of  Europe.  In  habit 
it  differs  widely  from  any  of  the  other 
kinds,  the  leaves  being  replaced  by  a 
winged  stem.  It  scarcely  grows  a  foot 
high,  and  forms  a  mass  of  branches  bearing 
racemes  of  yellow  flowers  in  May  and  June. 

G.  TINCTORIA  (Dyer's  Greenweed). — 
Occurring  in  a  wild  state  in  Britain,  it 
rarely  exceeds  18  inches  in  height,  and  is 
a  spineless  shrub  bearing  a  profusion  of 
bright  yellow  flowers  from  July  until 
September. 

GENTIANA  (Gentian). — Dwarf  ever- 
green alpine  plants,  some  of  them 
difficult  to  cultivate,  but  others  easily 
grown  (on  the  rock  garden  and  in 
borders).  The  most  precious  are  the 
perennial  alpine  kinds,  which  are  such 
a  beautiful  feature  on  the  mountains 
of  Europe,  and  with  care  in  our  gardens 
spread  into  healthy  tufts  and  flower  as 
well  as  on  the  mountains. 

G.  ACAULIS  (Gentianella) . — An  old  in- 
habitant of  English  gardens,  and  among 
the  most  beautiful  of  the  Gentians.  It  is 
easily  cultivated,  except  on  very  dry  soils. 
In  some  soils  edgings  are  made  of  it,  which, 
when  the  plant  is  in  flower,  are  of  great 
beauty.  It  is  at  home  on  the  rock  garden, 
where  there  are  good  masses  of  moist  loam 
in  which  it  can  root.  With  us  the  flowers 
open  in  spring  and  in  early  summer,  but 
on  its  native  hills  they  open  according  to 

2  H 


482 


GENTIANA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


GENTIANA. 


position,  like  the  Vernal  Gentian.  G. 
alpina  is  a  marked  variety  with  small 
broad  leaves,  and  there  are  several  other 
varieties.  Their  colours  vary  from  the 
deepest  blue  to  white,  and  in  one  white 
flower  the  tips  of  the  corolla  are  a  rich 
blue.  In  all  the  forms,  except  the  white, 
the  throat  of  the  corolla  is  spotted  with 
blue  on  a  greenish  ground,  and  all  have 
greenish  marks  on  the  outside.  Alps  and 
Pyrenees. 

G.  ASCLEPIADEA  (Willow  Gentian). — A 
good  herbaceous  kind,  this  gives  no 
trouble,  but  dies  down  out  of  harm's  way 
in  winter.  Well  grown,  it  will  spring  up 
to  2  feet,  and  freely  produce  good-sized 
flowers  of  a  purple-blue  along  nearly  the 
whole  stem  in  late  summer  and  autumn. 
This  Gentian  will  grow  in  open  woods.  It 


Gent i ana  affinis. 

may  therefore  be  naturalised,  and  its  effect 
among  the  grass  in  a  wood  is  charming. 
There  is  a  white  form.  It  is  freely  in- 
creased from  seeds  and  by  division. 
Europe. 

G.  BAVARICA  (Bavarian  Gentian). — In 
size  this  resembles  the  Vernal  Gentian, 
but  it  has  smaller  Box-like  leaves  of 
yellowish-green,  and  its  tiny  stems  are 
thickly  clothed  with  dense  little  tufts  of 
foliage,  from  which  arise  flowers  of  lovely 
iridescent  blue.  While  G.  verna  is  found 
on  dry  ground,  or  on  ground  not  over- 
flowed by  water,  G.  bavarica  is  in  perfection 
in  boggy  spots,  by  some  little  rill.  We 
must  imitate  these  conditions  if  we  desire 
to  succeed,  and  a  moist  peat  or  bog  bed, 
with  no  coarse  plants  near,  will  enable  us 
to  grow  this  lovely  plant.  Alps. 

G.  FARRERI. — A  novelty  of  great  beauty 
and  importance  from  China,  having  affinity 
with  G.  sino-orwata.  It  forms  spreading 


masses,  the  stems  furnished  with  long 
linear  leaves  and  terminated  by  flowers  of 
the  largest  size — surpassing  those  of  G. 
acaulis  in  this  respect— and  of  the  most 
beautiful  sky-blue  imaginable.  The  tube 
is  white.  Peat  and  sandy  loam,  with 
moisture  in  full  sun.  Cuttings  made  of 
the  young  shoots  root  readily,  and  soon 
make  plants.  September. 

G.  FREYNIANA. — A  beautiful  and  ami- 
ably disposed  species  of  the  easiest  culti- 
vation, and  very  free  flowering.  The 
flowers,  which  appear  in  July  and  August 
in  terminal  club-like  clusters  on  foot-high 
stems,  are  of  intense  indigo  blue.  First- 
rate  in  every  way.  Seeds. 

G.  LAGODECHIANA. — A  sub-prostrate 
growing  species  having  probably  affinity 
with  G.  septemfida,  of  which  it  may  be  said 
to  be  a  vigorous  form.  It  quickly  forms 
foot-wide  masses  of  semi-procumbent 
stems,  thickly  furnished  with  small  glossy 
green  leaves,  and  terminated  by  clusters 
of  brilliant  blue  white  -  throated  flowers, 
whose  lobes  are  copiously  freckled  with 
white.  Best  in  deep  sandy  loam.  No 
species  is  more  easily  cultivated.  August 
and  September.  Increased  by  seeds. 

G.  SEPTEMFIDA  (Crested  Gentian)  .—A 
lovely  plant,  bearing  on  stems  6  to  12 
inches  high  clusters  of  cylindrical  flowers, 
widening  towards  the  mouth  and  a  beau- 
tiful blue-white  inside,  and  greenish-brown 
outside,  having  between  each  of  the  larger 
segments  one  smaller  and  finely  cut.  In 
the  variety  cordifolia  leaves  are  more  cor- 
date, but  it  grows  about  only  half  the 
height  of  the  type,  with  a  much  neater 
habit,  and  there  is  a  dwarf  form.  Best  in 
moist  sandy  peat.  The  finest  of  all  is  the 
variety  latifolia.  All  are  of  sub-prostrate 
habit,  flowering  in  August  and  September. 
Seeds.  Caucasus. 

G.  SINO-ORNATA. — The  advent  of  this 
autumn-flowering  species  enriched  our 
gardens,  it  having  proved  of  more  facile 
cultivation  than  the  Himalayan  ornata  or 
the  earlier  introduced  Veitchiana.  Flowers 
rich  blue.  Peat  and  sandy  loam,  with 
moisture  in  full  sun.  Readily  increased 
by  cuttings.  September  and  October. 

G.  VERNA  (Vernal  Gentian). — One  of  the 
most  beautiful  of  alpine  flowers,  thriving 
in  deep  sandy  loam,  with  abundance  of 
water  during  the  warm  and  dry  months, 
and  perfect  exposure  to  the  sun.  The 
absence  of  these  conditions  is  a  frequent 
cause  of  failure.  It  thrives  wild  in  cool 
pastures  and  uplands,  where  it  is  rarely 
subjected  to  such  drought  as  it  is  in  a 
parched  border.  Grit  or  broken  lime- 
stone may  be  mingled  with  the  soil ;  if 
there  be  plenty  of  sand  this  is  not  essen- 
tial ;  a  few  pieces  half  buried  in  the  ground 
will  tend  to  prevent  evaporation  and  guard 
the  plant  till  it  has  taken  root.  It  is  so 


GENTIANA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.       GERANIUM.       483 


dwarf  that  if  weeds  be  allowed  to  grow 
round  it  they  soon  injure  it,  and  tall 
plants  overshadow  or  overrun  it.  It  is 
abundant  in  mountain  pastures  on  the 
Alps,  in  Asia,  and  also  in  Britain. 


Gentiana  z'erna. 


G.  v.  ANGULOSA,  with  winged  calyx,  has 
flowers  almost  twice  as  large  as  the  type 
and  equally  brilliant,  while  it  is  of  the 
easiest  cultivation.  Its  requirements  are 
the  same,  and  it  may  be  raised  by  hun- 
dreds from  seeds,  if  these  are  sown  prac- 
tically as  soon  as  ripe.  No  alpine  merits 
the  attention  of  the  cultivator  more  than 
this. 

Mr  Correvon,  of  Geneva,  who  knows 
these  plants  well,  classifies  them  as 
follows  for  cultivation  :  — 

Acaulis  Group.  —  Alpina,  angusti  folia, 
Clusii,  and  Kochiana,  which  thrive  best  in 
calcareous  soils,  except  the  last,  which 
requires  a  soil  free  of  it.  In  our  country 
they  thrive  in  a  way  on  moist  soils,  but 
flower  best  in  the  limestone  soils  of  Ireland. 
They  will  not  flower  well  in  shade. 

Tall  kinds,  with  large  roots,  G.  Burseri, 
lutea,  pannonica,  punctata,  purpurea. 
[These  are  only  worth  growing  in  botanic 
gardens.] 

Dwarf  tufted  kinds  requiring  care  on 
the  bog  or  rock  garden,  those  marked  * 
thriving  in  moist  open  soil  in  turf  or 
sphagnum  in  full  sun  :  the  others  dryer 
spots  and  pebbly  soil  ;  calcareous  soil  to 
be  preferred  for  vernea  and  its  forms. 
G.  *bavarica,  brachyphylla,  Favrati,  imbri- 
cata,  pyrenaica,  *Rostani,  *septemfida, 
verna. 

Kinds  for  marshy  ground:  —  G.  An- 
drewsi,  angusti  folia,  asclepiadcsa,  Pneu- 
monanthe.  [Most  of  these  seem  of  easy 
culture,  but  the  American  kinds  gradually 
perish  on  heavy,  compact  soils.] 


Kinds  thriving  in  leaf  soil  and  sandy 
peat,  with  broken  bits  of  sandstone  : — 
G.  alba,  Bigelowi,  ciliata,  frigida,  Frey- 
niana,  Frcelichii,  Kurroo,  Parryi,  pumila, 
Wallichiana,  Weschniakowi. 

Kinds  of  easy  culture  : — G.  brevidens, 
cruciata,  dahurica,  decumbens,  Fetisowi, 
Kesselringii,  macrophylla,  Olivieri,  phlogi- 
folia,  Przewaldskii,  Saponaria,  scabra, 
straminea,  tibetica,  Tianschanica,  Walu- 
jewi,  Weschniakowi. 

Annual  kinds  : — G.  amarella,  campestris, 
Germanica,  nivalis,  tenella. 

These  groupings  are,  like  so  many 
others,  arbitrary  if  convenient.  Many 
of  the  rarer  kinds  of  Gentian  come  from 
countries  little  known  to  us,  and  even 
if  we  did  know  them  the  cultivation 
of  plants  is  often  only  learned  through 
experience,  and  it  is  common  to  see 
them  thriving  in  conditions  wholly 
different  from  those  in  which  they 
grow  naturally.  Certain  things,  how- 
ever, are  to  be  borne  in  mind  by  those 
who  aspire  to  cultivate  Gentians,  viz., 
that  these  are  alpine  or  high  mountain 
plants,  or  plants  of  the  open  breezy 
marsh,  and  that  in  such  conditions 
they  rarely  have  to  do  with  compact 
heavy  soils.  Gritty,  sandy,  or  peaty 
soils  therefore  suit  them  best — even 
marsh  land,  though  saturated,  is  free 
in  texture. 

They  grow  also  very  often  above  the 
tree  and  shrub  line  of  life,  and  are 
therefore  fully  exposed  to  the  sun,  and 
any  planting  of  them  on  stuffy,  half- 
shady  conditions  common  in  many 
gardens  is  against  them,  as  also  is  the 
unfortunate  and  common  practice  of 
putting  rock  gardens  in  hollow  places 
instead  of  places  fully  exposed  to  the 
sun.  Lastly,  to  associate  them  with 
ferns  or  taller  or  more  vigorous  plants 
is  a  mistake  ;  and,  above  all  things, 
the  printed  lists  or  any  other  lists 
must  not  be  taken  to  mean  that  the 
great  beauty  of  some  kinds  is  typical 
of  all,  as  not  a  few  Gentians  are 
unworthy  of  garden  cultivation.  I 
have  grown  them  in  the  most  unlikely 
place  of  all,  a  battered  wall  with  earth 
behind,  and  they  flowered  very  well. 
The  plan  may  be  worth  trying  in 
certain  soils  with  G.  acaulis,  where  it 
fails  to  flower  in  borders. 

GERANIUM  (Cranesbill) .  —  The 
hardy  Geraniums  are  usually  stout 
perennials  and  natives  of  the  fields 
and  woods  of  Europe  and  Britain, 
though  some  are  dainty  alpine  flowers. 
The  handsomest  of  them  is  probably 
G.  armenum.  It  is  sometimes  3  feet 


484 


GERANIUM. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


GERBERA. 


in  height,  flowering  in  midsummer 
abundantly,  and  sometimes  till  late 
in  autumn  to  a  less  degree.  Its  flowers 
are  large  and  handsome.  It  requires 
only  ordinary  garden  soil,  and  is  well 
suited  for  the  mixed  border,  or  for 
grouping  with  the  finer  perennials  in 
beds  or  on  the  margins  of  shrubberies. 
Some  other  kinds  are  showy,  and  the 
best  of  these  are :  the  dwarf  G. 
sanguineum  ;  its  beautiful  Lancashire 
variety,  with  rose-coloured  blossoms 
finely  marked  with  dark  lines ;  G. 
pratense,  a  tall  kind,  with  large  purple 
flowers  ;  and  its  pure  white  variety. 
There  is  also  an  intermediate  form  with 


A  group  of  hardy  Geraniums. 

white  and  purple  flowers.  The  Cauca- 
sian species,  G.  gymnocaulon  and  G. 
ibericum,  are  beautiful,  with  their  rich 
purple  blossoms,  2  inches  across, 
delicately  pencilled  with  black.  G. 
platypetalum,  striatum,  ibericum,  and 
Lamberti  are  suited  for  shrubbery 
borders,  and  most  of  them  are  free 
and  vigorous  enough  for  naturalisation. 
G.  Endressi,  with  light  rose-coloured 
blossoms,  is  also  very  attractive. 
Much  the  handsomest  of  the  flowered 
sorts  is  the  foot-high  G.  grandiflorum, 
which  everybody  should  grow.  All  the 
above-mentioned  Geraniums  are  hardy, 
easily  cultivated,  and  grow  in  ordin- 
ary soil.  The  pretty  rock  garden 
kinds,  G.  cinereum  and  G.  argenteum, 
are  alpine  plants,  and,  unlike  stout 
perennials,  they  must  be  associated 
with  very  dwarf  rock  plants.  All  the 
Geraniums  are  increased  by  seed,  and 
with  the  exception  perhaps  of  the 
G.  cinereum,  and  G.  argenteum,  all 
are  freely  multiplied  by  division. 


GERARDIA. — I  have  never,  either  in 
gardens  or  in  the  wild  land,  or  in  the 
Alpine  mountains,  where  beauty  of 
plant  life  is  at  its  highest,  seen  any- 
thing that  struck  me  more  than  a 
Gerardia  I  once  met  with  in  the 
roadside  in  New  Jersey,  growing  abun- 
dantly here  and  there  like  a  little 
tre3  in  habit,  15  inches  to  18  inches 
high,  bearing  most  graceful  miniature 
Pentstemon-like  flowers,  but  far  more 
refined  in  colour  and  distinct  in  form 
than  any  Pentstemon.  Naturally  I 
asked  why  such  a  plant  was  not  in 
cultivation,  and  learnt  that  the  Gerar- 
dias  are  mostly  parasites  on  the  roots 
"of  other  plants.  In  spite  of  this,  I 
brought  home  some  seed  of  one  or 
two  kinds  and  sowed  it  where  I 
thought  it  would  have  some  chance, 
but  nothing  ever  came  of  it.  Gerardia, 
a  genus  called  after  John  Gerard, 
who  wrote  the  famous  Herbal  in  the 
time  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  is,  as  a 
group,  of  the  highest  interest.  I  hope 
that  some  of  them  may  be  introduced. 
G.  tenuifolia  is  a  species  long  known, 
which  thrives  in  the  open,  and  forms 
charming  tufts  covered  with  pretty 
flowers  in  summer.  It  is  dwarf  and 
bushy  in  habit,  light  and  graceful  in 
effect  with  its  numerous  pale  blue 
flowers. 

GERBERA  ( Transvaal  Daisy] .  — 
Perennials  from  South  Africa,  of  which 
few  are  yet  in  cultivation.  G.  Jame- 
soni  is  a  handsome  plant,  nearly  hardy 
in  the  southern  counties,  but  too 
tender  for  the  midlands  and  the  north. 
Its  leathery  dark  green  leaves  are 
shaped  like  those  of  a  Dandelion,  and 
arranged  in  a  rosette,  and  the  flowers 
are  glowing  scarlet,  4  inches  across, 
borne  singly  on  tall  bare  stems. 
Where  the  plant  cannot  be  grown  in 
the  border  it  will  bloom  in  a  sunny, 
airy  greenhouse  potted  in  a  mixture 
of  loam,  peat,  and  sand,  and  treated 
as  one  would  a  Cineraria.  In  some 
gardens  it  is  well  grown  upon  such 
parts  of  the  rock  garden  as  are  devoted 
to  hardy  Cacti,  where  it  can  be  shel- 
tered by  a  glass  roof  in  winter  and 
kept  dry  while  freely  exposed  to  the 
air  on  all  sides.  G.  viridifolia,  a 
dwarfer  plant  with  smaller  flowers, 
white  flushed  with  lilac,  is  also  grown, 
and  between  this  and  G.  Jamesoni 
beautiful  hybrids  have  been  raised  in 
which  the  flowers  vary  in  colour  from 
nearly  white  to  salmon-pink,  coral-red, 
orange,  and  yellow. 


GEUM. 


THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.       GLADIOLUS. 


485 


GEUM. — Dwarf  handsome  perennial 
herbs,  G.  montanum  being  one  of  the 
best  of  the  dwarf  kinds  for  the  rock 
garden,  and  very  beautiful  when  well 
established  in  early  spring.  It  has  a 
compact  habit,  the  leaves  lying  close 
on  the  ground,  the  erect  stems  of 
solitary  clear  yellow  flowers  being 
abundant.  It  likes  plenty  of  mois- 
ture. G.  reptans  is  also  a  pretty  rock 
plant,  differing  from  G.  montanum  in 
its  finely-cut  leaves,  large  flowers,  and 
in  producing  stolons,  which  are  absent 
in  G.  montanum.  There  is  a  variety, 
however,  of  the  latter  which  is  by 
far  the  most  ornamental  plant  of 
the  European  kinds.  It  is  of  a  very 
vigorous  habit,  with  large,  fine  leaves, 
and  bears  freely  deep  yellow  flowers 
on  each  stem.  This  form  has  been 
cultivated  in  the  Liverpool  Botanic 
Garden  for  over  twenty  years,  and  is 
said  to  be  of  garden  origin. 

G.  CHILOENSE. — -G.  chiloense grandiflorum 
is  one  of  the  best  single-flowered  forms  in 
the  group.  A  native  of  Chiloe,  introduced 
to  cultivation  somewhere  about  1826,  it 
is  a  magnificent  border  plant,  its  dazzling 
scarlet  flowers  and  bold  habit  making  it 
a  favourite  with  all  who  love  brilliant 
patches  in  their  mixed  borders.  The 
double-flowered  form  of  this  seems  to  be 
a  more  general  favourite,  the  blooms  last- 
ing longer,  though  I  think  they  lack  the 
elegance  of  those  of  the  simpler  form. 
The  variety  Mrs  J.  Bradshaw  is  an  im- 
provement on  the  old  double.  They  begin 
to  expand  soon  after  May,  and  continue 
until  October. 

G.      CHILOENSE     VAR.     MINIATUM. This 

plant,  figured  in  The  Garden  in  1890,  is 
said  to  have  originated  in  the  nursery  of 
Robert  Parker  at  Tooting,  and  was  named 
by  him  G.  miniatum.  Another  plant 
known  as  the  Altrincham  variety,  or 
G.  hybridum,  was  raised  about  the  same 
time,  but,  unless  in  the  flowers  being 
brighter,  I  see  no  difference.  But  there 
can  be  no  question  as  to  the  value  of  this 
plant,  its  robust  constitution  standing  it 
in  good  stead  in  almost  every  kind  of  soil. 
It  flowers  from  April  until  the  end  of  July, 
and  when  doing  well  often  attains  a  height 
of  from  2  to  3  feet. 

G.  COCCINEUM  is  a  rare  and  entirely 
different  plant.  A  native  of  Mount 
Olympus. 

G.  HELDREICHI  MAGNIFICUM. — Splendid 
in  colour  as  any  orange  flower,  I  like  this 
for  Heldreich's  sake  as  well  as  its  own,  as 
I  once  spent  a  few  pleasant  days  with  him 
near  Athens  in  the  time  of  Windflowers 
that  clothe  the  fields  there. 

GILIA. — Hardy  Californian  annuals, 
i  to  2  feet  high,  and  bearing  for  a  long 
time  a  succession  of  blossoms  either 


blue,  white,  lavender,  or  rose-coloured. 
Seed  may  be  sown  in  autumn  for  spring 
blooming,  and  in  April  for  summer  and 
autumn  blooming  ;  and  the  soil  should 
be  light  and  rich.  The  best  are  G. 
achillecB  folia  (blue),  G.  a.  alba  (white), 
G.  capitata  (lavender),  G.  tricolor 
(white  and  purple),  G.  rosea  splendens 
(rose),  G.  nivalis  (white),  G.  liniflora, 
G.  dianthoides,  and  G.  laciniata.  They 
may  occasionally  be  made  of  graceful 
use  as  carpet  plants. 

G.  CORONOPIFOLIA. — A  brilliant  (scarlet) 
biennial  from  the  south-eastern  states  of 
America  ;  it  is  an  old  plant,  and  sometimes 
used  as  a  flower  garden  plant.  It  should 
be  raised  early  in  the  year,  as  sown  late  it 
only  flowers  the  following  year. 

GILLENIA.  —  G.  trifoliata  is  a 
Spiraea-like  plant  with  numerous  erect 
slender  stems,  about  2  feet  high,  and 
branching  in  the  upper  part  into  a 
loose  panicle  of  white  flowers.  Dis- 
tinct and  graceful ;  is  of  value  for  the 
garden,  growing  in  free  loamy  soil,  and 
may  be  given  a  place  in  the  shrubbery 
or  in  the  wild  garden.  N.  America. 
Division. 

G.  STIPULACEA. — This  is  a  rather  taller 
plant,  and  not  quite  so  compact  in  habit, 
but  it  is  graceful,  and  no  more  charming 
plant  could  be  introduced  to  parts  of  the 
garden  where  there  is  an  extra  amount  of 
moisture  and  a  little  shade  from  mid-day 
sun. 

Gingko. — See  SALISBURIA. 

GLADIOLUS  (Sword  Lily}.— Beau- 
tiful bulbous  plants,  the  best  kinds 
natives  of  S.  Africa.  Every  species 
introduced  is  of  value,  is  easily  grown, 
and  is  suitable  for  many  garden  uses, 
but  the  charm  of  the  Gladiolus  is 
derived  from  the  beautiful  hybrid 
varieties.  G.  gandavensis  and  brench- 
leyensis  are  the  principal  kinds  from 
which  these  hybrids  come,  and  are  by 
far  the  most  important  class.  The 
gandavensis  section  suffers  from  cold 
autumn  rains,  and  the  bulbs  must  be 
lifted  in  autumn. 

They  are  happy  in  clumps  between 
Dahlias,  Phloxes,  Roses,  and  subjects 
of  a  somewhat  similar  character,  and 
are  very  effective  in  clumps  alternating 
with  Tritomas,  and  also  when  associ- 
ated with  masses  of  Cannas  ;  while 
they  are  suitable  for  intermixing  with 
American  plants  whose  dark  foliage 
shows  off  rich  flowers  to  good  advan- 
tage. The  position  should  be  marked 
out  and  prepared  in  the  autumn  or 
winter.  March  and  April  are  the  best 
months  for  planting  Gladioli ;  they  are 


486        GLADIOLUS.         THE   EtiGLiSH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        GLAUCIUM. 


then  at  their  best  during  August  and 
the  early  part  of  September.  A  suc- 
cession of  planting  is  desirable  to 
secure  a  late  bloom.  Those  who  desire 
their  gardens  to  be  beautiful  late  in 
the  autumn  should  not  fail  to  employ 
the  Gladiolus  largely.  A  deep  loamy 
soil,  not  too  heavy,  is  the  most  suitable, 
but  very  satisfactory  results  may  even 
be  obtained  by  deep  digging  and 
liberal  manuring  in  poor  soils.  After 
the  manure  is  spread  over  the  sur- 
face, trench  the  soil  up  to  a  depth 
of  2  feet,  and  leave  the  ground  as 
rough  as  possible,  so  as  to  expose  it  to 
winter  frost  and  rain.  If  this  is  done 
the  soil  will  be  fit  for  working  in  spring, 
and  a  pricking  over  with  the  fork  will 
reduce  it  to  a  fine  tilth,  and  will  admit 
of  the  bulbs  being  planted  promptly. 
Planting  in  March  and  until  June,  at 
intervals  of  a  fortnight.  By  this  there 
will  be  obtained  a  succession  of  bloom, 
from  the  earliest  moment  at  which  the 
show  varieties  may  be  had  in  flower 
until  the  end  of  the  season.  As  soon 
as  the  plants  have  made  sufficient 
progress  to  require  support,  stout 
stakes  should  be  put  to  them.  The 
top  of  the  stake  must  not  be  higher 
than  the  first  bloom,  and  the  stem 
should  have  one  tie  only — a  strong  one 
of  bast. 

EARLY-FLOWERING  KINDS. — During 
the  past  few  years  the  early-flowering 
Gladioli  have  become  popular  on 
account  of  their  great  value  for  cutting. 
These,  the  dwarfer  kinds,  are,  more- 
over, much  the  hardiest,  and  beds  of 
them  may  be  left  unprotected  during 
winter,  so  as  to  afford  early  flowers  for 
cutting,  for  unless  the  weather  is  very 
severe,  these  beds  never  require  any 
covering.  This  remark  applies  only 
to  bulbs  established  in  the  ground,  for 
fresh  bulbs  are  as  tender  as  other 
Gladioli,  and  must  be  protected  from 
frost.  Amateurs  often  make  a  mistake 
in  this  matter.  Many  plants  are  hardy 
only  after  they  are  well  established. 
G.  Colvillei  is  one  of  the  prettiest  and 
hardiest  of  all,  and  is  most  valuable  for 
cutting,  particularly  the  white  variety, 
which  has  many  beautiful  white 
flowers  in  early  summer.  The  time 
of  flowering  depends  upon  the  time  of 
planting,  but  the  dwarf  sections  are 
the  earliest.  If  the  varieties  of  G. 
ramosus  are  planted  at  the  same  time 
as  the  dwarfs,  the  dwarfs  are  in  flower 
a  fortnight  before  the  others. 

These  early-flowering  kinds  are  of 
simple  culture,  and  succeed  best  in 


well-drained  raised  beds  of  good  loamy 
soil,  in  a  sunny  position. 

Another  interesting  race  of  hybrids 
has  lately  been  obtained  between  G. 
gandavensis  and  G.  piirpureo-auratus, 
a  Cape  species,  with  yellow  and  purple 
flowers.  These  hybrids  have  large 
flowers  of  a  creamy-white  and  a  deep 
purplish-crimson.  The  named  kinds 
are  G.  hybridus  Frcobeli,  G.  h.  Lemoinei, 
and  Marie  Lemoine.  Although  by  no 
means  so  showy  as  many  others,  they 
are  most  graceful  and  distinct  in  port, 
and  in  the  shape  and  colour  of  their 
flowers.  In  deep  sandy  soil  they 
attain  a  height  of  nearly  5  feet,  and  the 
gradual  development  of  the  flowers 
renders  them  effective  for  at  least 
five  weeks  after  the  first  and  lower- 
most blossom. 

G.  PRINCEPS  is  the  latest  gain  amongst 
the  hybrids  of  garden  value.  Its  flowers 
of  crimson-scarlet  are  intense  in  colour,  of 
great  size,  and  fine  form.  The  brightness 
of  the  flower  is  relieved  by  touches  of 
white,  or  frequently  by  a  white  stripe 
across  the  centre  of  the  lower  petals,  which 
are  very  full  and  rounded.  It  flowers  late 
in  August  and  September,  when  other 
kinds  are  on  the  wane.  Though  expand- 
ing in  slow  succession,  and  never  having 
more  than  three  or  four  blooms  open  at 
the  same  time,  the  size  and  quality  of  its 
flowers  do  much  to  make  up  for  this. 

A  few  of  the  wild  species  almost 
equal  the  hybrids  in  beauty.  One  of 
the  finest  is  G.  Saundersi,  about  2  feet 
high,  with  large  flowers  of  a  brilliant 
scarlet  and  a  conspicuous  pure  white 
centre.  It  is  not  often  grown,  though 
hardy  and  of  very  easy  culture,  and 
only  requiring  a  sunny  position  in  a 
light  rich  soil. 

The  European  wild  Gladioli  arc 
pretty  plants  for  the  mixed  border. 
There  is  a  strong  similarity  among 
them,  being  from  i  to  i£  feet  high, 
and  all  bearing  rather  small  rosy- 
purple  flowers.  The  best  known  are 
G.  byzantinus,  communis,  segetus,  illy- 
ricus,  neglectus,  serotinus.  They  like 
warm  dry  soil  and  a  sunny  situation. 
They  are  of  particular  interest  from 
their  free  and  hardy  habit,  which  makes 
them  as  easy  to  grow  as  native  plants. 
They  are  admirable  for  the  wild  garden, 
as  they  thrive  in  copses,  open  warm 
woods,  in  snug  spots  in  broken  hedge- 
row banks,  and  on  fringes  of  shrubbery 
in  the  garden. 

GLAUCIUM      (Horned      Poppy}.  - 
Plants  of  the   Poppy   family,   usually 
biennials.      G.    luteum   is   quite   hardy 
and  has  handsome  silver  foliage.     The 


GLOBULARIA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        GREVILLEA.       487 


leaves  are  deeply  cut,  and,  planted 
close,  are  effective  either  in  masses  or 
lines.  To  ensure  strong  plants  for 
winter  borders  or  beds,  seed  should  be 
sown  about  May,  as  the  plant  is  a 
biennial.  When  in  bloom  it  makes  a 
striking  border  plant,  the  flowers  being 
large  and  orange-red.  G.  Fischeri  is 
a  handsome  plant ;  its  snow-white 
woolly  foliage  is  very  telling,  and  its 
blossom  is  of  an  unusual  flame  colour. 
G.  corniculatum  is  similar,  but  not  so 
handsome.  Both  require  the  same 
treatment  as  G.  luteum. 

GLOBULARIA  (Globe  Daisy}.— 
Interesting  and  dwarf  alpine  plants, 
good  on  the  rock  garden  in  light  and 
peaty  soils.  G.  Alypum  is  among  the 
best ;  it  inhabits  dry  rocks.  Other 
kinds  are  G.  cordifolia,  G.  nana,  G. 
nudicaulis,  and  G.  trichosantha.  All 
are  blue  flowered. 

GOODYERA  (Rattlesnake  Plantain). 
— A  beautiful  little  Orchid,  G.  pubes- 
cens having  leaves  close  to  the  ground, 
delicately  veined  with  silver  ;  hardy, 
distinct,  and  charming,  though  its 
flowers  are  not  showy.  It  has  long 
been  grown  in  botanic  and  choice 
collections,  thriving  in  a  shady  posi- 
tion such  as  may  be  found  in  a  good 
rock  garden,  in  moist  peaty  soil,  with 
here  and  there  a  soft  sandstone  for  its 
roots  to  run  among.  G.  repens  and 
Menziesi  are  less  desirable  and  much 
rarer.  N.  America. 

GORDONIA. — Handsome  flowering 
shrubs  allied  to  Camellia,  rare  in  gar- 
dens, and  in  the  case  of  G.  pubescens, 
extinct  as  a  wild  tree.  Most  of  the 
species  are  tender  shrubs  from  Asia, 
but  two  fairly  hardy  kinds  will  grow 
in  warm  and  sheltered  places  of  the 
south,  and  near  the  coast.  These 
come  from  the  "  Pine  Barrens "  of 
Virginia  and  Florida,  a  region  of  sandy 
peat-bogs  made  beautiful  by  dense 
thickets  of  Gordonia  Lasianthus  in 
every  stage  of  growth,  from  that  of  a 
low  shrub  to  trees  of  70  feet  or  more. 
The  long  black  roots  run  out  just 
beneath  the  thin  peaty  layers,  and  the 
ground  being  covered  deep  with  moss, 
it  remains  moist  and  cool  during  the 
hottest  summer.  G.  pubescens  grew 
under  similar  conditions  on  the  banks 
of  the  Altamaha  River  in  Georgia,  but 
only  two  or  three  plants  were  ever 
found,  and  it  seems  long  since  to  have 
disappeared  altogether,  those  to  be 
found  in  gardens  having  all  come  from 
one  tree.  They  should  therefore  stand 
in  sunny  and  sheltered  spots,  with  a 


constantly  moist  soil  of  sandy  peat  or 
leaf-mould,  and  at  the  same  time  per- 
fect drainage.  I  may,  however,  say 
that  I  have  never  seen  Gordonia  in 
flower  but  once,  in  a  park  in  Phila- 
delphia many  years  ago,  and  I  doubt 
very  much  if  any  of  them  be  hardy  in 
this  country. 

G.  GRANDIS,  a  tender  kind  with  creamy- 
white  flowers  and  glossy  leaves,  is  grown 
upon  walls  in  a  few  of  the  warmest  gardens 
of  Cornwall,  but  it  is  really  a  greenhouse 
plant. 

G.  LASIANTHUS  (Loblolly  Bay)  with  us 
rarely  exceeds  10  or  12  feet,  growing  as  a 
shapely  pyramid,  with  glossy  dark  green 
leaves  almost  evergreen  in  a  mild  winter. 
Before  falling  they  take  golden,  crimson, 
and  purple  tints,  which  are  charming  in 
mid-winter  after  such  tints  have  mostly 
disappeared.  The  fragrant  white  flowers 
come  in  succession  from  July  to  Septem- 
ber, their  broad-cupped  petals  set  off  by 
golden  stamens. 

G.  PUBESCENS  is  similar  in  general  effect, 
but  loses  its  leaves  in  winter  and  is 
smaller,  hardly  exceeding  a  low  shrub 
with  us.  It  may  be  known  by  its  thinner 
leaves  coated  underneath  with  a  pale 
down,  the  shorter  stems  of  its  hairy 
flowers,  and  the  thin  smooth  bark  of 
the  stems.  The  flowers  are  larger  and 
less  fragrant  than  in  G.  •  Lasianthus, 
3  inches  or  more  across  ;  in  the  States 
they  come  early  in  August,  but  with  us 
not  much  before  September,  and  begin- 
ning late  they  are  less  abundant.  The 
leaves  turn  a  fine  scarlet  in  autumn. 
While  somewhat  hardier  than  the  Lob- 
lolly Bay,  it  is  perhaps  more  difficult 
to  manage  in  other  ways. 

GRAMMANTHES.  —  A  pretty  half- 
hardy  annual,  G.  gentianoides  being  a 
capital  plant  for  the  dry  parts  of  a 
rock  garden,  about  2  inches  high, 
forming  a  dense  tuft,  with  fleshy  leaves 
about  |  inch  long,  and  many  flowers 
about  f  inch  across ;  orange  when 
first  expanded,  with  a  distinct  V-shaped 
mark  at  the  base  of  each  petal,  but 
finally  assuming  a  deep  red.  Seeds 
should  be  sown  in  heat  in  February 
and  March,  and  the  seedlings  planted 
out  in  May.  Stonecrop  family.  S. 
Africa. 

GREVILLEA. — Australian  shrubs, 
generally  grown  in  the  greenhouse, 
but  a  few  are  quite  hardy  enough  for 
wall  culture  ;  and  G.  sulphur ea,  the 
hardiest  in  cultivation,  lives  against 
walls  about  London.  Its  pale  yellow 
flowers,  of  curious  shape,  as  in  all 
Grevilleas,  come  throughout  the  sum- 
mer. G.  ,  rosmarinifolia  is  another 
hardy  kind  with  Rosemary-like  leaves 


488      GRISELINIA.       THE  ENGLISH  FLOWER  GARDEN. 


GUNNER  A. 


and  clusters  of  red  flowers.  The 
Grevilleas  do  best  against  a  warm 
wall  in  a  sheltered  situation. 

GRISELINIA.— There  are  certain 
exposed  spots  in  our  shore  gardens 
where  even  the  toughest  of  shrubs  are 
apt  to  fail,  and  in  this  little  group  we 
have  the  best  of  all  plants  for  such  a 
position,  thriving  in  any  soil,  and  sea- 
wind  proof.  The  greenish  flowers  are 
insignificant,  and  the  fruits,  like  clus- 
ters of  small  Ivy  berries,  are  seldom 
seen  in  this  country,  but  the  fleshy 
leaves  are  so  unlike  any  others  that 
these  are  among  the  most  distinct  of 
evergreens.  Of  compact  and  fairly 
rapid  growth,  they  make  dense  bushes 
of  6  to  i  o  feet,  freely  branched  to  the 
ground,  and  of  so  good  a  shape  that 
they  may  be  almost  left  alone.  Hardy 
as  they  are  far  into  the  north  and  near 
the  sea,  the  Griselinias  fail  inland,  save 
in  quite  the  waimest  places,  and  are 
tender  round  London  even  upon  shel- 
tered walls.  The  glossy  leaves  are 
always  attractive  and  seldom  attacked 
by  insects,  and,  when  safe  from  frost, 
the  shoots  will  cover  a  wall  where 
even  Ivy  fails.  There  are  two  species, 
both  from  New  Zealand  : — 

G.  LITTORALIS. — Reaches  a  height  of 
30  feet,  with  wedge-shaped  leaves,  greyish 
beneath,  where  the  veins  show  very  faintly. 
The  appearance  of  the  sexes  (which  are 
apart)  is  very  different,  the  male  plant 
bearing  small  oval  leaves  of  dark  green, 
with  an  erect  habit,  and  the  female  much 
larger  and  broader  leaves  of  yellow-green, 
and  of  a  more  diffuse  habit. 

G.  LUCID  A. — Has  very  glossy  pale  green 
leaves,  which  are  most  unevenly  divided 
by  the  mid-rib.  It  is  of  smaller  growth 
than  littoralis,  reaching  only  10  to  12  feet, 
with  leaves  more  fleshy  and  the  veins  very 
distinct  on  the  under  side.  G.  macro- 
phylla  is  a  robust  natural  form  of  this, 
with  much  larger  bright  green  leaves,  so 
thick  as  to  be  almost  succulent.  This 
makes  a  handsome  buslry  tree  of  20  to 
25  feet  in  the  gardens  of  Devon  and 
Cornwall. 

GUEVINA  AVELLANA  (Chilian 
Nut). — An  evergreen  tree  of  about 
30  feet  in  its  native  land,  and  here 
confined  to  favoured  gardens  in  Devon 
and  Cornwall,  the  finest  specimen  in 
Britain  being  probably  at  Greenway 
on  the  River  Dart,  where  it  flowers 
and  fruits  freely.  The  blossoms,  at 
their  best  in  September,  are  carried 
as  erect  spikes  of  about  4  inches,  each 
spike  holding  about  a  score  of  small 
ivory  -  white  flowers  with  reflexing 


petals  and  protruding  stamens.  Al- 
though freely  borne,  they  are  not  at 
all  showy,  the  feature  of  the  tree  being 
its  fruits,  over  2  inches  in  circumfer- 
ence, which  become  red  and  eventually 
purple.  They  contain  Almond  -  like 
seeds  of  mild  and  somewhat  oily  taste, 
which  are  eaten  in  Chili  and  Peru, 
where  the  fleshy  envelope  is  made  a 
substitute  for  the  Pomegranate.  The 
foliage  is  very  handsome,  the  great 
leaves,  often  2  feet  in  length,  being 
divided  into  many  deep  green  leaflets. 
Increase  by  layers  and  by  seeds — 
which,  however,  do  not  germinate 
freely. 

G  U  N  N  E  R  A  (Prickly  Rhubarb).— 
S.  American  plants  remarkable  for 
large  and  handsome  foliage.  They  are 
hardy  if  slightly  protected  during  the 
winter  by  a  layer  of  dry  leaves  placed 
among  the  stems.  Given  any  diversity 
of  surface  it  will  be  easy  to  select  a 
spot  well  open  to  the  sun  and  yet 
sheltered  by  shrubs.  A  large  hole, 
about  6  by  4  feet  deep,  should  be  dug 
out,  a  good  layer  of  drainage  material 
put  at  the  bottom,  and  the  hole  filled 
with  a  rich  compost  of  loam  and 
manure.  In  summer  the  plants  ought 
to  have  plenty  of  water,  and  a  ridge 
of  turf  should  be  placed  round  them, 
to  compel  the  water  to  sink  down  about 
their  roots.  They  should  also  have  a 
mulching  of  well-rotted  manure  eaily 
in  every  spring.  They  thrive  on  the 
margins  of  ponds  where  their  roots  can 
penetrate  the  moist  soil,  and  if  judici- 
ously placed  in  such  a  position,  they 
have  a  fine  effect.  Though  the  two 
kinds  G.  scabra  and  G.  manicata  greatly 
resemble  each  other,  the  leaves  of 
G.  manicata  are  more  kidney-shaped 
and  attain  a  much  larger  size,  often 
measuring  4  to  6  feet  across.  The 
spikes  of  fruit  are  also  much  longer, 
and  the  secondary  spikes  are  long  and 
flexuose,  whereas  in  G.  scabra  they  are 
short  and  stiff.  Propagated  by  seed 
or  division  of  established  plants. 

G.  MANICATA. — Writing  from  Trelissick, 
Truro,  Mr  W.  Sangwin  says  :  "It  never 
attains  the  extraordinary  dimensions  it  is 
capable  of,  unless  planted  in  deep,  rich 
soil,  with  its  roots  in  the  water  by  the  side 
of  a  pond  or  stream.  Our  plant  covers  a 
space  fully  30  feet  across,  and  consists  of 
from  twenty-five  to  thirty  leaves,  some  of 
them  over  9  feet  in  diameter,  upon  clear 
stems  8  feet  high.  The  crowns  are  as 
large  as  a  man's  body,  of  a  delicate  pink 
colour.  Flower  spikes  are  produced  freely, 
and  should  be  cut  as  soon  as  seen,  or 
they  will  check  the  growth  of  the  leaves. 


GYNERIUM.         THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER   GARDEN.      GYPSOPHILA.      489 


When  they  die  down  in  autumn,  the  leaves 
should  be  placed  loosely  over  the  crowns, 
with  their  stems  on  top  to  prevent  them 
being  blown  away  by  the  wind."  These 
plants  had  attraction,  and  I  never  planted 
them,  as  they  did  not  seem  to  be  quite  at 
home  in  an  English  garden. 

GYNERIUM  (Pampas  Grass).— This 
noble  grass,  G.  argenteum,  6  to  14  feet 
high,  according  to  soil  or  district,  is 
most  precious  for  our  gardens,  but  in 
many  districts  suffers  from  our  severe 
winters,  and  we  seldom  now  see  the 
fine  plants  of  it  that  were  not  uncom- 
mon soon  after  its  introduction.  Some 
varieties  are  better  in  habit  than  others, 


stems,  each  bearing  an  immense  loose 
panicle  of  long  filamentous  silvery 
flowers,  of  a  rosy  tint  with  silvery 
sheen.  It  is  a  native  of  Ecuador,  and 
is  earlier  in  bloom  than  G.  argenteum. 
The  sexes  are  borne  on  separate  plants 
in  all  the  species,  and  the  plumes  of 
male  flowers  are  neither  so  handsome 
nor  so  durable  as  the  plumes  of  female 
flowers.  Syn.  Cortaderia. 

GYPSOPHILA.  —  Plants  of  the 
Stitchwort  family,  the  larger  kinds 
usually  very  elegant,  and  bearing 
myriads  of  tiny  white  blossoms  on 
slender  spreading  panicles.  One  of  the 


A  Gunnera  in  an  English  Garden. 


and  flower  earlier,  and  it  would  be 
better  to  patiently  divide  such  than  to 
trust  to  seedlings.  There  are  various 
interesting  varieties  ;  Rendatleri,  a 
roseate  form,  is  very  free.  No  plant 
better  repays  a  thorough  preparation, 
and  we  rarely  see  such  fine  specimens 
as  in  quiet  nooks  where  it  is  sheltered 
by  the  surrounding  vegetation.  It 
should  be  planted  about  the  beginning 
of  April  in  deep  open  soil  mulched  with 
rotten  manure,  and  watered  copiously 
in  hot  dry  weather.  G.  jubatum  is 
very  well  spoken  of,  but  as  yet  has  not 
been  tried  much  except  in  favoured 
spots.  The  leaves  resemble  those  of 
G.  argenteum,  but  are  of  deeper  green, 
and  droop  elegantly  at  the  extremities. 
From  the  centre  of  the  tuft,  and  exceed- 
ing it  by  2  or  3  feet,  arise  numerous 


best  is  G.  paniculata,  which  forms  a 
dense  compact  bush,  3  feet  or  more 
high,  the  numerous  flowers  small  white, 
on  thread-like  stalks  on  much-branched 
stems,  with  the  light,  airy  effect  of 
certain  grasses,  and  very  useful  for 
cutting.  It  thrives  in  any  soil,  and  is 
suitable  for  borders  and  for  natural- 
isation. There  is  a  double  variety. 
G.  acutifolia,  altissima,  fastigiata, 
glauca,  mangini,  perfoliata,  Rokejeka, 
Steveni,  transylvania  are  very  similar. 
G.  pro  strata  is  a  pretty  species  for  the 
rock  garden  or  the  mixed  border.  It 
grows  in  spreading  masses,  and  from 
midsummer  to  September  has  loose 
graceful  panicles  of  small  white  or 
pink  flowers  on  slender  stems.  Divi- 
sion, seeds,  or  cuttings  in  spring.  G. 
repens  rosea  is  a  pretty  dwarf  rock  plant, 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


MALESIA. 


thriving  also  in  borders ;  flowering 
long  in  summer  and  autumn,  and  with 
foliage  of  a  pleasant  glaucous  colour.  G. 
elegans  is  a  graceful  feathery  annual 
much  used  for  bouquets. 


Gypsophila  cerastioidcs. 

HABENARIA  (Rein  Orchis).— Ter- 
restrial Orchids  from  N.  America,  i  to 
2  feet  high,  some  of  which  are  pretty. 
For  outdoor  culture,  a  partially-shaded 
spot  should  be  prepared  with  about 
equal  parts  of  leaf-mould  or  peat  and 
sand,  and  well  mulched  with  leaves, 
grass,  or  other  material,  to  keep  it 
moist.  H.  blephariglottis  bears  in  July 
spikes  of  white  flowers  beautifully 
fringed.  H .  ciliaris  has  bright  orange- 
yellow  flowers  with  a  conspicuous 
fringe,  which  appear  from  July  to 
September.  H.  fimbriata  has  a  long 
spike  of  lilac-purple  flowers  beautifully 
fringed.  H.  psy  codes  bears  spikes 
4  to  10  inches  long  of  handsome  and 
fragrant  purple  flowers.  They  are 
charming  plants  for  the  bog  garden. 

HABERLEA.—  H.  rhodopensis  is  a 
pretty  little  rock  plant  with  flowers 
resembling  a  Gloxinia  in  miniature, 
forming  dense  tufts  of  leaves,  every 
rosette  bearing  in  spring  one  to  five 
slender  flower-stalks,  each  with  two  to 
four  blossoms,  nearly  i  inch  long,  of 
a  bluish-lilac  colour  with  a  yellowish 
throat.  The  typical  species  is  a  shy 
bloomer.  Quite  the  best  of  the 
coloured  forms  is  that  known  as 
Ferdinandi  Coburgii,  the  flowers  being 
much  larger  and  more  freely  produced. 
Imported  examples  show  considerable 
variety,  both  in  habit  and  flower — the 
outcome,  as  it  would  appear,  of  natural 
crosses.  A  choice  and  rare  sort  is  the 
pure  white-flowered  H.  virginalis.  In 
cultivation,  all  the  Haberleas  are  happy 
in  cool  shaded  places  between  rocks  in 


deep  sandy  loam,  or  with  peat  added. 
Dryness  they  abhor.  Flowers  in  May 
and  June.  Best  increased  by  seeds, 
sown  as  soon  as  ripe.  Native  of  the 
Balkan  Mountains,  where  they  are 
found  among  moss  and  leaves  on  damp, 
shady,  steep  declivities  at  high  eleva- 
tions. 

HABRANTHUS,— A  brilliant  bulb 
of  the  Amaryllis  family,  hardy,  at  least 
in  the  southern  and  eastern  parts  of 
the  country.  H.  pratensis  has  stout 
and  erect  flower-stems,  about  i  foot 
high,  and  the  brightest  scarlet  flowers, 
feathered  here  and  there  at  the  base 
with  yellow.  The  variety  fulgens  is 
the  finest  form.  It  blooms  freely  in 
the  open  border  of  the  Rev.  Mr  Nelson's 
garden  at  Aldborough,  in  Norfolk, 
flowering  at  the  end  of  May  or  begin- 
ning of  June.  It  grows  very  freely  in 
strong  loam  improved  by  the  addition 
of  a  little  leaf-mould  and  sand.  Its 
propagation  is  too  easy,  for  in  many 
soils  it  is  said  to  split  up  into  offsets 
instead  of  growing  to  a  flowering  size. 
A  choice  plant  for  the  select  bulb 
garden  or  rock  garden,  but  dies  out  in 
heavy  soil,  thriving  in  calcareous  soils. 
Chili. 

HALESIA  (Snowdrop  Tree}.— Beau- 
tiful N.  American  trees,  hardy  in  this 
country.  The  commonest  is  H.  tetrap- 
tera,  one  of  the  prettiest  of  flower- 
ing trees.  It  grows  in  England  from 
20  to  30  feet  high,  has  a  rounded  head, 
with  sharply-toothed  leaves,  in  May 
bearing  many  white  blossoms,  in  form 
like  the  Snowdrop,  hence  its  popular 
name.  It  is  of  moderately  rapid 
growth,  and  flourishes  in  any  good, 
free  soil.  In  some  parts  it  ripens  its 
seed.  A  similar  species,  distinguished 
in  having  but  two  wings  to  the  seed- 
vessel  (tetraptera  having  four),  is  H. 
diptera,  of  smaller  growth,  and  not  such 
a  suitable  tree  for  this  climate  ;  neither 
is  H.  parviflora,  which,  like  the  others, 
has  small  bell-like  flowers. 

The  Snowdrop  Tree  is  very  slow,  and 
grows  and  flowers  badly  on  heavy, 
cold  soils  ;  on  free,  sandy  loams  it 
grows  freely  and  flowers  abundantly, 
and  in  that  case  is  the  most  beautiful 
of  flowering  trees.  There  are  several 
varieties  of  the  common  Snowdrop 
Tree — Meehani  and  Icsvigata  and  parvi- 
flora— as  yet  rare  in  gardens  though 
deserving  a  place. 

H.  HISPID  A. — The  best  examples  of  the 
tree  I  know  of  are  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Cork  and  Queenstown,  but  mild  climatic 


.     THE    EtfGLlSH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


HEDERA.       491 


conditions  such  as  they  exist,  under  there 
are  not  essential  to  their  well-being.  The 
pure  white  fragrant  flowers  open  in  June 
and  July  on  pendulous  panicles,  6  to  9 
inches  long,  that  hang  in  a  row  beneath 
the  branches,  one  from  each  joint.  The 
curious  fruits  are  spindle-shaped  and 
covered  with  pale  brown  hairs.  This  tree, 
a  native  of  Japan  and  China,  is  sometimes 
called  Pterostyrax  hispidum,  and  is,  indeed, 
very  distinct  from  the  N.  American 
Halesias  of  which  the  Snowdrop  Tree  is 
so  well  known  a  representative. 

H.      TETRAPTERA,      VAR.      MONTICOLA. 

This  grows  at  low  altitudes,  and  does  not 
appear  to  ascend  to  the  slopes  of  the  high 
Appalachian  mountains,  although  the 
Halesia  of  those  mountain  forests  was 
long  considered  identical  with  the  lowland 
tree.  The  Halesia  of  the  high  slopes, 
however,  is  a  tree  often  80  or  90  feet  high, 
with  a  trunk  3  feet  in  diameter,  sometimes 
free  of  branches  for  a  distance  of  60  feet 
from  the  ground.  Young  trees  are  clean 
stemmed  with  short  branches,  which  form 
a  narrow  pyramidal  head.  The  leaves  are 
of  rather  different  shape  and  less  hairy 
than  those  of  the  lowland  tree  ;  the 
flowers  are  fully  a  third  larger,  and  the 
fruit  is  nearly  twice  as  large.  Trees  less 
than  10  feet  high  produce  flowers  and  fruit 
freely.  There  is  now  every  reason  to 
believe  that  the  mountain  Halesia  will 
prove  one  of  the  handsomest  flowering 
trees  of  large  size  which  it  is  possible  to 
cultivate  in  this  climate.  Its  tall  trunk 
and  narrow  head  suggest  that  it  may  prove 
a  good  street  and  roadside  tree. — Arnold 
Arboretum  Bulletin. 

HALIMONDENDRON  (Salt  Tree}.— 
H.  argenteum  is  a  small  shrub  belong- 
ing to  the  Pea  family,  with  elegant 
leaves,  silky  and  whitish,  the  flowers 
purplish  in  early  summer ;  a  native 
of  Asiatic  Russia,  it  is  hardy,  grows 
from  5  to  6  feet  high,  and  sometimes 
is  grafted  on  to  the  tall  stems  of 
the  Laburnum. 

HAMAMELIS  (Witch  Hazel}.— 
Hardy  shrub  with  singular  blossoms 
flowering  in  winter.  They  have  a 
peculiar  value  as  winter  -  flowering 
shrubs,  and  several  are  worth  planting 
in  all  good  gardens.  H.  arbor ea,  or 
Tree  Witch  Hazel,  does  not  rise 
generally  above  8  feet  high.  In  Janu- 
ary, and  sometimes  before,  its  leafless 
branches  are  covered  with  flowers, 
which  have  twisted,  bright  yellow 
petals  and  crimson  calyces,  so  that  a 
well-flowered  plant  is  very  pretty.  It 
is  a  hardy  Japanese  shrub,  and  thrives 
in  most  kinds  of  soil,  but  must  have 
an  open  situation.  Another  Japanese 
species  is  H .  japonica,  a  smaller  and 


dwarfer  plant  than  H.  arborea,  and 
bearing  flowers  of  a  lighter  yellow 
colour,  while  that  called  H.  zuc- 
cariniana  is  very  similar  to  it.  Though 
not  so  showy  when  in  flower  as  the 
Japanese  species,  it  is  a  pretty  shrub, 
and  like  the  others,  thrives  in  any  soil. 

H.  MOLLIS. — The  best  kind  so  far.  It 
is  hardy  in  England  and  grows  freely.  It 
differs  from  the  other  kinds  in  its  much 
larger  leaves,  5  inches  long  by  3  inches 
wide,  of  a  distinct  shape,  and  covered  on 
the  under  side  with  a  dense  felt-like 
coating  of  hairs  (hence  the  name).  Its 
flowers  resemble  those  of  the  Japanese 
kinds,  but  the  yellow  petals  are  somewhat 
larger  and  less  waved.  The  flowers  are 
the  brightest  of  all  the  forms  in  colour. 

H.  VIRGINICA. — The  Virginian  Witch 
Hazel,  is  really  a  beautiful  hardy  tree, 
and  charming  in  October  even  in  poor  stiff 
soil. 

HEBENSTRETIA. — Interesting  little 
plants  allied  to  the  Sage  family,  mainly 
suitable  for  botanical  collections. 

H.  COMOSA. — A  recent  introduction 
from  S.  Africa,  has  curiously  formed  small 
white  flowers,  which  are  disposed  in  a  long 
slender  spike,  and  the  bright  orange-scarlet 
blotches  make  them  interesting  when 
closely  examined.  It  succeeds  well  as  a 
half-hardy  annual,  sown  outdoors  in  April. 
Height,  1 8  inches.  It  is  fragrant  in  the 
evening. 

HEDERA  (Ivy). —  H.  helix  is  the 
most  beautiful  evergreen  climber  of  our 
northern  and  temperate  world,  and  is 
a  noble  garden  plant  that  may  be 
used  in  many  'ways.  The  common 
Ivy  of  the  woods  is  familiar  to  all, 
but  its  many  beautiful  varieties  are 
not  so  often  seen.  All  are  not  of  the 
same  vigorous  habit,  as  will  easily  be 
seen  by  cultivating  a  collection  ;  but 
the  rich,  self,  green-leaved  kinds  are 
usually  as  free  and  as  hardy  as  the 
wild  plant.  Although  there  are  many 
varieties,  there  are  only  two  accepted 
species — the  Australian,  that  is  con- 
fined to  the  continent  of  Australia  ; 
and  Hedera  helix,  which  is  found  wild 
in  the  British  Isles,  and  spreads  over 
Europe,  reaching  into  N.  Africa 
and  C.  Asia.  It  is  under  our 
English  Ivy  that  the  large  number  of 
forms  in  cultivation  are  classed. 
Although  there  are  only  two  species, 
we  can  classify  the  Ivies  in  several 
groups,  after  the  variation  in  the 
leaves.  If  we  want  Ivies  in  their 
fullest  beauty,  it  is  necessary  to  pay 
some  attention  to  position,  soil,  and 
training.  This  applies  to  all  kinds, 
but  especially  to  the  more  delicate 


492 


HEDERA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


HEDERA. 


varieties.  Ordinary  garden  soil  will 
grow  the  Ivy  well,  and  the  strong 
growers  will  thrive  in  ordinary  soil. 
It  is  better  to  plant  choice  kinds  as 
edgings  to  a  bed  of  shrubs,  or  permit 
them  to  clamber  over  a  root-stump, 
arbour,  or  form  a  pyramid  of  them, 
where  they  will  be  less  exposed  to  the 
full  force  of  wind  than  if  they  were 
stiffly  trained  on  walls.  The  spring 
months  are  the  most  suitable  for 


IVY  AS  A  DESTROYER. — There  is 
hardly  an  old  ruin  in  England  or  in 
N.  France  that  does  not  bear  evidence 
of  Ivy  being  the  most  destructive  of 
plants.  If  put  on  houses  it  seeds  itself 
in  the  most  insidious  way  in  places 
where  it  is  not  wanted  at  all  ;  on  walls 
even.  Still,  as  the  most  graceful  of 
hardy  climbers  of  the  Western  world, 
there  must  be  some  place  found  for  it 
where  it  cannot  ruin  ;  but  never  on 


Pyramid  of  large-leaved  Ivy,  7  feet  high. 


planting  Ivy,  but  it  may  be  planted 
any  time.  A  word  should  be  said  for 
Tree  Ivies,  which  make  fine  bushes  in 
the  garden,  and  may  be  associated  with 
other  shrubs  in  beds.  Healthy  plants 
make  dense  rounded  heads  of  foliage, 
relieved  during  the  blooming  season 
with  many  flowers.  By  far  the  most 
important  Ivies,  however,  are  the 
green-leaved  forms — many,  various, 
and  nearly  all  beautiful  in  form. 
Whatever  kinds  among  these  we  may 
prefer,  a  fuller  and  more  graceful  use 
oi  the  Ivy  in  or  near  the  flower  garden 
and  its  surroundings  is  desirable. 


any  house,  castle,  or  cottage  should  it 
be  planted — not  even  on  a  shed.  It 
grows  when  we  are  asleep,  and  gets 
its  fungus  under  tiles  and  walls,  and 
tears  off  roofs.  If  we  want  a  climber 
on  the  house,  there  are  better  things 
than  Ivy  as  regards  flower  which  will 
do  no  harm  (Rose  Vine  and  Clematis). 
There  are  still  many  places  where  Ivy 
can  do  no  harm,  and  is  very  charming 
on  trees — I  never  cut  it  off  trees — rocks 
and  river  banks,  shelters,  bowers  in 
the  pleasure  garden,  when  these  have 
strong  iron  supports,  and  often  as 
screens  on  strong  trellis-work,  pyra- 


HEDYCHIUM. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.     HELIANTHUS.       493 


mids  also,  and  anywhere  so  long  as  it 
is  away  from  any  kind  of  building. 

HEDYCHIUM. — Tall  and  graceful 
tropical  plants.  H.  Gardnerianum, 
though  usually  grown  in  the  green- 
house, will  flower  out  of  doors,  and 
live  through  an  ordinary  winter  with 
a  little  protection.  'It  should  be 
planted  out  in  May,  in  a  loose,  sandy 
loam,  and  in  a  warm  sheltered  spot. 
A  heap  of  cinders  or  half-rotten  leaves 
laid  over  the  crowns  in  winter  will 
ensure  their  safety  ;  or  the  roots  may 
be  lifted  in  autumn  and  wintered  in  any 
dry  cellar.  It  is  increased  by  dividing 
the  roots  in  spring. 

HEDYSARUM  (French  Honey- 
suckle}.— Plants  of  the  Pea  order, 
mostly  weedy,  only  a  few  perennials 
being  ornamental.  H.  coronarium  is 
a  showy  plant,  3  or  4  feet  high,  bearing 
in  summer  dense  spikes  of  red  flowers. 
It  grows  in  any  ordinary  soil,  but  is 
not  a  perennial,  though  it  usually  sows 
itself  where  it  is  established.  There  is 
a  white  variety.  Among  the  dwarfer 
kinds  the  following  is  desirable  :  H. 
obscurum,  a  brilliant  and  compact 
perennial ;  6  to  12  inches  high,  with 
racemes  of  showy  purple  flowers.  It 
is  suitable  for  the  rock  garden,  for 
borders,  and  for  naturalisation  amongst 
vegetation  not  more  than  i  foot  high, 
chiefly  on  banks  and  slopes  in  sandy 
loam,  and  is  increased  by  division  or 
seed. 

HELENIUM  (Sneeze-weed}. — Vigor- 
ous and  showy  plants,  flowering  in 
autumn,  and  thriving  in  any  soil, 
and,  where  rightly  used,  excellent 
plants.  There  are  two  or  three 
species,  the  most  useful  being  H. 
autumnale,  about  6  feet  high,  bear- 
ing yellow  flower-heads.  The  varieties 
grandiceps  and  pumilum  are  very  dis- 
tinct :  grandiceps  being  of  gigantic 
growth  with  a  fasciated  head  of  bloom, 
which  makes  it  very  showy  ;  pumilum 
being  much  dwarfer  and  better  than  the 
type.  The  variety  magnificum  is  the 
best.  H.  atro-purpureum  grows  3  or  4 
feet  high,  and  has  reddish-brown  flower- 
heads.  H.  Hoopesi  flowers  in  early 
summer,  but  is  a  rather  coarse  grower, 
with  large  orange-yellow  flowers.  The 
best  modern  varieties  are  H .  autumnale 
rubrum,  H.  a.  superbum,  and  H.  a. 
Riverton  Gem,  which,  producing  great 
masses  of  crimson  and  yellow  flowers, 
grows  5  to  6  feet  high.  All  are  very 
useful  for  cutting,  and  remain  &  long 
time  fresh.  N.  America. 


HELIANTHEMUM  (Sun  Rose}.— 
There  are  few  more  brilliant  sights  than 
masses  of  these  when  in  full  beauty, 
and  they  are  of  the  easiest  culture, 
dwarf,  and  bearing  in  great  profusion 
flowers  with  fine  diversity  of  colour. 
The  common  Sun  Rose  (H.  vulgare}  is 
variable  in  colour,  and  from  it  have 
sprung  the  many  varieties.  The 
colours  range  from  white  and  yellow 
to  deep  crimson.  There  are  also 
double-flowered  kinds  and  one  with 
variegated  foliage.  Other  pretty, 
dwarf,  shrubby  species,  similar  to  H. 
vulgare,  are  H.  rosmarinifolium,  philo- 
sum,  and  croceum.  There  is  also  a 
herbaceous  perennial  species.  H, 
Tuberaria  (Truffle  Sun  Rose),  which 
in  aspect  differs  from  the  shrubby 
species,  and  is  second  to  none  in  beauty. 
It  grows  6  to  12  inches  high,  with 
flowers  2  inches  across,  resembling  a 
single  yellow  Rose,  with  dark  centre, 
and  drooping  when  in  bud.  It  is 
suited  for  warm  ledges  on  the  rock 
garden  in  well-drained  sandy  or  cal- 
careous soil.  It  is  propagated  by 
either  seed  or  division.  If  a  full  collec- 
tion is  required  there  are  other  species, 
but  the  above  fairly  represent  the 
beauty  of  the  family.  The  shrubby 
kinds  are  easily  increased  in  July  and 
August  if  young  shoots  are  used  as 
cuttings. 

HELIANTHUS  (Sunflower}.— Usually 
stout,  vigorous,  and  showy  plants, 
abounding  in  N.  America,  of  which  not 
a  few  have  found  their  way  into 
English  gardens.  All  the  perennials 
are  vigorous  growers,  and  generally 
attain  a  great  height,  being  most 
precious  for  the  autumnal  garden 
when  well  placed.  Sunflowers  may  be 
cultivated  with  the  greatest  ease  ; 
they  are  gross  feeders,  and  the  richer 
the  soil  the  better  the  result.  All  are 
benefited  by  periodical  division  and 
replanting  in  spring. 

H.  DECAPETALUS. — One  of  the  best 
species  in  the  whole  genus  as  a  background 
to  mixed  borders,  or  as  a  feature  in  open 
shrubberies.  It  forms  large,  bushy  plants 
4  to  6  feet  in  height,  with  strong,  much- 
branched  stems,  rough  on  the  upper 
half  and  usually  quite  smooth  on  the 
lower. 

H.  GIGANTEUS. — A  very  tall,  elegant 
plant.  The  stems  often  exceed  10  to 
12  feet  high,  the  leaves  narrow,  tapering 
to  both  ends  ;  the  flowers  deep  yellow, 
2  to  3  inches  in  diameter.  It  is  one  of 
the  latest  to  flower,  and  has  been  found 
variable  under  cultivation,  giving  rise  to 
several  garden  names.  Moist  ground.  N. 
America.  , 


494      HKLIANTHUS.       THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.       HELICHRYSUM. 


H.  MULTIFLORUS. — It  is  so  very  distinct 
from  all  the  other  species  so  well  known 
in  gardens,  and  such  a  good  all-round 
plant,  that  it  well  deserves  a  place.  It 
rarely  exceeds  3  to  5  feet  in  height,  pro- 
ducing numerous  large  fine  rich  yellow 
flowers,  remaining  a  considerable  time  in 
good  form.  The  var.  maximus  has  larger 


Double  Perennial  Sunflower. 

flowers  with  more  pointed  rays,  and  the 
varieties  plenus  and  Soleil  d'Or  are  both 
very  desirable  double-flowered  forms. 
From  the  garden  standpoint,  the  varieties 
of  H.  multiflorus  rank  high,  and  should  be 
grown  by  all. 

H.  ORGYALIS,  though  a  small-flowered 
plant,  is  yet  one  of  the  best  for  the  pic- 
turesque garden.  It  is  one  of  the  late- 
flowering  species,  and  is  often  damaged 
by  early  frosts.  It  grows  from  6  to  10  feet 
high,  having  numerous  linear  leaves  and 
bunches  of  deep  golden-yellow  flowers. 
It  is  a  native  of  dry  plains  of  Nebraska 
and  Texas. 

H.  RIGIDUS  (Primrose  Sunflower). — This 
distinct,  though  variable,  species  is  per- 
haps the  best  known  of  all  the  Perennial 
Sunflowers.  It  grows  from  4  to  5  feet  in 
height,  with  a  rough  stem,  the  upper 
leaves  always  alternate,  distinctly  three- 
nerved  and  veined.  The  flowers,  bright 
yellow  and  very  showy,  are  produced  very 
freely.  It  is  a  native  of  the  plains  and 
prairies  of  Georgia  and  Texas.  H.  r.  Miss 
Mellish  is  one  of  the  best  varieties. 

H.  SPARSIFOLIUS. — A  giant  among  per- 
ennial kinds,  and  a  late-flowering  sort  to 
boot.  Flowers  golden-yellow.  October- 
November. 


H.  TOMENTOSUS. — A  beautiful  and  dis- 
tinct species  of  bushy  habit,  having  silvery 
downy  foliage.  The  golden-orange  flowers 
are  produced  freely  in  September.  Height, 
4  feet. 

The  larger  kinds  of  annual  Sun- 
flowers are  noble  plants,  requiring 
plenty  of  space,  a  sheltered  position, 
and  a  good  background.  They  are 
easily  raised  from  seed,  which  may  be 
sown  in  pans  in  early  March  or  in  the 
open  air  in  April,  where  they  are 
intended  to  flower,  and  thinned  out  to 
a  yard  apart. 

H.  ANNUUS  (Common  Sunflower). — 
Although  often  regarded  only  as  a  cot- 
tagers' flower,  the  Annual  Sunflower  is 
one  of  the  noblest  plants  we  have,  and 
one  of  the  most  effective  for  various 
positions.  In  order  to  dispense  with 
support,  it  should  be  planted  in  a  sheltered 
place,  as  among  tall  shrubs.  Here  it 
assumes  a  dense  branching  tree-like  habit, 
and  often  produces  flowers  each  over  a 
foot  in  diameter.  It  requires  a  strong 
rich  soil.  There  are  many  varieties,  the 
most  notable  being  one  called  calif ornicus, 
a  more  robust  and  darker-flowered  form. 
H.  Dammanni  and  H.  D.  var.  sulphureus 
are  said  to  be  garden  hybrids  between 
H.  argophyllus  and  H.  annuus.  H. 
cucumerifolius ,  the  Miniature  Sunflower, 
is  a  good  annual,  growing  from  2  to  3  feet 
high,  usually  with  purple  mottling  on  the 
stems,  the  leaves  thin,  and  bright  apple- 
green.  The  stems  are  much  branched, 
and  when  allowed  plenty  of  room  the 
plants  form  perfect  symmetrical  speci- 
mens. The  flowers  are  yellow,  about 

3  inches  in  diameter,  nicely  set  off  with 
the   almost   black   disc.     Sandy   soils   in 
woods  from  Texas  westwards. 

H.  EXILIS. — A  very  slender  species, 
rarely  more  than  a  couple  of  feet  in  height, 
with  lance-shaped  leaves  and  yellow 
flowers,  about  2  inches  in  diameter.  N. 
California. 

H.  PETIOLARIS. — A  fine  kind  rarely  seen 
in  gardens,  though  from  its  neat  habit  and 
profusion  of  flowers  it  should  be  a  welcome 
addition  to  the  mixed  border.  It  grows 
about  a  yard  high,  loosely  branched,  the 
stem  as  well  as  the  leaves  being  covered 
with  stiff  hairs ;  flowers  yellow,  3  to 

4  inches  in  diameter.     The  variety  cartes- 
cens   is   covered   with  white   pubescence. 
Texas. 

H.  SCABERRIMUS. — A  very  distinct 
plant  with  large  deep  yellow  flowers,  stout 
branching  stems,  and  broad,  oval,  coarsely- 
toothed  leaves.  California. 

HELICHRYSUM  (Everlasting 
Flower}. — Composites,  mostly  natives 
of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  of  which  a 
few  arje  cultivated.  The  most  impor- 
tant garden  plants  are  H.  macranthum 


HELIOPHILA.       THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.       HELLEBORUS.       495 


and  H .  bmcteatum.  They  are  generally 
treated  as  annuals,  and,  unless  excep- 
tionally well  managed  by  being  sown 
early  under  glass,  they  commence 
flowering  so  late  that  the  best  period 
for  laying  on  the  brightest  colours  is 
lost,  and  early  frosts  find  them  just 
approaching  their  best.  They  are 
particularly  suited  for  background 
plants  on  dry  borders.  If  they  are 
sown  in  pans  or  boxes  where  they  can 
be  slightly  protected  during  winter, 
and  are  planted  out  early  in  April, 
they  have  a  chance  of  producing  a 
good  crop  of  flowers  for  drying.  The 
colours  vary  from  deep  crimson  to 
yellow  and  white.  The  hardy  peren- 
nials are  not  important,  and  seldom 
succeed.  H .  orientale,  which  furnishes 
the  Immortelle  of  the  French,  flowers 
poorly  except  in  very  hot  seasons. 
Hardy  kinds  worth  growing  are  H. 
arenarium,  flowers  bright  yellow  ;  H. 
bellidioides,  mats  of  grey  -  green 
studded  in  May  with  white  flowers  ; 
H .  frigidum,  a  tiny  grey  plant  with 
white  flowers  ;  and  H.  rupestra,  whose 
silvery  foliage  is  usually  retained 
during  winter. 

HELIOPHILA.— Small  and  pretty 
Calif ornian  annuals.  H.  araboides  is  a 
pretty  blue  plant,  of  which  occasional 
use  might  be  made,  being  dwarf,  and 
free  in  growth  and  flower.  Another 
kind  is  H.  pilosa. 

HELIOTROPIUM  (Cherry  Pie}.— A 
great  favourite  for  flower  gardens  on 
account  of  its  delicate  fragrance.  For 
the  flower  garden  spring-struck  plants 
are  the  best.  It  is  a  good  plan  to 
take  root  cuttings  in  August  or  Sep- 
tember, winter  them  in  a  greenhouse, 
and  in  spring  to  put  them  in  a  warm 
place,  where  they  will  soon  produce 
plenty  of  cuttings.  These  cuttings 
may  be  struck  on  slight  heat  like 
Verbenas,  potted  on,  made  to  grow 
rapidly,  so  as  to  be  fit  to  plant  out  at 
the  end  of  May  when  danger  of  frost 
is  past.  Heliotropes  may  be  raised 
from  seed  and  flowered  the  same  year  ; 
in  fact,  treated  as  annuals.  Sown 
early — in  February  or  the  beginning 
of  March — they  become  sturdy  little 
plants  before  planting  time.  When 
bedded  out  they  should  be  placed 
in  good  dry  soil.  The  following  are 
good  varieties,  and  new  varieties  are 
raised  from  time  to  time  :  Anna  Tur- 
rell,  General  Garfield,  Roi  des  Noirs, 
Triomphe  de  Liege,  and  the  old 
H.  peruvianum,  which  many  like  from 
its  associations,  if  for  no  other  reason. 


Heliotropes,  though  quiet  in  colour, 
are  charming  flower  garden  plants, 
either  when  grown  for  their  own  sakes 
as  simple  masses  or  when  associated 
with  tall  plants  which  grow  above 
them.  In  cold  soils  and  upland  dis- 
tricts they  are  very  slow  at  starting  if 
not  brought  on  and  hardened  off  before 
being  planted  out  in  early  June,  and 
even  then  the  growth  is  very  slow,  and 
the  plant  does  much  better  in  valley 
soils  and  sheltered  gardens. 

HELIPTERUM.—  H.  Sandfordi  is  a 
pretty,  bright  yellow,  half-hardy  annual 
"  everlasting,"  of  dwarf,  branched 
habit  of  growth.  Its  merits  are  not 
remarkable,  and  the  short  season  of 
bloom  of  spring  -  raised  everlasting 
annuals  leads  to  a  poor  result. 

HELLEBORUS  (Christmas  Rose). — 
One  of  the  most  valuable  classes  of 
hardy  perennials  we  have,  as  they 
flower  in  the  open  air  when  there  is 
little  else  in  bloom.  They  appear  in 
succession  from  October  till  April, 
beginning  with  the  Christmas  Rose 
(H.  niger),  and  ending  with  the  hand- 
some crimson  kinds.  The  old  white 
Christmas  Rose  is  well  known  and  much 
admired,  but  the  handsome  kinds  with 
coloured  flowers  have,  hitherto,  not 
been  much  known.  Recently,  too, 
some  really  beautiful  hybrids  have 
added  a  great  deal  of  beauty  to  our 
winter  and  spring  garden,  for  their 
flowers  withstand  the  winter,  and  their 
verdure  and  the  vigorous  growth  of 
their  leaves  distinguish  them  through- 
out the  year. 

The  Hellebores,  besides  being  excel- 
lent border  flowers,  are  suited  for 
naturalising.  There  are  a  few  kinds — 
those  with  inconspicuous  flowers,  but 
handsome  foliage — whose  only  place 
is  the  wild  garden,  such  as  the  native 
H.  fcetidus,  H.  lividus,  viridus,  and 
H.  Bocconi,  which  have  elegant  foliage 
when  well  developed  in  a  shady  place 
in  rich  soil,  like  that  usually  found  in 
woods.  The  Hellebores  may  be  classed 
in  three  groups,  according  to  the  colour 
of  the  flowers — white,  red,  or  green, 
which  last  will  get  little  place  in  the 
garden.  The  white-flowered  group  is 
the  most  important,  as  it  contains  the 
beautiful  old  Christmas  Rose. 

H.  niger  is  a  well-known  kind,  scarcely 
needing  description.  It  may  be  recog- 
nised at  once  by  its  pale  green 
smooth  leathery  leaves,  divided  into 
seven  or  nine  segments,  3  to  6  inches 
long  and  .1  to  2  inches  broad.  The 
flowers,  which  are  usually  borne  singly 


496      HELLEBORUS.       THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.  HELLEBORUS. 


on  stems  6  inches  long,  are  about  3 
inches  across,  and  vary  from  a  waxy- 
white  to  a  delicate  blush  tint.  The 
variety  minor  is  smaller  in  every  part, 
and  is  also  known  as  H.  angustifolius. 
H.  altifolius,  though  sometimes  con- 
sidered a  variety  of  H.  niger,  is  a 
distinct  kind,  and  much  larger  than 
H.  niger.  It  has  leaf -stalks  over  i  foot 
long,  and  blossoms  3  to  5  inches  across, 


much  earlier — in  some  seasons  in  the 
beginning  of  October.  The  Riverston, 
St  Brigids,  Mme.  Fourcade  and  Bath 
varieties  are  all  good. 

Other  white  kinds  are  H.  olympicus 
— a  tall  slender  species  with  cup-shaped 
blossoms  that  appear  in  early  spring 
and  vary  from  pure  white  to  greenish- 
white.  H.  guttatus  is  like  it,  but  has 
the  inside  of  the  blossoms  spotted  with 


Christmas  Rose. 


which  are  borne  on  branching  stems, 
each  stem  bearing  from  two  to  seven 
flowers,  which  have  a  stronger  ten- 
dency to  assume  a  rosy  hue  than  the 
ordinary  kind.  Another  characteristic 
is  that  the  leaf  and  flower-stems  are 
beautifully  mottled  with  purple  and 
green,  while  in  H.  niger  they  are  of 
a  pale  green.  H .  altifolius  also  flowers 


purple.  There  are  several  forms  ;  in 
some  the  markings  assume  the  form 
of  small  dots,  in  others  of  thin  streaks. 
It  is  one  of  the  parents  of  the  many 
beautiful  hybrids. 

The  finest  of  the  red  or  crimson  kinds 
is  H.  colchicus,  which  is  larger  than  any 
other,  and  may  be  readily  recognised 
by  its  thick,  dark  green  leaves,  with 


kELLEBORus.         THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.       HELONIAS. 


497 


five  to  seven  broad  and  coarsely- 
toothed  divisions,  the  veins  of  which 
are  raised  on  the  under  sides  and  are 
of  a  dark  purple  when  young.  The 
blossoms,  borne  on  forked  stems 
rising  considerably  above  the  foliage, 
are  dark  purple.  Under  good  cultiva- 
tion the  leaves  attain  the  length  of 
i  \  and  2  feet,  forming  fine  specimens, 
and  flowers  are  produced  from  the  end 
of  January  to  the  end  of  March.  A 
fine  hybrid  has  been  obtained  by 
crossing  it  with  H .  guttatus,  the  result 
being  a  form  with  large  spreading 
flower  slighter  than  in  H.  colchicus,  and 
profusely  marked  with  dark  carmine 
streaks.  Another  hybrid  between  this 
and  H.  altifolius  resulted  in  a  form 
with  larger  flowers  of  a  lighter  purple. 
H.  atro-nibens  has  leaves  much  thinner 
and  flowers  much  smaller  than  H. 
colchicus,  the  latter  dull  purple  on  the 
outside  and  greenish  -  purple  within. 
It  is  a  native  of  Hungary,  and  is 
common  in  gardens,  but  is  often  con- 
fused with  H.  abchasicus,  a  taller  and 
more  slender  plant,  the  flower-stems 
of  which  are  longer,  and  the  blossoms 
nodding  and  smaller.  H.  abchasicus 
is  much  superior  to  atro-rubens,  the 
colour  of  the  blossoms — a  deep  ruby- 
crimson — making  them  very  attractive. 
Other  fine  varieties  of  the  red-flowered 
group  are  Gretchen  Heinemann,  James 
Atkins,  and  Apotheker  Bogren,  all 
worthy  of  culture.  Other  reddish 
kinds,  such  as  H .  purpurascens  and 
H.  cupreus,  are  not  worth  growing. 

All  the  kinds  will  thrive  in  ordin- 
ary garden  soil,  but  for  the  choicer 
kinds  a  prepared  soil  is  preferable. 
This  should  consist  of  equal  parts 
of  good  fibry  loam  and  well-decom- 
posed manure,  half  fibry  peat,  and 
half  coarse  sand.  Thorough  drainage 
should  always  be  given,  as  stagnant 
moisture  is  very  injurious.  A  moist 
and  sheltered  situation,  where  they 
will  obtain  partial  shade,  such  as  the 
margins  of  shrubberies,  is  best,  but 
care  should  be  taken  to  keep  the  roots 
of  shrubs  from  exhausting  the  border. 
In  the  flowering  season  a  thin  mulching 
of  moss  or  similar  material  should  be 
placed  on  the  soil  round  the  plants, 
as  this  prevents  the  blossoms  from 
being  spattered  by  heavy  rains,  etc. 
Any  one  beginning  to  grow  these 
useful  plants  should  give  the  soil  a 
good  preparation.  If  well  trenched 
and  manured,  they  will  not  require 
replanting  for  at  least  seven  years  ; 
but  a  top-dressing  of  well-decayed 
manure  and  a  little  liquid  manure 


might  be  given  during  the  growing 
season  when  the  plants  are  making 
their  foliage,  as  upon  the  size  and 
substance  of  the  leaves  will  depend  the 
size  of  the  flowers.  The  common  white 
Christmas  Rose  is  a  favourite  pot-plant, 
and  if  required  for  potting  its  foliage 
should  be  protected  from  injury ; 
when  the  blooming  season  is  over  it 
should  be  protected  by  a  frame  until 
genial  weather  permits  it  to  be  plunged 
in  the  open  air.  Hardy  subjects  like 
the  Christmas  Rose  frequently  suffer 
when  removed  from  under  glass,  for 
although  hardy  enough  to  withstand 
our  severest  winters  when  continually 
exposed,  their  growth,  when  made 
under  more  exciting  circumstances,  will 
not  withstand  sudden  variations  of 
temperature.  For  this  reason  it  is 
advisable  to  keep  them  in  as  cool  a 
position  as  possible  when  in  flower,  so 
that  the  growth  of  young  foliage  may 
not  be  excited  before  its  natural 
season. 

Propagation  may  be  effected  by 
division  or  by  seeds,  which,  in  favour- 
able seasons,  are  plentiful ;  as  soon 
as  thoroughly  ripened  they  should  be 
sown  in  pans  under  glass,  for  they  soon 
lose  their  vitality.  As  soon  as  the 
seedlings  are  large  enough  they  should 
be  pricked  off  thickly  into  a  shady 
border,  in  a  light  rich  soil ;  the  second 
year  they  should  be  transplanted  to 
their  permanent  place,  and  in  the 
third  season  most  of  them  will  bloom. 
In  division  the  clumps  must  be  well 
established,  with  root -stocks  large 
enough  to  cut  up.  The  divided  plants, 
if  placed  in  a  bed  of  good  light  soil, 
and  undisturbed,  will  be  good  flowering 
plants  in  a  couple  of  years,  but  four 
years  are  required  to  bring  a  Christ- 
mas Rose  to  perfection.  The  best 
time  for  dividing  and  planting  is  Sep- 
tember and  October,  the  earlier  the 
better,  though  the  season  might  be 
extended  to  February  with  compara- 
tive impunity.  Christmas  Roses 
should  never  be  transplanted  in  big 
clumps  intact — nothing  is  more  fatal 
to  success.  Well-rooted  divisions  of 
three  to  five  crowns  apiece  are  amply 
large,  and  soon  take  to  the  new  con- 
ditions. 

HELONIAS  (Stud  Flower}. — A  dis- 
tinct and  handsome  bog  perennial, 
H.  bullata  being  12  to  16  inches  high, 
with  handsome  purplish-rose  flowers 
in  an  oval  spike.  It  is  suitable  for  the 
bog  garden  or  for  moist  ground  near  a 
rivulet.  In  fine  sandy  and  very  moist 


498       HELONIOPSIS.      THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.       HEMEROCALLIS. 


soil  it  thrives  as  a  border  plant.     N. 
America.     Syn.  H.  latifolia. 

HELONIOPSIS.  —  Dwarf  perennial 
plants  of  the  Lily  order,  from  Japan, 
forming  neat  tufts  of  erect  lance-shaped 
leaves  of  a  few  inches  high,  and  carry- 
ing short  spikes  of  flower  in  early 
spring.  In  H.  breviscapa  they  are 
6  or  8  inches  long,  white  with  deep 
lilac  stamens,  the  whole  turning  a 
pretty  rose-red  before  fading.  In  H. 
japonica  the  flowers  are  larger,  but 
only  two  or  three  on  a  stalk,  their 
colour  a  deep  rose  with  blue  anthers. 
The  plants  thrive  in  moist  peaty  soil 
and  in  sunny  sheltered  nooks ;  H. 
breviscapa  also  does  well  in  partial 
shade.  Increase  by  division  late  in 
summer,  or  seeds  sown  in  a  cold 
frame. 

HEMEROCALLIS  (Day  Lily}. — The 
Day  Lilies,  though  not  numbering 
many  distinct  species,  are  varied  both 
in  habit  and  flower,  and  are  very  useful 
in  the  mixed  border  and  in  groups  by 
the  water-side.  Few  plants  surpass  a 
strong,  well-flowered  clump  of  Hemero- 
callis  fulva,  as  we  have  seen  it,  mixed 
with  a  group  of  male  Fern  near  a 
brook.  The  leaves  of  this  Day  Lily 
were  overhanging  the  banks  of  the 
stream,  intermingled  with  the  Fern 
fronds,  while  the  flower-heads,  tall  and 
straight,  were  towering  upwards.  If 
the  ground  is  well  broken  up  and  some 
lasting  manure  supplied  at  planting 
time,  they  maybe  left  undisturbed  for 
years.  The  forms  of  H.  disticha,  both 
single  and  double,  are  also  useful  for 
clumps  by  water,  or  intermixed  with 
other  robust  or  bold-foliaged  plants  ; 
indeed,  there  seems  no  reason  why  all 
the  Day  Lilies  could  not  be  treated 
in  this  picturesque  way,  the  trouble 
entailed  being  small,  and  that  chiefly 
at  planting  time  only.  For  cutting, 
H.  flava,  minor,  and  Dumortieri  are 
useful,  the  flowers  lasting  a  few  days 
and  the  buds  opening  well  in  water. 
The  fragrance  of  these  flowers  is 
delightful ;  they  are  readily  increased 
by  division,  and  grow  with  such 
rapidity  that  in  the  course  of  a  few 
years  they  may  be  increased  to  almost 
any  extent. 

The  following  are  the  species  as  they 
are  now  recognised,  with  the  principal 
varieties  : — 

H.  AURANTIACA  MAJOR. — This  is  the 
name  given  by  Mr  Baker,  of  Kew,  to  a  new 
and  handsome  kind  from  Japan,  and  of 
which  a  coloured  plate  was  given  in  The 
Garden,  23rd  November  1895.  It  is  one 


of  the  finest  new  hardy  plants  of  recent 
years,  and  reminds  one  of  H.  fulva  (syn. 
H.  disticha}.  The  new  kind  has  bold 
leafage,  a  glaucous  tinge  overlying  the 
deep  green  body  colour  ;  the  flowers,  of 
a  rich  apricot  colour,  open  out  widely,  and 
are  of  great  substance. 

H.  DUMORTIERI  (Dumortier's  Day  Lily). 
— This  valuable  kind  is  the  first  to  flower 
of  all  the  Day  Lilies.  Coming  from  Japan 
and  W.  Siberia,  it  is  hardy  in  the  open  air, 
requires  no  protection  during  winter,  and 
we  have  never  known  it  fail  to  bear  freely 
its  charming  and  fragrant  flowers.  The 
blooms  are  shcrt-lived,  but  the  reserves 
are  so  numerous  as  to  keep  up  the  succession 
for  a  long  time.  This  Day  Lily  dwindles 
in  vigour  of  the  plants  and  size  of  the 
flowers  if  allowed  to  remain  too  long  in 
one  place.  If  the  plants  are  examined, 
the  centres  will  be  found  to  be  matted 


Yellow  Day  Lily  (Hcmerocallisjlava}, 

together,  the  stronger  shoots  appearing 
on  the  outside.  If  the  plant  is  divided 
and  replanted  it  will  amply  repay  the 
trouble  by  increased  vigour  and  larger 
flowers.  It, is  closely  allied  to  H.  minor, 
also  known  as  H.  graminea,  but  it  is  a 
much  stronger  plant,  however,  with  leaves 
twice  as  broad,  the  flower-stems  short, 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        HESPERIS.         493 


and  the  divisions  of  the  perianth  divided 
almost  or  entirely  to  their  base.  The 
leaves  are  about  five  or  six  to  a  growth, 
about  1 8  inches  long  and  half  an  inch 
broad,  bright  green  above,  and  pale  but 
not  glaucous  on  the  under  surface  ;  flower- 
stem  i  to  2  feet  in  height,  bearing  a 
corymb  of  large  orange-yellow  flowers. 
H.  rittilans  and  Sieboldi  of  gardens  belong 
to  the  same  species. 

H.  FLAVA  (Yellow  Day  Lily). — Few 
plants  can  be  grown  with  so  little  trouble 
in  the  border,  and  give-  such  a  valuable 
return  as  this  one — the  flowers  large  and 
in  such  quantities,  emitting  such  an  agree- 
able fragrance,  as  to  earn  the  name  of 
yellow  Tuberose.  The  length  of  time  the 
flowers  last  enhances  its  value  as  a  border 
plant.  It  is  hardy,  and  though  not  so 
robust  in  habit  as  H.  fulva,  it  increases 
rapidly,  and  where  the  soil  is  good,  might 
be  naturalised.  On  banks  the  beautiful 
light  green  curving  leaves  hang  gracefully, 
surmounted  by  bunches  of  large  yellow 
heads  of  flower  in  June  and  July.  Europe 
and  N.  Asia.  H.  Thunbergi  and  japonica 
are  forms  of  this  species. 

H.  FULVA  (Copper-coloured  Day  Lily) 
is  a  much  larger  plant  than  H.  flava,  and 
more  suitable  for  extensive  planting  in 
semi- wild  or  rough  parts  of  the  garden. 
It  is  variable  under  cultivation,  and  the 
numerous  forms  now  grown,  many  without 
names,  are  all  worthy  of  attention.  H. 
disticha  is  a  well-known  garden  variety  of 
this  species,  notable  for  the  fan-like  form 
of  its  growths.  The  flower- stem  is  forked 
near  the  summit,  and  carries  two  or  three 
heads  of  flowers,  six  to  eight  blooms  on 
each,  of  a  brown-orange  colour. 

H.  MIDDENDORFIANA.  —  From  Amur- 
land  ;  in  appearance  resembling  H. 
Dumortieri;  but  the  leaves  are  broader, 
the  flowers  about  the  same  size,  closer, 
and  paler  in  colour,  and  with  a  distinct 
cylindrical  tube  half  an  inch  or  so  long. 
It  is  of  easy  cultivation. 

H.  MINOR. — Known  in  many  gardens 
under  the  name  of  H.  graminea,  from  its 
grass-like  foliage,  was  formerly  classed  by 
the  older  botanists  as  a  variety  of  H.  flava, 
though  now  considered  distinct.  It  is  the 
smallest  though  not  the  least  showy,  and, 
like  flava,  sweetly  -scented,  the  flowers 
lasting  two  or  three  days.  It  makes  a 
handsome  plant  for  a  rocky  bank,  and 
even  when  flowers  are  absent  the  pretty 
grass-like  leaves  are  welcome.  It  flowers 
during  June  and  July.  It  is  also  known 
under  the  names  gramini folia  and  pumila. 
Siberia.  Aureole,  Citrina,  Baroni,  and 
Sovereign  are  modern  hybrid  sorts  of 
much  value. 

HEMIPHRAGMA.—  H.  heterophylla 
is  a  dwarf  trailing  plant  of  the  Figwort 
family,  bearing  inconspicuous  flowers, 
succeeded  by  bright  red  berries  about 


the  size  of  small  peas,  on  slender  creep- 
ing stems.  It  is  rather  tender,  and 
requires  a  sheltered  and  well-drained 
spot  in  the  rock  garden.  Himalayas. 

HERACLEUM  (Giant  Parsnip).  - 
Umbelliferous  perennials,  mostly  of 
gigantic  growth,  having  huge  spread- 
ing leaves  and  tall  flower-stems,  with 
umbelled  clusters  of  small  white 
flowers  i  foot  or  more  across.  Though 
well-developed  plants  of  the  large 
kinds  have  a  fine  effect  when  isolated 
in  copse  or  wood,  they  are  out  of 
place  in  the  flower  garden  and 
suitable  only  for  the  rougher  parts 
of  pleasure  grounds,  the  banks  of 
rivers  or  lakes,  and  other  places  where 
they  can  grow  freely  without  injury 
to  other  plants.  The  finest  are  H. 
giganteum,  lanatum,  sibiricum,  eminens, 
Wilhelmsi,  and  pubescens,  all  of  which, 
when  in  flower,  are  5  to  10  feet  high. 

Of  quite  unique  presence  is  the  bush- 
forming  H.  Mantegazzianum,  from  the 
Caucasus,  which  attains  to  6  to  7  feet 
high  and  a  diameter  of  8  to  10  feet.  In 
flower  or  leaf  it  is  the  best  and  most 
imposing.  All  are  increased  by  seed. 

HERNIARIA.  —  Dwarf  perennial 
trailers,  forming  a  dense  turfy  mass, 
green  throughout  the  year.  There  are 
two  or  three  species,  but  the  most 
important  is  H.  glabra,  which  has  been 
largely  used  as  a  carpeting  plant  on 
account  of  its  dwarf  growth,  and  it  is 
always  a  deep  green,  even  in  a  hot 
season. 

HESPERIS  (Rocket}. —  H.  matronalis 
is  a  popular  old  garden  plant,  and 
among  the  most  desirable  of  hardy 
flowers.  It  bears  showy,  varied,  and 
fragrant  flower-spikes.  The  original 
single-flowered  kind  grows  i  to  3  feet 
high,  and  has  pinkish  flowers,  but  the 
double  kinds  are  much  more  valued. 
There  are  two  distinct  forms  of  the 
double  white  Rocket  as  well  as  of  the 
double  purple  Rocket  in  cultivation. 
One  is  a  tall  white,  turning  to  a  pale 
flesh  colour  with  age  ;  the  other  is  the 
old  white  variety,  of  dwarfer  growth, 
with  smaller  and  more  compact 
flowers.  It  is  met  with  in  the  north, 
but  is  little  known  in  the  south,  where 
it  does  not  flourish  so  well  as  the  com- 
mon variety.  There  is  the  old  purple 
double  Rocket  and  a  free  -  growing 
dwarf  form  known  as  Compactness, 
which  has  also  larger  and  darker 
flowers.  Rockets  require  care  in  cul- 
tivating, and  will  soon  be  lost  if  left 
to  themselves.  They  should  be  divided 


.    THE  INGUSH  FLOWER  GARDEN.     H£UCHERA. 


at  least  every  second  year  and  trans- 
planted, for  they  seem  to  tire  of  the 
soil  and  to  require  more  change  than 
most  perennials.  If  the  young  shoots 
are  formed  into  cuttings  when  they 
are  about  3  inches  long,  they  strike 
very  freely  in  the  open  ground,  and 
the  spikes  of  bloom  on  the  remaining 
stems  are  all  the  finer  when  some  of 
the  others  have  been  removed.  When 
shaded  from  the  sun  for  about  three 
weeks  with  a  few  Laurel  branches, 
the  cuttings  do  better  than  when 
covered  with  a  pot  or  box,  as  has  been 
advised.  They  like  a  rich,  rather  moist 
and  strong  soil,  and  are  all  the  better 
for  repeated  applications  of  liquid 
manure  if  the  soil  is  not  as  deep  and 
good  as  it  should  be.  Double  Rockets 
really  belong  to  the  garden  plants 
requiring  annual  attention,  and  can- 
not well  be  used  as  true  perennials. 
It  is  always  worth  while  having  a  bed 
of  them  in  the  reserve  garden  in  case 
the  plants  should  be  lost  or  neglected 
in  the  borders.  We  have  seen  them 
best  grown  where  there  was  a  yearly 
transfer  of  plants  from  the  reserve 
garden  to  the  mixed  border,  and  the 
groups  look  very  well.  The  single 
Rocket  is  easily  naturalised,  and  is  a 
showy  plant  in  woods  or  shrubberies. 

H.  TRISTIS  (Night-scented  Stock).— A 
quaint  plant  with  dull-coloured  flowers, 
sweet-scented  at  night.  It  is  rather  ten- 
der, and  requires  a  light  warm  soil  and  a 
sheltered  position. 

HESPEROCfflRON.— H.  pumilus,  a 
pretty  Californian  rock  plant,  is  stem- 
less,  dwarf  in  growth,  with  leaves  borne 
on  slender  stalks,  forming  a  rosulate 
tuft.  The  flowers  are  bell -shaped, 
£  inch  across,  and  white,  varying  to  a 
purplish  tinge.  It  grows  in  marshy 
ground,  and  in  damp  places  in  the 
Rocky  Mountains  and  N.  Utah,  and 
is  apparently  quite  hardy,  as  it 
thrives  in  ordinary  soil  in  well-drained 
parts  of  the  rock  garden.  H.  calif or- 
nicus  is  a  species  of  somewhat  the 
same  form. 

HETEBOMELES  ARBUTIFOLIA.— 

A  Californian  evergreen  tree,  thriving 
in  high  ground  in  our  southern 
counties,  also  near  the  coast  in  the 
north  of  Ireland,  as  at  Castlewellan. 

HEUCHERA  (Alum  Root).— A  few 
years  ago  this  little  group  of  hardy 
perennials  was  hardly  known,  and  had 
there  not  been  improvement  under 
cultivation  they  might  well  have  re- 


mained so,  many  of  the  wild  kinds 
have  little  to  recommend  them 
save  a  graceful  leaf.  Even  H. 
sanguined,  however  attractive  at  its 
best,  is  not  a  good  plant,  dwindling 
away  persistently  in  many  gardens  in 
spite  of  rich  soil  and  every  care.  By 
crossing,  however,  seedlings  have  been 
raised  that  are  more  tractable  in  the 
garden  and  not  without  effect  in  the 
border  and  for  cutting.  All  are  of 
somewhat  slow  growth,  requiring 
shelter,  a  rich  soil,  and  frequently 
division,  or  they  deteriorate.  They 
cannot  endure  drought  or  a  poor 
soil,  and  therefore  need  special  care 
in  a  dry  season.  All  are  easily  raised 
from  seed,  but  the  seedlings  need 
careful  selection,  their  colour  being 
often  poor.  Selected  plants  may  be 
increased  by  division  of  the  tufts  in 
October,  or  cuttings  of  the  creeping 
stems  rooted  in  heat  during  spring. 
Dwarf,  tufted,  perennial  herbs,  with 
distinct  and  sometimes  finely-coloured 
leaves,  and  modest  but  inconspicuous 
flowers.  Of  little  value  for  their 
flowers,  one  or  two  kinds  give  pretty 
effects  of  foliage  either  as  edgings  to 
or  beneath  groups  of  shrubs  ;  the  best 
are  also  worth  growing  for  their  leaves 
for  cutting  for  the  house  in  winter, 
lasting  as  they  do  fresh  for  weeks  in 
winter,  the  foliage  being  good  in  form 
as  well  as  colour.  Among  the  best  are 
H.  hispida  (Richardsoni)  americana, 
pubescens,  and  sanguinea,  the  last  the 
only  one  with  any  showy  bloom. 
They  are  N.  American  plants  of  the 
easiest  cultivation  in  ordinary  soil. 

The  following  species  and  their 
hybrids  are  now  in  cultivation  : — 

H.  FLAMBEAU  (sanguinea  x  zabelana}. — 
A  pretty  garden  seedling  of  good  colour, 
with  numerous  stems  of  red  flowers  2  feet 
high,  and  closely  clustered  as  in  H.  zabe- 
lana. 

H.  GRACILLIMA  (micrantha  x  sanguinea) . 
— Bears  cloudy  pink  heads  like  a  wreath 
of  mist,  seen  in  the  dim  perspective  of  a 
shady  border.  Leaf  like  that  of  micrantha. 

H.  HISPIDA. — Of  no  value  unless  for  its 
leaves  ;  marked  with  rich  brown  zones, 
and  turning  wholly  bronze  and  crimson 
towards  autumn.  Being  evergreen,  they 
are  of  some  value  for  cutting,  or  as  edgings 
and  tufts  in  the  rock  garden,  the  flowers 
being  removed  as  soon  as  they  show.  The 
variety  macrophylla  has  large  leaves. 
Syn.  H.  Richardsoni. 

H.  LUCIFER  (brizoides  x  sanguinea}. — 
A  good  and  vigorous  plant  of  3  feet,  and 
a  real  gain,  being  easy  to  grow,  with  the 
bronze  leaf-tints  of  brizoides  and  coral-red 


HIBISCUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.       HIPPOCREPIS.      501 


flowers,  smaller  than  in  that  kind,  very 
abundant,  and,  like  it,  produced  twice  in 
the  season. 

H.  ROSAMUNDI  (micrantha  rosea  x  san- 
guinea). — The  best  hybrid  yet  raised,  with 
tall  branched  stems  of  rosy  flowers,  inter- 
mediate in  size  between  those  of  gracillima 
and  sanguinea.  It  is  of  good  constitution 
and  pretty  for  cutting. 

H.  SANGUINEA. — The  prettiest  of  the 
wild  kinds.  There  are  several  varieties 
in  cultivation,  but  none  of  them  show 
much  improvement  in  constitution  ;  they 
are  grandiflora  robusta,  with  larger  flowers 
of  a  paler  pink  ;  splendens,  with  larger 
and  darker  flowers,  the  best  of  all  in 
colour  ;  rosea,  also  with  pale  flowers  ;  and 
alba,  the  so-called  white  form,  though  the 
flowers  are  only  an  uncertain  greenish- 
grey,  turning  pink  with  exposure. 

HIBISCUS  (Rose  Mallow}.— Shrubby 
and  herbaceous  perennials  and  annuals, 
from  4  to  7  feet  high,  they  have 
splendid  crimson  or  rosy  flowers,  as 
large  as  saucers.  The  finest  are 
H.  Moscheutos,  H.  palustris,  H. 
grandiflorus,  and  H.  coccineus.  They 
seldom  bloom  in  the  open  air  in 


* 


Venice  Mallow  (Hibiscus  Triomtni). 

England,  as  they  flower  late  in  the 
season.  There  are  two  or  three  annual 
kinds,  the  finest  being  H.  Manihot, 
which  forms  handsome  pyramids  4  to 
6  feet  high,  the  flowers  being  3  or  4 
inches  across,  and  pale  yellow  with  a 
dark  centre.  H.  Manihot  should  be 
treated  as  a  half-hardy  annual,  sown  in 
heat  in  February,  and  in  May  planted 
out  in  good  deep  soil.  H.  africanus  is 
a  hardy  annual  with  showy  pale 
yellow  flowers  that  only  open  in  fine 
weather.  In  light  soil  it  usually  sows 
itself.  H.  Trionum  appears  to  be 
extremely  variable,  and  has  long  been 
cultivated  in  gardens.  It  is  widely 
scattered  over  all  the  warm  regions  of 
the  O}4  World,  and  is  usually  described 


as  a  common  sub-tropical  weed  found 
plentifully  in  cultivated  fields  in 
Afghanistan. 

H.  SYRIACUS  (Syrian  Mallow,  Rose  of 
Sharon). — A  beautiful  shrub,  bearing 
showy  blossoms  in  late  summer  and  in 
autumn.  The  wild  form  has  bluish-purple 
flowers  with  crimson  centres,  but  now 
there  are  forms  representing  every  tint 
from  white  (totus  albus)  to  crimson  and 
purple,  while  the  blooms  of  one  sort 
(Celeste)  are  almost  blue.  There  are  also 
double  flowers  of  varied  colours.  The 
best  kinds,  single  and  double,  are  totus 
albus,  Celeste,  Violet  Claire,  Leopoldi, 
bicolor,  roseus  plenus,  Pompon  rouge,  car- 
neoplenus,  Due  de  Brabant,  albus  plenus, 
puniceus  plenus,  and  anemon&florus. 

In  the  South  German  gardens  this 
shrub  bears  much  larger  flowers  than 
in  England.  The  pure  white  kind 
(totus  albus]  and  a  few  others  lead  to 
the  hope  that  it  is  a  plant  capable  of 
real  improvement  through  raising  seed- 
ling forms,  and  perpetuating  the  best 
of  them.  In  my  own  trials  here  this 
tree  did  not  open  on  cool  hilly  soils, 
and  half  open  it  is  not  worth  having. 
In  the  Thames  valley  and  below  the 
downs  it  flowers  well. 

HIDALGOA  WERCKLEI  (Climbing 
Dahlia] . — A  showy  climbing  half-hardy 
plant  from  the  mountains  of  Costa 
Rica,  nearly  allied  to  the  Dahlia. 
Planted  out  against  a  sunny  wall  at 
the  end  of  May,  its  stems  quickly 
cover  a  wide  space  with  their  cheerful 
bright  green  and  much  cut  leaves, 
which  attach  themselves  to  surround- 
ing objects  by  a  twist  of  the  stalk. 
Towards  autumn  bright  scarlet  flowers 
appear,  2|  inches  across,  and  like  those 
of  a  single  dahlia,  but  lasting  much 
longer,  and  pretty  for  cutting.  The 
plant  should  have  all  the  sun  one  can 
give  it,  and  a  soil  not  too  rich,  or  there 
is  luxuriant  growth  without  flowers. 

HIERACIUM  ( Hawkweed)  .—Peren- 
nial herbs  with  yellow  flowers,  very 
numerous,  and  often  beautiful  in 
nature,  but  not  much  grown  in 
gardens.  Among  the  best  are  auran- 
tiacum,  with  orange  flowers,  a  good 
plant,  but  apt  to  spread  too  much  in 
the  garden  ;  and  villosum,  the  Shaggy 
Hawkweed,  a  handsome  plant  with 
silvery  leaves  and  large  yellow  flowers. 
Free  in  ordinary  soil.  Borders.  Divi- 
sion. 

HIPPOCREPIS  COMOSA  (Horse- 
shoe Vetch) . — A  small  prostrate  British 
plant,  with  pretty  little  deep-yellow 
flowers,  in  ,  coronilla-like  crowns,  the 


502         HIPPOPH*..        THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


HOTTONIA. 


upper  petal  faintly  veined  with  brown, 
the  pinnate  leaves  small  and  leaflets 
smooth.  It  is  a  capital  little  plant 
for  the  upper  ledges  of  rocks  in  dry 
positions,  as  in  such  places  the  shoots 
will  fall  down  some  18  or  20  inches  ; 
it  is  easily  raised  from  seed  ;  partial  to 
chalky  soils  ;  and  is  rather  common 
in  the  south  of  England,  but  not  a 
native  of  Ireland  or  Scotland. 

HIPPOPHZE  (Sea  Buckthorn). —  H. 
rhamnoides  is  a  beautiful  seashore 
native  shrub,  happy  in  any  free  soil. 
The  best  position  for  it  is  a  rather 
damp  spot  near  a  running  stream, 
where  the  subsoil  is  always  moist.  It 
forms,  when  wild,  a  straggling  bush, 
8  or  10  feet  high.  In  gardens  it  grows 
taller.  The  Sea  Buckthorn  has  silvery- 
looking  Willow-like  leaves  and  bears 
a  profusion  of  orange  berries.  Apart 
from  th?  brilliantly  coloured  fruit,  the 
silvery  effect  of  the  leaves  is  good 
where  the  bush  thrives.  There  are 
other  kinds,  H.  fasciculata  and  H. 
salicifolia,  natives  of  Indian  mountains, 
but  they  are  so  far  rare  in  gardens. 

HOHERIA  POPULNEA  (New  Zea- 
land Ribbon  -  wood}.  —  An  evergreen 
shrub  from  New  Zealand,  in  flower  and 
habit  like  a  coarse-leaved  Deutzia,  and 
not  at  all  like  the  Mallows,  to  which 
it  is  related.  It  is  hardy  in  the  warmer 
parts  of  Ireland  and  in  the  south-west 
of  England,  a  fine  plant  10  feet  high 
having  flowered  in  the  Trinity  College 
Gardens,  Dublin,  for  several  years  past. 
The  pure  white  flowers  are  borne 
freely  in  clusters  in  autumn,  and  the 
sharply-tapering  dark  green  leaves  are 
deeply  toothed.  New  Zealand.  Seed 
or  cuttings  of  the  young  shoots  in 
spring. 

HOLBCELLIA. —  H.  latifolia  is  a 
beautiful  evergreen  climbing  shrub 
from  the  Himalayas,  hardy  against 
walls  in  the  southern  and  the  warm 
districts.  The  foliage  is  thick,  with 
three  or  five  leaflets  of  a  deep  shining 
green.  The  flowers  are  deliciously 
fragrant  and  in  colour  dull  purplish 
green,  but  it  does  not  bloom  so  freely 
out  of  doors  as  in  a  cool  conservatory. 
As  it  is  of  tall  growth,  it  must  be 
planted  against  a"  high  wall,  such  as 
that  of  a  house  or  stable. 

HOMERIA  COLLINA.  —  A  choice 
bulbous  plant  from  the  Cape,  thriving 
in  such  light  southern  soils  as  suit 
Sparaxis,  Ixia,  and  the  like.  The 
flowers,  in  finely  blending  tints  of 
orange  or  salmon  pink  shaded  with 


purple  about  a  yellow  eye,  are  2|  inches 
across  and  borne  four  or  more  together 
on  stems  of  2|  feet.  They  close  to- 
wards evening  until  morning.  The 
leaves  are  4  feet  long  and  half  an  incli 
wide,  and  are  so  succulent  that  unless 
I  carefully  protected  from  snails  they 
are  soon  eaten  through.  The  bulbs 
increase  rapidly  in  warm  open  soils, 
and  they  may  be  left  in  the  ground 
with  a  covering  of  ashes  in  the  south. 
Seed  ripens  freely,  and  germinates 
without  any  trouble  in  sunny  seaside 
gardens. 

HORDEUM.— Grasses,  of  which  the 
Barley  is  the  most  familiar  type,  few 
of  ornamental  value  except  H.  jubatum 

I  (Squirrel-tail  Grass),  which  has  long 
feathery  spikes.  It  grows  in  any  soil 

I  in  open  places,  is  easily  raised  as  an 
annual,  and  is  one  of  the  most  distinct 
dwarf er  grasses.  Sow  in  autumn  or 
spring. 

HORMINUM     PYRENAICUM.  —  A 

Pyrenean  plant,  forming  dense  tufts 
of  foliage,  and  having  purplish-blue 
flowers,  in  spikes  about  9  inches  high, 
which  appear  in  July  or  August.  It 
is  hardy  and  of  easy  culture,  but  is 
not  a  plant  of  much  effect  from  a 
garden  point  of  view. 

HOTEIA.—  H.  japonica  is  a  fine 
tufted  herbaceous  plant  i  foot  to 
1 6  inches  high,  with  silvery  -  white 
flowers  early  in  summer  in  a  panicled 
cluster.  In  a  rich  soil  it  is  excellent 
for  a  shady  border.  Strong  clumps 
planted  in  autumn  will  flower  in  the 
following  spring.  Where  there  are 
forced  plants  to  spare  they  may  be 
planted  out  when  they  have  done 
blooming,  but  will  not  make  much 
show  in  the  following  season.  Much 
used  indoors  ;  is  seldom  good  in  the 
open  garden,  partly  because  it  does 
badly  in  heavy  and  poor  soils.  Where 
it  thrives  and  flowers  well  it  would  be 
a  graceful  aid  in  the  varied  flower 
garden.  Increased  by  division  in 
autumn.  Japan.  Syns.  Spircea  japo- 
nica, Astilbe  barbata.  Henry's  variety 
of  H.  japonicum  is  found  to  be  a  very 
good  plant. 

HOTTONIA  (Water  Violet}.— H. 
palustris  is  a  pretty  British  water- 
plant,  which,  however,  thrives  better 
on  soft  mud-banks  than  when  sub- 
merged. The  deep-cut  leaves  form  a 
dwarf  deep-green  tuft  over  the  mud, 
and  from  this  tuft  arise  stems  bearing 
at  intervals  whorls  of  handsome  pale 
lilac  or  pink  flowers.  As  water  an4 


HOUSTONIA.        THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.     HYACINTHUS.        503 


bog  may  be  associated  with  the  rock 
garden,  this  plant  may  with  advantage 
be  grown  at  its  margin  in  the  water  or 
on  a  bank  of  wet  soil.  It  grows  from 
9  inches  to  2  feet  high,  flowers  in  early 
summer,  and  is  abundant  in  many 
parts  of  England. 

HOUSTONIA  ( Bluets] .  —  A  very 
pretty  little  American  plant,  H.  ccerulea 
forming  small,  dense,  cushion-like  tufts, 
and  from  late  spring  to  autumn  bearing 
crowds  of  tiny  slender  stems,  about 
3  inches  high.  The  flowers  are  pale 
blue,  changing  to  white.  There  is  also 
a  white  variety.  It  succeeds  best  in 


Houstonia  cuerulea. 


peaty  or  sandy  soil,  in  sheltered  shady 
nooks  on  well  -  drained  parts  of  the 
rock  garden.  As  it  sometimes  perishes 
in  winter,  it  is  advisable  to  keep  reserve 
plants  in  pots.  Propagated  by  careful 
division  in  spring,  or  by  seed.  H. 
serpyllifolia  and  H.  purpurea  are  allied 
species  and  alike  in  stature  and  wants. 

HOUTTUYNIA  CORDATA.  —  This 
small  genus  contains  only  three  species. 
They  are  beautiful  as  well  as  graceful 
plants,  and  are  the  only  hardy  repre- 
sentatives of  the  natural  order  Piper- 
aceae.  All  of  them  are  well  suited  for 
the  bog  garden,  where,  in  a  peaty  soil, 
they  have  quite  a  tropical  appearance. 
The  spathe  bracts  resemble  a  corolla, 
and  consist  of  four  large  pure  white 
spreading  leaves  from  the  base  of  the 
spadix  or  cone  of  flowers.  Thunberg 


first  found  this  plant  in  Japan,  growing 
in  great  abundance  in  ditches  by  the 
wayside. 

HUMEA. — A  very  graceful  half- 
hardy  biennial,  3  to  8  feet  high,  H. 
elegans  having  large  leaves  with  a 
strong  odour,  and  forming,  when 
in  flower,  an  elegant  feathery  pyra- 
mid of  reddish-brown  blossoms.  It 
is  highly  ornamental  as  a  back  line 
to  a  long  border,  as  a  single  specimen 
to  let  into  the  lawn,  as  the  centre 
of  a  bed  or  vase,  or  in  masses  with 
other  elegant  foliage  plants.  Excellent 
effects  may  be  obtained  by  combining 
it  in  masses  or  groups  with  other  good 
plants.  For  cutting,  its  light  feathery 
sprays  are  useful.  The  proper  time  to 
sow  seed  is  July  or  August,  as  plants  do 
not  bloom  the  first  year,  and,  if  raised 
before  those  months,  get  too  large  to 
winter  conveniently,  often  becoming 
leafless  below,  and  the  nakedness  of 
stem  detracts  from  their  beauty. 

HUMULUS  (Common  Hop}.— H. 
lupulus,  a  well-known,  vigorous,  twin- 
ing perennial,  is  admirable  for  bowers, 
especially  when  vegetation  that  dis- 
appears in  winter  is  desired.  It  will 
soon  run  wild  in  almost  any  soil,  among 
shrubs  or  hedgerows.  A  slender 
plant  climbing  up  an  Apple  or  other 
fruit  tree,  near  the  mixed  border, 
looks  well.  Division.  H.japonicus,a,n 
annual  plant  of  merit,  quick  growth, 
and  graceful  festooning  habit. 

HUNNEMANNIA.  —  H.  fumaria- 
folia  is  an  erect  perennial,  2  to  3  feet 
high,  with  glaucous  foliage,  like  some 
of  the  Fumitories.  Its  flowers  are 
large  and  showy,  of  a  rich  orange,  and 
in  form  are  like  Eschscholtzia  califor- 
nica.  They  continue  long  in  perfec- 
tion. Being  a  native  of  Mexico,  it  is 
rather  tender,  and  not  satisfactory  for 
open-air  culture.  Poppy  family. 

HUTCHINSIA. — A  neat  little  alpine 
plant,  H.  alpina  having  shining  leaves 
and  white  flowers,  in  clusters  about 
i  inch  high,  quite  free  in  sandy  soil, 
and  easily  increased  by  division  or 
seeds.  In  an  open  spot,  either  in  the 
rock  garden  or  in  good  free  border 
soil,  it  becomes  a  mass  of  white  flowers. 
Its  proper  home  is  the  rock  garden, 
though  in  borders  of  dwarf  and 
choice  hardy  plants  it  may  be  grown 
with  success.  Central  and  S.  Europe. 
Cruciferce. 

HYACINTHUS  ( Hyacinth] .  —  The 
familiar  garden  Hyacinth  is  not  gener- 
ally included  among  hardy  plants, 


HYACINTHUS.       THE  ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 


HYDRANGEA. 


though  it  is  perfectly  hardy,  and  when 
treated  as  it  should  be,  most  impor- 
tant. The  parent  of  all  the  varieties, 
H.  orientalis  is  as  hardy  as  a  Daffodil, 
and  its  varieties  are  scarcely  less 
hardy.  Hyacinths  in  the  open  air 
are  generally  the  refuse,  as  it  were,  of 
the  forced  bulbs  of  preceding  years, 
but  even  these  make  a  good  display 
in  suitable  positions.  To  have  a  fine 
bloom  of  Hyacinths  in  the  open  air, 
however,  it  is  essential  that  the  bulbs 
should  be  good  and  sound,  and  due 
regard  paid  to  assortment  of  colour,  as 
tints  massed  by  themselves  are  far 
more  effective  than  a  confusion  of 
various  colours.  Late  planting  and 
deep  planting  both  tend  to  defer  the 
bloom,  but  make  no  great  difference, 
and  as  a  rule  late  bloom  is  to  be  pre- 
ferred, being  less  liable  to  injury  from 
frost. .  The  shallowest  planting  should 
ensure  a  depth  of  3  inches  of  earth 
above  the  crown  of  the  bulb,  but, 
generally  speaking,  they  will  flower 
better,  be  a  few  days  later,  and  form 
stronger  bulbs  after  flowering,  if  there 
is  fully  6  inches  of  earth  over  the 
crowns.  Hyacinths  in  the  open  air 
seldom  require  artificial  watering, 
the  natural  moisture  of  the  soil  and 
the  strength  of  the  manure  mixed 
with  it  being  sufficient.  When  grown 
in  beds  they  do  not  require  sticks  or 
ties ;  simply  proper  planting.  After 
blooming,  the  bulbs,  if  intended  to 
flower  again,  must  be  left  undisturbed 
until  the  leaves  wither  or  die.  The 
bulbs  should  then  be  taken  up,  dried 
in  a  stack  for  a  week  or  two,  and 
finally  placed  in  the  sun  for  a  few  hours, 
the  dry  leaves  being  pulled  off.  Offsets 
should  also  be  removed  from  the  bulbs, 
and  stored  in  dry  sand  or  earth  till  the 
next  planting  time.  Some  take  up  the 
bulbs  every  year,  but  we  have  seen 
handsome  beds  that  were  not  disturbed 
for  several  years. 

H.  AMETHYSTINUS. — Though  nearly  re- 
lated to  H.  azureus,  is  quite  different,  and 
flowers  a  month  later  and  at  a  time  when 
there  is  a  dearth  of  flowers  of  this  descrip- 
tion in  the  hardy  bulb  garden.  The  great 
mistake  with  a  bulb  like  this  is  to  have 
two  or  three,  or  even  a  dozen,  in  a  clump. 
Instead  of  the  dozen,  it  should  be  grown 
by  the  hundred,  and  no  prettier  sight  can 
well  be  imagined  than  a  large  sheet  of  this 
graceful  Hyacinth,  with  its  loose  racemes 
of  vivid  amethyst  flowers. 

H.  AZUREUS. — One  of  the  earliest  as 
well  as  the  most  charming  of  our  early 
spring  flowers.  In  the  case  of  a  dwarf 
bulb  of  this  kind  flowering  so  early,  a 


handlight  or  bell-glass  is  simply  placed 
over  the  clump  on  the  approach  of  a 
storm,"  taking  the  cover  off  when  all  danger 
is  past.  The  flowers  stand  any  amount 
of  frost  without  injury,  and  it  is  only  the 
chance  of  their  being  broken  with  snow 
that  renders  a  covering  necessary.  The 
bulb  is  whitish,  round,  an  inch  or  so  in 
diameter,  producing  in  great  abundance 
stolons  or  bulbils  from  the  base  ;  the 
leaves,  in  number  from  six  to  eight  to  a 
bulb,  are  broad,  strap-shaped,  glaucous, 
and  deeply  channelled  ;  the  flower-heads 
dense,  conical,  upper  flowers  sky-blue, 
campanulate,  the  lower  deep  azure  blue, 
and  larger  than  those  of  the  ordinary 
Grape  Hyacinth. 

H.  candicans.     See  GALTONIA. 

HYDRANGEA.— Handsome  flower- 
ing shrubs,  some  well  known  in  gar- 
dens, others  neglected.  In  warm  dis- 
tricts and  on  good  warm  soils  it  would 
be  well  worth  while  to  grow  many  of 
the  rarer  and  finer  forms  of  the  common 
Hydrangea,  which  always  flowers  best 
in  seashore  districts,  where  its  shoots 
are  not  cut  down  by  frost  or  by  the 
knife  every  winter. 

H.  ARBORESCENS. — A  vigorous  and 
hardy  shrub,  4  feet  or  more  high,  flowering 
freely  July  and  August.  Flowers  a  dull 
white,  very  small  and  crowded.  Native 
of  eastern  N.  America,  south  of  New  York 
State.  The  variety  grandiflora,  a  very 
beautiful  form,  with  flowers  large  and  pure 
white,  is  from  the  mountains  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

H.  BRETSCHNEIDERI  (syn.  H.  pekinen- 
sis). — A  Chinese  shrub  from  the  mountains 
near  Pekin.  Planted  in  the  full  sun  is 
said  to  make  a  very  handsome  shrub, 
vigorous  and  hardy,  and  flowering  in  mid- 
summer. 

H.  CHINENSIS  (Fortune's  H.). — Near 
the  last,  but  of  more  robust  habit,  with 
leaves  3  to  5  inches  long,  and  with  cymes 
of  flowers  much  larger.  It  differs  from 
H.  virens  in  the  leaves,  being  green  on 
both  sides,  and  in  the  enlarged  sepals 
being  nearly  equal  in  size,  much  thicker — 
in  fact,  almost  fleshy — in  substance,  and 
remaining  on  the  branches  until  the  fruit 
of  the  fertile  flowers  is  ripe.  This  species 
was  collected  by  Mr  Fortune  in  N.  China. 

H.  HIRTA  (Nettle-leaved  H.). — A  dwarf 
shrub,  3  or  4  feet  high,  with  slender  hairy 
branches  and  Nettle-like  leaves.  The 
leaves  and  branches  become  nearly  or 
quite  glabrous  with  age.  This,  although 
not  a  showy  species,  seems  to  be  a  pretty, 
compact,  dwarf  shrub,  with  numerous 
clusters  of  white  flowers.  A  native  of  the 
mountains  of  Japan. 

H.  HORTENSIA. — The  common  Hydran- 
gea (H.  Hortensia),  from  China,  may  be 
grown  well  out  of  doors,  but  is  not  always 


HYDRANGEA. 


THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER    GARDEN.     HYDRANGEA. 


505 


satisfactory  in  the  midlands  and  the  north, 
being  liable  to  injury  in  winter.  It  likes 
a  sheltered  yet  sunny  spot  and  good  soil. 
In  order  to  get  good  heads  of  bloom  the 
Hydrangea  must  be  pruned  so  as  to 
induce  the  growth  of  strong  shoots.  In 
favoured  spots  it  reaches  a  height  of  6 
feet,  making  a  beautiful  object  on  a 
lawn  or  in  the  shrubbery  margin. 
From  time  to  time,  and  especially  in 
recent  years,  other  forms  have  been  intro- 
duced and  described,  some  of  them  as 
distinct  species.  Dr  Maximowicz,  who 
has  had  opportunities  of  studying  them 
in  European  and  Japanese  gardens,  and 
also  in  a  wild  state,  arranges  the  following 
forms  under  H.  Hortensia  : — 

H.  Hortensia  acuminata. — A  much- 
branched  shrub,  2  to  5  feet  high  ;  flowers 
blue.  It  sports  according  to  locality,  and 
Maximowicz  enumerates  four  such  sports, 
viz.  :  In  open  places  and  in  a  rich  soil  it 
is  stouter,  with  erect  thick  branches,  large, 
broad,  firm  leaves,  and  larger  flowers,  with 
somewhat  fleshy  sepals  ;  under  cultivation 
it  becomes  more  showy,  passing  into  H. 
Belzonii.  In  woods  and  on  the  shady 
banks  of  rivers  it  grows  taller  with  slender 
stems,  pointed  leaves,  and  much  smaller 
flowers. 

H.  Hortensia  japonica.— The  H.japonica 
of  Siebold  and  Zuccarini's  Flora  Japonica, 
and  the  H.  japonica  macrosepala  of  Regel's 
Gartenflora.  It  is  exactly  like  acuminata, 
save  that  the  flowers  are  tinged  with  red, 
and  the  sepals  of  the  barren  flowers  are 
elegantly  toothed. 

H.  Hortensia  Belzonii. — A  short  stout 
plant,  with  beautiful  flowers,  the  inner 
sterile  ones  being  of  an  indigo-blue,  and 
the  enlarged  sterile  ones  white,  or  only 
slightly  tinged  with  blue,  and  having 
entire  sepals.  There  is  a  sport  of  this  in 
which  the  leaves  are  elegantly  variegated 
with  white.  This  was  raised  by  Messrs 
Rovelli,  of  Pallanza. 

H.  Hortensia  Otaksa. — This  has  all  the 
flowers  sterile  and  enlarged.  A  very 
handsome  variety  with  rich  dark  green 
leaves  nearly  as  broad  as  long,  and  large 
hemispherical  heads  of  pale  pink  or  flesh- 
coloured  flowers,  very  fine  when  well 
grown. 

H.  Hortensia  communis.  —  The  old 
variety  with  rosy-pink  flowers,  commonly 
cultivated  in  European  gardens.  It  differs 
from  the  last  in  being  perfectly  glabrous 
in  its  longer,  less-rounded  leaves,  and  in 
its  deeper-coloured  flowers. 

H.  Hortensia  stellata.  —  The  chief  char- 
acter of  this  variety  is  in  the  flowers, 
which  are  all  sterile  and  double.  The 
variety  in  cultivation  has  pink  flowers, 
but  they  are  described  as  being  either  pale 
blue  or  rose,  finally  changing  to  a  greenish 
colour,  and  distinctly  net-veined. 

The  white  variety,  Thomas  Hogg,  is  a 
very  fine  one,  now  widely  cultivated. 


Most  of  the  above-named  deserve  the 
attention  of  all  who  have  soil  and  climate 
suited  to  these  shrubs. 

H.  PANICULATA  (Plumed  Hydrangea). — 
A  shrub  or  small  tree.  According  to 
Maximowicz,  the  only  Japanese  Hydran- 
gea that  becomes  a  tree.  It  grows  as 
much  as  25  feet  high,  with  a  dense  rounded 
head  and  a  straight  trunk  6  inches  in 
diameter.  But  it  more  commonly  forms 
a  shrub  a  few  feet  high,  bearing  enormous 
panicles  of  flower.  With  the  exception  of 
H.  Hortensia,  it  is  the  commonest  species 
in  Japan,  growing  throughout  that  country 
both  in  the  mountains  and  the  plains, 
being  more  abundant  in  the  northern 
parts,  and  it  is  said  to  vary  very  much. 
It  is  commonly  cultivated  by  the  Japanese. 
The  clusters  are  often  i  foot  long  and  half 
as  much  in  diameter,  but  to  get  such 
flowers  we  must  cultivate  well  and  prune 
the  shrubs  hard  down  in  winter. 

H.  PETIOLARIS  (Climbing  Hydrangea). — 
A  Japanese  climbing  shrub  with  tall 
slender  stems  that  send  out  roots  which 
will  fix  it  to  a  wall.  Its  wood  is  of  a 
soft  character,  resembling  that  of  the 


The  Plumed  Hydrangea. 

slower-growing  Ivies,  and  it  annually 
gives  off  fresh  sets  of  roots  along  its 
branches  by  means  of  which  it  clings  to 
rocks,  stone,  stucco,  bricks,  and  even 
wooden  palings.  It  is  deciduous,  of  free 
growth,  and  flowers  freely  in  sunny 
positions.  I  know  one  case  where  a  plant 
has  grown  in  a  sunny  corner  of  the  house 


506     HYDROCHARIS.     THE  ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 


HYPERICUM. 


near  French  windows,  up  the  sides  of 
which  there  is  lattice-work,  and  so  charmed 
were  the  owners  with  the  tender  foliage, 
feathering  the  coign  of  the  window,  that 
they  made  more  lattice-work  in  front  of 
the  window  so  that  the  creeper  could 
extend  and  form  a  natural  sunshade  before 
the  glass. 

H.  QUERCIFOLIA  (Oak-leaved  H.). — This 
is  a  fine  distinct  kind,  and  though  not 
showy  like  the  popular  kinds,  it  is  an 
excellent  shrub,  and  one  I  have  noticed 
growing  with  fine  vigour  in  seashore 
gardens.  The  leaves  have  a  good  deep 
colour  in  the  autumn,  and  the  flowers  are 
beautiful,  while  old  plants  have  a  pic- 
turesque habit. 

H.  SARGENTIANA. — Of  the  several  species 
of  Hydrangea  introduced  from  China,  this 
is  the  most  distinct.  The  stems  are  stout 
and  erect ;  the  large  and  handsome  leaves 
very  hairy  on  both  surfaces,  the  upper  one 
of  a  deep  velvety  green.  The  flower-heads 
are  broad,  but  the  large  white  sterile 
blossoms  are  limited  to  a  few  outside  the 
cluster,  the  small  fertile  ones  being  of  a 
bluish  colour.  From  a  flowering  point  of 
view  it  is  far  from  the  showiest  of  the 
Hydrangeas,  but  it  is  a  distinct  and 
striking  species.  An  uncommon  feature 
of  the  plant  is  the  large  scale-like  hairs 
with  which  the  stems  and  leaf-stalks  are 
covered. 

H.  VIRENS  (Changing  H.). — This  is  a 
remarkable  and  elegant  shrub,  varying  in 
height  from  2  to  6  feet.  The  branches, 
straight,  slender,  and  polished,  bearing 
small,  thin,  deeply-toothed  leaves,  2  to 
3  inches  long,  yellowish-green  above  and 
pale  beneath,  with  small  clusters  of 
flowers,  some  of  which  are  sterile.  Alto- 
gether this  is  a  pretty  little  shrub,  and  it 
is  somewhat  surprising  that  it  has  not 
been  introduced,  as  it  is  common  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Nagasaki  in  Japan. 

Although  there  is  a  large  range  of 
land  in  Great  Britain  in  which  Hydran- 
geas seem  happy,  there  are  other  inland 
and  cold  districts  in  which  they  make 
poor  growth,  or  are  cut  down  so  fre- 
quently that  experiments  come  to 
little.  I  made  a  trial  myself  on  a  cool 
hill-side  in  Sussex  without  getting  any 
bloom  or  a  healthy  growth  ;  but  on 
the  other  hand  we  see,  especially  in 
the  south  of  England  and  Ireland, 
beautiful  results  in  warm  valleys  and 
on  sandy  and  alluvial  soils  even  from 
the  use  of  one  kind. 

HYDROCHARIS  (Frog  -  bit}.  —  H. 
Morsus-rance  is  a  native  water-plant, 
having  floating  leaves  and  pretty  white 
flowers,  and  well  worth  introducing  to 
ponds.  It  may  often  be  gathered 
from  pools  in  spring,  when  it  floats 
a.fter  being  submerged  in  winter. 


HYDRO  COTYLE  (Penny wort) .  — 
Small  creeping  plants,  usually  with 
round  leaves  and  inconspicuous  flowers. 
There  are  several  kinds  grown,  their 
main  use  being  as  a  surface  growth 
to  the  artificial  bog.  The  best  are 
H.  moschata  and  microphylla,  two  New 
Zealand  species,  and  nitidula,  though 
all  of  these  are  somewhat  tender. 
The  common  H.  vulgaris  is  rather  too 
rank  a  grower,  and  dangerous  to  intro- 
duce among  choice  bog  plants. 

HYMENANTHERA.— A  small  group 
of  shrubs  and  low  trees  from  New 
Zealand,  only  one  of  which,  H.  crassi- 
folia,  has  been  introduced.  This  is  a 
low  evergreen  with  the  spreading  and 
freely-branched  habit  of  a  Cotoneaster, 
with  small  leathery  leaves  and  incon- 
spicuous flowers,  followed  by  small 
berries  covered  with  tiny  black  specks. 
These  berries  are  studded  thickly  over 
the  ash-grey  stems  and  even  on  the 
old  main  branches,  the  one  fault  being 
that,  clustering  mainly  on  the  under- 
side, they  are  not  readily  seen.  The 
plant  seldom  exceeds  3  or  4  feet  in 
height,  though  the  branches  trail 
widely,  and  it  is  hardier  than  many 
New  Zealand  shrubs,  growing  in 
exposed  places  and  without  protection 
in  the  north  of  England.  Increase  by 
seeds,  or  cuttings  rooted  under  glass 
during  summer  and  early  autumn. 

HYMENOPHYLLUM  (Filmy  Fern). 
— Although  these  tiny  Filmy  Ferns  are 
hardy  and  beautiful,  yet  the  conditions 
for  their  successful  culture  occur  so 
seldom  that  in  a  general  sense  they 
cannot  be  used  with  effect  in  the  open 
air.  Still,  as  they  grow  abundantly 
wild  in  certain  hilly  districts,  in  moist, 
shady,  or  rocky  situations,  there  is  no 
reason  why  they  should  not  be  grown 
in  some  places  in  the  west  or  north, 
or  in  hilly  districts. 

HYPERICUM  (St  John's  Wort).— 
For  the  most  part  shrubs  and  under- 
shrubs,  including  a  few  herbaceous 
perennials  and  annuals ;  these  are 
interesting,  though  not  of  high  value 
where  effect  is  sought,  and  the  best 
kinds  do  not  thrive  in  the  colder  lands. 
The  Rose  of  Sharon  (H.  calycinum)  is 
probably  the  most  familiar,  and  there 
are  other  shrubby  species  of  some 
beauty.  Some  of  the  perennials  are 
good  border  and  rock  garden  plants, 
and  the  best  of  these  is  H.  olympicum, 
one  of  the  largest  flowered  kinds, 
though  not  more  than  i  foot  high.  It 
is  Icnown  by  its  very  glaucous  foliage 


HYPOLEPIS. 


THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 


IBERIS. 


507 


and  erect  single  stems,  with  bright 
yellow  flowers  about  2  inches  across. 
It  forms  handsome  specimens  that 
flower  early,  and  its  value  as  a  choice 
border  plant  can  scarcely  be  over-rated. 
It  may  be  propagated  easily  by  cuttings, 
which  should  be  put  in  when  the  shoots 
are  fully  ripened,  so  that  the  young 
plants  may  become  well  established 
before  winter.  H .  elodes  is  a  pretty 
native  plant  suitable  for  the  banks  of 
pools  and  lakes.  H.  nummularium 
and  humifusum,  both  dwarf  trailers, 
are  also  desirable  for  the  rock  garden. 
Owing  to  their  dwarf  compact  growth, 
several  of  the  shrubby  species  are  well 
suited  for  the  rock  garden.  Of  these, 
the  best  are  H.  csgyptiacum,  balearicum, 
empetrifolium,  Coris,  patulum,  uralum, 
and  oblongifolium.  The  last  three  are 
larger  than  the  others,  but  as  they 
droop  they  have  a  good  effect  among 
the  boulders  of  a  large  rock  garden,  or 
on  banks.  H.  Moserianum  is  a  hand- 
some hybrid  kind  raised  in  France 
and  well  worth  a  place. 

HYPOLEPIS  (New  Zealand  Brac- 
ken).—  H.  millefolium  is  a  very  elegant 
New  Zealand  Fern,  with  a  stout  and 
wide-spreading  rhizome,  from  which 
arise  erect  light  green  fronds,  i  to 
i£  feet  high,  very  finely  cut.  Its 
hardiness  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  it 
has  flourished  for  two  or  three  years 
in  a  Surrey  garden,  and  was  also  quite 
hardy  and  vigorous  in  Mr  F.Lubbock's 
garden  in  Kent.  It  thrives  in  a  shel- 
tered nook  and  in  peaty  soil. 

HYPOXIS.  —  Low-growing  plants, 
mostly  natives  of  S.  Africa.  They 
have  grassy  foliage  and  yellow  flowers, 
are  tender,  but  are  sometimes  planted 
out  in  summer,  in  light,  sandy  soil,  in 
warm  borders.  The  kinds  grown  are 
erecta,  elegans,  stellata,  and  villosa.. 

HYSSOPUS  OFFICINALIS  (Hyssop). 
— A  little  pot  herb  which  has  some 
beauty  grown  on  a  rock  or  wall,  and  is 
worth  a  place  apart  from  its  use  in  the 
herb  border.  S.  Europe. 

IBERIS  ( Candytuft)  .—Valuable 
hardy  perennials  and  annuals,  the 
perennials  somewhat  shrubby  and 
evergreen,  and  precious  as  rock  .garden, 
border,  and  margining  plants  : — 

I.  CORIFOLIA. — A  dwarf  kind  3  or  4 
inches  high,  and  covered  with  small  white 
blooms  early  in  May.  Few  alpine  plants 
are  more  worthy  of  general  culture,  either 
in  the  rock  garden  or  the  mixed  border, 
for  the  front  of  which  it  is  well  suited. 
Easily  propagated  by  seeds  or  cuttings,  and 
thriving  best  in  light  sandy  soil.  Sicily. 


I.  coRRE-iEFOLiA  is  known  by  its  large 
leaves,  its  compact  heads  of  large  white 
flowers,  by  flowering  later  than  other 
common  white  kinds,  and  both  the  flowers 
and  the  corymb  are  larger  than  in  the 
other  species,  coming  into  beauty  about 
the  end  of  May,  when  the  other  kinds  are 
fading.  It  is  excellent  for  the  rock  garden, 
the  mixed  border,  and  is  well  suited  for 
the  margins  of  beds  of  shrubs.  Increased 
by  cuttings,  not  coming  true  from  seed. 

I.  GIBRALTARICA. — A  beautiful  plant, 
larger  in  all  its  parts  than  the  other  kinds, 
with  flowers  of  delicate  lilac  in  low  close 
heads,  in  spring  and  early  summer.  Its 
hardiness  is  doubtful,  and  it  should,  there- 
fore, be  planted  on  sunny  spots  in  the  rock 
garden  or  on  banks  in  light  soil,  and  win- 
tered in  frames.  Readily  increased  from 
seeds. 

I.  JUCUNDA. — Distinct,  growing  about 
2^  inches  high,  the  leaves  small,  the 
flowers  in  small  clusters,  flesh  colour, 
prettily  veined  with  rose  in  early  summer. 
It  does  not  possess  the  vigour  of  the  other 
evergreen  Iberises,  but  it  is  fitted  for 
grouping  with  dwarf  alpine  flowers  on 
warm  parts  of  the  rock  garden  in  well- 
drained  sandy  loam.  Syn.  /.  JEthionema. 


Iberis  jucu  nda . 

I.  PETR^A. — A  pretty  alpine  species, 
3  inches  high,  with  a  flat  cluster  of  white 
flowers,  relieved  in  the  centre  by  a  tinge 
of  red,  thriving  among  rock  plants  in  well- 
drained  spots  with  plenty  of  moisture. 

I.  SEMPERFLORENS. — A  shrubby  plant, 
with  dense  corymbs  of  white  flowers,  and 
not  suited  for  border  culture,  though 
hardy  enough  to  stand  our  winters  when 
grown  at  the  foot  of  a  south  wall  or  in  a 
very  sunny  corner  of  the  rock  garden. 
Under  those  favourable  conditions  it  forms 
a  pretty  evergreen  bush  in  bloom  nearly 
all  the  year.  Mediterranean  islands. 


IDESIA. 


THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER    GARDEN. 


ILEX. 


I.  SEMPERVIRENS.  —  The  commonest 
perennial  Candytuft,  half-shrubby,  dwarf, 
spreading,  evergreen,  and  perfectly  hardy, 
it  escapes  where  many  plants  are  destroyed 
by  cold  ;  and  in  April  and  May  its  neat 
tufts  of  dark  green  change  into  masses  of 
snowy  white.  Where  a  very  dwarf  ever- 
green edging  is  required  for  a  shrubbery, 
or  for  beds  of  shrubs,  it  is  one  of  the  best 
plants  known,  as  on  any  soil  it  quickly 
forms  spreading  masses  almost  as  low  as 
the  lawn-grass. 

I.  TENOREANA. — A  dwarf  kind,  with 
white  flowers,  changing  to  purple.  It  has 
not,  however,  the  hardiness  of  the  white 
kinds,  and  perishes  on  heavy  soils  in 
winter  ;  on  light  sandy  soils  in  the  rock 
garden  it  is  pretty.  It  is  easily  raised 
from  seed,  and  should  be  treated  as  a 
biennial.  S.  Italy. 

I.  UMBELLATA  (Annual  Candytuft). — 
This  and  its  ally  (I.  coronaria)  are  the 
hardy  annual  Candytufts.  They  are 
varied  in  colour,  and  are  among  the  most 
useful  of  annual  flowers.  They  may  be 
sown  at  all  seasons,  but,  as  in  the  case  of 
most  other  hardy*  annuals,  the  finest 
flowers  are  from  autumn-sown  plants, 
which  flower  from  May  to  July.  They 
like  a  rich  soil  and  plenty  of  room  to  flower 
freely.  There  are  a  great  number  of 
varieties,  differing  both  in  growth  and 
colour.  What  are  known  as  the  dwarf 
or  nana  strain  are  neat  and  dwarf  in 
growth,  are  abundant  bloomers  and  showy. 
/.  umbeUata  nana  rosea  and  alba  are  two  of 
the  most  distinct,  being  about  9  inches 
high  ;  the  dark  crimson,  carmine,  lilac, 
and  purple  sorts,  about  i  foot  high,  are 
also  fine.  The  Rocket  Candytuft  (/.  coro- 
naria) in  good  soil  grows  12  to  16  inches 
high,  with  pure  white  flowers  in  long  dense 
heads,  and  there  is  a  dwarf  variety  of  it 
(pumila),  4  to  6  inches  high,  forming 
spreading  tufts  i  foot  or  more  across.  The 
Giant  Snowflake  is  also  an  excellent 
variety.  These  Rocket  Candytufts  re- 
quire the  same  treatment  as  the  common 
varieties. 

IDESIA. —  /.  poly  car  pa  is  a  Japanese 
tree  of  recent  introduction.  It  has 
large  leaves,  bright  green  above,  and 
whitish  beneath.  The  flowers  form 
long,  drooping,  branched  racemes,  and 
are  fragrant.  The  colour  is  not  bril- 
liant, but  their  effect,  combined  with 
the  red  leaf  stalks,  the  varying  green 
of  the  leaves,  and  their  drooping  habit, 
is  good.  There  are  male  and  female 
forms,  and,  although  the  tree  may  be 
increased  by  cuttings,  it  is  better 
raised  from  seed. 

ILEX  (Holly}. — Beautiful  evergreen 
shrubs  of  northern  temperate  countries, 
of  which  the  most  precious  is  our 
own  native  Holly,  Ilex  aquifolium.  It 


would   be   difficult   to   exaggerate    the 
value    of    this    plant,    whether   as    an 
evergreen  tree,  as  the  best  of  all  fence- 
shelters  for  our  fields,  or  as  a  lovely 
ornament  of  our  gardens.     No   other 
shrub  known  to  us  may  be  so  often 
used  with  good  effect  near  the  house 
and  garden,  and  it  will  be  clear,  there- 
fore,   how  much  one  should   consider 
the  common  Holly  in  all  its  forms  and 
ways.     Valuable  as  many  varieties  are, 
probably   none   are   quite   so   good   as 
seedlings  of  the  common  kind.     Good 
seedling  plants  are  the  easiest  to  trans- 
plant and  establish.     The  ait  of  graft- 
ing— most   delusive    as    well    as    most 
curious    of    arts — should    be    carefully 
guarded    against    as    regards    Hollies. 
Hitherto  the  way  has  been  to  graft  the 
many  variegated  kinds  on  the  common 
Holly,  and  although  we  often  see  good 
results  in  that  way,  it  is  by  far  the  safer 
plan  to  insist  on  the  variegated  and 
curious  kinds  being  raised  from  layers 
or  cuttings.     It  will   perhaps   take   a 
long   time   to   recognise   the   immense 
superiority  of  own  root  plants,  but  if 
purchasers  inquire  for  and  insist  upon 
getting  them,  it  will  very  much  hasten 
progress.     Old  plants  grafted  are  ex- 
tremely difficult  to  move  with  safety, 
and,  generally,  Hollies  and  other  trees 
are  best  not  moved  when  old.     It  is  an 
expensive    and    troublesome    business, 
and  often   a   failure.     Young  healthy 
bushes,  seedling  or  layer,  will  in  a  few 
years  beat  old  grafted  trees — that  at 
least  is  my  experience.     Very  often  old 
specimens  from  the  nursery  live  for  a 
number  of  years,  but  their  appearance 
is   deplorable,    whereas   healthy,    well- 
grown  young  plants,  from  3  to  5  feet 
high,  when  transplanted  in  May,  are 
often    beautiful    from    the    first.     No 
doubt  healthy  seedling  plants  might  be 
transplanted    at    various    times,    but 
experience  has  proved  that  there  is  a 
distinct  gain  in  transplanting   Hollies 
in  May  ;    and  if  we  transplant  them 
carefully  at  that  time  we  shall  probably 
see  good  healthy  growth  the  same  year. 
As  regards  the  uses  of  the  Holly,  they 
are  so  many  in  the  garden  that  it  is 
difficult  even  to  generalise  them.     As 
shelter  in  bold  groups,  dividing  lines, 
hedges,    beautiful    effects    of   fruit   in 
autumn,  masses  of  evergreen  foliage, 
bright  glistening  colour  from  variegated 
kinds — variegation  in  the  Holly,  unlike 
other   shrubs,    being   quite    consistent 
with    health     and     beauty ;      elegant 
groups  of  the  most  beautiful  varieties — 
every  kind  of  delightful  use  may  be 
found  for  them  in  gardens, 


ILLICIUM.  THE  ENGLISH  FLOWER  GARDEN.      INCARVILLEA.        509 


According  to  the  late  Mr  Shirley 
Hibberd,  who  was  a  very  keen  observer 
of  the  Holly,  in  the  selection  of  varie- 
ties it  is  well  to  bear  in  mind  that  the 
variety  known  as  Scotica  answers  best 
of  any  plant  near  the  sea.  The  variety 
known  as  Hodgins's  is  the  most  free  in 
growth  in  a  town  garden,  being  less 
affected  by  smoke  than  most  others. 
The  most  fruitful  varieties  are  fcemina, 
glabra,  madeirensis,  balearica,  lutea, 
and  flava.  The  most  distinct  and 
beautiful  of  the  variegated  kinds  are 
Golden  Queen,  Silver  Queen,  Painted 
Lady,  Broad-leaved  Silver,  Gold  Milk- 
maid, Watereriana,  and  argentea  mar- 
ginata.  The  following  classification  of 
Hollies  is  in  relation  to  their  several 
characters  : — 

"  MALE-FLOWERING  HOLLIES. —  Cili- 
ata,  Heterophylla,  Latispina,  Lauri- 
folia,  Tortuosa,  Gold  Tortuosa,  Beetii, 
Cookii,  Gold  Cookii,  Cornuta,  Doning- 
tonensis,  Ferox,  Ferox  fol.  arg.,  Ferox 
aurea,  Foxii,  Furcata,  Ovata,  Picta 
marginata,  Golden  Queen,  Longifolia 
aurea,  Longifolia  argentea,  Watereri- 
ana, Gold  Few  -  spined,  Silver  Queen, 
Shepherdii. 

"  FEMALE  -  FLOWERING  HOLLIES.  — 
Angustifolia,  Angustifolia  aurea  pen- 
dula,  Angustifolia  medio  picta  pen- 
dula,  Balearica,  Broad  leaf,  Dark 
shoot,  Fisherii,  Flavo  fructo  aurea, 
Fcemina,  Golden  Milkmaid,  Glabra, 
Hands worthiana,  Silver  Handsworthi- 
ana,  Heterophylla,  Hodginsii,  Latifolia 
argentea,  Latifolia  aurea,  Lutea, 
Mme.  Briot,  Madeirensis,  Madeirensis 
nigrescens,  Madeirensis  variegata  Myrti- 
folia,  Milkmaid,  red  berry  ;  Milkmaid, 
yellow  berry;  Moonlight,  Perry's  Weep- 
ing, Picta  aurea,  Platyphylla,  Scotica, 
Watereriana,  Weeping. 

"  HERMAPHRODITE-FLOWERING  HOL- 
LIES.— Shepherdii,  Smithiana,  Silver 
Queen,  Heterophylla,  Hodginsii,  Lauri- 
folia,  Handsworthiana,  Lutea,  Flava, 
Scotica,  Balearica,  Rotundifolia." 

By  far  the  best  of  all  known  Hollies 
is  our  native  Holly,  but  there  are 
Japanese  and  American  kinds  worth 
growing,  such  as  Ilex  crenata  and  the 
fine  /.  latifolia,  which  requires  our 
most  temperate  districts  to  thrive. 

ILLICIUM.  (Anise  Tree). — A  half- 
hardy  evergreen  shrub  from  the 
Southern  States  of  N.  America,  I.  flo- 
ridanum  bearing  fragrant  flowers  of  a 
deep  red.  7.  religiosum,  also  known 
as  7.  anisatum,  from  China  and  Japan, 
with  pale  yellow  flowers,  is  also  inter- 


esting, and  may  be  grown  against 
walls  or  as  bushes  in  warm  places. 

IMPATIENS  (Balsam).— The  species 
of  Impatiens  that  thrive  in  the  open 
air  are  all  annual  and  hardy,  and  sow 
themselves  freely  where  they  get  a 
chance.  The  best  are — the  common 
7.  glandulifera,  which  attains  a  height 
of  4  to  6  feet,  and  bears  numerous 
flowers,  varying  in  colour  from  white 
to  rose.  It  will  soon  take  possession 
of  the  shrubbery  if  not  checked  ;  and 
it  is  seen  to  advantage  in  cottage 
gardens.  7.  longicornu  is  beautiful 
and  has  the  same  habit  as  glandulifera, 
but  the  lower  part  of  its  helmet-shaped 
flowers  is  bright  yellow,  marked  by 
transverse  lines  of  dark  brown,  while 
the  upper  part  is  rose  colour.  7. 
Roylei  is  much  dwarfer  than  the 
preceding,  and  has  blossoms  of  a  deep 
rose.  7.  cristata  has  light  rose-coloured 
blossoms. 

I.  BALSAMINA  (Garden  Balsam)  may 
be  grown  in  the  open  air  in  warm  valleys, 
and  makes  a  pretty  display  in  warm  places. 
The  plants  should  be  raised  in  a  frame  and 
transplanted .  Soil  which  is  too  rich  should 
be  avoided  ;  but  soil  manured  for  a  pre- 
vious crop,  and  which  has  been  well  pul- 
verised by  forking,  gives  the  finest  flowers 
and  a  less  sappy  growth.  Suitable  for  a 
limited  area  in  the  south  only. 

IMPERATA     SACCHARIFLORA.— 

A  hardy  Grass,  from  the  Amoor,  with 
graceful  foliage,  forming  a  tuft,  about 
3  feet  high,  that  throws  up  numerous 
flower-spikes,  about  5  feet  in  height, 
bearing  silvery  plumes  of  flowers.  The 
leaves  are  of  a  lively  green,  with  a 
broad  white  stripe  down  the  mid-rib. 

INCARVILLEA  (PERENNIAL  TRUM- 
PET FLOWERS). — Among  the  most  dis- 
tinct and  handsome  plants  of  recent 
introduction.  All  are  perennials,  some- 
times with  a  fleshy  root  and  soft  tissues, 
in  others  woody  and  sub-shrubby  in 
character.  Their  flowers  are  large, 
handsome  and  trumpet-shaped.  They 
thrive  best  in  warm  soils,  deep  and 
rich  to  favour  their  strong  roots,  and 
well  drained  to  preserve  them  from 
stagnant  moisture  in  winter. 

I.  BREVISCAPA.- — A  rather  dwarf,  hardy 
and  good  kind,  which  often  succeeds  where 
other  kinds  perish.  Rock  garden  in 
ordinary  soil. 

I.  COMPACTA  (Dwarf  Trumpet  Flower). 
— This  is  a  shy  bloomer,  bearing  upon  short 
stalks,  hardly  rising  above  the  leaves, 
clusters  of  deep  pink  flowers,  funnel- 
shaped,  and  about  2^  inches  long.  It  is 
found  in  forms  with  stalks  of  various 
lengths,  but  is  usually  of  compact  habit. 


5io         iNDicofrERA.         THE  ENGLISH  FLOWER  GARDEN.        IONOPSIDIUM. 


I.  DELAVAYI  (Delavay's  Trumpet 
Flower). — Vigorous  and  handsome  per- 
ennial, flowering  in  the  second  year  from 
seed  sown  in  April.  The  dark  green 
leaves  vary  in  length,  and  often  reach 
2  feet  long,  and  are  finely  cut,  fleshy,  and 
of  a  peculiar  odour  when  handled.  In 
cold  districts  the  fleshy  root  may  be  lifted 
and  stored  like  a  Dahlia,  but  must  be 
covered  with  soil  and  not  allowed  to  dry. 
Well  planted,  the  tubers  gain  force  each 
season,  forming  at  last  masses  of  five 
or  six  flower-stems  of  about  a  yard  high, 
with  ten  to  fifteen  trumpet-shaped  flowers 
in  a  cluster,  the  lower  ones  drooping 
loosely  from  the  central  mass. 

I.  GRANDIFLORA. — Of  this  the  flowers  are 
larger  than  those  of  /.  Delavayi,  and  the 
habit  of  the  plant  is  dwarfer,  with  shorter 
leaves  and  rounded  leaflets,  while  it 
blooms,  about  a  fortnight  earlier.  Its 
root,  large  and  fleshy,  is  less  tuberous, 
throwing  a  scanty  rosette  of  leaves  rather 
more  than  a  foot  long,  of  deep  shining 
green,  and  in  young  plants  prostrate, 
arching  when  older.  On  a  strong  mature 
plant  they  are  nearly  4  inches  across  and 
2  to  3  inches  deep  in  the  tube,  the  limb 
being  divided  into  four  broad  lobes  of 
soft  rosy-carmine,  deepening  towards  the 
yellow  tube,  and  relieved  by  handsome 
white  blotches  in  the  throat.  It  is  easily 
raised  and  grown  from  seed  in  rich,  free 
soil ;  seedlings  take  three  or  four  years 
to  flower. 

I.  OLG^E  (Princess*  Trumpet  Flower). 
— A  handsome  perennial  of  shrubby  habit, 
and  hardy  in  all  but  cold  districts.  Its 
pretty  cut  leaves  are  borne  upon  long, 
straggling  stems  of  4  or  5  feet,  which 
rather  spoil  its  beauty.  The  tubular 
flowers,  about  an  inch  long  and  wide, 
are  of  a  pretty  pale  pink,  borne  in 
loose  clusters  upon  very  short  stalks 
during  summer.  Turkestan. 

I.  VARIABILIS  (Fern-leaved  Trumpet 
Flower). — A  shrubby  perennial  of  fine 
habit,  hardy  in  light,  warm  soils,  and  in 
mild  districts.  The  flowers,  borne  upon 
stems  of  about  2  feet,  are  an  inch  long  and 
of  a  beautiful  light  rose,  with  finely-cut 
foliage  of  vivid  green.  It  is  beautiful  for 
several  weeks  during  late  summer  and 
early  autumn. 

INDIGOFERA.— Elegant  shrubs  of 
medium  or  dwarf  stature,  so  far  as 
known  with  us,  natives  of  China  and 
Japan.  Very  little  is  known  of  their 
garden  value,  though  occasionally  seen 
as  wall  plants  in  mild  districts.  /. 
Gerardiana  is  a  pretty  plant  which 
may  be  grown  as  a  bush  or  against 
a  wall,  which  it  clothes  gracefully  with 
feathery  leaves,  towards  the  close  of 
summer,  bearing  small  Pea-like  bright 
pink  blooms.  In  certain  districts  it 
may  be  well  to  give  it  protection  in  cold 
winters  if  not  against  a  wall,  and  the 


only  attention  it  requires  is  close 
pruning  in  early  winter.  The  kinds 
in  cultivation — some  rare — are  /.  Bun- 
geana,  decora,  decora  alba,  Delavayi, 
Dosua,  Dosua  minor,  Gerardiana,  Gerar- 
diana alba,  hebepetala,  Kirilowii,  macro- 
stachya,  pendula,  reticulata,  Roy  lei. 
For  treatment  we  can  only  say  warm 
walls  or  sunny  positions  in  open  well- 
drained  soils. 

INULA. — Perennials,  few  of  which 
are  of  high  value  for  the  garden.  I. 
Helenium  (Elecampane],  a  vigorous 
British  plant,  3  or  4  feet  high,  with  a 
stout  stem,  large  leaves,  and  yellow 


In  it  la  gla.  n  du  losa . 

flowers,  is  well  suited  for  planting 
with  other  large-leaved  plants,  or  in 
isolated  specimens  on  rough  slopes  or 
wild  places,  in  good  soil.  /.  Ocitlus 
Christi  grows  i|  to  2  feet  high,  and 
bears  orange  flowers  in  summer.  /. 
salicina,  montana,  and  glandulosa  are 
similar.  Royleana,  macracephala,  gran- 
diflora — the  finest  kind,  and  its  varie- 
ties under  various  names.  Seed  or 
division. 

IONOPSIDIUM  (Violet  Cress}.—  !, 
acaule  is  a  charming  little  Portuguese 
annual  about  2  inches  high,  whose 
dense  tufts  of  violet  flowers  spring  up 
freely  where  plants  of  it  have  existed 
the  pievious  season.  On  the  rock 
garden,  associated  with  even  the 
choicest  of  alpine  plants,  it  holds  its 
own  as  regards  beauty,  never  overruns 
its  neighbours,  and  is  often  happy  sown 
near  pathways  or  rugged  steps,  growing 
freely  in  such  places  ;  indeed,  it  would 
even  flourish  on  a  gravel  walk.  It 


IPOM^A. 


THE  ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 


IRIS. 


flowers  a  couple  of  months  after  sowing. 
Portugal  and  Morocco. 

IP01OEA  (Morning  Glory]  .—Beau- 
tiful, slender,  twining  plants  of  the 
Convolvulus  family,  for  the  most  part 
tropical.  A  few  succeed  in  the  open 
air  when  treated  as  half-hardy  annuals. 
The  most  popular  of  these  is  : — 

I.  PURPUREA  (Convolvulus  major). — Its 
varieties  are  numerous  ;  there  are  white, 
rose,  and  deep  violet  varieties,  while 
Burbidgei  is  crimson,  Dicksoni  deep  blue, 
and  tricolor  striped  with  red,  white,  and 
blue.  This  beautiful  though  common 
plant  may  be  used  for  the  open  border, 
for  festooning  branches,  for  covering 
arbours,  trellises,  and  the  like,  or  for 
rambling  over  shrubs,  growing  freely  in 
any  good  ordinary  garden  soil.  Seeds 
should  be  sown  in  heat  in  early  spring, 
and  the  seedlings  transplanted  in  May  as 
soon  as  large  enough.  In  the  south  seed 
may  be  sown  at  once  in  the  open  border. 
Tropical  America. 

I.  HEDERACEA  (Ivy-leaved  Morning 
Glory). — Is  somewhat  similar,  but  has 
lobed  leaves  like  Ivy.  Its  flowers,  too, 
are  smaller,  of  a  deep  blue  striped  with 
red.  The  varieties  grandiflora  (light  blue), 
superba  (light  blue,  bordered  with  white), 
and  atvoviolacea  (dark  violet  and  white) 
are  all  worth  cultivating,  and  Japanese 
variety.  Seeds  may  be  sown  in  the  open 
border  in  April,  in  light  rich  soil,  where  it 
will  flower  from  July  to  September. 
N.  America.  Other  kinds  of  Ipom&a  for 
open-air  culture  are  /.  rubroccerulea,  a  half- 
hardy  annual,  and  I.  leptophylla,  a  hardy 
perennial  from  N.  America. 

IPOMOPSIS.  —  Graceful  biennials 
from  California,  thriving  in  light,  dry, 
and  warm  soils  in  the  milder  districts. 
There  are  three  kinds  ;  each  forms  a 
tuft  of  finely-cut  feathery  foliage,  and 
has  slender  flower  spikes  from  2  to 
3  feet  high,  thickly  set  with  flowers 
that  open  in  succession.  In  I.  elegans 
the  flowers  are  scarlet  and  thickly 
spotted,  and  in  I.  superba  they  are 
much  the  same,  while  in  the  rosea 
variety  they  are  a  deep  pink.  The 
seeds  should  be  sown  in  spring  in  pots 
in  the  open  border  in  ordinary  soil. 
During  the  first  year  the  plants  make 
growth,  and  early  the  following  sum- 
mer they  flower.  If  planted  out  to 
stand  the  winter,  it  is  advisable  to 
give  a  little  protection.  Other  kinds 
mentioned  in  catalogues  belong  to 
Gilia,  of  which  Ipomopsis  is  really  a 
synonym.  On  light  soils  early  autumn- 
sowing  should  be  tried.  These  plants 
are  very  seldom  well  grown. 


IRESINE. — Dwarf  half-hardy  plants, 
remarkable  for  their  foliage,  and  much 
misused  in  the  flower  garden.  /. 
Herbsli  grows  from  i  to  2  feet  high, 
and  has  crimson  stems  and  rich  car- 
mine-veined foliage,  the  brilliancy  of 
which  continues  until  late  in  autumn, 
and  is  more  effective  in  wet  than  in 
hot  dry  seasons.  Lindeni  has  more 
pointed  leaves,  a  deep  blood-red  colour, 
is  compact  and  graceful,  and  bears 
pinching  back  and  pegging  down  to 
any  height. 

IRIS  (Flag}. —Beautiful  bulbous  or 
tuberous  plants  numerous  in  kind  and 
wonderfully  varied  in  beauty.  The 
plants  are  for  the  most  part  hardy, 
and  have  much  diversity  of  habit  and 
colour,  varying  in  height  from  a  few 
inches  to  6  feet.  They  may  be  con- 
veniently divided  into  two  classes — 
those  with  bulbous  roots,  which  are  now 
called  Xiphions,  and  those  (the  greatest 
number)  with  creeping  stems.  In 
treating  of  culture  it  is  well  to  consider 
these  separately.  The  bulbous  kinds 
should  have  a  warm  and  sheltered 
situation,  such  as  the  protection  of  a 
south  wall,  and  succeed  in  almost  any 
light  garden  soil,  but  prefer  one  that  is 
friable,  and  sandy,  not  too  poor,  but 
enriched  with  rotten  leaf  -  mould  and 
manure.  Sun  they  must  have,  and 
the  shelter  must  be  without  shade. 
They  need  an  autumn  drought  to  ripen, 
and  a  dry  soil  in  winter  to  preserve 
the  bulbs  and  keep  them  at  rest ; 
but  in  spring,  when  the  leaves  are 
pushing  up,  they  love  moderate  rain. 
These  observations  apply  to  the  Span- 
ish and  English  Irises  as  well  as  the 
rarer  bulbous  kinds. 

The  more  vigorous  kinds  are  suited 
for  planting  among  large  shrubs,  which 
ought  to  be  wider  apart  than  they 
generally  are  in  shrubberies  ;  and  may 
be  employed  in  groups  near  water,  and 
also  on  mixed  borders  and  beds.  The 
flowering  season  of  the  Iris  extends 
over  the  greater  part  of  the  year. 
The  following  selection  of  the  more 
important  kinds  for  our  gardens  is 
arranged  in  alphabetical  order  for  con- 
venience of  reference  : — 

I.  ALATA  (Scorpion  Iris). — A  beautiful 
bulbous  kind  with  fine  large  blossoms,  the 
ground  colour  delicate  lilac-blue,  with 
showy  blotches  of  bright  yellow,  copiously 
spotted  with  a  darker  hue.  The  foliage, 
which  appears  with  the  flowers,  much 
resembles  that  of  a  Leek.  It  is  easy  to 
grow  on  a  warm,  dry,  sunny  border ; 
planted  in  autumn  in  ordinary  garden 
soil. 


512 


IRIS. 


TH£  ENGLISH  FLOWER  GARDEN. 


IRIS. 


I.  ASIATICA  (Asiatic  Flag). — Allied  to 
the  German  Iris,  but  the  handsome  flowers 
are  much  larger,  the  lip  especially  being 
very  long  and  broad  ;  its  colour  is  a  very 
fine  pale  purplish-blue,  the  standards  a 
little  paler  than  the  falls.  A  good  border 
kind. 


Iris  asiatica. 

I.  ATRO-PURPUREA. — This  Iris  may  be 
considered  as  coming  within  the  iberica 
group,  as  the  foliage  is  not  unlike  that 
kind,  and  the  stem,  though  always  of  some 
length,  never  rises  very  high.  The  flower 
is  somewhat  small,  and  for  the  most  part 
of  deep  purple  colouring. 

I.  AUREA  (Golden  Flag). — A  lovely  tall 
plant,  with  yellow  flowers  of  great  beauty, 
hardy  in  the  coldest  soils.  It  does  well 
among  shrubs  or  in  borders  of  the  best 
perennials,  and  groups  of  it  so  placed  are 
very  handsome.  It  is  one  of  the  kinds 
that  may  be  grouped  with  good  effect 
near  water,  though  it  thrives  in  moist 
borders.  Division  and  seed.  Himalayas. 

I.  BAKERIANA. — This  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  of  the  spring-flowering  Irises. 
The  flowers  remind  one  of  those  of  the 
netted  Iris.  The  colouring  varies,  the 
yellow  streak  on  the  fall,  which  is  con- 
spicuous in  some  of  the  forms,  being  almost 


entirely  absent  in  others  ;  the  size  and 
number  of  the  violet  spots  and  the  breadth 
of  the  rich  violet  edging,  as  well  as  the 
size  and  brilliancy  of  their  tints,  vary  in 
individual  flowers.  Armenia. 

I.  BARNUM^;. — This  Iris,  a  native  of  the 
hills  of  Kurdistan,  belongs  to  the  iberica 
group.  The  flower  is  smaller  than  that  of 
that  Flag,  and  both  falls  and  standards 
are  vinous  red-purple  marked  with  darker 
veins,  the  standard  being  lighter  in  colour 
than  the  fall,  and  its  veins  more  conspicu- 
ous. There  is  a  yellow  variety  described 
by  Prof.  Foster  as  "an  exceedingly 
charming  plant,"  and  fragrant,  the  odour 
not  being  unlike  the  Lily-of-the-Valley. 

I.  BIFLORA. — A  handsome  Flag,  9  to 
15  inches  high,  bearing  large  violet  flowers 
on  stout  stems.  Similar  to  it  are  I.  sub- 
biflora  and  /.  nudicaulis,  which  is  one  of 
the  best  of  the  dwarf  Flags,  from  4  to 
ip  inches  high  ;  its  flowers  large,  of  a  rich 
violet-blue,  four  to  seven  on  a  stem  in 
early  summer. 

I.  CRISTATA  (Dwarf-crested  Iris)  is  a 
charming  dwarf  Flag,  flowering  in  spring 
and  also  in  autumn,  delicate  blue  and 


Iris  cristata. 


richly  marked.  A  fragile  plant,  4  to  6 
inches  high,  with  broad  leaves,  it  throws 
out  long  slender  rhizomes,  wholly  above 
ground,  and  thrives  in  sandy  earth,  in 
borders,  or  on  the  rock  garden. 

I.  FLORENTINA  (Florentine  Flag). — Its 
large  delicate  flowers  are  nearly  6  inches 
deep,  faintly  tinged  with  blue,  the  falls 
veined  with  yellow,  and  green,  at  the  base, 


THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 


IRIS. 


513 


with  an  orange-yellow  beard,  whilst  the 
broad  leaves  are  rich  dark  green.  A  native 
of  S.  Europe,  flowering  during  May  and 
June.  The  variety  albicans  is  almost  pure 
white. 

I.  FCETIDISSIMA  (Gladwin). — A  British 
plant,  i^  to  2  feet  high,  with  bluish  flowers. 
There  is  a  variety  with  variegated  leaves. 
The  common  green  form  is  worth  growing 
in  rough  grassy  places  for  its  brilliant  coral- 
red  seeds. 


Iris  faetldissinia  (Glad  win). 

.  I.  GATESI. — A  handsome  Flag  from 
Armenia,  and  very  near  to  susiana,  but 
the  rhizome  is  more  compact,  and  the 
foliage  smaller,  .shorter,  and  narrower. 
The  stem  is  taller,  i£  feet  or  even  2  feet, 
and  the  flower,  when  well  grown,  larger. 
The  prevailing  colour  of  the  specimens  so 
far  cultivated  is,  when  seen  at  a  distance, 
a  soft  delicate  grey,  brought  about  by 
very  thin  clear  veins  and  minute  dots  or 
points  of  purple  on  a  creamy-white  ground. 
I.  GERMANIC  A  (Common  German  Flag). 
• — The  best-known  Flag  and  one  of  the 
few  plants  that  succeed  well  in  London. 
/.  nepalensis  is  a  charming  form  from 
India,  with  flowers  from  5  to  6  inches 
long,  the  standards  rich  dark  violet-purple, 
the  falls  intense  violet,  striped  white  and 
purple  at  the  base,  with  yellow  and  reddish 
markings.  It  flowers  during  May  and 
June,  and  may  be  increased  quickly.  The 
•German  Flags  flourish  in  ordinary  garden, 
•dry  gravelly  soil,  or  sandy  banks.  A  good 
selection  of  varieties  of  the  German  Iris, 
all  good  garden  flowers,  would  be  com- 
posed oiAtro-purpurea,  Aurea,  Bridesmaid, 
Calypso,  Celeste,  Gracchus,  Mme.  Chereau, 
Mrs  H.  Darwin,  Queen  of  May,  Rigolette, 
Victorine,  and  George  Thorbeck. 


IRIS  (June  -  flowering  or  Bearded). — 
These  are  the  noblest  of  a  great  race  : 
moderns  for  which  gardeners  are  indebted 
to  enthusiasts  like  the  late  Professor 
Foster  and  Mr  Bliss,  who,  happily,  is  still 
continuing  the  good  work.  In  vigour, 
branching  habit,  freedom  of  flowering, 
stature,  and  fine  presence,  they  are  im- 
measurably superior  to  the  older  sorts  ; 
giants  many  of  them,  and  of  beauty 
unknown  till  recent  years.  In  cultiva- 
tion they  ask  for  nothing  more  than  a 
sunny  garden  or  position,  while  revelling 
in  light  sandy  or  calcareous  loam  ;  indeed, 
in  common  with  all  the  Flag  Iris,  they 
much  appreciate  a  limy  soil.  March- 
April  and  September-October  are  the  best 
planting  seasons  in  the  order  given.  In 
planting  keep  the  rhizomes  quite  near  the 
surface.  The  following  is  a  selection  of 
them  : — Alcazar — a  giant  in  flower  and 
growth,  bluish  violet  and  purple — Azure  ; 
magnificent  and  free,  and  a  most  effective 
garden  plant ;  Black  Prince  ;  Clematis — 
well  named,  giving  an  /.  Kcempferi  effect ; 
Crusader — noblest  of  Irises  and  the  bluest 
of  the  blues  ;  Dominion — a  Black  Prince 
glorified  :  quite  unique,  as  is  also  the 
price,  five  guineas  being  asked  for  a  plant ; 
E.  H.  Jenkins — a  great  Iris  in  lavender 
and  allied  shades,  branching  to  the  ground  ; 
Eldorado — yellow,  bronze,  and  helio- 
trope ;  Miranda — big  deep  blue  self, 
early ;  Knysna — crimson  and  gold,  abso- 
lutely unique,  late  ;  Lady  Foster,  Lord 
of  June — two  of  the  best  in  violet  and 
blue  ;  Phyllis  Bliss — a  great  Iris  with  rosy 
lilac  flowers  of  extremely  handsome  pro- 
portions ;  Prosper  Langier — a  notable  in 
smoky  bronze  and  rich  crimson  ;  Rosalind 
— a  rosy  pallida,  very  free  ;  Sweet  Laven- 
der— lavender  and  blue  ;  and  Shelford 
Giant — bright  blue  and  violet. 

I.  GRACILIPES. — Unique  species  from 
Japan,  virtually  a  miniature  of  the  roof 
Iris  (/.  tectofum).  The  grassy  leaf  tufts 
reach  dinner-plate  dimensions,  and  yield 
numerous  pretty  fringed  flowers  of  lilac 
hue  with  rich  orange  centres.  A  gem  for 
the  rock  garden  or  choice  border.  Quite 
easy  in  sandy  loam. 

I.  HELDREICHI. — A  beautiful  bulbous 
species  allied  to  I.  persica,  and  first  known 
as  /.  stenophylla.  Native  of  the  Cilician 
Taurus,  and  attaining  4  to  6  inches  high. 
It  flowers  in  February  and  March,  the 
flowers,  which  have  an  exceptional  ex- 
panse, being  of  lavender-blue  colour,  and 
characterised  by  a  large  triangular  dark 
velvety-blue  blotch  on  the  falls.  A  gem 
for  the  cold  greenhouse.  Rich  sandy 
loam. 

I.  HISTRIO. — This  beautiful  bulbous  Iris, 
when  peeping  through  the  ground  in 
winter  or  early  spring,  reminds  one  of 
/.  reticulata,  but  it  is  rather  taller,  and  its 
sweetly-scented  flowers  are  broader  and 
more  conspicuously  spotted  or  blotched, 
the  colour  being  rich  bluish-purple,  flushed 

2  K 


IRIS. 


THE  ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 


IRIS. 


towards  the  base  of  the  petals  with  rose- 
pink,  whilst  the  markings  are  of  the  deep- 
est purple,  relieved  by  a  crest  of  gold. 
Syria. 

I.  HISTRIOIDES. — One  of  the  most 
charming  of  the  spring  flowering  bulbous 
Irises.  Though  it  has  only  been  in  culti- 
vation a  few  years,  it  has  proved  of  easy 
culture.  The  flowers  are  larger  than  those 
of  any  of  the  group,  the  falls  mottled  with 
white  and  rich  lilac  both  on  the  claw  and 
on  the  broad  rounded  blade.  It  is  a  native 
of  E.  Anatolia,  and  blooms  in  early  March. 

I.  IBERICA  (Iberian  Flag). — One  of  the 
most  singular  of  Iris.  The  flowers  are 
large,  the  standards  white,  pencilled  and 
spotted  with  purple  or  violet,  while  the 
falls  are  veined  with  dark  purple  or  purple- 
black  on  a  yellowish  ground,  with  a  con- 
spicuous dark  blotch  in  the  centre.  The 
rhizome  should  not  be  planted  deep,  but 
only  just  below  the  surface,  as  in  most  cases 
the  roots  perish  when  planted  deeply. 
Coarse  river  sand  should  be  used,  the 
rhizome  being  planted  completely  in  it, 
and  by  this  means  it  is  kept  rather  dry 
during  the  winter.  Dry  borders  or  on  the 
rock  garden. 


Iris  iberica* 


I.  JUNCEA  (Rush-leaved  Flag). — A  lovely 
bulbous  Iris,  graceful  in  habit  and  with 
bright  yellow  flowers  of  a  delightful 
fragrance,  whilst  it  can  be  grown  almost 
as  easily  as  the  English  Irises.  It  requires 
a  light,  rich,  deep  soil,  and  will  be  all  the 
better  if  planted  where  it  can  be  kept 
fairly  dry  during  winter.  Spain. 

I.  K^EMPFERI  (Japanese  Flag). — The 
many  varieties  in  cultivation  under  this 
name  have  sprung  from  /.  Icevigata  and 
/.  setosa,  and  form  a  fine  race  of  garden 
plants,  whilst  every  year  many  beautiful 
sorts  are  added,  chiefly  from  Japan,  though 
many  seedlings  have  been  raised  in  this 
country.  The  flowers  are  variable  in  size 


and  colour,  some  measuring  as  much  as 
9  and  10  inches  across.  The  varieties  of 
/.  setosa  differ  from  those  of  /.  lesvigata  in 
having  broader  and  less-drooping  petals, 
and  the  three  inner  petals  are  often  of  the 
same  size  as  the  outer,  so  that  the  flower 
is  symmetrical.  /.  Kcempferi  will  grow  in 
almost  any  soil,  but  is  best  in  a  good  loam, 
with  peat  added  to  it,  though  this  is  not 
so  much  for  nourishment  as  to  retain 
moisture  during  the  hot  and  dry  summer 
months,  for  this  Flag  likes  moisture,  and 
its  numerous  roots  will  often  go  2  feet 
deep  in  search  of  it.  It  dislikes  shade, 
preferring  a  warm  sunny  position,  being 
especially  happy  when  planted  by  the 
margin  of  a  lake,  pond,  or  stream,  where 
cooling  conditions  obtain,  but  where  the 
roots  or  crowns  are  not  submerged.  Two- 
year-old  seedling  plants  of  it  bloom  in 
June  and  July,  and  amongst  them  will  be 
found  an  endless  variety  of  colours  from 
white  to  the  richest  plum,  the  deep  blues 
being  very  rich.  In  cultivation  they  pre- 
fer a  generous  treatment,  rich  loam  and 
old  manure  suiting  them.  Plant  Sep- 
tember to  November  and  March  to  early 
April.  When  transplanted  this  moisture- 
loving  Flag  does  not  bloom  well  until  the 
second  season  after  planting.  Division, 
or  seeds,  which  should  be  sown  as  soon  as 
gathered  either  in  pots  or  in  the  open 
ground,  they  will  vegetate  in  the  following 
spring. 

I.  KOLPAKOWSKIANA. — An  ally  of  /. 
reticulata,  perfectly  hardy  and  flowering 
about  the  same  time,  and  effective  in 
groups.  The  chief  difference  from  the 
netted  Iris  is  in  the  bulb  and  leaves,  which 
are  narrow,  linear,  deeply  channelled  on 
the  inner  face,  with  a  central  band  or  rib 
like  a  Crocus  leaf,  and  pale  green  without 
the  glaucous  tint  usual  to  this  group. 
The  falls  are  deep  violet-purple,  with  a 
beardless  bright  yellow  keel,  from  which 
are  purplish  branchings,  whilst  the  stan- 
dards are  pale  self-lilac  with  creamy 
anthers.  Turkestan. 

I.  KOROLKOWI. — Of  this  the  leaves  are 
tall,  narrow,  and  upright,  the  scape,  which 
is  about  i  foot  or  so  high,  bearing  two 
large  flowers  of  delicate  shades  of  grey 
and  brown,  and  beautifully  veined.  Warm 
and  dry  spots  on  the  rock  garden. 

I.  LACUSTRIS  (Dwarf  Lake  Iris). — A 
dainty,  quite  hardy  Iris,  with  beautiful 
sky-blue  flowers  in  spring  and  again  in 
the  autumn.  It  belongs  to  the  rhizoma- 
tose  group,  is  free  both  in  growth  and 
bloom,  and  succeeds  in  full  sun  and  in 
sandy  soil.  N.  America. 

I.  LORTETI. — In  general  features  it  is 
near  to  /.  Sari,  but  its  wonderful  colouring 
makes  it,  perhaps,  the  most  beautiful  Iris 
in  the  world.  "  In  a  plant  flowered  by 
myself  this  summer  (1893),"  writes  Prof. 
Foster,  "  the  falls  showed  a  creamy-yellow 
ground  marked  with  crimson  spots,  con- 
centrated at  the  centre  into  a  dark  crimson 


IRIS. 


THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 


IRIS. 


515 


signal,  while  the  standards  were  nearly 
pure  white,  marked  with  very  thin  violet 
veins,  hardly  visible  at  a  distance." 
Lebanon. 

I.  MARINE. — Belongs  to  the  iberica 
group,  and  was  discovered  on  the  confines 
of  Egypt  and  Palestine.  The  rhizome  is 
compact,  rather  slender,  the  foliage  being 
not  unlike  that  of  iberica,  but  narrower. 
The  flowers,  on  a  stem  of  about  6  inches 
high,  are  somewhat  smaller  than  /.  iberica, 
of  a  uniform  lilac  colour,  though  marked 
with  veins,  but  the  uniformity  is  broken 
by  a  conspicuous  "  signal  "  patch  of  deep 
purple  on  the  fall. 

I.  MEDIA. — Native  of  Persia,  and  has  a 
small,  slender,  and  compact  rhizome. 
The  leaves  are  narrower  than  /.  iberica, 
and  for  the  most  part  erect,  the  stem  being 
about  6  inches  in  length,  more  or  less,  but 
it  seems  to  vary  a  good  deal.  The  fall, 
which  spreads  horizontally,  is  narrow  and 
pointed,  the  blade  being  sharply  curved 
back  on  itself. 

I.  MISSOURIENSIS  (Missouri  Flag). — A 
Rocky  Mountain  kind,  graceful,  and  with 
delicate  purplish-blue  flowers,  which  are 
valuable  to  cut  in  the  month  of  May.  It 
grows  well  in  a  border  of  good  soil. 

I.  MONNIERI. — A  noble  Flag,  distinct 
from  any  other  in  cultivation,  the  leaves 
being  dark  green,  and  the  flower-stem 
nearly  4  feet  high,  whilst  the  outer  divi- 
sions of  the  flowers,  which  are  very  fra- 
grant, are  recurved,  and  of  a  rich  golden- 
yellow,  margined  with  white.  It  is  a 
native  of  Crete,  and  succeeds  best  in  rather 
moist  soil,  whilst  increased  easily  by 
division  or  seed. 

I.  NEGLECTA. — One  of  the  tallest  grow- 
ing species,  having  given  rise  to  numerous 
garden  varieties.  Its  flowers  rarely 
measure  more  than  2^  inches  across,  the 
standards  being  of  a  pale  blue,  with  darker 
shading,  and  the  much  reflexed  falls  are 
of  a  deep  blue,  veined  with  purplish-red  ; 
the  crest  or  beard  is  bright  yellow,  and 
very  striking. 

I.  OCHROLEUCA  (Yellow-banded  Flag). — 
A  stately  vigorous  Flag  and  an  old  plant 
in  our  gardens,  the  foliage  slender,  about 
4  feet  long,  and  coming  up  in  a  graceful 
twist.  The  spikes  usually  bear  four  or 
five  flowers,  white  or  nearly  so,  with  large 
yellow  blotch  on  the  fall,  and  some  reach 
nearly  6  feet  in  height,  strong  clumps 
producing  four  or  five.  Few  Flags  will 
thrive  better  in  the  shrubbery  border. 
There  is  a  variety  called  gigantea,  which 
has  larger  and  finer  flowers. 

I.  ORCHIOIDES. — Distinct  in  its  rich, 
dark  yellow  blossoms,  with  black  spots  on 
the  lower  petals  and  a  vigorous  leafy 
growth.  It  is  a  profuse  flowering  kind, 
often  bearing  as  many  as  six  blossoms  on 
a  single  spike.  It  is  a  tuberous-rooted 
species,  hardy  and  free  at  least  on  warm 
soils. 


I.  PALLIDA  (Great  Purple  Flag). — One 
of  the  stateliest  and  most  beautiful  of 
Flags.  When  in  full  vigour,  the  spikes 
will  reach  4  feet  in  height,  with  a  succession 


Iris  ochroleuca. 


of  from  eight  to  twelve  of  its  large  pale 
mauve  or  purple  flowers,  scented  like  the 
elder.  There  are  forms  of  it,  such  as  the 
Dalmatian  and  also  Mandraliscse,  which 
have  deep  blue  flowers.  It  is  a  fine  border 
plant,  and  charming  in  large  groups. 


516 


IRIS. 


THE  ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 


IRIS. 


I.  PARADOXA. — A  singular  Cushion  Iris, 
native  of  W.  Persia  and  the  Caucasus,  and 
fitly  called  "  paradoxical."  The  fall  is 
reduced  to  a  narrow  strap  half  an  inch  or 
less  in  width,  but  the  standard  is  large, 
erect,  and  while  the  small  fall  is  stout  and 
firm,  almost  leathery,  is  delicate  and 
flimsy  in  texture.  The  ground  colour  of 
the  claw  is  a  rich  crimson  or  deep  pink, 
but  beneath  the  claw  and  for  some  little 
distance  in  front  of  it  the  crimson  hue  is 
all  but  entirely  hid  by  numerous  short 
dark  purple,  almost  black,  hairs,  so  thickly 
set  as  to  imitate  velvet  very  closely  indeed. 
The  plant  varies  much  in  size  and  colour, 
and  the  effect  of  the  flower  is  very  striking. 

I.  PERSICA  (Persian  Iris). — One  of  the 
most  charming  of  the  early  kinds,  it 
deserves  a  place  wherever  the  soil  is  warm 
and  dry.  Its  flowers,  produced  from  a 
tuft  of  bright  green  leaves  that  just  peep 
over  the  soil,  are  white,  suffused  with  pale 
Prussian  blue,  and  blotched  with  velvety 
purple.  It  is  somewhat  tender,  but  in 
warm  sheltered  spots,  in  light  sandy  soil, 
succeeds,  and  flowers  in  winter  and  spring. 

I.  PSEUDO-ACORUS  (Common  Water 
Flag). — Common  as  is  this  Flag,  every  one 
who  has  grown  it  fairly  will  admit  its 
beauty.  Whoever  has  in  his  garden  a 
pond  or  a  ditch,  or  even  a  thoroughly 
damp  spot,  ought  to  plant  this  Flag. 


Iris  fallida. 

I.  PUMILA  (Dwarf  Flag).— The  best  of 
the  dwarf  Flags,  for  tp  it  we  owe  the  many 
lovely  varieties  that 'give  us  such  a  rich 


display  of  bloom  in  spring.  It  grows  from 
4  to  8  inches  high,  and  has  deep  violet 
flowers,  unusually  large  for  its  size.  There 
are  several  named  varieties,  the  most 
attractive  being  the  sky-blue  (casrulea), 
which  in  early  spring  forms  sheets  of  bright 
colour  edgings  in  free  soil. 


I.  RETICULATA  (Netted  Iris).— One  of 
the  most  beautiful  of  hardy  flowers. 
While  the  snow  is  still  on  the  ground — in 
January,  or  even  earlier — its  leaves  begin 
to  shoot,  and  while  these  are  only  a  few 
inches  high,  the  bud  opens  to  the  pale 
wintry  sun  a  beauty  of  violet  and  gold. 
After  the  flower  has  faded,  the  erect  narrow 
leaves  grow  to  a  height  of  i  foot  or  more. 
The  plant  comes  from  some  parts  of  the 
Caucasus  and  from  Palestine,  and  there 
are  several  varieties.  Krelagei  may  be 
recognised  by  flowers  of  a  purple  or  plum 
colour,  with  the  yellow  marking  less  vivid  ; 
the  whole  flower  is  smaller,  also  less 
fragrant ;  in  fact,  is  almost  wholly  without 
scent,  and  it  flowers  ten  or  fourteen  days 
earlier.  An  exquisite  gem  is  I.  r.  cyanea, 
which  is  very  bright  in  colour,  a  slaty  blue, 
and  dwarf.  Sophonensis,  with  red-purple 
flowers  and  a  bold  crest,  is  a  native  of 
Asia  Minor,  and  blooms  in  early  February. 
/.  r.  purpurea,  a  small  variety  with  deep 
purple  flowers,  is  pleasing.  There  are 
also  many  beautiful  hybrids,  Cantab  being 
one  of  the  most  charming.  A  sunny 
sheltered  spot  is,  however,  advisable,  that 
its  tall  narrow  leaves  may  after  flowering 
be  protected  from  the  wind.  Sandy  soil 
will  do,  but  it  is  not  particular  in  this 
respect.  Sometimes,  however,  it  refuses 
to  grow,  and  in  damp  places  the  bulbs  rot 


IRIS. 


THE  ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 


IRIS. 


517 


in  summer.  Since  the  flowers  come  before 
the  leaves  grow  tall,  it  makes  a  good  pot 
plant,  and  a  well-grown  clump  is  a 
charming  addition  to  the  Christmas  table. 
I.  ROSENBACHIANA. — A  charming  bul- 
bous Iris,  and  found  on  the  mountains  of 
E.  Buchara,  Turkestan,  at  an  elevation  of 
6000  to  7000  feet,  we  are  told,  in  two  varie- 
ties, both  growing  together,  the  flowers 
of  one  form  being  blue,  those  of  the  other 
of  a  fine  violet,  whilst  the  bulbs  of  both 
the  varieties  are  small,  with  thin  tunics, 
never  reticulated  as  in  the  netted  Iris. 


Iris  persica. 

I.  SARI. — Derives  its  name  from  the 
river  Sar,  in  Cilicia,  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  which  it  was  found.  It  comes  near  to 
/.  susiana,  having  a  compact  rhizome, 
relatively  large  foliage,  a  fairly  tall  (a  foot 
or  less  in  height)  stem  and  large  flowers  ; 
indeed,  the  var.  lurida,  which  Prof.  Foster 
mentions  as  the  only  one  he  has  seen  in 
cultivation,  is  often  mistaken  by  a  casual 
observer  for  /.  susiana. 

I.  SIBIRICA  (Siberian  Flag). — A  slender 
plant,  2  or  3  feet  high,  with  narrow  grassy 
leaves,  and  in  summer  somewhat  small 
showy  blue  flowers,  beautifully  veined 
with  white  and  violet.  There  are  several 
varieties,  the  white  variety,  also  called 
/.  flexuosat  being  pretty,  and  so  is  /.  acuta, 
but  the  double-flowered  form  is  not.  The 
finest  variety  is  /.  orientalis,  having  larger 
flowers  of  a  deeper  colour,  with  a  different 
veining,  and  the  falls  especially  broad  and 
expanding.  The  Siberian  Iris  is  very 
hardy  and  spare  plants  are  easily  estab- 
lished in  ditches  or  damp  spots. 

I.  SINDJARENSIS. — An  interesting  species 
with  the  habit  and  general  character  of 
/.  caucasica,  but  having  bluish  flowers  and 
a  distinct  crest.  It  flowers,  however,  at 
a  time  when  no  other  Iris  except  /.  reticu- 
lata  is  in  bloom,  and  possesses  a  certain 
distinctive  charm. 


I.  STYLOSA  (Algerian  Iris). — A  beautiful 
plant,  flowering  in  mid-winter,  its  flowers 
hidden  in  grassy  foliage.  When  mixed 
with  even  the  most  delicate  flowers  of  the 
stove  or  Orchid-house,  its  silky  sky-blue 
fragrant  flowers  possess  a  charm  and  soft- 
ness equalled  by  scarcely  any  other  flower 
of  the  same  colour.  Although  hardy,  its 
flowers  are  so  delicate  that  it  should  have 
protection  from  heavy  rains  unless  the 
position  is  well  sheltered.  There  are 
several  varieties  in  catalogues,  speciosa 
being  one  of  the  best,  this  having  larger 
flowers  of  a  deep  blue  colour.  Syn.  /. 
unguicularis .  They  all  thrive  best  on 
very  light  warm  soil  on  well-drained 
borders  in  sheltered  gardens.  Division. 

I.  SUSIANA  (Mourning  Iris). — One  of  the 
most  singular  of  all  flowers,  from  i|  to 
2^  feet  high  ;  the  flowers  very  large  and 
densely  spotted  and  striped  with  dark 
purple  on  a  grey  ground.  It  should  be 
grown  in  sunny  nooks  in  the  rock  garden, 
or  on  sheltered  banks  or  borders,  but 
always  in  light,  warm,  or  chalky  soils.  I 
have  seen  it  flowering  well  in  a  border  in 
the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury's  garden 
near  Broadstairs,  where  it  is  hardy.  Asia 
Minor.  Division. 


Iris  reticulata. 


I.  TUBEROSA  (Snake's-head). — This  is  an 
interesting  if  quiet-coloured  kind,  12  or 
13  inches  high,  the  flowers  small,  brownish- 
green  marked  with  yellow,  and  a  purplish- 
brown  tinge  on  the  upper  part.  There 
are  usually  two  tubers.  It  is  not  showy 
enough  for  every  garden,  but  where 
admired  it  may  be  naturalised  in  light 
soil.  S.  Europe. 


IRIS. 


THE  ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 


I.  VARIEGATA. — A  handsome  Flag  of  the 
Germanica  group,  i  to  2  feet  high,  with 
large,  slightly  fragrant  flowers,  having 
bright  yellow  standards  and  claret-red 
falls  beautifully  veined.  Similar  in  aspect 
is  /.  aphylla,  with  deep  lilac  falls  and  white 
standards  veined  with  purple,  whilst  there 
are  numerous  varieties,  the  colours  of 
which  are  varied  and  beautiful.  /.  lurida 
and  its  varieties  also  come  under  this 
group. 


tinct  in  aspect  from  those  of  the  Spanish 
Iris,  and  appear  a  fortnight  or  so  later. 
They  are  broad  and  display  a  beautiful 
diversity  of  colour,  from  deepest  purple 
to  pure  white.  Among  the  good  varieties 
are  Leon  Tolstoi,  Mont  Blanc,  Grande 
Celeste,  King  of  the  Blues,  La  Charmante, 
and  Vainqueur.  There  are,  of  course, 
many  other  varieties  in  which  one  gets 
flowers  splashed  and  mottled  with  various 
colours.  These  are  not  so  fine  as  the  bold 


Iris  susiana. 


I.  XIPHIOIDES  (English  Iris). — A  beau- 
tiful flower,  and  the  many  garden  varieties 
are  amongst  the  finest  things  we  have  in 
early  summer. 

The  English  Iris  got  its  popular  name 
in  a  rather  curious  way,  being  sent  from 
its  Pyrenean  home,  where  its  distribution 
is  limited,  to  Bristol  traders,  thence  to 
Holland.  The  Dutch,  supposing  it  to  be 
a  native  of  our  shores,  called  it  the 
English  Iris.  The  flowers  are  quite  dis- 


self  kinds,  and  raisers  should  think  less  of 
them,  rather  giving  us  self-colours,  which 
are  always  more  effective,  both  in  the 
garden  and  when  gathered  for  the  house. 
There  is  a  curious  variety  called  Thunder- 
bolt, which  is  of  a  dusky  dull  colour. 

I.  XIPHIUM  (Spanish  Iris). — A  very  beau- 
tiful flower,  and  an  old  inhabitant  of 
gardens.  The  prevailing  colours  are  blue, 
with  various  shades  of  purple  or  violet, 
yellow,  and  white.  The  blue  tints  of  the 


THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER  GARDEN. 


ISATIS. 


519 


cultivated  seedlings  seem  to  be  derived 
from  the  typical  Spanish  plant ;  the  yellow 
hues  may  be  traced  to  the  Portuguese 
variety,  sometimes  known  as  /.  lusitanica. 
The  Spanish  Iris  must  not  be  water- 
logged in  autumn  and  winter,  preferring 
a  loose,  friable,  sandy  soil,  which,  however, 
should  not  be  too  poor,  for  it  repays  feed- 
ing with  thoroughly  rotten  leaf- mould  or 
manure.  Sun  it  must  have,  but  as  its 
slender  stalks  suffer  from  winds,  it  should 
have  shelter  without  shade.  The  golden 
rule  of  not  meddling  over-much  applies 
distinctly  to  the  Spanish  Iris,  as  the  new 
roots  begin  to  shoot  out  almost  before 
the  old  stalk  has  withered,  and  the  bulb 


They  are  vigorous    and  multiply  readily, 
and  well  suited  to  the  English  climate. 

THE  IRIS  :  ITS  PLACE  IN  THE 
FLOWER  GARDEN. — The  Iris  family, 
comprising  as  it  does  a  vast  number  of 
plants  which  can  hardly  be  done  justice 
to  in  any  one  garden,  there  arises, 
apart  from  the  wishes  of  the  owner, 
the  question  of  the  value  of  the  family 
in  the  garden.  The  difficulty  in  the 
w§ay  of  growing  various  wild  species 
from  climates  quite  unlike  our  own — 
the  shortness  of  the  season  of  bloom — 
makes  one  limit  the  number  of  species 


must  not  be  kept  out  of  the  ground. 
Plant,  then,  the  Spanish  Iris  in  clumps  on 
some  rich,  loose,  friable  plot,  where  their 
bright  colour  may  be  shown  to  advantage, 
and  let  them  stay  there  year  after  year 
until  the  dwindling  foliage  tells  you  that 
they  have  exhausted  their  soil.  The 
beautiful  varieties  of  Spanish  Iris  are  well 
worth  a  place  in  the  reserve  garden  for 
supplying  cut  flowers. 

DUTCH  IRIS. — A  new  race  of  bulbous 
Irises  is  known  by  this  name.  They  are 
earlier  than  the  Spanish  sorts,  larger,  and 
with  bolder  and  handsomer  flowers  Albert 
Cuyp,  David  Teniers,  Hackaert,  Hob- 
bema,  Pieter  de  Hoogh,  Rembrandt  (a 
glorious  blue,  and  one  of  the  best),  and 
Van  der  Helsh  is  a  selection  of  them. 


to  be  grown  in  any  one  place.  As  to 
the  collector  who  rears  all  novelties 
and  rarities,  the  best  way  is  to  devote 
to  the  Iris  a  special  border  where  they 
may  be  grown  apart  from  other  con- 
siderations. The  Iris  of  the  riverside 
and  marsh  I  find  the  least  trouble  and 
the  most  enduring ;  such  as  the  Siberian 
Iris  and  the  Japanese  Iris  often  thrive 
with  me  in  wet  soil  near  the  pond  side, 
untouched  and  uncared  for  for  years. 

ISATIS. — A  small  group  of  peren- 
nials, with  little  garden  value  ;  the 
Dyer's  Woad,  a  native  plant  (Isatis 
tinctoria)  is  interesting  as  yielding  the 
blue  dye  with  which  the  ancient  Britons 


520 


ISOPYRUM. 


THE   ENGLISH  FLOWER   GARDEN. 


IXIOLIRION. 


painted  their  bodies.  I  satis  glauca  is  a 
handsome  perennial  of  3  feet,  with  grey- 
green  furrowed  stems  and  long  narrow 
leaves  with  a  white  mid-rib.  The  tiny 
bright  yellow  flowers  come  during  July 
in  large  feathery  heads.  The  plant 
thrives  in  ordinary  soil  if  given  a  moist 
and  well-drained  position,  with  full 
sunlight.  Seeds  or  division.  Asia 
Minor. 

ISOPYRUM.— A  graceful  little  plant 
allied  to  the  Meadow  Rues,  /. 
thalictroides  has  prettier  white  flowers, 
and  is  valuable  for  its  Maiden-hair 
Fern-like  foliage.  It  is  well  suited 
for  the  rock  garden,  is  hardy,  and 
prefers  a  soil  mixture  of  peat  and  loam. 
Division  or  seed.  Europe.  Ranun- 
culaceae. 

ISOTOMA. — /.  axillaris  is  a  showy 
half-hardy  plant,  resembling  some  of 
the  dwarf er  Lobelias,  its  growth  dense 
and  compact,  the  flowers  J  inch  across, 
star-shaped,  and  of  a  pale  blue,  con- 
tinuing a  long  time,  even  till  cut  off 
by  frosts.  If  preserved  in  a  frame 
during  winter,  after  the  manner  of 
bedding  Lobelias,  it  is  perennial,  and 
may  be  propagated  in  spring  by 
cuttings.  New  Holland. 

ITEA. — Graceful  and  distinct  shrubs> 
evergreen  and  deciduous,  Chinese  or 
N.  American,  the  species  ilicifolia 
being  quite  a  choice  evergreen,  Holly- 
like  shrub,  but  smoother  and  thinner, 
it  bearing  weeping  racemes  nearly  a 
foot  long.  It  is  not  likely  to  be  hardy 
except  in  warm  valleys  and  seashore 
places.  I.  virginica  is  moisture- 
loving,  hardy,  and  deciduous.  N. 
America. 

I XI A. — Charming  S.  African  bulbs, 
slender  and  elegant  in  growth,  and 
brilliant  in  flower,  but  not  much  grown, 
because  some  are  tender  and  require 
glass  protection.  For  culture  out- 
doors, choose  a  light  loamy  soil, 
thoroughly  drained,  and  with  a  due 
south  aspect ;  if  backed  by  a  wall  or 
a  greenhouse,  so  much  the  better.  In 
favoured  gardens  near  the  coast  they 
are  perfectly  hardy  in  the  open,  and 
increase  rapidly.  Plant  from  Sep- 
tember to  January,  3  to  4  inches 
deep,  and  i  to  3  inches  apart.  As  the 
early  plantings  make  foliage  during 
the  autumn,  it  is  necessary  to  give 
protection  during  severe  frost,  and 
this  may  be  best  accomplished  by 
hooping  the  beds  over  and  covering 
when  necessary  with  mats ;  or  if 
tiffany  is  used,  it  may  be  allowed 


to  remain  till  the  danger  of  severe 
frosts  has  ceased.  The  December  and 
January  plantings  require  no  protec- 
tion in  winter,  but  as  they  will  flower 
later  in  the  summer  than  the  early 
plantings,  an  aspect  where  the  sun's 
rays  are  somewhat  broken  will  prolong 
the  blooming  period.  On  stiff  soil,  or 
on  soils  that  lie  rather  wet  in  winter, 
the  beds  should  be  raised,  and  the 
bulbs  should  be  surrounded  with 
sand,  care  being  taken  that  they  are 
planted  i  or  2  inches  above  the  level 
of  the  path ;  and,  where  protection 
cannot  conveniently  be  given,  plant- 
ing should  not  take  place  till  Decem- 
ber or  January.  A  large  number  of 
varieties  are  in  cultivation,  and  the 
chief  species  from  which  they  appear 
to  be  derived  are  /.  crateroides,  patens, 
maculata,  fusco-citrina,  ochroleuca,  colu- 
mellaris,  speciosa,  and  viridiflora,  which 
last  is  of  a  beautiful  sea  -  green,  a 
colour  quite  unique  among  cultivated 
plants,  and  in  no  case  to  be  omitted. 
A  collection  of  varieties  might  include 
the  following  :  Achievement,  Amanda, 
aurantiaca,  Cleopatra,  Conqueror, 
Duchess  of  Edinburgh,  Gracchus, 
Hercules,  Hypatia,  Isabelle,  Lady  of 
the  Lake,  Lesbia,  Loela,  Miralba,  Nose- 
gay, Pallas,  Pearl,  Princess  Alexandra, 
Sunbeam,  Surprise,  Titian,  and  Vulcan. 

IXIOLIRION  (Ixia  Lily}.— Beautiful 
plants  of  the  Amaryllis  order  somewhat 
resembling  each  other,  and  about  i  to 
1 1  feet  high,  with  grassy  foliage,  and 
bearing  large  trumpet-shaped  flowers 
in  a  loose,  elegant  manner.  /.  Pallasi 
has  flowers  of  the  deepest  shade,  and 
/.  tataricum  of  the  palest,  the  inter- 
mediate shades  being  /.  montanum  and 
/.  Ledebouri.  They  should  be  grown 
in  an  open  and  dry  position — in  a 
sunny  border,  for  example,  which  is 
all  the  better  with  a  wall  at  the  back, 
so  as  to  catch  all  the  sun-heat  possible 
in  early  spring,  when  the  bulbs  are 
pushing  up  their  young  leaves.  The 
border  should  be  well  drained  and  a 
bed  of  light,  rich,  loamy  soil,  about 
i  foot  in  depth,  placed  upon  the 
drainage.  When  the  young  growth 
appears,  place  a  common  handlight 
over  the  plants — even  two  panes  of 
glass  will  be  beneficial — and  if  similar 
protection  is  afforded  at  the  latter 
part  of  summer,  it  will  tend  to  keep 
the  soil  dry  and  warm,  and  so  ripen  the 
bulbs.  A  handful  of  dry  sharp  sand 
placed  in  a  layer  under  and  around 
the  bulbs  is  conducive  to  the  formation 
of  roots.  W.  Asia. 


JABOROSA.  THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN.         JASMINUM.        521 


JABOROSA   (/.   integri folia). —  An 

interesting  dwarf  perennial,  allied  to 
the  Mandrake,  growing  9  to  12  inches 
high,  with  broad  leaves,  and  white 
tubular  flowers  about  2  inches  long, 
fragrant  and  handsome.  A  native  of 
Buenos  Ayres,  it  is  somewhat  tender, 
only  succeeding  in  light  warm  soils  in 
sheltered  situations,  and  is  best  close 
to  the  foot  of  a  south  wall  in  warm 
loamy  soil.  Here  it  makes  a  good 
plant,  sometimes  spreading  so  rapidly 
as  to  become  a  weed.  Division  of  the 
long  creeping  stems.  Solanaceae. 

JAMESIA  (/.  americana). —  A 
dwarf  shrub  from  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, about  3  feet  high,  summer 
leafing,  many  clusters  of  white  flowers. 
It  is  hardy,  of  easy  culture,  and  fitted 
for  association  with  flowering  shrubs 
of  a  medium  size,  but  is  of  no  high 
garden  value  in  view  of  the  many 
handsome  hardy  shrubs  we  possess. 

JANKffiA. —  /.  Heldreichi  is  one  of 
the  prettiest  of  the  Ramondia  family, 
a  native  of  the  mountains  of  Macedonia, 
growing  in  ravines.  It  has  been  con- 
sidered a  tender  plant,  dying  away  in 


Jankiea  Heldreichi. 

our  gardens  in  spite  of  the  most 
careful  handling,  but  it  is  likely  to  grow 
as  well  as  other  Ramondias  if  its  special 
wants  are  attended  to.  It  likes  to  be 
moderately  moist  at  the  roots  and 
have  shade  and  moisture  in  the  air. 
Some  place  on  a  well-constructed  rock 
garden  should  be  chosen,  where  it  will 
thrive  in  peat.  The  blooms  are  of  a 
deep  blue,  nodding,  and  shaped  like 
those  of  a  Soldanella,  and  it  has 
silver-grey  leaves. 

JASIONE  (Sheep's  Scabious). — Dwarf 
perennials  and  annuals  of  the  Bell- 
flower  family.  J.  humilis  is  a  creep- 


ing tufted  plant,  about  6  inches  high, 
bearing  small  heads  of  pretty  blue 
flowers  in  July  and  August.  Though 
a  native  of  the  high  Pyrenees,  it  often 
succumbs  to  the  damp  and  frosts  of 
our  climate,  and  it  therefore  requires 
a  dry  well-drained  part  of  the  rock 
garden,  and  should  have  a  little 
protection  in  winter  during  severe 
cold  and  wet.  /.  perennis  is  taller, 
often  above  i  foot  high,  with  dense 
heads  of  bright  blue  flowers,  from  June 
to  August ;  it  is  a  rock  garden  plant, 
stronger  than  the  preceding,  thriving 
in  good  light  loam,  and  a  native  of 
the  mountains  of  C.  and  S.  Europe. 
These  perennial  kinds  may  be  pro- 
pagated best  from  seed,  as  they  do- 
not  divide  well.  /.  montana  is  a 
neat,  hardy  annual  with  small,  pretty 
bright  blue  flower-heads  in  summer. 
Seed  in  autumn  or  spring.  A  native 
plant. 

JASMINUM  ( Jasmine) . — Beautiful 
shrubs,  the  hardy  ones  among  the  best 
introduced  to  our  country,  and  of 
very  wide  and  precious  use. 

J.  FRUTICANS  (Shrubby  Jasmine). — A 
wiry-looking  shrub  from  S.  Europe  and 
the  Mediterranean  region ;  hardy  in 
England,  and  though  not  so  important 
as  some  of  the  free-growing  kinds,  is  worth 
a  place  on  dry  banks.  It  has  numerous 
small  yellow  flowers. 

J.  HUMILE  (Indian  Yellow  Jasmine). — 
A  handsome  kind,  being  quite  hardy  for 
wall  culture  in  all  parts  ;  with  evergreen 
foliage,  which  adds  to  its  value.  It  flowers 
freely,  and  its  yellow  bloom  amidst  the 
deep  green  foliage  is  welcome  in  summer 
and  autumn.  Being  an  Indian  plant,  it 
should  have  a  warm  aspect  and  good  warm 
soil.  Syn.  /.  revoluium  and  /.  wallichia- 
num. 

J.  NUDIFLORUM  (Winter  Jasmine). — A 
lovely  Chinese  bush  which  is  happy  enough 
in  our  northern  climate  to  flower  very 
often  in  the  depth  of  winter,  clustering 
round  cottage  walls  and  shelters,  and  often 
very  lovely  when  not  too  tightly  trained. 
In  wet  years  it  will  be  noticed  increasing 
as  freely  as  twitch  at  the  points  of  the 
shoots.  It  should  be  planted  in  different 
aspects  so  as  to  prolong  the  bloom,  planting 
each  side  of  a  house  or  cottage,  for 
example.  The  sun  coming  out  after  hard 
frost  may  destroy  the  bloom  on  one  side, 
and  it  may  escape  on  the  other. 

J.  PRIMULINUM  is  a  good  evergreen  form 
of  this,  recently  brought  from  China,  but 
found  not  to  be  so  hardy  as  the  winter 
Jasmine  ;  though  it  will  probably  be  a 
valuable  plant  in  southern  gardens. 

J.  OFFICINALE  (White  Jasmine). — The 
old  white  Jasmine  of  our  gardens,  one  of 
the  most  charming  shrubs  ever  introduced 


522        JEFFERSONIA.         THE    ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN.          JUGLANS. 


for  walls  and  warm  banks ;  it  is  best  on 
warm  and  sandy  soils,  and  often  thrives  in 
the  heart  of  our  cities.  It  should  be 
planted  in  every  garden  against  a  wall,  or 
used  for  trailing  over  arbours.  It  is  one 
of  the  best  of  all  climbing  shrubs,  on 
account  of  its  hardiness  and  rapid  growth 
in  almost  any  soil.  There  are  several 
varieties  of  it,  the  best  being  /.  affine,  with 
flowers  larger  than  those  of  the  ordinary 
kind.  There  is  a  variegated-leaved  kind, 
not  of  much  value,  and  one  with  golden 
foliage,  and  there  is  a  rare  double-flowered 
form.  It  is  almost  evergreen,  except  in 
exposed  places.  It  is  a  native  of  Persia 
and  the  north-western  mountains  of  India, 
but  is  naturalised  here  and  there  in  S. 
Europe. 

JEFFERSONIA  (Twin-leaf}. — An  in- 
teresting dwarf  plant,  allied  to  the 
Blood  -  root,  /.  diphylla  being  from 
-6  to  10  inches  high,  the  flowers  white, 
about  i  inch  across,  in  early  spring. 
It  is  a  good  plant  for  peaty  and  some- 
what shady  spots  on  the  rock  garden, 
and  for  the  margins  of  beds  of  dwarf 
American  plants.  Seed  should  be  sown 
in  sandy  soil  as  soon  as  gathered, 
but  careful  division  of  the  root  in 
winter  is  the  best  way  to  increase  the 
plant.  A  native  of  rich  woods  in  N. 
America. 

J.  DUBIA  is  a  new  and  exquisitely  beau- 
tiful species  from  Manchuria,  flowering  in 
May.  The  plant  produces  a  tuft  of 
roundish  leaves  and  great  numbers  of 
Hepatica-like  flowers  of  pale  mauve 
colour.  Height,  6  inches.  Quite  happy 
in  peat  and  loam. 

JUB-ffiA  (/.  spectabilis).—A  hand- 
some, hardy  S.  American  palm,  with 
a  short,  tree-like  stem,  which  some- 
times attains  a  great  height,  and  pin- 
nate leaves  of  a  deep  green  colour 
and  from  6  feet  to  12  feet  long.  The 
leaf-stalks  are  very  thick  at  the  base, 
where  they  are  enclosed  in  a  dense 
mass  of  rough,  brown  fibres,  which 
grow  upon  their  lower  edges.  Young 
plants  are  prettier  than  old  ones,  and 
when  well  established  grow  without 
any  trouble,  and  are  free  from  the 
diseases  which  attack  the  softer  leaves 
of  other  palms.  The  soil  for  this 
plant  should  be  a  mixture  of  two 
parts  of  rich  loam  and  two  parts 
composed  of  peat,  leaf -mould,  and 
sand.  This  exists  in  the  open  air 
throughout  the  winter  in  the  warmest 
parts  of  Britain,  growing  fully  hardy 
and  making  a  fair  growth  where  the 
climate  at  all  resembles  that  of  Chili. 
Grown  in  tubs  in  the  conservatory  in 
winter,  and  placed  in  the  open  air  in 


summer,  it  is  useful  for  grouping  with 
the  hardier  palms. 

JUGLANS  (Walnut).— Stately  trees 
of  northern  and  eastern  regions,  among 
them  being  our  noble  European  Wal- 
nut, a  tree  as  well  known  to  the 
ancients  as  to  ourselves,  and  useful 
and  beautiful  in  all  ways. 

Our  Walnut  (/.  regia),  like  many 
other  fruit  trees,  has  been  cultivated 
for  so  long  that  no  one  is  clear  as 
to  its  origin,  but  it  is  a  tree  of 
wide  distribution  in  the  East,  and 
in  countries  where  it  is  much  culti- 
vated has  many  varieties,  differing 
much  in  size  and  in  the  tenderness  of 
their  shells,  and  even  in  earliness. 
Though  the  Walnut  is  not  so  much 
grown  in  Britain  as  in  countries  of  S. 
Europe,  it  is  very  happy  in  some  of 
our  southern,  western,  and  eastern 
counties,  occasionally  attaining  fine 
proportions,  especially  on  warm  and 
chalky  soil ;  but  as  we  go  farther 
north  it  becomes  less  and  less  likely 
to  ripen  its  fruit,  and  in  Scotland  it 
has  to  be  grown  against  walls.  In 
parts  of  C.  and  S.  Europe  it  is  so 
much  cultivated  that  the  wood  and 
fruit  and  oil  produced  by  it  form  a 
principal  source  of  commerce.  There 
is  very  much  of  interest  as  regards  the 
uses  of  the  various  products  of  the 
Walnut  in  countries  where  it  is  at 
home,  but  here  we  are  concerned  with 
its  culture  and  beauty  as  a  lawn, 
pleasure  ground,  or  orchard  tree,  and 
in  this  way  with  us  it  does  best 
in  good  and  rather  dry  soils  on  cal- 
careous base,  though  thriving  in  other 
soils. 

The  form  of  single  trees  is  often  very 
fine,  as  indeed  it  is  as  a  group,  and 
sometimes  as  a  short  avenue.  It  may 
also  be  grown  as  an  orchard  tree  where 
the  soil  is  favourable  and  there  is 
plenty  of  room.  The  finest  specimens 
are  occasionally  nearly  100  feet  in 
diameter  in  spread  of  branch.  The 
cut-leaved  forms  will  appeal  to  some. 
Among  the  other  species  there  are 
remarkable  trees,  but  our  common 
Walnut  has  in  Europe  so  many  good 
qualities  that  it  is  the  best  to  plant, 
although  some  of  the  other  species  are 
good  for  collections  of  hardy  trees, 
such  as  /.  cineria,  the  Butternut,  /. 
nigra,  the  black  Walnut,  both  of 
America ;  the  latter  a  very  hardy, 
fine  tree  which  would  thrive  in  situa- 
tions where  our  common  Walnut  might 
not  be  so  free  ;  /.  mandshurica,  of  the 
Amoor  region ;  /.  rupestris,  of  the 


JUNCUS. 


THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER    GARDEN. 


JUNIPERUS. 


523 


W.  United  States  ;  and  /.  Sieboldi,  of 
Japan ;  besides  several  hybrids  be- 
tween the  common  Walnut  and  other 
species. 

JUNCUS  (Rush}.  —  Water  -  side  or 
marsh  plants,  generally  with  long  round 
leaves.  /.  effusus  spiralis  is  a  very 
singular  plant,  whose  spreading  tufts 
of  leaves,  instead  of  growing  straight, 
are  twisted  in  a  cork-screw  form.  It 
is  worth  cultivating  on  the  margins 
of  water.  It  is  easily  multiplied  by 
division  of  the  tufts.  /.  zebrinus  is 
apparently  a  form  of  the  common 
Rush  (/.  communis).  The  long  round 
leaves  are  barred  with  bands  of  yellow 
and  green,  and  it  is  a  striking  plant, 
as  its  rigid  habit  and  singular  mark- 
ings stand  out  in  bold  relief. 

JUNIPERUS.  —  Evergreen  shrubs 
and  medium  -  sized  trees,  natives 
of  northern  and  temperate  countries. 
The  wood  of  some  kinds  is  fragrant, 
and  the  foliage  contains  an  acrid 
principle  as  in  the  Savin.  The  Juni- 
pers vary  much  in  size  and  habit  in 
their  native  countries  owing  to  their 
usually  wide  geographical  range,  and 
to  growing  in  all  sorts  and  conditions 
of  soil  and  climate,  so  that,  probably, 
mere  forms  of  varieties  have  been  con- 
sidered species.  Some  are  too  tender 
for  our' climate,  although  of  much  value 
in  their  own,  while  others  are  quite 
hardy  and  vigorous  with  us.  Such 
beauty  as  the  hardy  kinds  possess  is 
very  much  diminished  by  the  common 
way  of  planting  them  among  shrubs  ; 
or,  in  the  case  of  the  pmetum,  isolating 
in  grass,  both  ways  being  against  their 
good  effect  and  good  cultivation  even. 
Where  possible,  the  really  effective 
way  is  to  group  them.  The  good  effect 
of  this  is  well  seen  in  the  case  of  the 
common  Savin,  as  indeed  it  would  be 
in  most  of  the  others,  and  where  there 
is  no  room  to  do  this,  and  do  them 
justice,  it  would  be  better  to  leave 
them  out  altogether,  as,  starving  in 
the  embraces  of  the  common  British 
shrubbery,  they  soon  come  to  a  bad 
end.  The  following  are,  so  far  as  we 
know,  the  most  distinct  of  the  hardy 
kinds  only  : — 

J.  CHINENSIS  (The  Winter-flowering 
Juniper). — A  low  tree  or  bush,  hardy  and 
useful  in  gardens,  as  during  winter  or  in 
early  spring,  when  covered  with  its  yellow 
male  flowers,  it  is  beautiful,  and  of  the 
easiest  culture,  succeeding  well  on  loamy 
soil ;  several  varieties  are  in  cultivation. 
/.  Japonica  is  thought  to  be  an  alpine 
form  of  this. 


J.  COMMUNIS  (The  British  Juniper). — 
Chiefly  found  growing  in  England  on  sandy 
or  chalky  soils  or  on  open  downs,  while 
in  Scotland  its  native  home  is  amongst 
the  granite  or  trap  on  hill  and  mountain 
sides.  The  Irish  Juniper  is  a  close  erect 
form,  not  confined  to  Ireland,  but  occur- 
ring also  wherever  the  Juniper  is  plentiful. 
/.  communis  varies  much  in  gardens,  and 
we  often  see  forms  of  it  where  the  wild 
plant  is  never  cultivated,  though  we  doubt 
if  any  of  the  varieties  are  better,  if  as 
good.  The  Swedish  and  Canadian  Jum- 
pers are  supposed  to  be  varieties  of  this. 
/.  oxycedrus  is  the  Mediterranean  repre- 
sentative of  our  common  Juniper,  but  in 
our  climate  it  does  not  generally  thrive. 

J.  DRUPACEA  (Plum-fruited  Juniper). — A 
native  of  Syria  and  Asia  Minor,  on  the 
mountains  there  attaining  a  height  of 
some  15  feet.  Thrives  in  gardens  best 
on  good,  well-drained  soil.  It  has  a  close, 
conical  habit  of  growth,  with  branches  of 
a  light  grassy-green  colour.  This  Juniper 
makes  a  good  tree  for  a  lawn.  The  fruit 
is  a  fleshy  one,  enclosing  a  hard  kernel, 
about  the  size  of  the  Sloe,  and  of  a  plum- 
like  purple. 

J.  EXCELSA  (Tree  Juniper). — A  graceful 
tree  native  of  many  countries  in  Northern 
India,  Persia, 
Arabia,  and 
Asia  Minor, 
in  some  of 
the  most 
favourable 
conditions 
forming  large 
forests  at 
very  high 
elevations. 
A  close  taper- 
ing form  was 
sent  out  from 
Messrs  Rol- 
lisson's  nur- 
series as  /. 
e.  stricta,  and 
is  a  very 

glauCOUS  and  Juniperus  drupacea, 

attra  c tive 
shrub. 

J.  PHCENCEA  (Phoenicea  Juniper).  —  A 
shrub  of  conical  form  from  the  Mediter- 
ranean region,  the  male  and  female 
flowers  on  the  same  plant  but  on  different 
branches.  Although  long  introduced  to 
our  country  it  is  as  yet  far  from  common. 

J.  RECURVA  (Weeping  Juniper). — A  dis- 
tinct kind  with  graceful  drooping  branches, 
from  the  mountains  of  India  and  Cash- 
mere, varying  in  size  from  a  low  bush  to 
a  medium-sized  tree  according  to  climate 
and  soil.  The  male  form  is  more  close  in 
habit  than  the  seed-bearing  one.  A 
graceful  kind  for  banks  or  the  outer 
flanks  of  the  rock  garden.  At  Bryn- 
meirig,  near  the  Penrhyn  slate  quarries, 
there  are  a  number  of  these  graceful 


524 


JUSSLSSA.          THE   ENGLISH  FLOWER   GARDEN.       KIRENGESHOMA. 


Junipers,  which  for  size  are  perhaps  not 
excelled  in  Britain.  The  soil  is  loam 
and  peat  resting  on  shaly  slate  rock — the 
situation  is  shady  and  with  a  northern 
aspect,  which  seems  to  suit  this  species. 

J.  RIGIDA  (Mount  Hakone  Jumper). — 
A  graceful  and  picturesque  kind  with 
free  and  often  drooping  habit,  and  in  S. 
England  at  least  vigorous  and  hardy, 
assuming  in  autumn  and  winter  a  pleasant 
bronzy  hue  of  green.  It  has  not  been 
long  enough  in  cultivation  to  judge  of 
its  stature  or  permanent  habit  and  value 
in  Britain,  but  it  promises  well.  Japan. 

J.  SABINA  (Savin). — A  hardy  and  plumy 
bush  of  the  mountains  of  Europe,  few 
evergreen  shrubs  being  more  beautiful. 
In  the  garden  at  Goddendene,  near 
Bromley,  a  dwarf  form  is  very  prettily 
used  as  a  lawn  plant.  Among  the  varie- 
ties of  the  Savin  the  most  useful  forms 
are  /.  prostrata  and  /.  tamariscifolia — 
variegated  ones,  as  usual,  being  ugly  and 
useless. 

J.  THURIFERA  (Frankincense  Juniper). — 
A  small  distinct  tree,  in  its  native  country 
attaining  a  height  of  40  feet.  As  a  lawn 
tree  it  is  attractive,  and  from  its  dense 
conical  shape  associates  well  with  trees 
of  the  same  race,  and  is  very  hardy. 
Spain  and  Portugal. 

J.  VIRGINIANA  (Red  Cedar). — A  grace- 
ful, hardy  tree  on  the  hills  and  mountains 
of  N.E.  America,  giving  somewhat  of  the 
effect  of  the  Eastern  Cypress  in  Italy,  and 
in  Britain  one  of  the  hardiest  and  most 
graceful  except  evergreen  trees.  This 
tree,  like  many  Conifers  that  have  been 
much  grown,  has  had  its  forms  and 
varieties  propagated,  few  of  them  being 
better  than,  if  as  good  as,  the  common 
kind,  except,  perhaps,  the  silvery  forms, 
which  sometimes  occur  among  plants 
raised  from  seed,  as  they  should  always 
be.  Garden  varieties  must-  be  grafted,  as 
if  raised  from  seed  most  of  these  would 
revert  to  the  wild  form. 

Dwarf  Junipers  for  the  rock  garden  : 
Small  forms  of  the  northern  Junipers  are 
used  on  rock  gardens  with  good  effect,  as 
giving  on  a  small  scale  the  form  of  the 
alpine  Conifers.  Among  these  are  /.  nana 
and  Echniceformis,  and  other  dwarf  forms. 

JUSSLEA  NATANS.  —  A  curious 
aquatic  plant  that  bears  large  yellow 
blossoms  a  few  inches  above  the  surface 
of  the  water.  It  is  a  valuable  plant 
for  a  pool  or  small  lake,  and  hardy. 

KADSURA  JAPONICA.— A  climbing 
evergreen  of  Japan,  belonging  to  the 
Magnolia  family,  bearing  scarlet  berries 
in  clusters.  So  far  as  known,  it  should 
be  tried  on  a  wall. 

KALMIA  (Mountain  Laurel). — The 
Kalmias  are  among  the  most  beautiful 
of  N.  American  shrubs,  evergreen  in 


foliage  and  charming  in  flower.  Like 
the  Rhododendron  and  Azalea,  Kal- 
mias must  be  grown  in  a  moist,  peaty 
soil,  or  one  light  or  sandy.  They  will 
not  thrive  in  stiff  or  chalky  soils. 
Their  lovely  clusters  of  pink  wax-like 
flowers  open  about  the  end  of  June, 
when  the  bloom  of  the  Rhododendron 
and  Azalea  is  on  the  wane,  and  last 
for  a  fortnight  or  longer.  There 
are  varieties  of  the  common  kind 
having,  in  some  cases,  larger  flowers, 
and  in  others  flowers  of  a  deeper 
colour,  the  finest  being  maxima,  which 
is  much  superior  in  size  of  flower 
and  richness  of  tint.  The  Myrtle- 
leaved  Kalmia  ( K.  myrtifolia]  seems 
to  be  only  a  variety  of  K.  latifolia, 
with  smaller  Myrtle-like  foliage.  The 
growth  is  dwarf  and  compact,  and  the 
flowers  are  almost  as  large  as  those  of 
K.  latifolia.  The  other  species  of 
Kalmia,  though  very  beautiful,  are  of 
less  value,  because  they  are  smaller, 
more  delicate,  and  less  showy,  but  in 
peat  -  soil  gardens  they  should  be 
grown.  K.  angustifolia  grows  about 
1 1  feet  high,  and  bears  in  early  June 
dense  clusters  of  rosy-pink  flowers. 
K.  glauca  and  K.  hirsuta  are  also 
pretty  shrubs,  K.  glauca  flowering  in 
early  summer,  and  K.  hirsuta  in 
August. 

KERNERA  SAXATILIS. — A  neat 
little  plant  forming  a  compact  tuft  of 
foliage,  and  in  early  summer  a  dense 
mass  of  tiny  white  blooms.  It  grows 
in  any  soil  in  an  open  position  in  the 
rock  garden,  where  it  is  an  attractive 
plant  in  spring,  and  may  be  freely 
propagated  by  seeds.  Europe. 

KERRIA  (Jew's  Mallow) .  —  The 
double  variety  of  this  Japanese  shrub, 
K.  japonica,  is  an  old  favourite  in 
cottage  gardens.  The  large  yellow 
rosette  flowers  are  more  showy  than 
those  of  the  single  kind,  which  is  a 
pretty  shrub.  Though  usually  planted 
against  walls,  the  Kerria  is  hardy,  and 
may  be  grown  as  a  bush  except  in  the 
coldest  parts. 

KETELEEREA  FORTUNEI.  —  A 
Chinese  evergreen  tree,  said  to  attain 
100  feet  in  its  own  country.  It  thrives 
in  N.  Italy,  and  may  be  worth  trying 
in  our  country  in  the  southern  counties. 

KIRENGESHOMA     PALMATA.— A 

vigorous,  hardy,  herbaceous  plant  from 
the  mountains  of  Japan,  with  dark 
stems  of  about  3  feet  high,  bearing 
thin  hairy  leaves  shaped  like  those  of 
a  Sycamore,  and  clusters  of  long  droop- 


KITAIBELIA. 


THE  ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN.        KNIPHOFIA.        525 


ing  bright  yellow  flowers  in  early 
autumn,  the  five  fleshy  petals  over- 
lapping so  closely  as  to  .appear  like 
one,  and  measuring  2  inches  long  and 
about  half  as  wide.  The  plant  is  best 
in  moist,  peaty  soil,  and  in  partial 
shade,  fierce  sun  heat  scorching  both 
leaves  and  flowers.  Increase  by  seeds 
and  division. 

KITAIBELIA       VITIFOLIA.  —  A 

large,  coarse-growing  plant,  from  4  feet 
to  6  feet  or  more  high,  with  Grapevine- 
like  foliage.  It  bears  in  summer  large 
white  blooms  from  the  upper  parts 
of  the  stems.  The  plant  is  too  coarse 
for  border  culture,  but  adapted  for 
growing  among  shrubs  or  for  naturalis- 
ing. Seed  or  division.  Hungary. 

KNIPHOFIA  (Torch  Lily].—  Hand- 
some and  very  distinct  perennials,  but 
prevented  by  our  severe  winters  from 
becoming  very  popular.  The  genus, 
as  understood  by  botanists,  is  restricted 
to  the  mountains  of  Abyssinia  and  the 
Cape,  with  the  exception  of  one  species 
found  by  Speke  and  Grant  near  the 
Equator,  and  one  or  two  kinds  indi- 
genous to  the  mountains  of  Madagas- 
car. There  are  twenty  or  thirty 
species,  and  none  of  the  six  found  in 
Abyssinia  is  identical  with  any  sort 
found  at  the  Cape.  The  Kniphofias, 
and  especially  the  forms  of  K.  uvaria, 
are  among  the  most  striking  of  autumn 
flowers.  Large  irregular  groups  in 
open  spots  give  a  brilliant  effect  in 
autumn,  and  they  require  no  attention 
beyond  an  occasional  top-dressing  of 
rich  soil  or  well-rotted  manure.  Dur- 
ing the  late  winters  many  kinds  have 
perished  from  frost,  but  these  dangers 
may  be  averted  by  a  covering  of  dry 
leaves  or  ashes  in  late  autumn.  The 
stemless  kinds  are  easily  propagated 
by  division  and  by  seed  when  produced 
in  favourable  seasons  ;  but  not  the 
stemmed  or  caulescent  kinds.  How- 
ever, those  who  wish  to  increase  their 
stock  of  the  stemmed  kinds  need  not 
fear  to  behead  them  ;  in  fact,  this  is 
the  only  way  in  which  K.  caulescens 
can  be  propagated,  as  otherwise  it 
seldom  develops  off-shoots.  When  so 
treated  it  will  throw  up  a  large  number 
of  shoots,  which,  if  allowed  to  remain 
until  a  few  roots  are  produced,  may  be 
taken  off  and  kept  in  a  close  frame  for 
a  time,  and  then  potted  in  a  sandy 
compost.  K.  sarmentosa  is  the  easiest 
to  increase,  as  it  throws  out  under- 
ground shoots,  which  may  be  taken  off 
at  any  time. 


K.  ALOIDES  (Torch  Lily). — An  excellent 
border  plant,  suitable  for  all  soils,  and 
while  few  plants  are  better  for  picturesque 
grouping  in  the  pleasure  ground,  in  the 
shrubbery,  with  a  fairly  open  space  and 
with  deep  rich  soil  it  forms  handsome 
groups.  It  begins  to  flower  in  late  sum- 
mer, and  lasts  for  many  weeks  in  perfec- 
tion, and  nearly  70  per  cent,  of  the  garden 
varieties  are  traceable  to  it.  K.  pumila 
is  a  pretty  dwarf  form.  The  variety 
prescox  flowers  much  earlier  than  K. 
aloides,  from  the  middle  to  the  end  of 
May  ;  its  leaves  are  broader  than  those 
of  the  type,  and  are  not  glaucous,  while 
the  raceme  is  shorter,  the  stems  being 


Kniphofta  grandis. 

about  half  as  long  as  the  leaves.  The 
variety  nobilis,  which  very  much  resembles 
grandis,  if  indeed  it  is  not  the  same  kind, 
is  a  robust  and  noble  plant,  its  leaves  more 
distinctly  serrated  than  those  of  grandis, 
its  flowering  stem  5  to  8  feet  in  height, 
with  flowers  varying  from  scarlet  to 
orange-scarlet ;  the  anthers  are  pro- 
minent. It  blooms  throughout  August. 
The  variety  serotina  is  interesting  from 
blooming  a  month  or  so  after  all  the  other 
Kniphofias  are  over ;  its  flowers  are 
greenish-yellow,  occasionally  tinged  with 
red.  The  variety  Saundersi  has  bright 
green  leaves  and  very  rich  orange-scarlet 
flowers  ;  the  variety  longiscapa  has  very 
long  flower-heads,  and  is  a  most  desirable 


526 


KNIPHOFIA. 


THE  ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN.        KNIPHOFIA. 


form ;  the  variety  maxima  globosa  has 
globose  heads  of  yellow  and  red  flowers  ; 
and  the  variety  glaucescens  has  large  flower- 
spikes,  the  flowers  being  vermilion-scarlet 
shading  to  orange.  It  is  a  free-flowering 
plant,  and  is  one  of  the  best  for  heavy  rich 
soil. 

K.  BURCHELLI. — Introduced  by  Mr 
Burchell  from  the  Cape,  is  a  distinct  and 
beautiful  plant  with  a  purple-spotted 
stem  and  bright  green  leaves,  firm  in 
texture,  2  to  3  feet  long,  which  taper 
gradually  to  the  apex.  It  flowers  soon 
after  midsummer,  and  just  between  prcscox 
and  the  other  forms  of  K.  aloides.  The 
flower-heads  are  moderately  dense,  and 
the  flowers  are  bright  red,  excepting  those 
at  the  lower  end  of  the  head,  which  are 
bright  yellow,  the  style  protruding,  the 
stamens  being  included  in  the  tube.  A 
useful  and  distinct  plant,  suited  for  dry 
banks  and  borders. 

K.  CARNOSA. — A  beautiful  plant,  form- 
ing low  spreading  leaf-rosettes,  from  the 
midst  of  which  a  number  of  flower-stalks 
rise  to  the  height  of  i  foot,  with  cylindrical 
flower-spikes  about  3  by  i£  inches  ;  the 
smallness  of  the  flowers  is  compensated 
for  by  their  glowing  apricot  colour, 
enhanced  by  bright  yellow  anthers.  The 
flowers  open  first  on  the  top  side  in  Sep- 
tember. Abyssinia. 

K.  CAULESCENS  and  K.  NORTHIJE. — 
These  differ  from  all  other  cultivated 
kinds  in  having  stems.  K.  caulescens 
differs  from  all  the  forms  of  aloides  in 
being  smaller,  and  in  having  very  glaucous 
leaves,  short  heads,  and  smaller  and  less 
curved  flowers.  The  stem,  at  5  or  6 
inches  from  the  ground,  can  just  be 
spanned  by  both  hands ;  the  scape  is 
about  4^  feet  high,  with  a  dense  head  of 
flower  6  inches  in  length  of  a  reddish-sal- 
mon colour  in  its  earlier  stages,  but  in  the 
fully-expanded  flower  it  gradually  becomes 
white,  faintly  tinged  with  greenish-yellow, 
producing  an  effective  contrast.  The 
glaucous  blue-grey  foliage  is  pretty. 
Though  less  brilliant  than  most  of  the 
species,  it  is  one  of  the  hardiest,  and  is 
distinct  and  robust.  It  is  a  very  striking 
plant  for  the  bold  rock  garden,  and  it 
does  well  and  flowers  freely  on  dry  slopes 
in  light  warm  soils,  and  in  open  sunny 
positions.  It  should  have  a  little  protec- 
tion in  severe  cold.  Suckers  or  offsets 
taken  off  in  early  autumn  root  freely  in 
sand  in  a  cold  frame.  . 

K.  COMOSA. — Seems  closely  allied  to 
K.  pumila,  and  has  a  peculiar  appearance 
with  its  long  protruding  style  and  anthers. 
It  is  much  dwarfer  than  K.  aloides,  its 
leaves  are  much  narrower,  while  its  flowers 
are  smaller  and  its  bright  green  leaves  are 
in  dense  rosettes,  narrow,  very  pointed, 
and  almost  three-cornered.  The  bright 
yellow  flowers  droop  in  a  dense  oblong 
head,  the  stamen  and  style  being  about 
twice  the  length  of  the  flower  tube.  K. 


comosa  is  a  showy  plant,  flowering  in 
September,  but  is  rather  tender. 

K.  FOLIOSA. — Almost  the  counterpart 
of  K.  caulescens,  but  it  has  distinct  stems, 
being  also  one  of  the  most  robust  of  all 
the  Kniphofias,  and  easily  distinguished 
by  its  broadish  leaves  and  its  protruding 
stamens.  The  leaves  form  a  dense  tuft 
on  the  top  of  a  stem  i  to  3  feet  high,  and 
are  3  or  4  inches  broad  at  the  base,  tapering 
to  a  long  point ;  flowers  in  a  dense  oblong 
head  nearly  i  foot  long,  bright  yellow  or 
tinged  red,  appearing  in  late  autumn. 
Cape.  Syn.  K.  Quartiniana. 

K.  LEICHTLINI. — Native  of  Abyssinia, 
and  requires  winter  protection  even  in 
the  south  of  England.  Its  spreading 
bright  green  leaves  form  a  dense  tuft  ; 
they  are  2  to  4  feet  long,  three-cornered, 
with  entire  margins,  the  flower-stems  2  to 
4  feet  high,  the  flower-head  about  6  inches 
long,  the  drooping  flowers  of  a  dull  ver- 
milion-red and  yellow.  The  variety  dis- 
ticha,  which  is  quite  distinct  from  the  type, 
is  more  robust,  its  leaves  broader,  and 
flower-tube  shorter  ;  two  or  three  heads  of 
bright  deep  yellow  flowers  are  borne  on 
the  same  stem  in  August.  Some  have 
suggested  that  it  is  a  hybrid  between 
K.  Leichtlini  and  K.  comosa. 

K.  MACOWANI. — This  differs  from  most 
Kniphofias  in  having  the  segments  of  its 
corolla  reflexed,  and  in  being  of  dwarf 
.  habit,  12  to  1 8  inches  high,  the  narrow 
grassy  leaves  i  to  2  feet  long,  the  flower- 
heads  small,  the  flowers  of  a  bright  orange- 
red.  It  is  hardy,  and  is  suitable  for  rock 
gardens.  Rigidissima  and  maroccana  are 
garden  synonyms.  The  variety  longiflora 
has  much  longer  flowers.  K.  corallina  is 
a  robust  hybrid.  It  is  exactly  interme- 
diate between  K.  Macowani  and  K.  aloides, 
and  is  a  very  pretty  plant. 

K.  NORTHI^E. — This  is  most  nearly 
allied  to  K.  caulescens,  but  its  leaves  are 
much  broader,  are  not  keeled,  and  are 
serrulate  on  the  margins.  The  dense 
flower-heads  are  about  i  foot  long,  the 
flowers  being  pale  yellow,  but  the  upper 
ones  are  tinged  with  red  towards  the  tips. 
S.  Africa. 

K.  ROOPERI. — Nearly  allied  to  K. 
aloides,  but  is  an  early  or  summer-flowering 
plant,  while  the  stamens  are  included  in 
the  tube  ;  the  flowers  are  paler  and  less 
curved,  and  the  leaves  are  broad  and  very 
glaucous.  K.  Rooperi  is  a  native  of 
Caffraria,  and  requires  a  little  protection 
during  severe  winters.  It  has  a  fine  bold 
effect  when  in  full  flower,  the  flower-heads, 
6  inches  to  i  foot  long,  being  crowded  with 
bright  orange-red  flowers,  which  get 
yellowish  with  age. 

K.  SARMENTOSA. — Distinguished  from 
K.  aloides  by  its  smaller  glaucous  leaves, 
the  cylindrical  flower-heads  from  6  inches 
to  i  foot  long,  the  flowers  red  in  the  upper 
half,  and  yellow,  or  yellow  tinged  red,  in 
the  lower.  It  is  perfectly  hardy.  Cape. 


KNIPHOFIA. 


THE  ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 


KOCHIA. 


527 


K.  TRIANGULARIS. — Reminds  one  of 
K.  Macowani,  especially  as  regards  the 
flower-spike,  which  is  about  the  same  size 
and  of  a  similar  tint.  The  foliage,  how- 
ever, is  broader  and  longer,  and  in  this 
respect  it  resembles  K.  Uvaria.  It  is 
desirable  because  it  is  earlier  in  flower  than 
most  varieties,  and  also  because  it  is  a 
free  grower. 

K.  TYSONI. — A  handsome  new  variety, 
with  persistent  strong  foliage  of  a  soft 
glaucous  shade,  each  leaf  measuring  3  feet 
or  more  in  length  and  3^  inches  wide  at 


Kniphofia  Obelisk. 

base,  tapering  to  a  fine  point ;  the  edges 
of  leaf  finely  serrated.  Through  June  the 
strong  Yucca-like  growths  bear  bold 
spikes  of  orange-scarlet  and  primrose- 
yellow  flowers,  the  upper  portion  of  the 
inflorescence  being  red,  the  lower  primrose. 
In  the  bud  stage  the  whole  is  orange-red, 
but  as  the  lower  flowers  expand  they 
change  to  soft  primrose,  the  flowers  open- 
ing from  the  bottom  upwards. 

K.  TUCKI. — Has  large,  glaucous,  Yucca- 
like  foliage,  growing  4  to  5  feet  high,  with 


massive  heads  of  bright  red  flowers, 
changing  to  yellow,  and  borne  early  in 
June. 

Other  species  not  noticed  in  detail  are 
K.  pumila,  pallidiflora,  pauciflora,  nata- 
lensis,  Kirki,  Tysoni,  modesta,  Granti. 

HYBRIDS  AND  VARIETIES. — We  are 
indebted  to  Mr  Max  Leichtlin  for  quite 
a  group  of  them.  Others  have  given 
us  beautiful  forms,  such  as  the  varieties 
John  Waterer,  Otto  Mann,  Max  Leicht- 
lin, and  John  Benary,  but  all  these  owe 
their  origin  to  red-flowered  species, 
and  do  not  much  depart  from  the 
typical  forms.  Since  the  introduction, 
however,  of  yellow-flowered  species,  a 
new  field  was  opened  to  the  hybridiser. 
The  predominating  colour  in  these  new 
hybrids  is  yellow,  in  all  shades  varying 
through  orange  to  a  crimson  -  scarlet. 
In  habit  the  plants  vary  quite  as  much 
as  in  the  colour  and  form  of  the  flower- 
spikes.  Of  some,  whose  parentage  to 
K.  Leichtlini  must  be  very  near,  the 
foliage  is  narrow  and  deciduous,  and 
the  spikes  not  more  than  3  feet  high. 
Other  varieties  have  massive  foliage 
some  3  inches  or  4  inches  broad,  the 
spikes  attaining  a  height  of  7  feet. 
The  variety  Obelisk  is  robust,  with 
broad  leafage  and  spikes  some  5  feet 
in  height.  The  colour  of  the  spikes  is 
a  pure  golden  -  yellow,  and  strong 
spikes  often  produce  two  or  three 
additional  spikelets. 

Other  beautiful  forms  are  Triumph, 
a  very  fine  hybrid  ;  Star  of  Baden- 
Baden,  straw-yellow,  the  spikes  more 
than  7  feet  high ;  Ophir,  orange- 
yellow,  very  free-flowering  ;  Lachesis, 
very  hardy  and  rapid  in  growth,  the 
flower  deep  yellow,  turning  to  straw 
colour.  Turning  from  the  yellow 
varieties  we  have  Leda,  a  beautiful 
and  early-flowering  form,  about  4  feet 
high,  the  flowers  coral-red  with  an 
orange  tinge.  Matador  seems  to  have 
nobilis  for  one  of  its  parents  ;  the 
spikes  are  large,  broad,  and  the  colour 
a  deep  red.  All  the  hardy  kinds  grow 
well  in  deep  well-drained  loam,  and  are 
readily  increased  by  division  or  by 
seeds,  which  some  varieties  bear  freely 
in  mild  localities. 

KOCHIA  ( Belvedere) .  —  K.  trico- 
phylla  is  an  interesting  summer  Cypress 
of  the  Goosefoot  family,  forming  a 
neat  pointed  bush  from  3  to  5  feet  high, 
the  flowers  insignificant.  The  graceful 
habit  of  the  plant  makes  it  valuable, 
placed  either  singly  or  in  groups, 
especially  from  July  to  September, 
the  time  of  its  full  development.  In 


528        KCELREUTERIA.        THE  ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN.         LANTANA. 


autumn  it  assumes  a  very  effective 
reddish  tint.  It  should  be  sown  in 
April  in  a  hot-bed,  and  afterwards 
planted  out  in  beds  or  borders.  S. 
Europe. 

KCELREUTERIA. — K.  paniculata  is 
a  small  tree,  beautiful  when  in  flower  ; 
the  long  divided  leaves,  elegant 
throughout  summer,  in  autumn  die 
off  a  rich  yellow,  and  the  yellow 
flowers  form  large  clusters  over  the 
spreading  mass  of  foliage.  It  is  pic- 
turesque, valuable  for  groups,  is  a 
native  of  China,  hardy,  and  thrives 
in  any  good  soil. 

A  new  variety,  K.  bipinnata,  has 
recently  been  introduced  from  China, 
but  it  has  not  yet  been  established 
sufficiently  long  in  this  country  to 
enable  us  to  judge  of  its  value. 

KLOKWITZIA       AMABILIS.— 

A  Chinese  summer-leafing  bush  said 
to  come  from  high  elevations.  The 
flowers  are  somewhat  like  those  of 
Abelia.  A  promising  shrub. 

KOROLKOWIA   SEWERZOWL— A 

singular-looking  bulbous  plant,  allied 
to  and  much  resembling  a  Fritillary. 
It  grows  from  i  foot  to  i|  feet  high, 
and  has  broad  glaucous  leaves  and 
nodding  flowers,  greenish  outside  and 
vinous  purple  within.  A  native  of 
the  mountains  of  Turcomania,  hardy 
in  our  climate.  Bulblets  or  seed. 

LABURNUM  (Golden  Rain}.— 
Flowering  trees  of  Europe,  of  singular 
beauty,  quite  hardy  and  vigorous  in 
our  islands,  and  giving  fine  effects,  all 
the  more  so  if  placed  with  some  care 
as  to  position  and  surroundings. 

L.  ADAMI. — Is  a  graft-hybrid  ;  the  same 
tree,  and  even  the  same  branch,  bearing 
racemes  of  both  yellow  and  purple  flowers, 
and  sometimes  flowers  of  a  dull  purple. 
Old  trees  of  these  are  quaint  and  not  with- 
out beauty,  though  it  is  far  from  having 
the  effect  of  the  natural  species  and  their 
varieties. 

L.  ALPINUM  (Alpine  L.). — A  hardy  tree, 
native  of  the  hill  forests  of  France  and 
C.  Europe,  reaching  a  height  of  nearly 
40  feet.  The  natural  form  is  a  very 
beautiful  tree,  and  from  it  varieties  of  the 
highest  value  have  been  raised  and  in- 
creased from  time  to  time,  among  the 
best  Parkesi,  Watereri,  autumnalis,  biferum 
grandiflorum ;  hirsutum,  pendulum,  Vossi. 
The  Alpine  Laburnum  and  its  best  varie- 
ties may  be  known  from  the  other  Euro- 
pean species  by  its  longer  raceme,  broader 
and  deeper  green  leaves,  and  later  bloom. 
Grown  from  seed  it  varies  a  good  deal. 
Some  fine  varieties  came  in  that  way. 


L.  VULGARE  (Common  L.). — A  beautiful 
flowering  tree  of  mountain  woods  on  cal- 
careous soil,  but  growing  freely  in  any 
soil  in  our  gardens,  flowering  densely  and 
earlier  than  the  Alpine  Laburnum,  and, 
like  it,  reaching  almost  tree-like  stature — 
30  to  40  feet — in  the  best  conditions.  It 
has  several  varieties,  among  them  Carlieri 
intermedium,  pendulum,  semperflorens,  and 
quercifolium,  and  the  inevitable  worthless 
variegated  forms. 

L A  C  TU  C A  ( Blue  Thistle) .  —  M. 
Plumieri  is  a  native  of  the  Pyrenees, 
where  it  is  4  or  5  feet  high,  but  in  our 
borders  and  in  deep  strong  soils  it  is 
frequently  as  much  as  8  or  9  feet  high. 
Its  foliage  is  beautifully  varied  in  out- 
line, and  it  should  be  planted  in  the 
rougher  parts  of  the  wild  garden,  and 
left  to  itself,  as  nothing  seems  to  inter- 
fere with  its  rapid  growth.  M.  alpi- 
num  is  a  smaller  plant,  and  the  worst 
weed  ever  got  into  the  garden.  Seed 
or  division.  Syn.  Mulgedium.  Some 
of  the  kinds  are  very  difficult  to  get 
rid  of  once  planted  in  good  garden 
soil,  and  the  place  for  them  is  the  wild 
garden. 

LAGURUS  (Hare's-tail  Grass).— A 
pretty  annual  grass,  about  i  foot  high, 
L.  ovatus  having  hare's-tail-like  plumes, 
useful  for  bouquets.  It  should  be 
sown  in  pots  in  August,  wintered  in 
frames,  and  divided  and  transplanted 
in  spring,  or  sown  in  open  ground  in 
April.  Flowers  from  July  to  Sep- 
tember, and  is  pretty  in  the  flower 
garden  in  large  patches  as  a  relief  to 
showy  flowering  things. 

LAMARCKIA. — L.  aurea  is  a  small 
hardy  annual  grass,  with  silky  plumes, 
becoming  golden  as  they  mature.  It 
is  suitable  for  bouquets,  and  may  be 
dried  for  winter  use.  Seeds  should  be 
sown  in  spring  or  autumn,  in  the  open 
border  in  light  soil.  S.  Europe  and 
N.  Africa. 

LAMIUM  (Dead  Nettle). — Perennial 
herbs  of  which  there  are  a  few  plants 
occasionally  worth  a  place  in  poor 
dry  soils,  where  little  else  will  grow — 
such  as  are  found  on  dry  banks  or 
beneath  trees.  L.  garganicum,  from 
i  to  1 1  feet  high,  has  in  summer  whorls 
of  purplish  blossoms.  L.  Orvala  is 
taller  and  has  deep  red  flowers 
in  early  summer.  L.  maculatum,  a 
native  plant,  has  leaves  blotched  with 
silvery- white . 

LANTANA. —  S.  American  plants, 
usually  grown  in  greenhouses  and 


LAPAGERIA. 


THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 


LARIX. 


529 


also  in  the  summer  garden.  The 
Verbena-like  heads  of  bloom  are  rich 
and  varied  in  colour,  and  range  from 
crimson,  through  scarlet,  orange,  and 
yellow,  to  white,  the  colours  varying 
in  the  same  head.  They  flower  freely 
for  about  nine  months,  and  are  easy 
to  grow,  requiring  the  protection  of 
the  greenhouse  during  winter  after 
being  lifted  in  autumn.  Propagated 
in  spring  by  cuttings  or  seeds,  the 
plants  being  grown  in  rich  light  soil 
till  planted  out  in  a  warm  position. 
There  are  many  sorts  grown,  and  a 
selection  should  include  Phosphore, 
Don  Calmet,  Distinction,  Eclat,  Vic- 
toire,  La  Neige,  Feu  Follet,  Pluie 
d'Or,  Ver  Luisant,  Ne  Plus  Ultra, 
Eldorado,  and  Heroine.  Like  many 
dwarf  half-hardy  plants,  they  have 
various  uses  -in  the  flower  garden, 
and  may  be  trained  as  standards. 
The  pretty  L.  Sellowi  is  a  good  dwarf 
plant ;  but  the  odour  of  these  plants 
is  unpleasant,  and  they  are  not 
worthy  of  much  care.  West  Indies. 
Verbenaceae. 

LAPAGERIA  (Napoleon's  Bell).— A 
beautiful  climber  usually  grown  in  the 
greenhouse,  but  hardy  and  flowering 
well  in  the  open  air  in  Cornwall  and 
the  south  of  Ireland  ;  with  care  it 
would  be  found  to  do  over  a  larger 
area  round  the  coast.  It  forms  a 
lovely  picture  at  Caerhays,  trained 
on  a  north-west  wall,  and  flowers 
quite  freely.  Often  at  Christmas  and 
onwards  through  the  winter  and  spring 
it  comes  out  beautifully  ;  the  rose  and 
white  and  other  forms  have  been 
tried,  as  well  as  the  original  form. 
Soil  should  be  peaty  with  plenty  of 
sand  and  leaf  -  mould.  The  great 
enemy  of  the  plant  is  the  slug,  which 
destroys  the  young  growths.  The 
plant  may  be  nailed  direct  to  a  wall, 
or  planted  among  choice  shrubs  to 
take  its  own  way  as  a  climber,  and  it 
might  be  well  to  try  it  in  various 
aspects,  as  the  conditions  that  suit  it 
in  the  extreme  south  of  England  may 
not  do  so  in  all  parts. 

LARDIZABALA. — L.  biternata  is  a 
handsome  evergreen  climber  from 
Chili,  hardy  enough  for  walls  in  the 
south  and  coast  districts  ;  the  foliage 
a  deep  green,  the  leaflets  thick.  Along 
the  south  coast  it  makes  a  beautiful 
wall-covering,  reaching  a  height  of 
20  feet  or  more,  but  its  inconspicuous 
purple  flowers  are  seldom  borne  in  the 
open  air.  It  should  be  planted  in 
light  or  well-drained  soil. 


LARIX  (Larch). — One  of  the  most 
beautiful  trees  of  the  north,  and  though 
much  cultivated  in  our  woodlands  for 
its  value  as  a  timber  tree,  it  is  none  the 
less  precious  for  the  lawn  and  home 
grounds.  Belonging  to  the  great  Pine 
family,  it  has  the  summer-leafing  habit 
of  our  ordinary  trees,  which  enhances 
its  charms,  not  only  showing  the  form 
better  in  winter,  but  the  fine  colour 
of  the  budding  leaves  in  spring,  and 
the  ripening  leaves  in  autumn.  A  true 
child  of  the  northern  mountains,  the 
Larch  is  hardy  everywhere  in  our 
country,  perhaps  thriving  better  in 
the  north,  as  in  the  case  of  the  lovely 
old  trees  at  Dunkeld,  its  only  enemy 
beinej  a  dreadful  parasitic  fungus, 
which  eats  into  the  tree  and  mars  its 
beauty  and  vigour.  Other  kinds  of 
Larch  are  known,  and  some  coming 
into  cultivation,  but  it  is  not  always 
easy  to  obtain  them  in  a  good  state, 
and  we  have  yet  but  little  evidence 
as  to  their  value.  All  are  worth 
trial,  though  it  is  probable  that  none 
will  ever  rival  the  charms  of  the 
European  Larch. 

L.  AMERICANA  (Tamarack). — A  slender 
tree,  in  its  own  country  reaching  a  height 
of  nearly  100  feet,  but  not  thriving  so  well 
in  England,  and  not  so  remarkable  for 
beauty  as  our  European  Larch.  It  grows 
naturally  in  low-lying  ground  or  swamps, 
and  has  not  been  fairly  tried  in  our  gar- 
dens, in  which  such  ground  does  not  often 
occur.  Syn.  Microcarpa  and  Pendula. 

L.  EUROP^EA  (European  Larch). — A  tall 
and  lovely  tree  with  pendent  branches 
emitting  a  delicate  fragrance  in  the  spring 
when  budding.  It  is  a  native  of  the 
northern  and  central  European  Alps,  and 
also  the  mountains  of  N.  Asia.  The  weep- 
ing variety  is  picturesque,  but  L.  dahurica 
is  considered  to  be  a  form  of  this,  and  is 
likely  to  be  of  distinct  value  for  gardens. 

L.  GRIFFITHII  (Sikkim  Larch) .  —  A 
Himalayan  Larch,  attaining  in  its  own 
country  to  the  height  of  a  stately  tree, 
but  often  dwarfed  into  an  alpine  bush. 
It  bears  large  cones,  and  in  our  country 
has  not  yet  been  proved  to  be  of  great 
value. 

L.  K^EMPFERI  (Chinese  Golden  Larch). — 
A  beautiful  tree  of  W.  China,  attaining  in 
its  own  country  a  height  of  over  100  feet, 
and  of  good  growth  and  habit  in  our 
country,  though  not  so  rapid  as  other 
species.  A  choice  lawn  tree,  and  also, 
when  it  can  be  got  in  any  quantity  in  the 
form  of  healthy  seedling  plants,  as  a  group 
in  park  or  woodland. 

L.  LEPTOLEPSIS  (Japan  Larch). — In  its 
own  country  this  is  described  as  a  medium- 
sized  tree  resembling  our  European  Larch, 
to  which  it  is  said  to  be  inferior,  but  from 

2  L 


530       LASTHENIA.         THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 


LATHYRUS. 


experience  gained  by  planters  this  is 
thought  doubtful,  as  it  promises  very  well 
indeed  as  a  woodland  tree,  and  is  said  to 
escape  the  Larch  fungus  canker,  which  is 
so  deadly  to  the  European  Larch. 

L.  OCCIDENTALIS  (Western  Larch). — 
Said  to  be  the  noblest  of  all  the  Larches, 
from  the  mountains  of  N.W.  America. 
It  is  of  great  height,  but  as  yet  little  tried 
in  our  country,  though  promising  well. 

LASTHENIA.  —  A  pretty  hardy 
annual,  L.  glabrata  being  from  9  inches 
to  i^  feet  high,  with  many  rich  orange- 
yellow  blossoms.  It  should  be  sown 
in  autumn  or  early  summer,  or  in 
spring  for  later  bloom.  Like  other 
annuals,  it  looks  best  in  broad  tufts, 
but  care  must  be  taken  that  the 
plants  are  properly  thinned.  The 
autumn-sown  plants  come  in  with  the 
Iberis,  Wallflowers,  and  early  Phloxes. 
L.  californica  is  a  variety.  California. 
Composite. 

Lastrea.  Syn.  Aspidium  and 
Nephrodium. 

LATHYRUS  (Everlasting  P.ea).  - 
Hardy  annual  and  perennial  plants, 
several  of  them  very  beautiful  for  the 
garden.  The  perennial  kinds  of  Peas 
are  valuable,  as  they  are  of  such  free 
growth  and  last  long  in  bloom.  The 
kinds  worth  growing  are  not  numerous, 
yet  sufficient  to  keep  up  an  unbroken 
display  from  May  till  October.  They 
have  long  fleshy  roots,  which,  when 
once  established,  will  go  on  for  years 
without  giving  further  trouble  or 
needing  attention.  Near  a  low  wall 
or  trellis  they  succeed  admirably,  and 
climbing  gracefully  drape  such  surfaces 
with  veils  of  foliage  and  blossom. 
Upon  banks,  raised  borders,  or  on  the 
bold  rock  garden  few  things  are  pret- 
tier, and  they  never  look  better  than 
when  scrambling  over  the  face  of  a 
rock,  flowering  as  they  go.  The  way 
to  spoil  them  is  to  attempt  to  tie  and 
train  them  in  a  stiff  or  formal  way. 
They  may  be  used  with  good  effect  in 
mixed  borders,  and  they  are  valuable 
for  cutting  from.  The  best  varieties 
are  pretty  if  allowed  to  grow  through 
beds  of  medium-sized  shrubs,  and  there 
are  few  effects  in  gardens  prettier  than 
that  of  the  best  white  varieties  when 
allowed  to  trail  and  bloom  on  a  grassy 
place  untrained  in  any  way  ;  a  few 
tufts  so  placed  are  charming  and  live 
for  many  years.  Most  of  the  species 
ripen  seed  freely,  and  all  may  be  divided 
either  in  autumn  or  spring. 


L.  GRANDIFLORUS  (Two-flowered  Ever- 
lasting Pea). — A  very  handsome  plant  for 
the  early  summer  garden,  succeeding  any- 
where, and,  as  the  name  implies,  is  the 
largest  flowered  species,  the  blooms  being 
as  large  as  those  of  a  Sweet  Pea.  It  is  at 
its  best  in  June  and  early  July,  the  flowers 
usually  borne  in  pairs,  of  a  rosy-purple 
colour,  the  stems  in  good  soil  reaching 


The  White  Everlasting  Pea  (Lathyrus  latifolius 
albus). 

6  feet.  It  is  one  of  the  hardiest  of  the 
genus,  and  from  its  neat  and  free-flowering 
habit  a  very  useful  border  plant,  common 
in  cottage  gardens.  It  has  not  so  far 
varied  in  colour  as  the  Everlasting  Pea, 
but  it  may  do  so  yet,  and  varieties  of  it 
would  be  welcome. 

L.  LATIFOLIUS  (Everlasting  Pea). — One 
of  the  hardiest  and  most  easily  cultivated 
of  plants,  thriving  almost  anywhere,  even 
in  courtyards  amongst  Flags.  There  are 
good  white  varieties  and  some  striped 
with  deeper  coloured  flowers  than  the  old 
kind.  The  best  white-flowered  variety  is 
The  Pearl,  an  invaluable  plant.  All  are 
peculiarly  suited  for  rough  places,  and 
will  scramble  over  bushes.  Staking,  tying, 
and  training  only  spoil  them.  An  old 


LATHYRUS. 


THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER   GARDEN.        LATHYRUS.         531 


tree-stump,  or  the  side  of  a  trellis  or  sum- 
mer-house, is  where  they  delight  to  grow 
undisturbed. 

L.  MAGELLANICUS  (Lord  Alison's  Pea). — 
The  most  beautiful  of  blue-flowered  Peas. 
It  grows  from  3  to  5  feet  high  ;  the  flowers, 
many  in  a  bunch,  are  of  medium  size, 
violet-blue  with  darker  veins,  opening  in 
June  and  continuing  until  the  end  of  July. 
This  species  is  said  to  have  been  originally 
introduced  by  the  cook  of  H.M.  ship  Cen- 
turion, commanded  by  Lord  Anson,  in 
1744,  and  was  cultivated  by  Philip  Miller 
in  the  Botanic  Garden  at  Chelsea.  S. 
America. 

L.  MARITIMUS  (Beach  Pea). — This  is  a 
very  interesting  native  plant,  inhabiting 
the  seashore,  and  not  so  vigorous  as  the 
preceding  kinds.  It  is,  however,  pretty 
and  worth  a  place  on  open  parts  of  the 
rock  garden,  in  gravelly  or  gritty  soil. 
The  stems  are  prostrate,  18  inches  to  3  feet 
long,  sea-green  in  colour ;  flowers  in 
summer,  purple  fading  to  blue.  N. 
Europe,  America,  and  Asia. 

L.  ODORATUS  (Sweet  Pea). — Perhaps  the 
most  precious  annual  plant  grown.  There 
are  many  ways  in  which  it  may  be  prettily 
used  in  a  garden.  A  common  method  is 
to  sow  little  patches  in  borders,  the  seed 
being  generally  that  of  mixed  varieties, 
and  by  placing  some  stakes  against  them, 
to  secure  pillars  of  flower.  Where  it  can 
be  done,  a  hedge  of  Sweet  Peas  is  an 
attractive  sight,  and  sometimes  Sweet  Peas 
can  be  used  to  hide  an  unsightly  place 
during  the  summer.  Many  people  grow 
a  hedge  of  Sweet  Peas  in  order  to  yield  a 
supply  of  cut  flowers,  but  it  is  useless  to 
grow  the  Sweet  Pea  except  in  good  soil. 
Some  sow  in  late  autumn  ;  this  is  not 
always  satisfactory,  though,  when  it 
succeeds,  the  result  is  good.  By  sowing 
indoors  in  pots  or  boxes  about  the  middle 
of  February,  and  gradually  hardening  off 
the  young  plants  when  they  are  i  inch 
high,  Sweet  Peas  may  be  made  to  acquire 
a  sturdiness  and  toughness  which,  when 
they  are  planted  out  in  good  well-manured 
soil  in  April,  conduces  to  rapid  growth  and 
to  immunity  from  birds  and  slugs,  which 
would  otherwise  attack  the  tender  shoots 
the  moment  they  appeared  above  the 
ground.  The  soil  should  be  well  trenched, 
and  plenty  of  good  stable  manure  should 
be  worked  in  ;  and  after  the  plants  have 
been  rather  thickly  dibbled  in,  supports  of 
hazel  stakes  or  netting  should  be  placed 
round  them.  Then,  with  a  little  attention 
during  dry  weather  and  the  regular 
removal  of  incipient  pods,  they  yield 
abundance  of  beautiful  and  fragrant 
flowers  all  through  the  summer  and 
autumn.  When  getting  past  their  best 
they  should  be  cut  down  level  with  the 
top  of  the  sticks,  and  the  result  will  be 
that  from  the  bottom  to  the  top  a  new 
growth  will  spring  up,  and  there  will  be 
an  abundance  of  bloom  until  the  end  of 


October.  There  are  now  many  fine 
varieties  of  the  Sweet  Pea,  varying  chiefly 
in  colour. 

Mr  Eckford,  of  Wem,  Salop,  now  so 
well  known  for  the  many  varieties  of 
Sweet  Peas  he  has  raised,  in  writing  to 
me  as  to  their  good  cultivation,  says  :  "I 
do  not  like  the  Celery-trench  fashion.  If 
the  ground  is  in  a  tolerably  good  state  of 
cultivation — -that  is,  has  been  fairly  well 
dug — simply  put  on  a  fair  coat  of  stable 
manure  and  dig  deep,  leaving  it  rough. 
In  the  beginning  of  March,  when  the  soil 
is  in  good  condition,  thoroughly  break 
with  a  fork,  which  will  be  sufficient  pre- 
paration for  the  seed.  To  obtain  the  best 
results,  clumps  of  two  or  three  plants  at 
i  or  2  yards  apart  are  better  than  con- 
tinuous rows.  In  staking  put  three  or 
four  bushy  stakes  thus  :  :  round  the 
clump,  but  well  away  from  the  plants, 
which  should  have  a  few  smaller  sticks  to 
lead  them  up  to  the  taller  ones.  Round 
the  whole  put  a  string  or  bit  of  wire  to 
keep  them  together,  so  that  when  the 
plants  have  grown  up  a  sort  of  cone  may 
be  formed.  The  sticks  should  be,  if  pos- 
sible, 8  or  10  feet  high,  as  planted  in  this 
way  the  Peas  will,  if  mulched  with  half- 
spent  manure  or  any  kind  of  refuse  to 
protect  the  roots  from  hot  sun,  grow  very 
strong  and  tall,  and  if  the  flowers  are  cut 
close  every  morning,  so  that  no  seed  can 
form,  they  will  continue  to  bloom  till  the 
frost  puts  an  end  to  them.  Should  the 
weather  prove  dry,  a  soaking  of  weak 
manure  water  two  or  three  times  during 
the  season  would  be  beneficial.  Should 
they  from  excessive  growth  get  untidy, 
take  the  hedge-shears  and  clip  them  over 
neatly  ;  they  will  in  a  few  days  throw  out 
fresh  growths  and  a  profusion  of  flowers. 
If  this  way  of  growing  Sweet  Peas  is 
adopted,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  put  the  seed 
singly  into  small  pots,  and  when  the  seed- 
lings are  strong  enough  to  plant  them  out ; 
in  doing  so  make  the  ground  very  firm 
about  them — they  delight  in  firm  ground. 
If  the  weather  be  dry  tread  well  in." 

Sweet  Peas  do  admirably  in  Scotland. 
Mr  Brotherston  thus  writes  concerning  his 
mode  of  treatment  at  Tynninghame  : 
"  Mr  Eckford  (the  raiser  of  many  charming 
varieties  of  Sweet  Peas)  was  here  a  few 
weeks  ago,  and  he  confessed  to  be  unable 
to  grow  them  so  fine.  He  said  that  he 
had  never  previously  seen  the  flowers  of 
his  own  Peas  grown  to  so  large  a  size  or  so 
fine  in  colour.  Grow  the  plants  singly, 
allowing  each  plenty  of  room.  If  you  are 
able  to  get  plenty  of  good  loam,  allow 
each  plant  one  and  a  half  barrowfuls,  and 
of  leaf-soil  half  a  barrowful,  incorporating 
these  with  the  top  spit  of  the  garden  soil. 
Heavy  dressings  of  manure  produce  rank 
growth  when  the  plants  are  young.  I 
prefer  to  add  manure  as  a  surface  dressing  ; 
my  favourite  manures  for  this  purpose 
being  soot,  pigeon  manure,  superphos- 


532 


LATHYRUS. 


THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER    GARDEN. 


LAVANDULA. 


phate  of  lime  and  sulphate  of  ammonia. 
Peat  litter,  which  has  passed  through  a 
stable,  is  also  good.  Manure  water  will, 
of  course,  be  also  beneficial.  For  training 
on,  nothing  is  more  satisfactory  than  a 
dead  Spruce  Fir  for  each  plant.  Pinching 
is  important,  as  it  not  only  keeps  the  plant 
within  bounds,  but  all  through  the  season 
it  causes  the  formation  of  young  flowering 
growths.  Seeding  is  so  fatal  to  the  pro- 
duction of  bloom,  and  exhausts  the  ener- 
gies of  the  plant  so  rapidly  and  immedi- 
ately that  in  hot  weather  I  should  not 
hesitate  to  remove  every  flower  and 
opening  bud  rather  than  risk  leaving  them 
to  form  seed-pods.  A  position  little 
exposed  to  continuous  sunshine  will  be 
advantageous.  I  would  make  a  late 
sowing  about  the  middle  of  June,  or  per- 
haps even  later,  always,  however,  allowing 
each  plant  plenty  of  room." 

Though  none  of  the  other  annual  kinds 
of  Lathyrus  rival  the  Sweet  Pea,  there  are 
several  pretty  ones.  Of  these  the  Tangier 
Pea  (L.  tingitanus)  grows  about  3  feet 
high,  and  has  small  dark  red-purple 
flowers  ;  the  Chickling  Vetch  (L.  sativus) 
has  flowers  varying  from  pure  white  to 
deep  purple.  The  variety  azureus  is  a 
remarkably  elegant  dwarf  kind  with  many 
clear  blue  flowers  ;  L.  s.  color atus  has 
flowers  white,  purple,  and  blue  ;  L.  Gor- 
goni,  about  2  feet  high,  pale  salmon- 
coloured  flowers ;  L.  articulatus,  Cly- 
menum,  and  calcaralus  are  other  pretty 
kinds  for  borders. 

L.  ROTUNDIFOLIUS  (Persian  Everlasting 
Pea). — A  very  old  species,  it  is  not  so 
common  as  the  larger  kinds,  though  good 
from  its  earliness  and  freedom  of  flowering. 
It  grows  about  5  feet  high,  the  leaves  are 
nearly  round,  the  flowers  in  large  clusters, 
bright  rose-pink,  about  an  inch  in  dia- 
meter, and  open  in  early  June.  It  is  of 
easy  culture,  and  increased  by  division. 
Asia  Minor  and  Persia. 

L.  SIBTHORPI  (Early  Everlasting  Pea). — 
This  is  valuable  because  it  is  so  early, 
being  at  its  best  in  May  and  June.  It 
does  not  grow  very  tall,  rarely  more  than 
2  or  3  feet,  but  it  bears  many  fine  spikes 
of  delicate  flowers  of  a  beautiful  purplish- 
red  colour.  It  has  been  in  cultivation  at 
Oxford  Botanic  Garden  for  many  years, 
and  is  said  to  have  been  introduced  by 
Sibthorp.  It  flowers  a  month  earlier  than 
L.  rotundifolius,  and  may  be  increased  by 
division  or  seed,  but  is  not  so  vigorous  in 
ordinary  conditions  as  the  commoner 
Everlasting  Peas,  and  should,  until  plen- 
tiful, be  planted  in  warm  borders. 

L.  TUBEROSUS  (Tuber  Pea). — A  pretty 
low-growing  kind,  with  flowers  of  a  bright 
dark  pink.  It  is  found  in  many  of  our 
cornfields,  and  is  cultivated  in  Holland 
for  the  tuberous  roots,  which  are  said  to 
be  edible.  The  tubers  are  about  2  inches 
long,  broadest  at  the  root  end  and  tapering 
to  the  apex.  It  will  be  found  a  useful 


plant  for  the  flower  border,  it  being  a  true 
perennial,  of  neat  habit,  and  very  free- 
flowering.  Europe  and  W.  Asia  ;  natura- 
lised in  England. 

LAURELIA         AROMATICA.  —  A 

noble  evergreen  tree  from  S.  America, 
resembling  the  Common  Bay  in  its 
fine  appearance  and  fragrant  leaves, 
and  attaining  a  height  of  30  feet  or 
more  in  parts  of  Ireland  and  at  Pen- 
jerrick,  near  Falmouth,  Cornwall. 
Being  scarce  it  has  not  yet  been  much 
tried,  but  like  other  Chilian  shrubs, 
it  is  probably  hardy  in  the  milder 
parts  of  Britain.  The  leaves  are  thick, 
fleshy,  studded  all  over  with  minute 
transparent  dots,  and  have  a  fine 
aromatic  smell.  The  flowers  and  fruits 
are  not  showy,  coming  as  dense  clusters 
nestling  in  the  leaf-axils,  and  only  on 
well-established  plants.  It  is  worth 
a  trial  in  seashore  districts. 

LAURUS  (Poet's  Laurel).— L.  nobilis 
is  generally  known  as  Sweet  Bay,  but 
its  true  name  Laurel  should  be  kept, 
for  it  is  the  true  Poet's  Laurel,  the 
vigorous  Cherry  Laurel  having  wrongly 
taken  the  name.  Gardeners  in  the 
larger  places  rather  neglect  it,  and 
seldom  plant  it  in  groups  and  colonies, 
as  they  might  well  do  on  dry  banks. 
The  plant  is  interesting  in  every  way 
for  its  associations  as  well  as  for  its 
beauty,  and  there  are  several  varie- 
ties. It  requires  some  care  in  trans- 
planting, or  it  will  be  a  long  time 
rooting  well.  Warm  and  sheltered 
places  are  best  for  it,  if  possible  on 
sandy  or  free  soil  ;  and  it  might 
be  planted  in  different  aspects  with 
advantage. 

In  N.  and  C.  Europe  it  is  grown 
to  an  enormous  extent  in  tubs,  as 
in  these  countries  it  is  quite  a  tender 
plant,  and  the  same  plan  may 
sometimes  be  worth  doing  in  colder 
and  more  inland  and  northern  parts 
of  our  islands,  where  this  hand- 
some evergreen  is  often  cut  down  by 
frost. 

LAVANDULA  ( Lavender] .  —  Grey, 
half-shrubby  plants,  mostly  dwarf 
with  greyish  leaves  and  warm  and 
grateful  odour  ;  mostly  coming  from 
warmer  countries  than  ours,  but, 
happily,  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
survives  on  all  our  light  and  warm 
soils,  and  may  be  cultivated  almost 
everywhere,  as  even  if  in  winter  killed 
in  valleys  and  on  cool  soils  it  is  easily 
raised  by  division  or  by  seeds,  and  will 
escape  all  save  the  most  severe  winters. 
It  succeeds  best  in  an  open  sunny 


LAVATERA. 


THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN.     LEONTOPODIUM.     533 


position,  in  light  soil.  The  white- 
flowered  variety  is  as  sweet  as  the  blue, 
and  flowers  at  the  same  time.  Though 
a  bush,  the  Lavender  has  been  for 
centuries  associated  with  our  old 
garden  flowers.  For  low  hedges,  as 
dividing  lines  in  or  around  ground 
devoted  to  nursery  beds  of  hardy 
flowers,  and  many  other  purposes,  it 
is  admirable,  and  for  dry  banks  and 
warm  slopes.  The  forms  of  Lavender 
in  cultivation  in  our  islands  are  varie- 
ties of  the  wild  kinds.  The  dwarf 
forms  are  very  pretty  and  useful  for 
edgings.  One  is  sometimes  called  the 
Dutch  Lavender.  Lavenders  want 
little  care  beyond  occasional  replant- 
ing after  several  years'  growth. 

LAVATERA  ( Tree  Mallow]  .—For 
the  most  part  vigorous  and  some- 
what coarse  annuals,  biennials,  and 
perennials,  few  of  great  value  in  the 
garden.  The  most  useful  is  L.  trimes- 
tris,  a  beautiful  S.  European  annual, 
from  2  to  3  feet  high,  bearing  in  summer 
large  pale  rose  or  white  blossoms, 
thriving  in  rich  and  light  soil.  It 
may  be  sown  in  the  open  border  in 
autumn  or  early  spring.  Among  the 
taller  kinds  the  best  is  L.  arbor ea, 
which  has  the  look  of  a  small  tree,  in 
the  southern  counties  sometimes  10 
feet  high.  The  stem  branches  into  a 
broad,  compact,  roundish,  and  very 
leafy  head.  In  rich  well-drained  beds 
it  would  be  a  worthy  companion  for 
the  Ricinus  and  the  Cannas.  It  is 
most  at  home  on  dry  soils,  but  during 
the  summer  months  it  does  on  all  kinds 
of  soil.  A  biennial,  it  should  be  raised 
from  seed  annually.  L.  cashmeriana, 
unguiculata,  thuringiaca,  sylvestris, 
and  others  of  a  similar  character  are 
not  worth  growing  except  in  the  wild 
garden,  or  naturalised. 

LEDUM  (Labrador  Tea}. — Dwarf 
hardy  shrubs,  of  which  the  best  of  the 
few  species  grown  in  gardens  is  L.  lati- 
folium,  which  represents  the  genus 
well.  Its  usual  height  is  under  2  feet, 
but  sometimes  it  reaches  3  feet ;  it  is 
dense  and  compact,  and  has  small 
leaves,  of  a  rusty  brown  beneath. 
During  the  latter  part  of  May  it  bears 
clusters  of  white  flowers.  It  is  a  very 
old  garden  plant,  and  was  brought 
from  N.  America  more  than  a  century 
ago.  The  Canadian  form  of  it  (cana- 
dsnse)  is  found  in  some  gardens,  but 
does  not  differ  materially  from  the 
type.  A  form  called  globosum  is  finer, 
as  the  flower-clusters  are  larger  and 
rnora  globular.  L.  palustre  is  com- 


moner than  L.  latifolium,  but  being 
smaller  in  every  part  is  not  so  good  ; 
it  is  dwarf  and  spreading,  and  its 
flowers  are  white.  N.  Europe  and 
America. 

LEIOPHYLLUM  (Sand  Myrtle).— L. 
buxifolium  is  a  neat,  pretty,  and  tiny 
shrub,  forming  compact  bushes  4  to 
6  inches  high,  with  evergreen  leaves 
resembling  those  of  the  Box.  The 
small  white  flowers  are  borne  in  dense 
clusters  in  early  summer,  the  unopened 
buds  being  of  a  delicate  pink  hue,  and 
it  is  suited  for  grouping  with  diminu- 
tive shrubs,  such  as  the  Partridge 
Berry,  Daphne  Cneorum,  the  small 
Andromedas.  A  native  of  sandy  "  pine 
barrens  "  in  New  Jersey. 

LEITNERIA  FLORIDANA  (Cork- 
wood) . — A  small  tree,  native  of  southern 
United  States.  A  swamp-plant,  and 
said  to  thrive  as  far  north  as  Boston, 
United  States. 

LEONTOPODIUM  ( Edelweiss) .  —  A 
pretty  and  hoary-leaved  alpine  plant, 
L.  alpinum,  having  small  yellow 
flowers  surrounded  by  star-like  heads 


Leontopo.lium  alpinum  (Edelweiss). 

of  leaves  clothed  with  a  dense  white 
woolly  substance.  Some  people  are 
so  pleased  at  seeing  this  plant  in  culti- 
vation that  they  send  letters  to  the 
Times  to  announce  the  fact  ;  but  its 
culture  is  not  difficult  on  sandy  soils, 
or  even  as  a  border  plant,  and  it  grows, 
too,  luxuriantly  in  moist  rich  soils. 
To  keep  a  good  stock  of  flowering 


534 


LEONURUS. 


THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER    GARDEN.        LEPTOSYNE. 


plants,  the  old  ones  should  be  divided 
annually  or  young  ones  raised  from 
seeds,  which  in  some  seasons  ripen 
plentifully.  It  succeeds  either  on 
exposed  spots  of  the  rock  garden  or 
in  an  ordinary  border,  if  not  placed 
too  near  rank-growing  things. 

LEONURUS  (Lion' s-tail] . — L.  Leon- 
itis  is  a  distinct  and  handsome  plant  of 
the  Salvia  Order,  allied  to  Phlomis, 
about  2  feet  high,  and  bearing  in 
summer  whorls  of  very  showy  bright 
scarlet  flowers.  It  is  a  Cape  plant,  and 
is  not  hardy  enough  for  our  climate 


The  'L\on's-tai\(Leonurus  Leonitis).     Engraved  from 
a  photograph  by  Miss  Wilmott. 

during  the  winter,  even  when  protected 
by  a  cold  frame,  though  in  warm  light 
soils,  in  the  southern  parts  of  the 
country,  it  thrives  out  of  doors  in 
summer,  and  where  it  will  not  bloom 
out  of  doors,  it  is  worthy  of  a  place 
as  a  cool  greenhouse  plant.  Near 
Paris,  established  plants  placed  out 
for  the  summer  flower  well.  Wherever 
it  can  be  grown  in  the  open  air,  it 
would  be  valuable  for  association  with 
the  finer  bedding  and  sub-tropical 
plants.  Cuttings  strike  freely  in  spring 
— more  freely  than  in  autumn — in  a 
slight  bottom  heat. 


LEPTOSIPHON.— Pretty  Californian 
annuals.  To  produce  the  best  results 
these  charming  plants  must  be  strongly 
grown,  and  robust  specimens  can  only 
be  obtained  by  thin  sowing.  In  light 
dry  soils  early  autumn  sowing  is  recom- 
mended, sufficiently  early  to  permit 
the  young  plants  to  attain  some  size 
before  the  setting-in  of  winter.  Fair 
success,  however,  may  be  looked  for, 
especially  in  good  soils,  where  spring 
sowing  will  often  yield  excellent  results, 
while  the  advantages  of  autumn  sowing 
are  best  seen  in  light  sandy  soils.  Of 
the  numerous  kinds  in  cultivation  the 
best  is  L.  roseus,  which  is  one  of  the 
most  charming  of  hardy  annuals, 
forming  dense  tufts,  studded  with 
rosy-carmine  flowers.  The  very  pretty 
L.  luteus  and  its  deeper-coloured 
variety  aureus  are  scarcely  inferior  to 
L.  roseus,  which  they  resemble  in 
habit,  though  with  smaller  flowers. 
The  hybrid  varieties  of  these  are  in- 
teresting for  the  singular  variety  of 
shades  occurring  among  them.  The 
larger-flowered  species,  L.  densiflorus 
and  L.  androsaceus,  should  be  too 
well  known  to  need  description  ;  both 
have  lilac-purple  flowers,  and  are  most 
attractive  annuals,  and  of  both  species 
there  are  good  white  varieties  deserv- 
ing of  especial  recommendation.  All 
natives  of  California.  Polemoniaceae. 

LEPTOSPERMUM  (South  Sea 
Myrtle}. — One  of  the  few  Australian 
shrubs  which  thrive  in  our  country, 
often  attaining  much  beauty  in  sea- 
shore gardens,  not  only  in  the  south 
but  in  the  west.  Among  the  prettiest 
effects  in  flowering  shrubs  I  have  seen 
were  from  this  in  the  garden  of  the 
late  W.  O.  Stanley  at  Penross.  It 
should  have  shelter  and  as  warm  a  soil 
as  we  can  give  it,  although  it  grows 
well  near  the  sea  and  sea  gales  have 
power  to  injure  it.  It  would  have 
less  chance  in  cold  and  inland  places, 
and  valleys  where  the  frost  is  more 
severe.  L.  scoparium,  var.  Nicholii, 
with  carmine-red  flowers,  is  the  most 
beautiful  of  these  plants.  It  may  be 
increased  by  cuttings,  but  best  by  seed. 

LEPTOSYNE. — Californian  plants  of 
the  Composite  family,  resembling  some 
of  the  Coreopsis.  L.  Douglasi  is  a 
pretty  half-hardy  annual,  about  i  foot 
high,  and  having  large  yellow  flowers. 
L.  Stillmanni  resembles  it,  but  is 
smaller.  L.  maritima,  a  perennial,  is 
somewhat  tender,  and  should  be  treated 
as  an  annual.  It  is  a  showy  plant, 
about  6  inches  high,  and  bears  large 


LESPEDEZA. 


THE  .ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 


LEWISIA. 


535 


bright  yellow  flowers.  All  these  plants 
thrive  best  in  an  open  sunny  position 
in  a  light  warm  soil.  The  seeds  should 
be  sown  early  in  heat,  and  the  seedlings 
transplanted  in  May. 

LESPEDEZA  (Bush  Clover}.— 
Large  flowering  plants  of  the  Pea  order, 
few  as  yet  tried  in  our  country. 
Mostly  from  China,  Japan,  Korea,  and 
India. 

LEUCANTHEMUM  (A  Ipine  Fever- 
few).— L.  alpinum  is  a  very  dwarf 
plant.  The  leaves  are  small,  and  the 
abundant  flowers  are  supported  on 
hoary  little  stems  i  to  3  inches  long, 
are  pure  white  with  yellow  centres, 
and  are  more  than  i  inch  across.  It 
is  rather  quaint  and  pretty,  and  well 
deserves  cultivation  in  bare  level 
places,  on  poor  sandy  or  gravelly  soil 
in  the  rock  garden.  It  is  sometimes 
known  as  Chrysanthemum  arcticum 
and  Pyrethrum  alpinum.  It  is  a 
native  of  the  Alps,  and  is  readily 
increased  by  division  or  seed.  (For 
other  species  of  Leucanthemum  see 
Chrysanthemum.) 

LEUCOJUM  (Snowflake}.  —  Pretty 
bulbs  allied  to  the  Snowdrop,  but 
bolder  and  easily  naturalised  in  rich 
valley  soils. 

L.  ^STIVUM  (Summer  Snowflake). — A 
vigorous  plant,  flowers  white  drooping  on 
stalks  i  to  i£  feet  high,  and  clusters  of 
four  to  eight  on  a  stem,  with  leaves  shaped 
like  those  of  Daffodils.  It  blooms  early 
in  summer  (in  many  places  before  the  end 
of  spring),  and  is  pretty  in  mixed  borders 
or  on  the  margins  of  shrubberies.  It 
thrives  in  almost  any  soil,  but  is  strongest 
in  deep  alluvial  soil,  and  is  multiplied  by 
separation  of  the  bulbs.  It  is  excellent 
for  the  wild  garden,  and  increases  as 
rapidly  as  the  common  Daffodil.  A  form 
of  L.  fsstivum  is  L.  Hernandezi,  a  native  of 
Majorca  and  Minorca,  growing  to  about 
the  same  height  as  L.  cestivum,  but  with 
narrower  leaves,  flowers  only  half  the  size, 
and  usually  not  more  than  three  flowers 
on  each  stem,  appearing  nearly  a  month 
earlier. 

L.  CARPATICUM. — Is  considered  a  vari- 
ety, bearing  two  flowers  on  the  stem, 
flowering  a  month  later.  Other  cultivated 
Snowflakes  are  L.  hyemale  and  L.  roseum  ; 
but  these  are  very  rare,  and  somewhat 
difficult  to  cultivate. 

L.  VERNUM  (Spring  Snowflake). — A 
beautiful  early  flower  about  6  inches  high. 
The  fragrant  drooping  flower  resembles  a 
large  Snowdrop,  the  tips  of  the  petals 
being  marked  with  a  greenish  spot.  It  is 
excellent  for  the  rock  garden  or  borders, 
and  "thrives  in  a  light,  rich  soil.  Imported 


bulbs  make  little  show  for  the  first  year 
or  two,  but  when  established  they  flower 
freely. 

LEUCOTHOE. — Beautiful  evergreen 
shrubs  of  the  He.ath  family,  most  of 
them  very  old  garden  plants,  and 
common  in  collections  of  American 
plants.  There  is  a  family  likeness 
among  the  kinds,  the  best  known  being 
L.  acuminata,  ij  to  2^  feet  high,  with 
slender  arching  stems,  in  early  sum- 
mer wreathed  with  white  bell-shaped 
pretty  flowers.  L.  axillavis  is  similar, 
and  so  are  L.  Catesbcei  and  L.  race- 
mosa,  all  of  which  are  known  under  the 
name  Andromeda.  They  are  natives 
of  N.  America,  hardy,  thriving  in 
light  soil,  preferring  peat,  and  are 
suitable  for  the  margins  of  groups  of 
American  shrubs  and  for  low  parts 
of  rock  gardens.  A  newer  and  very 
beautiful  species  is  L.  Davisice,  intro- 
duced a  few  years  since  from  California, 
and  not  so  hardy  as  the  others.  It 
makes  a  neat  little  evergreen  bush 
2  or  3  feet  high,  and  has  small  leaves 
on  slender  stems,  in  May  bearing 
clusters  of  small  white  flowers.  It  is 
one  of  the  choicest  of  evergreen  hardy 
shrubs,  and  thrives  with  Rhododen- 
drons and  Azaleas  in  peat  soil. 

LEWISIA  (Spatlum) .  —  Remarkable 
and  beautiful  Rocky  Mountain  plants, 
allied  to  Portulaca,  L.  rediviva  being 
very  dwarf,  i  inch  or  so  high,  with  a 
small  tuft  of  narrow  leaves,  from  the 
centre  of  which  the  flower-stalks  arise. 
The  blossoms  are  large  for  the  size  of 
the  plant,  being  from  i  to  2|  inches 
across,  and  vary  from  deep  rose  to 
white.  The  roots  are  succulent,  and 
can  retain  life  a  long  time  even  when 
dry,  and  as  the  plant  sometimes  fails 
to  develop  leaves  annually,  it  is  wrongly 
supposed  to  be  dead.  It  should  be 
grown  in  sunshine,  for  it  cannot  be 
flowered  in  shade,  and  the  crown  kept 
high  and  dry,  though  the  roots  should 
have  moisture.  A  crevice  in  the  rock 
garden  is  the  best  situation  for  it.  If 
grown  in  pots,  the  plant  should  be  on 
broken  stones,  and  the  roots  in  light 
sandy  loam  with  peat.  After  flowering 
it  shrivels  up  and  becomes  a  withered 
twisted  mass,  like  so  many  bits  of 
string.  There  are  several  other  kinds 
in  cultivation,  as  L.  Cotyledon,  T  weedy  i 
and  Howelli.  A  warm  situation  in 
the  rock  garden  is  best,  in  a  mixture  of 
half  soil  and  half-broken  rock.  They 
are  easily  raised  from  seeds,  which  are 
freely  produced  in  hot  summers, 
seedlings  occasionally  appearing  by 


536        LEYCESTERIA.         THE  ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN.         LIGUSTRUM. 


the  score  around  the  old  plants.  Sow 
while  quite  fresh.  Oregon,  Utah,  and 
Rocky  Mountains. 

LEYCESTERIA  ( Flowering  Nutmeg] . 
—  L.  formosa  is  a  distinct  flowering 
shrub,  and  hardy,  but  much  commoner 
in  Ireland  and  the  west  than  in  the 
home  counties.  It  is  graceful  in  flower 
and  form,  and  reaches  6  feet  high  in 
mild  districts,  with  white  flowers  tinged 
with  purple  ;  the  leafy  purple  bracts, 
succeeded  in  autumn  by  purple  berries, 
are  eaten  by  pheasants,  and  therefore 
it  is  planted  in  some  places  for  covert. 
It  thrives  in  various  soils,  and  under 
trees.  Himalayas. 

LIATRIS  (Snakeroot). — N.  American 
perennials  of  some  beauty,  having 
the  flower  -  heads  arranged  in  long 
dense  spikes.  Some  are  effective 
border  flowers  when  well  grown,  and 
well  repay  good  cultivation.  L. 
elegans  grows  about  2  feet  high,  and 
has  pale  purple  spikes  i  foot  or  more  in 
length.  L.  pycnostachya,  4  to  6  feet 
high,  has  deep  purple  flower-spikes 
from  August  to  October.  L.  spicata 
is  one  of  the  handsomest  and  neatest, 
growing  3  feet  high,  and  its  violet- 
purple  spikes  continue  long  in  beauty. 
L.  scaiiosa,  squarrosa,  cylindracea, 
elegans,  and  pumila  much  resemble 
the  foregoing,  and,  like  them,  succeed 
in  any  rich  light  soil,  and  are  best  here 
and  there  in  among  peat-loving  shrubs 
or  in  good  borders.  Propagated  by 
division  in  spring  or  by  seed. 

LIBERTIA. — Beautiful  plants  of  the 
Iris  order,  of  which  some  are  hardy 
enough  for  the  open  border.  L.  for- 
mosa is  beautiful  at  all  seasons,  even 
in  the  depth  of  winter,  owing  to  the 
colour  of  its  foliage,  which  is  as  green 
as  the  Holly  ;  and  it  bears  spikes  of 
flowers  of  snowy  whiteness  like  some 
delicate  Orchid.  It  is  neat,  dwarf,  and 
compact,  and  has  flowers  twice  as 
large  as  the  other  kinds.  They  lie 
close  together  on  the  stem,  and  remind 
one  of  the  old  double  white  Rocket. 
L.  ixioides,  a  New  Zealand  plant,  is 
also  a  handsome  evergreen  species, 
with  narrow  grassy  foliage  and  small 
white  blossoms.  L.  magellanica  is 
also  pretty  when  in  flower.  All  of 
these  thrive  in  borders  of  peaty  soil, 
but  they  grow  slowly  on  certain  loamy 
soils,  living  perhaps,  but  never  showing 
the  freedom  and  grace  which  they  do 
on  peaty  soils.  Increased  by  seed  or 
by  careful  division  in  spring. 


LIBROCEDRUS  (Incense  Cedar}.— 
L.  decurrens  is  a  handsome  evergreen 
tree  of  the  mountains  of  Oregon  and 
N.  California,  being  very  distinct  in- 
habit and  found  in  the  Sierra  Nevada 
as  high  as  8,000  or  9,000  feet,  is  likely 
to  prove  a  tree  that  will  last  in  our 
climate.  It  is  a  beautiful  tree  for 
grouping  with  the  choicer  Pines  ;  more 
columnar  in  habit  than  most,  it 
does  not  require  the  wide  spacing 
too  often  given  to  our  trees  in  the 
pinetum.  This  tree,  more  than  most 
other  Pines,  illustrates  the  mistake  of 
supposing  that  conifers  should  be 
clothed  to  the  ground  with  branches, 
as  the  natural  habit  of  such  trees  is 
often  to  shed  their  branches  as  other 
trees  shed  their  leaves.  In  its  native 
country  the  stem  of  this  tree  is  often 
quite  free  and  clear  of  branches  to  a 
height  of  70  feet,  and  this  instead  of 
taking  from  the  beauty  of  the  tree 
really  adds  to  it. 

LIGULARIA.  —  Large  perennials, 
remarkable  for  bold  foliage,  one  or 
two  of  great  size,  and  strikingly  dis- 
tinct aspect,  though  not  quite  beautiful 
in  flower.  L.  macrophylla  is  vigorous, 
with  an  erect  stem  nearly  3^  feet  high, 
and  very  large  glaucous  leaves,  the 
yellow  flowers  borne  in  a  long  spike. 
Free,  moist,  and  somewhat  peaty  soil 
is  the  most  suitable  for  this  plant, 
which  is  multiplied  by  careful  division 
in  autumn  or  in  spring  ;  it  is  useful  for 
grouping  with  fine-leaved  herbaceous 
plants,  but  will  seldom  find  a  place  in 
the  select  flower  garden.  Caucasus. 
L.  sibirica,  Fisc\eri,  and  thyrsoidea 
are  fine-leaved  plants,  and  worth  grow- 
ing with  L.  macrophylla  for  their  foli- 
age. The  Japanese  species,  L.  Kcemp- 
feri  and  H-odgsoni,  are  better  grown 
under  glass,  except  in  summer,  when 
they  may  be  used  among  fine-leaved 
plants,  in  the  sub-tropical  garden  ; 
but  the  hardy  kinds  are  most  interest- 
ing. Syn.  Senecio. 

LIGUSTRUM  (Privet}. — The  meanest 
of  all  mean  shrubs,  I  think,  but  popular 
beyond  all  others,  its  weed-like  facility 
of  increase  making  it  dear  to  those 
to  whom  something  growing  with  a 
fungus-like  rapidity  is  a  treasure.  It 
is  not  only  that  Privets  are  poor  in 
themselves,  and  as  a  rule  without 
beauty  of  leaf  or  flower,  but  it  is  the 
number  of  beautiful  shrubs  they  shut 
out,  millions  being  annually  sold  to 
take  the  places  of  better  things,  and 
helping  to  kill  the  few  that  are  planted 
near  them  or  among  them.  The  com- 


LIGUSTRUM. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


537 


moner  sorts  have  no  beauty  what- 
ever, and  they  all  have  the  same  vile 
sickly  odour  in  summer  days  when 
they  flower.  Happy  in  the  possession 
of  the  finest  hedging  and  fencing 
plants  of  the  northern  world,  Quick, 
Holly,  Box,  Yew,  and  Sweet  Brier, 
nurserymen  and  jobbing  gardeners 
make  hedges  and  fences  with  these 
wretched  Privets,  fences  which  have 
the  one  poor  quality  of  rapid  growth, 
but  which  a  man,  let  alone  a  beast, 
could  walk  through  without  effort.  I 
have  seen  whole  towns  like  Leicester 
with  miles  of  these  poor  hedges,  and 
they  are  even  to  be  seen  in  pretentious 
show  places,  where  one  would  expect 
people  to  know  what  a  real  fence 
meant. 

Rich  in  native  and  other  covert 
plants,  I  have  seen  the  Privet  recom- 
mended as  a  covert  plant,  for  which  it 
is  useless  beside  the  beautiful  covert 
plants  we  have — Furze,  Sloe,  Sweet 
Brier,  Juniper,  and  Wild  Brier  Rose — 
and  above  all  things  recommended  as 
a  covert  plant  near  water,  for  which 
Nature  has  given  us  the  most  fitting  of 
all  in  the  spiry-leaved  trees  of  the 
Willow  and  Dogwood  order,  of  which 
there  are  many  kinds. 

As  to  beauty,  the  wildest  Briers  that 
vex  our  legs  and  sometimes  our  faces, 
have  far  more  beauty,  whether  of  leaf, 
form,  flower,  or  fruit. 

The  land  which  has  given  us  so  many 
beautiful  trees  and  shrubs  and  flowers, 
America,  has  nothing  to  do  with  the 
Privets,  which  are  inhabitants  of  Asia 
and  Europe,  including  China  and 
Japan.  Some  of  the  species  are  ever- 
green, some  summer  leafing,  and  others 
in  our  mild  climate  hang  between  the 
two,  and  keep  their  leaves,  except  in 
very  severe  winters.  They  are  all  too 
quickly  propagated  by  cuttings,  and 
there  are  tropical  species  not  hardy  in 
our  country. 

The  gain  of  the  rapidity  of  growth 
of  the  Privet  is  more  apparent  than  real, 
as  it  simply  leads  to  equally  quick 
decay  if  used  as  a  fence  plant  or  in 
any  other  way.  The  true  fence  plants, 
when  fairly  treated  and  put  in  the  open 
in  good  condition,  as  all  fence  plants 
should  be,  are  not  by  any  means  slow 
growers.  Holly  in  good  soil  will  grow 
2  feet  in  a  year. 

L.  CORIACEUM. — A  distinct  and  curious 
species  from  Japan,  evergreen,  dwarf,  and 
bushy,  from  2  to  5  feet  high,  with  thick 
leathery  leaves,  of  stiff  habit,  and  flowers 
in  white  panicles  with  the  sickly  odour  of 


the  tribe.  It  might  have  some  use 
among  dwarf  bushes  on  banks. 

L.  IBOTA. — A  shrub  from  5  to  8  feet  high 
or  more,  of  free  habit  and  form,  blooming 
freely  in  summer.  The  white  flowers  in 
spikes  followed  by  dark  berries.  A  native 
of  China  and  Japan.  Syn.  L.  amurense. 

L.  JAPONICUM. — A  good  evergreen  kind, 
rather  dwarf  and  shrubby,  with  pointed 
leaves  2  to  3  inches  long,  leathery,  and 
of  a  deep  green  with  straggling  panicles 
of  flowers.  Syn.  L.  Sieboldi. 

L.  LUCIDUM. — One  of  the  best  for  erect 
and  bold  growth,  growing  10  feet  high  or 
more,  with  firm  lustrous  leaves,  5  to  6 
inches  long  by  over  2  inches  wide,  and  bold 
panicles  of  flowers  6  inches  long  in  summer 
and  autumn.  It  is  a  native  of  China, 
where  it  forms  a  tree.  A  variety,  L. 
Alivoni,  has  longer  leaves,  and  there  is 
a  variegated  variety.  Syn.  L.  sinense 
lati folium. 

L.  OVALIFOLIUM. — One  of  the  most  popu- 
lar varieties,  and  much  used  for  forming 
hedges,  as  it  retains  its  foliage  through 
the  winter  better  than  the  commoner 
Privet,  but  it  is  without  much  character 
as  a  shrub.  There  is  a  yellow  variegated 
variety  which  is  also  very  popular,  but 
less  showy  as  it  gets  old. 

L.  QUIHONI. — A  Chinese  Privet  of  a  wiry 
dwarf  character;  with  small  leaves,  and 
the  branches  covered  with  a  purple  down  ; 
flowering  freely  and  rather  showily. 

L.  SINENSE. — Not  quite  hardy  on  cold 
soils,  but  one  of  the  best  species,  preferring 
a  dry  soil  and  flowering  freely  and  rather 
handsomely  on  warm  soils.  It  bears  many 
purple  berries,  and  it  is  a  tall  species,  often 
attaining  a  height  of  15  feet.  China. 

L.  VULGARE. — This  is  the  kind  generally 
used  for  hedges  and  arbours,  standing 
all  ill-treatment  in  town  and  suburban 
gardens,  and  growing  pretty  well  where 
nothing  else  will  grow,  but  not  worth 
having  anywhere.  It  bears  dark  purple 
fruit  like  most  of  the  kinds,  and  there  are 
several  varieties  of  it,  especially  variegated 
ones  of  little  value. 

LILIUM  (Lily}.  —  The  Lilies  are 
among  the  most  beautiful  bulbous 
plants,  combining  as  they  do  stateli- 
ness  and  grace  with  brilliant  and 
delicately-coloured  flowers.  The  many 
kinds  in  cultivation  afford  a  rich 
choice.  All  are  beautiful,  but  some 
are  better  suited  for  particular  localities 
than  others.  The  habit  and  general 
character  of  the  plants  being  so 
varied,  their  uses  are  likewise  varied. 
Some  are  suited  for  the  rock  garden, 
others  for  the  mixed  border,  many 
for  the  shrubbery — especially  for  the 
Rhododendron  beds — while  not  a  few 
are  so  robust  that  they  are  at  home 
in  the  wild  garden,  holding  their  own 
against  native  plants.  Much  of  the 


538 


LILIUM. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


LILIUM. 


great  northern  world  of  mountain  and 
forest  is  a  Lily  garden,  and  it  is  impos- 
sible to  imitate  such  conditions  in 
one's  own  garden,  so  that  the  best  we 
can  do  is  study  the  soil  of  our  district 
and  find  out  the  Lilies  that  grow  best 
there.  If  one  can  get  half  a  dozen 
kinds  to  grow  in  the  natural  soil  of  a 
garden,  it  is  as  much  as  we  can  expect. 
Lilies  are  very  much  governed  by  the 
nature  of  the  soil,  and  to  imitate  their 
natural  soil  is  not  easy  or  always  pos- 
sible. Kinds  that  thrive  in  peat  and 
leafy  soil  sometimes  perish  in  loam  and 
cold  and  heavy  soil.  After  we  find 
the  kind  that  thrive  in  our  soil,  the 
next  thing  is  to  associate  with  them 
evergreen  or  other  choice  shrubs.  The 
blooming  period  of  some  kinds  is  rather 
short,  and  we  do  not  miss  them  so 
much  if  they  emerge  out  of  a  shrub. 
Slight  shade  is  often  an  advantage,  and 
even  grown  in  the  open  sun  it  is  much 
the  best  to  let  them  come  out  of  a 
carpet  or  an  undergrowth  of  some 
other  plants  ;  this  will  save  the  soil 
and  give  a  much  prettier  effect. 

Culture  is  important,  but  arrange- 
ment and  grouping  are  even  more  so. 
There  are  Lilies  which  will  grow  in  any 
ordinary  soil  ;  a  good,  rich  loamy  soil 
suits  the  greater  number  ;  others  want 
plenty  of  sand,  so  as  to  keep  the  soil 
free  ;  while  others  can  be  easily  grown 
in  ordinary  soil  if  it  is  mixed  with 
leaf-mould  or  peat.  In  nearly  all  cases 
Lilies  are  more  vigorous  and  brilliant 
where  partially  protected  from  severe 
frosts,  and  the  flowers  last  longer  when 
sheltered  from  the  scorching  rays  of 
the  midday  sun.  The  shrubbery 
border,  among  Rhododendrons  (for 
those  requiring  peat),  and  the  mixed 
border  between  shrubs  and  herbaceous 
plants,  where  the  young  shoots  get  a 
slight  protection  from  the  early  frosts, 
are  among  the  best  situations.  A  very 
safe  place  is  near  the  edge  of  a  Rhodo- 
dendron bed  ;  soil  that  will  grow 
Rhododendrons  will  grow  most  sorts 
of  Lilies,  and  afford  protection  from 
"  blight  and  spot,"  which  in  some 
seasons,  notably  when  cold  and  wet, 
follow  drought,  greatly  injure  the 
growth  and  flowering  of  some  species, 
even  though  the  bulbs  be  unhurt.  It 
should  be  remembered  that  bulbs  of 
nearly  all  Lilies  occasionally  lie  dor- 
mant a  whole  season,  and  push  out 
luxuriantly  the  following  summer, 
especially  the  Martagon  tribe. 

Manure  should  never  be  dug  in 
with  the  bulbs,  though  they  accept  it 
gratefully  if  liberally  applied  as  a  top- 


dressing  after  they  have  been  estab- 
lished a  year.  The  only  manure  to  be 
lug  in  at  planting  is  rich  peat  and 
sand,  in  the  proportion  of  two  parts 
of  peat  to  one  of  sea  sand.  In  light 
soils  L.  auratum  and  some  others  are 
all  the  better  for  a  top-dressing  of  dry 
clay  broken  small.  Lilies  may  be 
divided  into  three  classes — first,  those 
that  are  best  grown  in  pots,  such 
as  neilgherrense,  Wallichianum,  philip- 
pinense,  and  nepalense  ;  also  Wallichi- 
anum superbum  (sulphureum] ,  Lowi 
primulinum,  Bakeri,  new  Burmese 
Lilies  ;  and,  in  many  soils  and  climates, 
speciosum,  auratum,  and  longiflorum  ; 
secondly,  those  that  are  best  grown 
out  of  doors^  in  loamy  soil  ;  thirdly, 
those  that  are  best  grown  out  of  doors 
in  peaty  soil.  On  light  soils  the  follow- 
ing kinds  do  remarkably  well  :  L. 
candidum,  longiflorum  and  its  vari- 
eties, chalcedonicum,  excelsum,  and 
the  speciosum  section  ;  all  of  the 
umbellatum,  croceum,  and  elegans 
type  ;  also  tigrinum  sinense.  For 
deep  loamy  soil  the  best  kinds  are 
L.  auratum,  Szovitzianum,  Humboldti, 
the  Tiger  family,  most  of  the  Martagon 
group  ;  while  in  an  intermediate  soil 
of  leaf-mould,  loam,  and  sand,  we 
advise  the  planting  of  Buschianum, 
philadelphicum,  pulchelhim,  Browni, 
giganteum,  tenuifolium,  Krameri,  etc. 
The  N.  American  forms  require  more 
peat  and  more  moisture  than  the 
other  groups.  Lilies  require,  so  far  as 
their  roots  are  concerned,  a  cool 
bottom,  abundant  moisture,  and,  for 
most  kinds,  a  free  drainage.  The 
slope  of  a  hill,  facing  south-east  or 
south-west,  for  instance,  with  water 
from  above  percolating  through  the 
sub  -  soil,  so  as  to  always  afford  a 
supply,  without  stagnation,  would 
be  an  admirable  site. 

The  propagation  of  Lilies  is  generally 
and  most  readily  effected  by  separating 
the  bulblets  or  offsets  from  the  parent 
bulbs,  and  these,  detached  and  grown 
in  the  same  way  as  the  parent,  in  the 
course  of  a  year  or  two  make  good 
flowering  plants.  The  scales  of  the 
bulbs  afford  a  means  of  propagation  ; 
but  this  is  a  slower  method.  Raising 
Lilies  from  seed,  if  somewhat  tedious, 
has  much  to  commend  it,  and  as  many 
kinds  in  this  country  perfect  seed  in 
plenty,  and  the  seedlings  flower  in 
three  or  four  years,  it  is  quite  worth 
while.  The  finest  kinds,  such  as  the 
Japanese  and  Californian  Lilies,  are 
now  so  cheap  that  it  is  scarcely 
necessary  to  propagate  from  home- 


LILIUM. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


LILIUM. 


539 


grown  plants.  It  will  be  well,  however, 
if,  by  rapid  increase  or  otherwise, 
they  become  plentiful  enough  to  adorn 
the  smallest  cottage  gardens.  Several 
Lilies,  chiefly  Japanese  and  Californian, 
are  largely  imported  every  year.  As 
soon  as  received,  all  bulbs  should  be 
examined,  and  decaying  matter  should 
be  removed.  They  should  then  be 
laid  in  soil,  or,  better  still,  cocoa-nut 
fibre  in  a  moderate  condition  of 
moisture,  until  the  bulbs  recover 
their  plumpness  and  the  roots  are  on 
the  point  of  starting  from  the  base. 
Then  they  should  be  potted  or  planted 
out  as  required  ;  but,  before  this,  de- 
caying scales  should  have  been  again 
removed,  as  a  few  of  the  outside  ones 
are  often  bruised  in  transit,  and  after 
they  have  been  in  the  soil  a  little  time 
decay  sets  in,  which  if  not  then  taken 
off  may  contaminate  the  whole  bulb. 
Of  those  so  imported,  L.  auratum 
and  Krameri  should,  when  potted,  be 
surrounded  with  sand,  but  some  do 
well  without  it.  The  most  difficult 
to  import  among  the  N.  American 
Lilies  are  L.  W ashingtonianum  and  L. 
rubescens,  since,  as  a  rule,  they  suffer 
much  more  than  the  large,  solid  bulbs 
of  L.  Humboldti,  or  than  those  of 
pardalinum,  canadense,  and  superbum. 
These  solid  bulbs  should"  be  treated 
as  above  directed,  but  L.  W  ashing- 
tonianum, rubescens,  and  Humboldti 
should  not  be  potted,  as  they  never 
succeed  in  that  way ;  and  indeed 
all  the  N.  American  Lilies  do  much 
better  if  planted  out.  Those  grown 
in  Holland,  such  as  the  varieties  of 
davuricum,  elegans,  and  speciosum, 
etc.,  arrive  plump  and  sound,  but  it  is 
much  better  to  lay  even  these  in  soil  a 
little  while  before  potting. 

L.  AURATUM. — Some  forms  have  flowers 
nearly  i  foot  across,  with  broad  white 
petals  copiously  spotted  with  reddish- 
brown,  and  having  broad  bands  of  golden- 
yellow  down  the  centre.  The  poorest 
forms  have  starry  flowers  and  scarcely 
any  markings.  Several  named  varieties 
are  particularly  distinct,  and  the  chief  are 
cruentum  and  rubro-vittatum,  which  have 
deep  crimson  instead  of  yellow  bands  down 
the  petals.  Rubro-vittatum  is  a  variety 
with  a  very  distinct  bulb,  the  foliage  is 
darker,  and  it  is  a  hardier,  better  doer 
than  the  type.  Platyphyllum  is  also  more 
easily  grown  than  the  type,  more  vigorous, 
and  quite  the  best  generally.  The  white- 
petalled  variety  of  platyphyllum,  generally 
called  virginale,  is  perhaps  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  forms.  Wittei  and  virginale, 
the  flowers  of  which  have  no  colour  but 
the  golden  bands  ;  rubro-pictum,  with  a 


red  stripe  and  spots  ;  platyphyllum,  with 
very  large  flowers  and  broad  leaves  ;  and 
Emperor,  a  grand  flower,  with  reddish 
spots  and  centre.  There  are  also  some 
beautiful  hybrids  raised  between  L.  aura- 
tum and  some  of  the  other  species  ;  for 
example,  L.  Parkmanni  (between  L.  aura- 
tum and  L.  speciosum},  which  has  large 
white  flowers  banded  and  spotted  with 
carmine-crimson.  It  grows  freely  in  peat 
or  loam,  a  mixture  of  both  with,  a  little 
road-scrapings  best  fulfilling  its  require- 
ments. Where  the  soil  is  naturally  poor, 
light,  and  sandy,  it  should  be  taken  out 
to  a  depth  of  18  inches,  and  replaced  with 
the  compost  above  mentioned,  or  some 
fine  well-enriched  mould.  The  bulbs 
should  be  planted  in  this,  and  as  soon  as 
growth  commences  in  spring,  should  be 
mulched  with  decomposed  manure  or 
short  grass.  If  the  garden  soil  be  fairly 
good,  it  need  only  be  well  stirred  and 
manured,  but  the  manure  should  be 
thoroughly  decomposed.  A  sheltered 
situation  should  be  chosen,  and,  if  possible, 
screened  from  the  midday  sun,  and  pro- 
tected from  westerly  and  southerly  gales 
and  from  heavy  driving  rains  ;  for  this 
Lily  is  very  susceptible  to  injury  by  cold 
draughts  and  cutting  winds.  No  better 
place  can  be  chosen  than  a  snug  nook 
sheltered  from  the  north  and  east  by 
shrubs,  but  at  the  same  time  open  to  the 
sun.  The  best  examples  that  have  been 
seen  were  grown  in  a  Rhododendron  bed, 
and  planted  in  a  deep,  moist,  peaty  soil, 
where  they  have  been  for  years  undis- 
turbed. When  planted  among  -  other 
things  the  young  and  tender  uprising 
shoots  are  greatly  protected  in  spring. 
As  to  propagation,  there  is  scarcely  any 
need  to  enlarge  upon  that,  as  bulbs  are 
imported  so  plentifully  ;  and  it  is  only 
necessary  to  separate  the  young  bulbs  and 
replant  them  in  good  soil.  Those  who 
increase  this  Lily  from  seed  must  be  pre- 
pared to  exercise  a  little  patience,  as  the 
seed  is  long  germiriating,  and  the  seedlings 
are  several  years  before  flowering.  The 
seed  should  be  sown,  as  soon  as  ripe,  in  a 
frame.  The  seedlings  should  be  planted 
out  as  soon  as  the  bulbs  are  of  an  appreci- 
able size. 

L.  BAKERIANUM. — A  charming  Lily 
covering  a  wide  area  of  country  from 
Upper  Burmah  to  W.  and  C.  China,  grow- 
ing on  steep  rocky  slopes  amongst  tall 
grass  and  brush- wood,  and  very  variable 
in  its  character.  It  is  a  delicate  plant 
not  easy  to  keep  in  health,  seeming  to  need 
a  drier  and  warmer  climate  than  can  easily 
be  given  it  in  this  country.  The  bulbs 
are  small,  throwing  slender  grey  stems  of 
i  to  3  feet,  sparingly  covered  with  three- 
nerved  leaves.  The  stems  are  crowned 
with  umbels  of  medium-sized  drooping 
flowers,  one  to  six  in  number,  fragrant 
and  creamy-white  in  colour  when  fully 


540 


LILIUM. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


LILIUM. 


open,  with  the  inside  of  the  tube  dotted 
or  splashed  with  reddish-purple. 

L.  BROWNI. — It  is  readily  distinguished 
from  any  other  kind  by  the  rich  brownish- 
purple  markings  on  the  exterior  of  the 
blossoms,  which  in  well-grown  plants  are 
sometimes  9  inches  in  length.  It  is  hardy 
and  vigorous,  and  succeeds  without  giving 
much  trouble.  In  a  soil  and  position 
which  suit  L.  auratum  it  nourishes,  and 


cultivated  Lilies.  It  is  2  to  4  feet  high, 
and  bears,  on  slender  stems,  terminal 
clusters  of  drooping  blossoms  usually 
orange,  and  copiously  spotted  with  deep 
brown.  It  also  occurs  with  red  flowers 
(rubrum]  and  with  yellow  flowers  (flavum). 
L.  parvum,  L.  Bolanderi,  L.  Grayi,  and 
L.  maritimum  resemble  it,  and  like  it 
require  a  partially-shaded  position  and  a 
moist,  deep,  peaty  soil  enriched  by  decayed 


L  ilium  Rakerianum. 


need  only  be  lifted  every  few  years  and 
replanted  in  fresh  rich  soil.  It  grows  from 
2  to  4  feet  high,  and  has  deep  green  foliage 
distinct  from  allied  kinds.  The  variety 
Colchesteri  is  handsome.  Quite  recently 
some  remarkably  fine  and  strong-growing 
varieties  of  this  Lily  have  been  obtained 
from  the  district  whence  L.  Henry i  came  ; 
named  by  Mr  Baker  Chloraster  and  Leu- 
canthum. 

L.  BULBIFERUM  is  one  of  the  hand- 
somest of  European  Lilies,  and  is  about 
2  feet  high.  It  bears  large  crimson  flowers 
shading  to  orange.  The  variety  umbella- 
tum  is  finer  and  stronger,  and  has  large 
umbelled  clusters  of  flowers.  This  Lily  is 
generally  distinguished  from  its  congeners 
by  bulblets  on  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  It 
grows  freely  in  ordinary  soil,  and  flowers 
in  early  summer.  A  capital  plant  for 
bold  groups,  and  thriving  under  partial 
shade  or  in  the  open. 

L.  CANADENSE  (Canadian  Lily). — This 
beautiful  flower  is  among  the  oldest  of 


leaf-mould.  It  flowers  late  in  summer, 
and  is  very  attractive  in  bold  masses,  such 
as  are  often  seen  in  nurseries  about 
London.  Like  its  allied  forms,  it  makes 
elegant  groups  among  choice  shrubs  such 
as  Azaleas  and  Rhododendrons  ;  and  by 
such  an  arrangement  we  get  a  second 
bloom  and  a  variety  of  form  from  beds 
that  had  only  one  blossoming  season,  and 
were  poor  and  stiff  in  outline  ;  we  prevent 
senseless  digging  when  the  groups  are  once 
in  place  ;  and  we  keep  the  shrubs  from 
growing  into  a  solid  ugly  mass,  while  they 
shelter  our  Lilies. 

L.  CANDIDUM. — One  of  the  best-known 
and  loveliest  Lilies,  seen  in  almost  every 
cottage  garden,  and  producing  snow-white 
blooms  in  summer.  It  dislikes  coddling 
or  being  meddled  with,  and  thrives  best 
when  undisturbed  for  years  in  good  garden 
soil.  Any  attempt  to  deal  with  it  like  the 
more  delicate  ones  generally  results  in 
failure.  The  best-flowered  plants  are  in 
old  gardens,  where  the  bulbs  are  allowed 


LILIUM. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


LILIUM. 


541 


to  run  as  they  like  with  no  attention  what- 
ever. In  bold  masses,  no  plants  can  com- 
pare with  the  common  white  Lily  when  in 
bloom.  It  is  so  fair  a  flower  that  there  is 
scarcely  a  place  which  a  good  plant  or 
well-grown  group  of  it  will  not  adorn. 
Moist  loam  seems  to  suit  it  generally, 
though,  like  other  Lilies,  it  will  grow  in  a 
variety  of  soils.  There  are  two  forms  in 
gardens — a  thin  petalled  and  a  broad 
petalled  form,  with  petals  overlapping 
and  dark  stem.  This  is  the  handsomest 
and  most  vigorous.  There  is  also 
a  late  tall  variety  called  speciosum, 
a  beautiful  one.  It  thrives  best  on 
calcareous  soils. 

L.  CHALCEDONICUM  (Scarlet  Mar- 
tagon) . — A  very  old  and  handsome 
Lily,  of  tall  and  graceful  growth, 
and  bears  several  pendulous,  ver- 
milion, turban-shaped  blossoms 
about  the  end  of  July.  It  is  one 
of  the  easiest  to  cultivate,  thrives 
in  almost  any  soil,  and  is  best  when 
well  established  and  left  undis- 
turbed. There  are  a  few  varieties, 
majus  being  the  largest  and  best. 
The  others  are  grcecum,  rather 
taller  than  the  type,  and  having 
smaller  flowers  ;  pyrenaicum,  with 
yellow  flowers ;  Heldreichi,  tall 
and  robust,  flowering  a  week  or 
two  earlier ;  and  maculatum,  a 
very  handsome  form.  Native  of 
Greece  and  Ionian  Isles.  Similar 
to  the  scarlet  Martagon  is  the 
Japanese  L.  callosum,  a  pretty 
Lily,  i^  to  3  feet  high,  with  slender 
stems,  bearing  in  summer  several 
brilliant  scarlet  blossoms.  L.  car- 
niolicum,  of  a  similar  character, 
is  i  to  3  feet  high,  and  produces  in 
early  summer  turban-shaped  nod- 
ding blossoms  of  bright  vermilion 
or  yellow. 

L.  CONCOLOR. — A  pretty  little 
Lily  from  Japan,  i  to  3  feet  high, 
bearing  three  to  six  bright  scarlet 
flowers,  which  are  spotted  with 
black,  star-shaped,  and  erect. 
There  are  some  three  or  four 
varieties — pulchellum,  or  Buschi- 
anum,  an  early  variety  from 
Siberia,  i£  to  2  feet  high,  with 
crimson  blossoms  ;  Coridion,  with 
flowers  somewhat  larger  than  the 
type,  and  of  a  rich  yellow  spotted 
with  brown  ;  sinicum,  a  Chinese 
form,  with  four  to  six  crimson 
flowers  heavily  spotted  and  larger 
than  the  type  ;  and  Partheneion, 
with  scarlet  flowers  flushed  with 
yellow.  This  charming  Lily  and 
its  varieties  are  quite  hardy,  though  they 
require  some  attention  in  cultivating. 
They  succeed  in  half-shady  places  in  a 
soil  composed  of  two  parts  of  peat,  one 
of  loam,  and  one  of  road-scrapings  ;  but 
seem  to  require  renewing  every  few  years. 


L.  CROCEUM  (Orange  Lily). — One  of  the 
sturdiest  and  hardiest,  and  therefore  one 
of  the  commonest  of  Lilies.  It  grows  in 
almost  any  soil  or  position,  and  bears  in 
early  summer  huge  heads  of  large  rich 
orange  flowers.  In  the  mixed  border  it 
is  attractive,  but  shows  best  on  the  margin 
of  a  shrubbery,  where  its  stems  just  over- 
top the  surrounding  foliage.  It  is  always 
best  after  some  years'  growth.  Lilies  are 
said  not  to  like  manure,  but  we  have  never 
seen  this  one  so  fine  as  when  in  well- 


Lilium  candidum  (White  or  Madonna  Lily). 

manured     ground     after     several     years' 
growth. 

L.  DAVURICUM. — A  slender  European 
Lily  with  moderate-sized  red  flowers, 
spotted  with  black.  Like  L.  elegans,  it 
has  several,  varieties,  the  chief  being 


542 


LILIUM. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN, 


LILIUM 


Sappho,  incomparable,  erectum,  multi- 
florum,  Don  Juan,  and  Rubens.  Being 
'strong  growers  and  flowering  freely,  they 
are  fine  plants  for  the  mixed  border,  for 
margins  of  shrubberies,  or  for  groups  or 
masses,  thriving  in  partial  shade  as  well 
as  in  sunny  places. 

L.  ELEGANS. — One  of  the  best  and  most 
generally  known  of  the  early  Lilies.  It  is 
commonly  known  by  the  name  of  Thunber- 
gianum.  It  is  very  variable,  and  there  are 
about  a  dozen  named  varieties.  The  type 
grows  about  i  foot  high,  and  has  stout 
erect  stems,  which  bear  numerous  narrow 
leaves,  and  are  terminated  by  a  bright 
orange-red  flower,  5  or  6  inches  across. 
A  native  of  Japan,  flowering  with  us  about 
the  beginning  of  July.  Most  of  the  varie- 
ties are  so  distinct  as  to  merit  a  slight 
description.  They  are — marmoratum  and 
marmoratum  aureum,  two  of  the  earliest 
forms  ;  alutaceum,  not  more  than  9  inches 
high,  with  a  large,  pale  apricot-coloured 
flower,  copiously  spotted ;  armenaicum 
(venustum),  about  i£  feet  high,  with 
several  moderate-sized  flowers  (in  autumn) 
of  a  rich  glowing  orange-red  ;  atrosan- 
guineum,  about  i£  feet  high,  with  large 
flowers  of  rich  deep  crimson  ;  Batemannice, 
about  4  feet  high,  with  several  moderate- 
sized  flowers,  in  late  summer,  of  a  rich 
unspotted  apricot  tint  (L.  Batemannice 
and  L.  Wallacei  are  put  by  Mr  Baker  as 
allied  to  L.  Leichtlini  and  the  Tiger  group. 
I  do  not  consider  the  above  two  species  to 
be  Thunbergianum)  ;  bicolor,  about  I  foot 
high,  with  large  flowers  orange-red,  flamed 
with  a  deeper  hue  ;  brevifolium,  i|r  feet 
high,  with  flowers  pale  red  and  slightly 
spotted  ;  citrinum,  like  armenaicum,  but 
taller;  fulgens,  i  to  i£  feet  high,  with 
four  to  six  large  flowers  of  a  deep  red  ; 
sanguineum,  i  to  i£  feet  high,  with  one  or 
two  large  blood-red  flowers ;  L.  Hors- 
manni,  a  dwarf  form  with  richly-coloured 
flowers  of  a  blood-red  mahogany  tint,  and 
Splendens,  the  early  form  of  L.  Wilsoni  ; 
Alice  Wilson,  the  beautiful,  scarce,  lemon- 
yellow,  dwarf  form  ;  Van  Houttei,  i£  feet 
high,  with  very  deep  crimson-red  flowers, 
spotted  with  black ;  Wallacei,  -2\  feet 
high,  with  rich  orange-red  flowers,  spotted 
with  black  ;  Wilsoni,  2  feet  high,  with 
large  apricot- tinted,  yellow-striped  flowers 
• — one  of  the  latest  to  bloom.  All  the 
L.  elegans  group  are  perfectly  hardy  ;  they 
grow  vigorously  in  almost  any  soil,  but 
prefer  a  deep  loamy  one  with  an  admixture 
of  peat.  They  like  an  open  position,  and 
are  suitable  for  planting  around  the  mar- 
gins of  shrubberies.  Small  groups  are 
beautiful  in  the  open  spaces  that  should 
exist  in  every  shrubbery  or  Rhododendron 
bed.  They  are  all  excellent  border  plants, 
and  the  dwarf  kinds  may  be  introduced 
into  the  rock  garden.  In  all  cases  they 
must  be  placed  in  sunny  situations. 

L.  GIGANTEUM. — A  noble  Lily  of  huge 
growth,  and  in  aspect  different  from  any 


other.  Its  bulb  is  large  and  conical,  and 
develops  spreading  tufts  of  handsome 
shining  heart-shaped  foliage.  The  flower- 
stems  are  stout  and  erect,  6  to  10  feet  high, 
terminated  by  a  huge  raceme,  i  to  2  feet 
in  length,  of  about  a  dozen  long  nodding 
fragrant  flowers,  which  are  white  and 
tinged  with  purple  on  the  inside.  It  is 
one  of  the  hardiest  Lilies,  and  gives  very 
little  trouble.  It  flourishes  best  in  a 
sheltered  position,  where  there  is  an  under- 
growth of  thin  shrubs  to  protect  the 
growth  in  spring.  The  soil  must  be  deep 
and  well  drained,  and  must  consist  of 
sandy  peat  and  leaf-mould,  strengthened 


'a***s*!KL3«£ 


W1^^^^ 


L  ilium  giganiei'-w. 

by  a  little  rich  loam,  and  plenty  of  rich 
manure.  At  Wisley  this  noble  species  is 
quite  at  home,  and  gives  many  of  its 
towering  spikes  annually.  After  flowering 
and  maturing  seeds  the  old  bulb  perishes, 
the  plant  being  perpetuated  by  offsets, 
which  flower  three  or  four  years  later. 
Seeds  are  abundantly  produced,  and 
should  be  sown  when  ripe,  the  seedlings 
appearing  the  following  spring  in  their 
hundreds.  Seedlings  take  about  eight 
years  before  flowering,  and  should  be 
planted  in  their  permanent  positions  when 
about  half  grown.  The  planting  of  giant 
bulbs  fully  grown  is  a  fatal  error.  Nepal. 
L.  HANSONI. — A  handsome  Japanese 
species,  about  4  feet  high,  having  whorls  of 
bright  green  leaves  and  a  terminal  spike 
of  about  a  dozen  bright,  orange-yellow, 
brown-spotted  flowers.  It  flowers  about 
the  beginning  of  June,  is  quite  hardy,  and 
succeeds  in  sheltered  situations  in  a  soil 
consisting  of  two  parts  of  peat,  one  of 
loam,  and  one  of  road-scrapings. 


LILIUM. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


543 


L.  HENRYI  has  been  erroneously  referred 
to  as  "an  orange-coloured  speciosum,"  a 
misleading  description  since  in  habit  of 
growth,  flowering,  and  bulb  it  is  not  only 
distinct  from  speciosum  but  entirely 
unique  among  its  fellows.  Of  a  splendid 
constitution  and  one  of  the 
most  reliable,  it  is  also  quite  a 
giant  in  its  way,  often  attain- 
ing 7  to  8  feet  high,  produc- 
ing twenty  or  thirty  orange- 
coloured  reflexing  flowers  in 
a  pyramidally-framed  head. 
In  flower  it  is  of  fine  orna- 
ment, and  few  more  florifer- 
ous.  A  lime  -  loving  species, 
it  is  quite  happy  in  calcareous 
loams  or  deep  loam,  leaf-soil, 
and  old  manure.  The  bulbs 
attain  to  a  huge  size,  and 
being  a  stem-rooting  kind, 
should  be  planted  8  inches 
deep.  Because  of  its  fine 
stature,  it  associates  well  with 
Hydrangea  paniculata  grandi- 
flora,  and  the  twain  flowering 
together  in  August  and  later 
provide  a  rare  picture.  Plant 
in  November.  C.  China. 

L.  HUMBOLDTI. — A  very 
graceful  Lily.  The  singular 
beauty  of  the  blossoms  and 
the  elegant  manner  in  which 
they  droop  from  their  slender 
stalks,  make  it  most  desir- 
able, and  its  flowers,  on 
account  of  their  great  sub- 
stance, are  more  lasting  than 
any  other  Californian  Lily. 
The  stout  and  purplish  stems 
attain  a  height  of  4  to  8  feet. 
The  leaves  are  in  whorls  of 
from  ten  to  twenty  each,  and 
are  of  a  bright  green.  The 
flowers  differ  considerably  in 
colour  and  markings,  but  are 
usually  bright  golden-yellow, 
richly  spotted  with  crimson- 
purple.  The  variety  ocellatum 
or  Bloomerianum  is  dwarf, 
and  has  petals  tipped  with 
brownish-crimson.  It  grows 
best  in  an  open  border  of 
rich  peaty  or  leafy  soil  of 
a  good  depth.  Columbi 
anum  (syn.  Nitidum)  seems 
to  be  a  smaller  variety  of  this 
Lily. 

L.  JAPONICUM.  —  Or  Krameri  as  it  is 
more  often  called,  possesses  the  most 
delicate  beauty  of  any.  The  flowers 
are  of  the  shape  and  nearly  as  large 
as  those  of  L.  auratum.  They  are 
either  pure  white  or  delicate  rosy-pink 
—  generally  the  latter.  L.  japonicum 
is  i  to  3  feet  high,  and  sometimes 
bears  five  blooms  —  but  generally  only 
one  or  two.  It  is  somewhat  difficult  to 
grow,  owing  to  its  delicate  constitution, 


but  the  best  specimens  produced  in  this 
country  were  grown  under  the  same  con- 
ditions as  L.  auratum  and  speciosum. 
On  account  of  its  beauty  it  deserves  the 
most  careful  attention.  It  is  a  lovely 
plant  for  a  select  spot  between  choice 


Li  Hum  Humboldti. 

dwarf  shrubs,  in  free  peaty  soil  or  deep 
sandy  loam  with  vegetable  soil  in  it. 
When  Mr  Kramer  first  sent  me  this  Lily 
he  wrote  that  he  obtained  it  from  a  moun- 
tainous slope  at  a  high  altitude. 

L.  LEUCANTHUM. — Though  perfectly  dis- 
tinct for  garden  purposes,  this  is  really  a 
form  of  L.  Browni,  brought  from  the 
Chinese  province  of  Yunnan,  L.  myrio- 
phyllum  and  L.  formosum  (also  best 


544 


LILIUM. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


LILIUM. 


regarded  as  forms  of  L.  Browni]  replacing 
it  in  adjoining  provinces.  The  stems  of 
L.  leucanthum  are  stout,  3  to  4  feet  high, 
and  the  leaves  narrow  and  of  a  lustrous 
green.  The  fragrant  flowers,  borne  two 
to  four  together,  are  of  a  long  funnel- 
shape,  ruddy-brown  on  the  outside  and 
milk-white  within,  with  a  rich  yellow 
throat.  Being  at  its  best  in  August,  when 
no  other  Lily  of  the  same  group  is  in 
flower,  it  promises  to  be  an  important 
gain,  the  more  so  as  the  plant  is  vigorous 
and  hardy. 

L.  LONGIFLORUM  (White  Trumpet  Lily). 
— This  is  among  the  most  beautiful  and 
most  valuable  of  garden  Lilies.  The  typical 


about  9  inches  long.  Takesima  is  the 
latest  to  bloom.  Mme.  Von  Siebold  is  also 
a  fine  variety.  L.  longiflorum  giganteum 
is  the  variety  generally  obtained  from 
Japan  ;  strong  bulbs  will  send  up  a  head  of 
from  eight  to  twelve  flowers  widely  opened; 
the  foliage  is  bright  green  ;  under  glass 
this  Lily  may  easily  be  forced.  L.  for- 
mosanum,  the  variety  from  Formosa,  has 
its  flowers  ribbed  and  flushed  with  rosy- 
brown  ;  they  are  somewhat  smaller  in  size 
than  the  type.  L.  Harrisi  is  L.  longi- 
florum  altered  by  growth  in  a  tropical 
climate,  Bermudas,  S.  Africa,  etc.  Jama- 
Jura  and  Liukiu  are  native  names  for  the 
varieties  mentioned.  The  variegated- 


Lilium  longijlorum  Harrisi. 


form  is  i  to  3  feet  high,  the  stems  in 
summer  being  terminated  by  reflexed, 
tubular,  waxy- white  flowers,  which  are 
sweetly  scented.  There  are  several  varie- 
ties, the  best  being  the  early  variety  now 
called  PVCBCOX,  of  rather  dwarf  habit,  with 
long,  pointed,  three-nerved,  dark  green 
foliage  ;  the  flowers  are  of  great  substance, 
tubular,  and  but  little  reflexed  at  the  tip. 
This  flowers  a  fortnight  earlier  than  the 
type,  bears  larger  and  more  numerous 
flowers,  and  is  in  every  way  superior  to  it. 
Takesima  is  recognised  by  a  purplish  tint 
on  the  exterior  of  the  blossoms  and  on  the 
stem.  Wilsoni,  or  eximium,  the  finest 
variety,  has  bold  dark  foliage,  and  is 
nearly  4  feet  high,  with  numerous  flowers 


leaved  form  (albo-marginatum)  is  desirable, 
as  the  vegetation  is  distinct  and  constant. 
L.  longiflorum  and  its  varieties  sometimes 
bloom  well  in  borders,  but  care  should  be 
taken  that  they  are  not  injured  by  spring 
frosts.  L.  longiflorum  is  so  early  that, 
unless  protected  by  the  leaves  of  ever- 
greens, its  growth  is  apt  to  be  checked. 
A  well-drained  light  loam,  well  enriched 
with  leaf-mould,  suits  it  admirably.  L. 
Wilsoni  is  benefited  by  a  lighter  soil  and 
by  a  warmer  and  more  sheltered  position. 
When  just  pushing  the  growth  in  spring, 
it  is  advisable  to  encircle  the  plants  with 
a  few  dead  branches,  if  unprotected  by 
shrubs.  Where  this  fine  species  and  its 
forms  fail  in  the  ordinary  soil  of  the  garden, 


LILIUM. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


LILIUM. 


545 


success    may    be    ensured    by    making    a 
special  soil  of  rotten  manure,  leaf-mould, 


White  Martagon  lilies. 

or  cocoa-fibre.  In  such  a  mixture,  so  free 
and  open  that  the  hand  could  be  pushed 
down  below  the  bulb,  we  have  seen  them 
perfectly  grown  where  the  natural  soil  was 
too  stiff  and  impervious.  The  hardier 
varieties  are  admirable  for  artistic  garden- 
ing, their  fine  forms  being  very  effective 
when  tastefully  grouped  on  the  fringe  of 
beds  of  choice  bushes  and  when  touching 
and  seeming  to  spring  out  of  the  grass. 
They  are  also  good  in  beds  either  specially 
devoted  to  them  alone  or  in  combination 
with  other  plants.  Similar  to  L.  longi- 
florum  are  L.  neilgherrense,  philippinense, 
Wallichianum,  and  nepalense,  but  none  is 
hardy,  and  all  are  poor  and  unsatisfactory, 
except,  perhaps,  for  the  greenhouse. 

L.  MARTAGON  (Turk's-cap  Lily). — This 
is  so  common  that  we  need  only  mention 
its  varieties.  These  are  very  fine,  especi- 
ally dalmaticum,  which  has  flowers  larger 
than  the  type,  and  of  a  shining  blackish- 
purple,  a  contrast  to  the  loveliness  of  the 
pure  white  variety  (album).  Cattanice  is  a 
form  of  dalmaticum,  and  scarcely  differs 
from  it.  Like  the  type,  the  varieties 
thrive  freely  in  a  good  loamy  soil ;  they 
are  perfectly  hardy  and  are  rather  partial 
to  shade,  growing  freely  in  grassy  places, 
open  woods,  or  copses.  Some  of  the  finer 
varieties  are  good  garden  plants,  and 
should  be  grouped  in  the  spaces  between 
hardy  Azaleas  or  similar  flowering  bushes. 


L.  MONADELPHUM. — A  magnificent  Lily 
of  noble  growth.  The  stout  flower-stems 
vary  from  3  to  5  feet  in  height,  and  are 
terminated  by  a  pyramid  of  six  to  twenty 
turban-shaped  flowers,  ranging  in  colour 
from  a  rich  canary-yellow  to  a  pale  lemon- 
yellow.  Some  forms  have  spotted  flowers, 
and  some  are  much  larger  than  others. 
The  varieties  are  known  as  L.  Szovitzi- 
anum,  colchicum,  and  Loddigesianum.  L. 
monadelphum  thrives  best  in  moist,  deep, 
loamy  soil,  well  enriched  with  good  manure 


Liliutn  monadelphum,  var.  Szovitzianunt. 


at  the  time  of  planting ;    but  does  not 
show  its  true  character  till  it  has  been 

2  M 


546 


LILIUM. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


LILIUM. 


planted  several  years.  It  rarely  fails,  and 
is  one  of  the  least  disappointing  of  all.  It 
may  be  readily  increased  from  root-scales, 
a  fact  which  is  taken  advantage  of  by 
many  cultivators,  and  is  the  only  method 
of  increasing  and  keeping  pure  any  really 
good  or  marked  variety.  Seed  is,  how- 
ever, the  readiest  way  of  acquiring  a  stock 
of  this  truly  charming  plant.  The  seeds 
are  usually  sown  in  large  shallow  pans  as 
soon  as  ripe,  and  remain  there  for  two 
years,  by  which  time  the  bulbs  have 
attained  a  considerable  size ;  they  are 
then  planted  in  beds  in  rows  6  inches 
apart,  with  4  inches  between  the  bulbs, 
replanting  when  necessary.  By  this  treat- 
ment flowers  are  frequently  produced  by 
seedling  plants  four  or  five  years  after 
sowing. 

L.   PARDALINUM    (Pan- 
ther  Lily). — One    of    the     r^r 
handsomest   of   the  Cali- 
fornian  Lilies,  and  one  of     ! 
the    most     valuable    for 
English    gardens,     as    it 
makes    itself    thoroughly 
at     home    in    them    and 
grows  as  vigorously  as  in 
its  native  habitat.     It  is 
6  to  8  feet  high,  and  has 
large  drooping  flowers  of 
bright     orange,     spotted 
with  maroon.      There  are 
several  varieties,  the  most 
distinct    being — Bowgcei, 
one  of  the  finest,  having 
stout   stems  6  to   7   feet 
high,      with      twelve     to 
twenty  flowers  of  bright 
crimson,    shading    to   or- 
ange, and  freely  spotted 
with  maroon,  and  bloom- 
ing a  fortnight  later  than 
any    other ;     pallida,     a 
dwarf  variety,  scarcely  5 
feet   high,    bears   flowers 
nearly  double  the  size  of 
the    type,    and    paler   in 
colour ;      californicum,    a 
more  slender  variety,  3  to  4  feet  high,  and 
the    brightest    in    colour ;     pallidifolium 
(puberulum),    a  small   form,  with   lighter 
flowers  ;    and  Robinsoni,  a  robust  variety, 
with  stout  stems  7  to  8  feet  high,  and  with 
massive  foliage,  large  flowers  of  a  bright 
vermilion  shading   to   yellow,    and  freely 
spotted.  This  last  is  the  noblest,  and  should 
be  grown  if  possible.     The  Panther  Lily  is 
one  of  the  most  satisfactory  of  all  Lilies  ; 
it    has    a    strong    constitution,    increases 
rapidly,    soon   becomes   established,    and 
rarely  pines  away,  as  many  kinds  do.     It 
likes  a  deep,  light,  good  soil,  enriched  with 
plenty  of  decayed  manure  and  leaf-soil, 
where  the  roots  can  receive  ample  mois- 
ture.    It  should  always  be  in  a  sheltered 
position,   like  the  sunny  side  of  a  bold 
group  of  shrubs  or  low  trees.     In  a  special 
bed  the  near  shelter  of  hedges  is  desirable, 


though  their  roots  should  be  kept  away. 
Bare  borders  are  not  the  places  where  this 
noble  Lily  does  or  looks  best — there  is  no 
shelter  or  support  for  plants  which  in  their 
own  country  have  many  shrubs  for  com- 
panions and  are  sheltered  by  the  finest 
trees  of  the  northern  world. 

L.  PARRYI. — A  new  and  distinct  species 
from  California,  elegant  and  slender  in 
growth,  and  2  to  4  feet  high,  bearing 
graceful  trumpet-shaped  flowers  of  rich 
yellow,  copiously  spotted  with  chocolate- 
red,  and  delicately  perfumed.  The  flowers 
being  borne  horizontally,  render  it  very 
distinct.  It  grows  in  elevated  districts  in 
S.  California,  in  boggy  ground.  Not  much 
is  known  of  its  culture,  but  the  finest 
plants  have  been  produced  where  the  soil 
was  two-thirds  common  peat  and  one-third 


Liliujn  Parry i. 

loam,  with  plenty  of  coarse  sand.  A  bed 
in  a  shady  spot  was  selected,  in  which  the 
bulbs  were  placed  at  a  depth  of  4  inches, 
having  underneath  about  I  foot  of  the 
soil.  Here  the  strongest  bulbs  threw  up 
stems  4  feet  in  height,  and  the  greatest 
number  of  'blossoms  on  one  stem  for  the 
first  season  was  six. 

L.  POLYPHYLLUM. — A  rare  and  beautiful 
Lily,  2  to  4  feet  high,  and  having  large 
turban-shaped  flowers  of  a  waxy  white, 
copiously  spotted  and  lined  with  purple. 
N.  India.  Mr  M  Intosh  of  Duneevan, 
Weybridge,  who  has  been  most  successful 
with  it,  writes  :  "  Sandy  loam,  peat,  or 
leaf- mould,  sand,  and  charcoal,  with  a 
slight  admixture  of  pulverised  horse- 
droppings,  and  good  drainage  under  the 
bulbs,  are  all  I  have  to  tell ;  and  I  think 


LILIUM. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


LILIUM. 


547 


early  staking  and  tying  may  have  some- 
thing to  do  with  many  growing  taller  than 
they  otherwise  might." 

L  POMPONIUM. — This  lovely  Lily  must 
not  be  confounded  with  the  L.  pomponium 
usually  sold  as  such,  this  latter  being 
simply  the  red  variety  of  L.  pyrenaicum. 
L.  pomponium  is  elegant  and  vigorous,  and 
blooms  earlier  than  the  varieties  of  chalce- 
donicum  and  pyrenaicum,  to  which  it  is 
related.  It  is  about  3  feet  high,  is  erect, 
and  has  long  linear  leaves.  The  flowers 
appear  in  a  lax  raceme  i  foot  through,  and 
a  well-established  plant  will  bear  as  many 
as  twenty  flowers.  In  rich  loam  it  grows 
luxuriantly  in  sunshine  or  shade,  and  no 
difficulty  is  experienced  with  either  home- 
grown or  imported  roots.  Maritime  Alps. 
/..  pyrenaicum,  a  similar  but  smaller  plant, 
with  small  yellow  flowers,  is  a  variety  of 
L.  pomponium,  and  the  red  form  is  much 
inferior  to  the  true  L.  pomponium,  though 
generally  sold  for  it.  These  varieties 
require  the  same  culture  as  L.  pomponium. 
L.  pomponium  has  an  extremely  offensive 
odour,  and  is  not,  therefore,  likely  to  be 
used  for  cutting. 

L.  REGALE.— This,  the  handsomest  Lily 
of  the  Browni  group,  and  formerly  known 
as  L.  myriophyllum,  is  nearly  allied  to 
L.  hucanthum  (itself  a  form  of  L.  Browni}, 
from  which  it  differs  in  its  narrow  one- 
nerved  leaves  densely  crowded  on  the 
stems,  the  absence  of  bulbils,  its  earlier 
flowers,  and  other  minor  details.  The 
grey-green  stems  vary  from  i£  to  5  feet 
in  height,  bearing  fragrant  funnel-shaped 
flowers  5  or  6  inches  long,  shaded  with 
purple  on  the  outside,  and  pure  white 
shading  to  clear  yellow  on  the  inside  and 
in  the  tube.  No  greater  acquisition  to  the 
Lily  tribe  has  ever  been  introduced,  it 
being  not  only  the  handsomest  but  the 
most  reliable  of  garden  Lilies.  Sir  Herbert 
Maxwell  has  said  of  it  that  it  has  "  the 
constitution  of  a  dray-horse  and  the  grace 
of  a  thoroughbred."  It  is  not  a  Lily  for 
peat,  and  thrives  best  in  cool  loam,  leaf- 
mould  and  sand,  preferring  distant  shade. 
Perfect  drainage  is  essential.  Seeds  are 
produced  abundantly,  and  as  the  seedlings 
flower  when  three  years  old  the  wait  is 
not  great.  Seed  may  be  sown  in  drills  in 
the  open  or  in  frames.  Coddling  in  pans 
or  in  the  greenhouse  is  not  necessary. 
The  bulbs  are  found  on  the  scrub-clad 
mountain  sides  of  W.  China  at  elevations 
of  3,000  to  6,000  feet,  where  they  seem  to 
prefer  rocky,  stone-filled  soils. 

L.  SPECIOSUM,  or  lancifolium  as  it  is 
erroneously  called,  is  one  of  the  most 
popular  for  pot-culture,  and  is  no  less 
desirable  for  the  open  air,  though,  being 
somewhat  delicate,  it  is  grown  to  perfec- 
tion under  glass.  It  is  well  known,  and 
we  need  not  describe  it.  The  chief  varie- 
ties of  it  are  the  true  speciosum,  which  has 
large  deep  rosy  blossoms,  richly  spotted  ; 
vestale,  pure  white  ;  album,  white  or  faintly 


tinged  with  pink ;  rubrum,  deep  red ; 
roseum,  rosy-pink ;  punctatum,  white 
spotted  with  pink  ;  Krcstzcri,  very  large 
white  flowers  with  greenish  stripe  on  the 
exterior  ;  album  novum,  a  somewhat  finer 
variety  with  light  orange  anthers,  and 
broader  petals  of  great  substance  ;  fas- 
datum  album  and  fasciatum  rubrum,  two 
monstrous  varieties  bearing  numerous 
flowers  on  flattened  stems.  Among  the 
more  beautiful  Japanese  forms  are  roseum, 
superbum,  and  formosum,  and  rubrum 
macranthum,  cruentum,  compactum,  and, 
darkest  of  all,  Melpomene  (not  the  Ameri- 
can Melpomene}.  The  speciosum  Lilies 
are  stem-rooting,  and  should  be  planted 
deep  and  generously  treated.  All  the 
varieties  require  shelter  from  winds  and 
draughts,  and  a  rich  loamy  soil  mixed 
with  peat  and  leaf-manure.  They  flower 
for  the  most  part  in  September,  and  last 
longer  in  bloom  than  many  other  Lilies. 
In  good  soils,  very  happy  use  can  be  made 
of  these  handsome  Lilies  in  warm  and 
sheltered  places  where  their  blooms  may 
be  fully  developed. 

L.  SUPERBUM  (Swamp  Lily). — One  of 
the  stateliest  of  N.  American  Lilies,  bear- 
ing late  in  summer  beautiful  orange-red 
flowers,  thickly  spotted.  It  may  be  recog- 
nised at  once  by  its  purple-tinged  stems, 
which  rise  5  to  10  feet  high,  and  which  are 
very  graceful,  waving  with  the  slightest 
breeze.  A  pyramid  of  flowers  terminates 
each  stem.  L.  superbum  delights  in  moist 
deep  soil  consisting  chiefly  of  peaty  and 
decayed  leaf-manure,  and  is  one  of  the 
best  Lilies  for  growing  in  shady  woods 
when  the  undergrowth  is  not  too  rank. 
In  the  garden  it  should  have  snug  glades 
and  nooks  protected  by  shrubs,  and  moist 
rich  soil.  L.  carolinianum  is  a  less  showy 
form. 

L.  SUTCHUENENSE. — One  of  the  showiest 
Lilies  introduced  of  recent  years.  A  good 
idea  of  it  is  gained  by  likening  it  to  a 
miniature  form  of  the  old  Tiger  Lily,  but 
with  no  bulbils,  narrower  leaves,  and 
earlier  flowers  on  very  long  flatly-spreading 
stalks.  The  hairy  stalks  vary  in  height 
from  i£  to  6  feet,  with  many  narrow  leaves 
and  a  head  of  bright  scarlet  flowers 
covered  with  black  dots,  which  vary  in 
density  and  are  sometimes  wanting  alto- 
gether. It  comes  from  the  grass-clad 
mountain  slopes  of  the  Chino-Thibetan 
frontier,  and  is  commonly  grown  by  the 
peasants  on  the  roofs  of  their  houses,  and 
the  bulbs  used  as  food.  The  plant  is  of 
easy  culture,  and  flowers  in  three  years 
from  seed.  As  many  as  twenty  to  twenty- 
five  flowers  and  buds  often  are  produced 
in  a  single  head,  so  that  when  commoner 
it  should  be  a  very  handsome  garden 
plant. 

L.  TENUIFOLIUM. — A  most  elegant  dwarf 
Lily,  especially  valuable  for  earliness  in 
flowering.  It  is  i  to  ij  feet  high,  and  has 
narrow  leaves  on  slender  stems,  furnished 


548 


LILIUM. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         LIMNANTHES. 


with  a  cluster  of  about  a  dozen  brilliant 
red  turban-shaped  flowers,  which  shine  like 
sealing-wax.  It  succeeds  in  open  warm 
borders  of  light  sandy  loam,  but  is  all  the 
better  for  a  hand-light  or  frame,  as  it 
flowers  very  early.  Siberia  and  N.  China. 
L.  callosum  and  its  form  stenophyllum  are 
similar  but  less  showy. 

L.  TESTACEUM  (Nankeen  Lily}. — This  is 
a  distinct  coloured  Lily,  and  should  always 
be  grown,  being  of  easy  culture  and  thriv- 
ing in  any  ordinary  soil,  though  preferring 
one  that  is  peaty.  It  has  the  growth  of 


Lilium  tcstaceutn. 

the  white  L.  candidum,  but  the  flowers  are 
a  delicate  apricot,  or  nankeen,  colour. 
When  well  grown  it  is  6  or  7  feet  high,  and 
bears  several  flowers  in  a  large  spreading 
head  in  late  July.  Other  names  for  this 
Lily  are  L.  excelsum  and  isabellinum. 
Excellent  for  deep  sandy  loam  and  leaf- 
soil,  and  endures  sun  and  heat  better  than 
most  Lilies.  It  is  one  of  the  plants  that 
grow  freely  in  London. 

L.  TIGRINUM  (Tiger  Lily).— This  is  one 
of  the  commonest  kinds,  and  is  too  well 
known  to  need  description.  No  garden 
should  be  without  it,  for  few  plants  are 
so  attractive  or  have  such  stately  growth. 
The  common  kind  is  handsome,  but  the 
variety  splendens  is  much  finer,  having 
larger  flowers  with  larger  spots,  is  produced 
later,  and  grows  7  feet  high.  Fortunei  is 
an  early  form  and  as  desirable  as  splendens. 
The  double-flowered  variety  (flore-pleno) 
is  showy  and  vigorous.  Erectum  also  is 
distinct  and  desirable .  L .  pseudo-tigrinum 
and  the  varieties  of  Maximowiczi,  though 
referred  to  other  species,  much  resemble 
L.  tigrinum.  The  Tiger  Lily  is  very  easy 
of  cultivation,  thriving  best  in  deep  sandy 
loam  with  an  open  but  sheltered  position. 
The  earliest  varieties  begin  to  flower  at 
the  end  of  August,  and  the  latest  last  till 
the  end  of  October.  The  Tiger  Lily  may 
be  quickly  propagated  by  the  bulblets, 
which  form  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves. 


L.  WASHINGTONIANUM. — A  lovely  Cali- 
fornian  Lily,  2  to  5  feet  high,  bearing  a 
cluster  of  large,  white,  purple-spotted 
flowers  that  become  tinged  with  purple 
after  expansion.  Nearly  allied  to  this, 
and  by  some  considered  a  variety,  is 
L.  rubescens,  which  has  smaller  flowers, 
which  are  of  a  pale  lilac  or  nearly  white. 
These  flowers  are  erect — not  horizontal, 
as  in  the  Washington  Lily.  Neither  L. 
Washingtonianum  nor  L.  rubescens  is  easy 
to  grow  owing,  probably,  to  their  being 
but  little  understood  at  present.  The  best 
results  have  been  obtained  in  partially- 
shaded  situations,  in  loose,  peaty,  wen- 
drained,  but  moist  soil. 

L.  WILLMOTTIA. — A  new,  choice,  and 
distinct  species  of  much  promise  from 
W.  China.  The  plant  is  3  to  4  feet  high, 
the  stem  crowded  with  narrow  linear 
leaves  and  surmounted  by  a  dozen  to 
fifteen  large  Turk's-cap-like  flowers  of  a 
glistening  red  colour,  and  which  depend 
gracefully  on  thin,  wiry,  6-inches-long  foot- 
stalks. It  is  one  of  the  most  floriferous 
of  Lilies  for  July  and  early  August.  It  is 
a  stem-rooting  kind,  and  should  therefore 
be  planted  deep — not  less  than  6  inches. 
It  does  best  in  cool  places  in  deep  loam 
and  leaf-soil,  or  in  positions  where  the 
ground  is  screened  from  the  hottest  sun 
by  dwarf  shrubs,  Azalea  mollis,  Kalmia, 
Andromeda  floribunda,  or  Rhododendron 
racemosum. 


LIMNANTHEMUM  (Fringed  Buck- 
bean}. — L.  nymphceoides  is  a  pretty 
native  water  plant,  growing  in  ponds 
or  slow  streams,  with  floating  leaves, 
and  bright  yellow  flowers  i  inch  or 
more  across.  One  of  the  prettiest  of 
floating  water  plants,  flowering  for 
months  in  the  summer  and  autumn. 
Wild  in  the  southern  and  eastern 
counties,  and  naturalised  in  other 
districts.  Division  as  soon  as  gathered. 
Syn.  Villarsia.  Gentian  order. 

LIMNANTHES. — A  vigorous  though 
dwarf  hardy  annual,  valuable  because 
so  early  ;  L.  Douglasi  has  yellow  and 
white  flowers,  and  there  is  a  pure 
white  variety.  Few  annuals  are 
hardier,  severe  winters  not  injuring  it, 
and  it  requires  neither  a  deep  nor  a 
rich  soil,  but  thrives  where  the  earth 
is  poor  as  well  as  in  ordinary  garden 
soil.  It  often  sows  itself  on  light 
soils,  and  gives  no  further  trouble ; 
but  if  wanted  for  a  special  purpose 
in  spring,  the  seed  should  be  sown 
in  autumn  in  boxes  or  in  the  open 
ground  ;  for  summer-flowering,  sow 
in  the  spring.  Plains  of  California 
and  foothills  of  the  Sierra  Nevada. 


LlNARlA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


LlNN^A.  549 


L I N  A  R  I  A  ( Toadflax)  .—Includes 
some  beautiful  garden  annuals  and 
perennials,  varying  from  dwarf  alpines 
to  tall,  coarse  plants. 

L.  ALPINA  (Alpine  Toadflax). — Forms 
dense,  spreading,  dwarf,  and  silvery  tufts, 
covered  with  bluish- violet  and  intense 
orange  flowers.  It  is  usually  biennial ; 
but  in  favoured  spots,  both  wild  and  culti- 
vated, becomes  perennial.  It  sows  itself 
freely,  being  one  of  the  most  charming 
subjects  that  we  can  allow  to  "go  wild  " 
in  sandy,  gritty  earth,  or  in  chinks  in  the 
rock  garden.  It  is  found  on  moraines  and 
in  the  debris  of  the  Alps  and  Pyrenees. 

L.  ANTIRRHINIFOLIA. — This  elegant  little 
rock  plant  forms  a  very  neat  spreading 
mass  about  2  feet  across,  and  about  6  to 
8  inches  high,  and  has  the  advantage  of 


Linaria  antirrhinifolia. 

not  spreading  so  rapidly  as  some  of  its 
congeners,  and  its  bright  purple  flowers 
are  produced  incessantly  during  the 
summer  and  autumn.  The  plant  is  of 
the  easiest  possible  culture,  and  can  be 
highly  recommended  for  the  rock  garden. 

L.  CYMBALARIA  (Ivy-leaved  Toadflax). — 
Often  drapes  walls  in  a  graceful  way,  and 
is  grown  by  cottagers  as  a  window  plant, 
a  common  name  for  it  being  "  Mother  of 
Thousands."  A  moist  half -shady  place 
best  suits  it,  and  the  white  variety  is  even 
prettier  than  the  species. 

L.  DALMATICA. — A  handsome  plant, 
3  to  5  feet  high,  much  branched,  and  in 
summer  has  a  profusion  of  large  showy 
sulphur-yellow  blossoms.  It  thrives  best 
in  warm  places  in  light  well-drained  soil, 


and  when  once  established  can  be  eradi- 
cated with  difficulty. 

L.  MACEDONICA. — A  new  and  distinct 
plant,  from  2  to  3  feet  high,  and  throwing 
up  shoots  from  the  base.  It  differs  from 
L.  dalmatica  in  its  broader  leaves,  and  is 
quite  hardy. 

L.  PURPUREA. — A  pretty  kind  with 
spikes  of  purple  flowers,  and  one  occasion- 
ally sees  it  on  old  walls,  as  it  thrives  well 
in  dry  spots 

L.  TRIORNITHOPHORA.  —  A  beautiful 
plant  when  well  grown,  i  to  i£  feet  high, 
and  with  large  purple  long-spurred  flowers 
in  whorls  of  three.  It  is  rather  delicate 
and,  though  perennial,  should  be  raised 
yearly  from  seed. 

L.  VULGARIS  (Common  Toadflax). — Is 
very  pretty  as  one  sees  it  growing  wild, 
but  is  also  a  good  garden  plant.  The 
British  variety  Peloria  is  a  handsome 
Toadflax,  flowering  freely  after  midsum- 
mer in  a  warm  sunny  border,  and  is  effec- 
tive in  a  mass. 

A  few  other  perennial  Lin  arias  that 
may  be  mentioned  are  L.  Uepaticce- 
folia  (Hepatica-leaved  Toadflax),  from 
Corsica,  which  is  nearly  always  in 
flower  in  summer  and  autumn  ;  L. 
saxatilis,  with  dark  brown  and  yellow 
flowers  ;  and  L.  anticaria,  a  good  rock 
plant,  forming  little  tufts  and  sowing 
itself  freely.  The  finely-veined  flowers 
are  dull  white  tinged  with  lilac.  A 
very  dwarf  pretty  plant  in  flower  all 
summer  is  L.  pallida,  from  Italy. 

Some  of  the  annual  species  of 
Toadflax  are  among  our  prettiest 
border  flowers,  growing  about  i  foot 
high,  and  very  effective  in  broad 
masses.  Seed  should  be  sown  in 
ordinary  garden  soil  in  early  spring, 
and  the  seedlings  will  flower  in  July 
and  August.  The  best  are  L.  reticu- 
lata,  with  small  purple  flowers  ;  the 
variety  aureo-purpurea  being  a  charm- 
ing plant,  with  flowers  which  vary  from 
rose-purple  to  dark  orange.  L.  bipar- 
tita  is  also  very  variable,  the  colours 
ranging  from  deep  purple  to  white. 
Perezi  has  small  yellow  flowers  ;  whilst 
the  flowers  of  maroccana  vary  from 
violet  to  pink  ;  and  those  of  multi- 
punctata,  the  dwarfest  of  the  group, 
are  black  spotted  with  yellow. 

LINNJEA  (Twin  Flower). — A  little 
evergreen  creeper,  L.  borealis  having 
slender  upright  stalks  bearing  two 
flowers  each,  delicately  fragrant  white, 
often  tinged  with  pink,  and  drooping. 
It  is  usually  found  in  moist  woods, 
where  it  forms  a  dense  carpet.  I  have 
often  seen  it  thriving  where  the  air 
was  pure  and  the  soil  suitable  ;  and  it 


LlNUM. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        LIRIODENDRON. 


is  excellent  for  a  moist  rock  garden, 
growing  rapidly,  and  forming  a  charm- 
ing fringe  to  groups  of  small  alpine 
shrubs,  on  cool  parts  of  the  rock  gar- 
den. N.  Europe,  Asia,  and  America  ; 
also  Scottish  Mountains. 

LINUM  (Flax). — A  very  interesting 
group  of  plants,  too  often  neglected  in 
gardens,  though  remarkable  for  beauty 
of  colour,  and  including  one  of  the 
most  useful  plants  that  gives  us  linen 
and  also  the  best  paper  for  the  books 
meant  to  last. 

L.  CAMPANULATUM  (Yellow  Herbaceous 
Flax). — A  perennial  with  yellow  flowers 
on  stems  12  to  18  inches  high,  distinct  and 
worthy  of  a  place.  A  native  of  the  south 
of  Europe,  it  flowers  in  summer  and 
flourishes  freely  in  dry  soil  on  the  warm 
sides  of  banks  or  rock  gardens.  Similar 
to  it  is  L.  flavuwi,  or  tauricum,  also  a  hand- 
some and  hardy  plant,  with  yellow  flowers  ; 
but  L.  arboreum,  a  shrubby  kind,  also 
with  yellow  flowers,  is  not  hardy  in  all 
districts,  though  where  it  thrives  it  is  a 
pretty  little  evergreen  bush  for  the  rock 
garden. 

L.  GRANDIFLORUM  (Red  Flax)  is  a  showy 
hardy  annual  from  Algeria,  with  deep  red 
blossoms.  By  successive  sowings  it  may 
be  had  in  bloom  from  May  till  October. 
Seed  sown  in  autumn  will  give  plants  for 
spring-blooming,  and  sowings  made  from 
March  to  June  will  yield  a  display  through 
the  summer  and  autumn.  If  protected 
from  frost  the  plant  is  perennial. 

L.  MONOGYNUM  (New  Zealand  Flax). — 
A  beautiful  kind  with  large  pure  white 
blossoms  blooming  in  summer.  It  grows 
about  i£  feet  high  in  good  light  soil,  and 
its  neat  and  slender  habit  renders  it 
particularly  pleasing  for  the  borders  of 
the  rock  garden  or  for  pot-culture.  In- 
creased by  seed  or  division  ;  it  is  hardy  in 
the  more  temperate  parts  of  England,  but 
in  the  colder  districts  is  said  to  require 
some  protection.  L.  candidissimum  is  a 
finer  and  hardier  variety.  Both  are 
natives  of  New  Zealand. 

L.  NARBONNENSE  (Narbonne  Flax). — A 
beautiful  kind,  bearing  during  summer 
many  large  light  sky-blue  flowers,  with 
violet  veins,  growing  best  on  rich  light 
soils,  and  is  a  fine  plant  for  borders,  or  for 
the  lower  flanks  of  the  rock  garden,  form- 
ing lovely  blue  masses  15  to  20  inches 
high.  S.  Europe. 

Other  similar  blue-flowered  kinds  are 
L.  perenne,  usitatissimum,  alpinum,  sibiri- 
cum,  alpicola,  collinum,  and  austriacum  ; 
all  are  hardy  European  species,  and  make 
pretty  border  or  rock  garden  plants.  The 
white  and  rose  varieties  of  L.  perenne  are 
pretty. 

L.  SALSOLOIDES  (White  Rock  Flax). — 
Dwarf  half-shrubby  species,  essentially  a 
rock  garden  plant ;  its  flowers,  white  with 


a  purplish  eye.  In  the  rock  garden,  in 
a  well-exposed  sunny  nook,  the  plant  is 
hardy,  and  trails  over  stones,  flowering 
abundantly.  It  produces  seeds  rarely,  so 
that  it  must  be  increased  by  cuttings  of 
the  short  shoots  taken  off  about  mid- 
summer ;  these  will  strike  freely,  and 
make  vigorous  plants  when  potted  off  in 
the  following  spring.  L.  s.  nanum  is  a 
rare  dwarf  form  studded  with  large  pinky- 
white  flowers.  An  excellent  rock  garden 
plant.  Mountains  of  Europe.  L.  vis- 
cosum,  with  pink  flowers,  is  a  closely  allied 
plant  not  so  pretty. 

The  Common  Flax,  which  gives  us  the 
linen  fibre,  is  a  pretty  annual  plant  worth 
a  place  for  its  beauty  among  annual 
flowers. 

L.  USITATISSIMUM  (The  True  Flax). — A 
beautiful  annual.  I  have  oft  thought  it 
worthy  a  place  even  in  the  flower-beds. 
Sown  in  mid- April,  it  flowers  long  through 
the  summer,  but  is  a  hungry  feeder  that 
few  will  place  for. 

LIPPIA. — L.  nodiflora  is  a  dwarf 
perennial  creeper  bearing  in  summer 
heads  of  pretty  pink  blooms.  It  grows 
in  any  situation  or  soil,  and  is  a  capital 
plant  for  quickly  covering  bare  spaces 
in  the  rock  garden  where  choicer 
subjects  will  not  thrive. 

LIQUID AMBAR  (Sweet  Gum).  — A 
very  beautiful  summer-leafing  maple- 
like  tree  from  Florida  westward  to 
the  prairie  states,  often  reaching 
100  feet  in  height,  the  leaves  turning 
an  intense  deep  purplish  red  in  autumn, 
fine  in  effect.  This  tree,  thriving  in 
wet  and  marshy  places,  is  more  at 
home  in  Great  Britain  than  some  of  the 
American  trees.  It  would  probably 
attain  a  greater  stature  in  river-side 
soil  in  a  warmer  country  than  ours,  the 
best  trees  in  its  native  country  growing 
in  rich  moist  soils.  In  N.  Britain,  and 
N.  Europe  generally,  it  is  somewhat 
slow  and  tender.  It  makes  a  beautiful 
lawn  and  home  -  ground  tree,  but 
should  be  planted  in  rather  deep  moist 
soil.  The  leaves  are  fragrant  in  spring. 
It  would  be  better  grown  as  a  group 
than  as  single  plants.  Seed. 

LIRIODENDRON  (Tulip  Tree).~L. 
tulipiferum  is  one  of  the  noblest  of 
flowering  trees.  It  is  only  when  the 
tree  has  reached  maturity  that  it  bears 
its  beautiful  Tulip-like  flowers  of  pale 
green  and  yellow.  Young  Tulip  trees 
should  be  planted  on  lawns  in  free  or 
ordinary  soils,  as  the  flowers  are  very 
pretty  in  a  cut  state  for  the  house,  and 
the  tree  a  beautiful  one  at  all  times. 
N.  America. 


LITHOSPERMUM.       THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


LOBELIA. 


551 


LITHO  SPERMUM  ( Gromwell) .  —  A 
few  of  these  Borage-worts  are  well 
worth  growing.  One  of  the  finest  is 
L.  prostratum,-  a  spreading  little  ever- 
green having  flowers  of  a  lovely  blue, 
with  faint  reddish-violet  stripes,  in 
great  profusion  when  the  plant  is  well 
grown.  It  is  hardy,  and  valuable  as 
a  rock  plant  from  its  prostrate  habit 
and  the  fine  blue  of  its  flowers.  Its 
shoots  will  fall  down  the  sunny  face  of 
a  rocky  nook,  to  spread  into  flat  tufts 
on  level  parts  of  the  rock  garden.  On 


Lithosperinuni  prostratum. 

dry  sandy  soils  it  forms  an  excellent 
border  plant.  In  such  soils,  it  is 
suited  for  the  margins  of  beds  of  choice 
and  dwarf  shrubs.  It  is  sometimes 
grown  as  L.  fruticosum,  but  the  true 
L.  fruticosum  is  a  little  bush,  and  not 
prostrate.  Easily  propagated  by  cut- 
tings. S.  Europe. 

L.  PETR^iUM  (Rock  Gromwell) . — A  neat, 
dwarf  shrub,  something  like  a  small 
Lavender  bush,  with  small  greyish  leaves. 
Late  in  May  or  early  in  June  all  the  little 
grey  shoots  bear  small  oblong  purplish 
heads,  and  early  in  July  the  plant  is  in  full 
blossom,  the  full-blown  flowers  being  a 
beautiful  violet-blue.  The  best  position 
for  it  is  in  the  rock  garden  somewhere 
near  or  on  a  level  with  the  eye,  on  a  well- 
drained,  deep,  rather  dry  sandy  soil. 
Native  of  dry  rocky  places  in  Dalmatia  and 
S.  Europe.  Cuttings  or  seeds. 

L.purpureum-cceruleum  (Heavenly  Blue), 
a  British  plant,  is  a  good  addition,  and  its 
brilliant  blue  flowers  are  most  effective. 
L.  Gastoni,  L.  canescens,  L.  gramini folium, 
L.  tinctorium,  and  L.  rosmarinifolium  are 
very  pretty  plants,  but  coming  from 
sunnier  lands  than  ours  are  not  really  at 
home  in  our  climate,  and  for  the  most 
part  they  can  only  be  grown  well  on  dry 
Ledges  of  the  rock  garden  in  the  most 
favourable  districts. 

LLOYDIA  (Mountain  Spider-wort}.— 
L.  serotina  is  a  small  bulbous  liliaceous 
plant,  suitable  for  the  cool  parts  of  the 
rock  garden,  and  not  of  the  showy 


order  of  beauty.  It  is  one  of  the 
first  flowers  the  early  visitor  to  the 
Alps  sees  by  the  pathway  over  the 
high  mountains. 

LOASA. — Curious  prickly  annuals 
with  singular  flowers  and  stinging 
foliage.  L.  hispida  is  pretty,  growing 
about  1 8  inches  high,  with  deeply-cut 
foliage  and  short  stinging  hairs,  the 
flowers  i  inch  across,  of  a  bright  lemon- 
yellow,  the  centre  prettily  marked 
with  green  and  white.  It  blossoms 
several  weeks  in  succession  during 
August  and  September.  The  other 
kinds  in  cultivation  are  the  beautiful 
L.  vulcanica,  with  its  pure  white  flowers 
and  red  and  white  striped  centres  ; 
L.  lateritia,  a  twining  species,  with 
orange-red  flowers ;  and  L.  triloba. 
All  are  natives  of  the  cool  regions  of 
Peru  and  Brazil,  and  can  be  grown  in 
the  open  air  during  summer.  Treated 
as  half-hardy  annuals,  and  grown  in 
a  light  fertile  soil,  they  are  interesting 
for  open  borders  ;  the  climbing  species, 
such  as  lateritia,  require  branches  to 
twine  among.  Seed. 

LOBELIA.  —  Distinct  and  much 
varied  perennials  and  annuals,  some 
of  high  value  for  the  flower  garden. 
The  perennial  Lobelias,  like  L.  splen- 
dens,  are  amongst  the  finest  of  autumn 
flowers.  Although  fairly  hardy,  they 
are  impatient  of  excessive  moisture, 
and  in  most  districts  require  protection 
during  winter.  It  is  often  best  to 
winter  them  in  a  cool  house  and  plant 
out  in  April.  Although  impatient  of 
moisture  during  the  resting  period, 
they  revel  in  it  when  in  active  growth, 
and  where  beds  can  be  prepared  in 
the  vicinity  of  lakes  or  streams,  better 
results  will  be  obtained  than  in  the 
mixed  border.  In  propagating  in 
early  spring  they  can  be  divided  into 
single  crowns,  and  these  potted  on 
soon  form  sturdy  plants  ready  to  plant 
out  on  the  approach  of  warm  weather. 
They  thrive  best  in  a  free  vegetable 
soil,  and  like  plenty  of  sun,  unless  in 
the  case  of  L.  cardinalis,  which  I  find 
thrives  best  in  a  partially-shaded  bed. 
In  some  districts  with  light  soils,  and 
often  near  the  sea,  these  plants  do  not 
require  protection  in  winter.  Both 
types  may  be  raised  freely  from  seed 
sown  in  gentle  heat  in  February. 
There  are  many  good  varieties. 

L.  CARDINALIS  (Cardinal  Flower). — The 
true  plant  is  one  of  the  rarest  and  one  of 
the  prettiest  of  the  genus.  The  brilliant 
effect  produced  in  autumn  by  tufts  of  this 
species  well  repays  any  trouble  it  may  give, 


552 


LOBELIA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


LOBELIA. 


for  though  by  no  means  fastidious,  the 
difficulty  of  growing  it  well  in  small 
gardens  in  the  absence  of  shade  and  mois- 
ture is  great.  It  is  a  bog-loving  plant, 
being  found  in  wet  ground  in  N.  America. 
It  is,  however,  a  true  perennial,  although 
maybe  a  short-lived  one,  and  should  be 
frequently  raised  from  seed  to  make  sure 


The  Scarlet  Lobelia. 


of  keeping  up  the  stock.  This  species  is 
not  so  liable  to  disease  as  L.  splendens  and 
its  varieties.  Grown  on  an  ordinary  bor- 
der it  invariably  has  a  weak,  stunted 
appearance  ;  but  in  a  free  rich  soil,  in  a 
shady  position  and  well  supplied  with 
moisture,  I  have  often  seen  it  3  to  4 £  feet 
high  and  flowering  profusely.  The  flowers 
are  of  the  most  vivid  scarlet,  and  as  they 
last  a  long  time  in  bloom  it  well  deserves 
care.  Dr  Gray  mentions  it  as  varying  to 
rose  colour  and  even  white,  but  this,  it 
seems,  is  rare.  Parkinson  mentions  it  as 
"cherished  in  our  garden  in  1629,"  and 


gives  it  as  "  growing  near  the  river  of 
Canada  where  the  French  plantation  in 
America  is  seated."  It  is  hardier  than 
L.  fulgens,  living  through  the  winter  in 
open  beds  and  with  little  or  no  protection. 
Its  leaves  are  shorter  and  greener  than 
those  of  L.  fulgens  ;  the  flowers,  too,  are 
smaller,  but  more  numerous  on  the  spikes. 

L.  ERINUS. — The  dwarf  section  of 
annual  Lobelia  is  one  of  the  most  impor- 
tant, being  much  used  among  half-hardy 
plants.  The  chief  points  to  start  with 
are  good  soil  and  well-grown  established 
plants.  The  soil  should  be  light  and  rich, 
and  rest  on  a  dry  bottom  perfectly  drained. 
On  a  porous  bottom  it  may  be  plentifully 
watered  during  a  dry  time  in  summer 
without  fear  of  injuring  the  roots.  The 
roots  cannot  make  way,  nor  can  the  plants 
thrive  in  a  strong  adhesive  soil  of  clay  or 
heavy  loam,  and  if  the  soil  be  heavy,  it 
must  be  lightened  by  a  plentiful  addition 
of  leaf-mould,  sand,  or  peat.  This  Lobelia 
thrives  admirably  in  equal  parts  of  sandy 
loam  and  leaf  -  mould,  with  sharp  sand 
to  keep  it  open.  A  slight  mulching  of 
one-year-old  sifted  hot-bed  manure  will 
be  found  useful  for  keeping  out  the  drought 
and  nourishing  the  roots  through  a  dry 
season.  One  of  the  difficulties  in  carrying 
dwarf  Lobelias  in  full  beauty  through  the 
season  is  the  freedom  with  which  they 
seed,  and  the  moment  the  flowers  fade 
they  should  be  picked  off  every  week 
throughout  the  season.  Dwarf  Lobelias 
may  be  propagated  by  seeds  or  cuttings. 
For  ensuring  stock  for  propagating  in 
spring,  a  batch  of  cuttings  should  be 
rooted  in  August  from  plants  cut  back  a 
month  earlier.  Or  these  cut-back  plants 
may  be  earthed  up  and  later  pulled  to 
pieces  and  pricked  out  in  boxes  of  sandy 
soil.  These  youthful  examples  are  in- 
finitely superior  to  worn-out  lifted  stock, 
and  yield  quantities  of  vigorous  cuttings 
for  February  and  March  propagation. 
The  cuttings  should  be  potted  by  the  end 
of  May,  and  treated  in  the  same  way  as 
seedlings. 

The  varieties  are  numerous,  and  it  is 
difficult  to  make  a  selection  to  suit  every 
locality.  L.  Erinus  is  divided  into  three 
sections — viz.,  compacta,  of  which  there  is 
a  white  form  ;  speciosa,  of  which  the  best 
are  Blue  Stone,  Ebor,  Blue  Beauty, 
Emperor  William,  Blue  King,  Lustrous, 
Brilliant ;  ramosoides  ;  pumila,  of  which 
grandiflora  and  magnified  are  fine  forms, 
as  is  also  the  pure  white  Mrs  Murphy  ; 
and  Paxtoniana  is  a  lovely  blue.  Other 
dwarf  Lobelias  are  ramosa,  with  large 
light-blue  flowers,  and  coronopifolia,  also 
with  large  blue  flowers.  Both  are  half- 
hardy  annuals,  requiring  the  same  treat- 
ment as  L.  Erinus. 

L.  GERARDI. — A  hybrid  raised  by 
Messieurs  Chabanne  and  Goujon,  is  a 
vigorous  growing  and  very  continuous 
flowering  plant.  Before  the  flowering 


LOBELIA. 


THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.       LOISELEURIA.     553 


stems  make  their  appearance  it  forms  a 
rosette  of  leaves  of  a  very  pure  green 
colour,  and  resembling  the  rosette  of  the 
wild  Chicory.  The  running  roots  are 
abundantly  furnished  with  fibres.  When 
fully  grown  the  plant  attains  a  height  of 

4  to  5  feet ;   the  strongest  flowering  stems 
are  as  thick  as  one's  thumb  at  the  base, 
and  branch  with  from  twelve  to  fifteen 
clusters  of  fine  broad  flowers,  which  all 
bloom  together,  the  whole  forming  a  com- 
pact, rigid  pyramid  needing  no  stake  or 

Erop  to  support  it.     I  have  never  seen  any 
ybrid  of  these  fine  plants  as  good  as  the 
wild  species. 

L.  SPLENDENS. — A) so  called  L.  fulgens, 
it  is  a  brilliant  and  precious  plant  for  the 
flower  garden.  Its  leaves  are  long  and 
narrow,  and  the  flower-stalks  taller  and 
thicker  than  those  of  L.  cardinalis,  the 
flowers  larger  with  broad  over-lapping 
petals.  The  best  known,  and  a  handsome 
form  of  this,  bears  the  name  Queen  Vic- 
toria. Its  leaves  are  a  deep  purple  colour, 
and  the  flowers  a  brilliant  crimson-red. 
Firefly  is  the  handsomest  variety  in  this 
section,  and  was  raised  in  Ireland.  In 
good  rich  soil  it  attains  to  a  height  of 

5  feet,   whilst  in  colour  the   flowers  are 
intensely    vivid    and    rich.     One    of    its 
merits  is  that  it  bears  lateral  flower-spikes 
around  the  central  one  much  more  freely 
than  Queen  Victoria,  and  these  keep  up 
a  succession  of  bloom  after  the  leading 
spike    is    past    its    best.     Huntsman    is 
another  variety,  brighter  in  colour  than 
Firefly.     Sir   R.    Napier,    Rob    Roy,    and 
other  varieties  have  been  obtained  from 
it.     These  vary  in  colour  and  habit  very 
much,   and  as  they  are  all  robust,   free- 
flowering  plants,  they  are  valuable  in  the 
autumn    garden,    giving    brilliant    effects 
until  cut  down  by  frost.     The  variety  ignea 
has  broader  leaves  and  larger  flowers. 

This  Lobelia  suffers  from  a  kind  of  rust, 
which  fastens  on  the  main  fleshy  roots 
when  the  plants  are  at  rest,  and  rots  them. 
This  disease,  working  as  it  does  at  a  time 
when  growth  is  at  a  standstill,  is  not  per- 
ceived in  time  to  be  checked,  and  makes  its 
appearance  in  November,  especially  if  the 
weather  be  wet.  The  plants  should  then 
be  carefully  taken  up,  reserving  as  much 
of  the  roots  as  possible,  the  soil  being 
shaken  off,  and  the  roots  well  washed. 
The  disease  will  be  readily  discovered  by 
its  rusty-looking  spots,  which  must  be  cut 
out  with  a  sharp  knife,  as  the  least  portion 
will  suffice  to  destroy  the  plant.  After 
the  plants  are  examined  they  may  be 
potted  or  laid  in  a  frame  in  some  free  sandy 
soil,  and  very  fine  specimens  may  be 
obtained  by  potting  and  plunging  in  a 
slight  bottom-heat,  keeping  the  top  quite 
cool.  In  about  a  fortnight  they  will  have 
made  fresh  fibre,  and  all  danger  will  be 
past.  They  may  then  be  kept  in  a  cold 
frame  during  the  winter,  and  planted  out 
where  desired  in  spring.  The  bottom- 


heat,  however,  is  not  indispensable  ;  for 
they  will  succeed  if  carefully  and  sparingly 
watered  after  potting.  All  the  plants  of 
the  fulgens  group  show  their  great  beauty 
only  on  peaty  or  deep  leafy  and  moist 
soils  ;  often  on  loamy  soils  the  growth  is 
short  and  weak,  the  flowers  poor,  and 
under  such  conditions  they  may  not  be 
worth  growing. 

L.  SYPHILITICA. — A  variable  species,  not 
very  showy,  and  robust  in  free  moist  soils, 
it  stands  our  winters  well,  and  is  prolific 
in  varieties  of  violet  and  purple,  varying  to 
rose  and  white.  A  poor  kind,  it  never  had 
a  place  in  my  garden.  The  hybrids  raised 
by  crossing  with  the  splendidly  coloured 
kinds  are  also  a  poor  lot,  so  far  as  tried. 
L.  syphilitica  has  rich  violet-purple  flowers, 
which  mark  it  out  for  special  distinction. 
It  is  valuable  for  grouping  in  the  mixed 
border,  may  be  left  out  during  winter  with 
safety,  and  can  be  lifted,  divided,  and 
replanted  in  spring. 

L.  TUPA. — This  is  also  known  as  Tupa 
Fuelli,  and  although  a  native  of  Chili,  will  be 
found  to  stand  well  in  the  south  protected 
with  sifted  ashes,  gravel;  or  other  loose 
material  in  autumn.  It  is  best,  however, 
against  a  south  wall,  and  when  doing  well 
often  attains  a  height  of  6  to  8  feet  ;  the 
flowers  large,  brick-red,  in  large  racemes, 
from  July  to  September.  In  deep  free 
soils  near  the  sea,  L.  Tupa  is  a  very  hand- 
some plant. 

L.  cavanillesii  is  of  more  graceful  habit 
and  hardier.  We  have  seen  patches  of  it 
at  the  base  of  rockwork,  where  it  has  stood 
unprotected  for  years,  several  feet  across. 
The  flowers  are  scarlet,  long  and  tubular. 
Very  showy  August-flowering  subject. 

LOCUST  TREE. — These  tall  Lobelias 
have  a  great  attraction  for  me,  and 
my  experience  of  their  ways  may  be 
of  use  to  others.  The  Cardinal  Lobelia 
is  a  hardy  one,  grows  in  the  colder 
parts  of  N.  America,  on  the  fringe  of 
lakes,  and  hardy  in  England.  Brilliant, 
but  not  so  fine  as  the  more  southern 
species  splendens.  This  I  never  like 
to  be  without,  and  find  it  not  so  easy 
to  succeed  with,  though  it  lives  through 
the  winter  in  Irish  sea-coast  gardens. 
With  me  it  is  very  difficult  to  keep 
over  winter  owing  to  the  attacks  of 
minute  insect  enemies.  It  must  have 
a  peaty  soil,  plenty  of  water,  and  be 
carefully  housed  in  autumn.  In  the 
west,  with  a  greater  rainfall,  it  grows 
stronger,  sometimes  over  5  feet  high. 

LOISELEURIA. — A  wiry  little  shrub, 
L.  procumbens,  growing  close  to  the 
ground,  the  plants  forming  tufts  with 
small  reddish  flowers  in  spring.  Its 
bloom  is  never  attractive,  and  the 
plants  transferred  to  gardens  from 


554 


LOMARIA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


LON1CERA. 


the  mountains  usually  perish,  because 
perhaps  the  strongest  specimens  are 
selected  instead  of  the  younger  ones. 
Its  true  home  is  the  rock  garden,  and 
it  prefers  deep  sandy  peat.  Heath 
order.  Arctic  and  alpine  Europe  and 
Asia  and  higher  Scottish  mountains. 
Syn.  Azalea  procumbens. 

LOMARIA.— Ferns,  for  the  most 
part  tropical,  and  requiring  artificial 
heat ;  but  in  mild  parts  two  or  three 
thrive  in  the  open  air.  L.  alpina,  a 
native  of  New  Zealand,  is  dwarf,  and 
produces  from  a  creeping  rhizome 
abundance  of  dark  shining  green 
fronds,  4  to  6  inches  in  height.  It  is 
specially  adapted  for  the  rock  garden, 
should  receive  similar  treatment  to  the 
Ceterach  (to  which  it  forms  a  charming 
companion),  and  should,  like  it,  be 
associated  with  Sedums  and  alpine 
plants.  L.  crenulata  is  similar,  but 
not  quite  so  hardy,  though  it  succeeds 
iii  the  mildest  localities,  as  will  also 
the  Chili  L.  chilens'is,  a  tree  Fern  of 
noble  growth.  These  Ferns  should  be 
placed  in  the  snuggest  quarters  of  the 
hardy  fernery,  and  care  should  be 
taken  to  protect  them  during  severe 
cold.  A  fine  bold  kind  is  L.  magel- 
lanica. 

L.  PROCERA. — A  handsome  large-grow- 
ing Fern,  thriving  in  the  open  air  in  the 
milder  parts  of  Britain,  particularly  where 
the  atmosphere  is  moist,  as  in  Ireland  and 
the  south-west  of  England.  It  is  a 
variable  plant,  spread  over  nearly  half 
the  world,  the  hardiest  forms  coming  from 
Chili,  New  Zealand,  and  Tasmania.  L.  p. 
chilensis,  one  of  the  best,  grows  in  com- 
paratively cold  regions  of  S.  America,  its 
stout  leathery  fronds  once  cut  to  the  mid- 
rib being  4  or  5  feet  long,  and  produced  on 
stout  red  stalks  from  a  prostrate  fleshy 
stem  or  trunk.  This  trunk  never  rises, 
but  creeps  along  the  ground,  its  under- 
ground rhizomes  freely  giving  off  young 
plants  in  rich  open  soils.  L.  p  Gilliesii, 
another  fine  evergreen  form  from  Chili, 
differs  from  that  just  described  in  its  short 
erect  trunk,  and  shorter  fronds  on  pale 
green  stalks. 

LOMATIA. — Evergreen  shrubs  of 
slow  growth,  with  finely-cut  fern-like 
leaves  so  tough  in  texture  that  they 
outlast  almost  any  other  foliage. 
Several  kinds  are  hardy  in  the  milder 
parts  of  Britain,  and  deserve  a  more 
extensive  trial.  L.  ferruginea,  from 
Chili,  has  grown  well  for  many  years 
in  the  north  of  Ireland,  at  Castlewellan, 
making  a  bush  9  feet  high  and  27  feet 
in  circumference,  flowering  freely,  and 
never  yet  injured  during  the  winter, 


though  grown  in  the  open  during  the 
past  twenty  years.  L.  longifolia,  an 
Australian  species,  planted  out  in  a 
bed  of  Rhododendrons  at  Forest  Hill, 
near  London,  grew  luxuriantly  in  the 
open  air,  flowering  and  bearing  seed, 
and  only  twice  cut  to  the  ground  by 
frost  during  twenty  years.  L.  elegan- 
tissima,  of  New  Zealand,  has  also  proved 
fairly  hardy,  and  with  other  kinds, 
such  as  L.  filicifolia  and  L.  propinqua, 
might  be  given  a  trial  with  the  choicer 
evergreen  shrubs  in  the  sheltered  shore 
gardens  of  Devon  and  Cornwall.  The 
rather  difficult  increase  of  these  shrubs 
has  probably  been  against  them. 

LONICERA  ( Honeysuckle)  .—Grace- 
ful and  fragrant  woody  climbers  and 
bushes  precious  for  gardens.  The 
Twining  Honeysuckles  form  a  distinct 
group  of  species  with  whorled  clusters 
of  flowers  terminating  the  young 
shoots.  The  erect-growing  or  Bush 
Honeysuckles  have  the  flowers  axillary 
and  generally  in  pairs,  Among  the 
twining  species  there  are  a  few  that 
have  axillary  flowers,  and  of  these 
Lonicera  japonica  is  a  typical  example, 
while  the  commonest  example  of  the 
Bush  Honeysuckles  is  the  Tartarian 
Honeysuckle. 

They  all  flourish  best  in  a  light  rich 
soil  in  a  fully-exposed  sunny  position. 
It  is  a  mistake  to  plant  Honeysuckles 
at  the  base  of  shady  trees  and  expect 
them  to  climb  up  and  produce  crops 
of  flowers  as  they  do  when  in  the  open. 
Honeysuckles  naturally  delight  to 
twine  upon  other  plants,  but  in  shade 
they  do  not  flower.  One  often  sees  a 
thicket  overrun  with  common  Honey- 
suckle, but  until  the  trees  have  been 
cut  the  Honeysuckle  does  not  flower 
so  well.  It  loves  to  ramble  over  a 
hedge,  as  we  see  it  by  the  wayside,  and 
in  the  garden  one  can  make  various 
hedge  combinations  with  it  and  some 
other  hedge  plants,  such  as  Sweet 
Brier  and  Holly.  To  cultivate  Honey- 
suckles to  perfection,  they  should  not 
be  planted  near  any  other  living  shrub, 
but  should  be  supported  by  a  dead 
tree  trunk  or  trellis,  as  then  the  Honey- 
suckle gets  all  the  food  from  the  soil. 
This  is  why  one  sees  plants  of  Honey- 
suckle on  a  wire  trellis  bearing  much 
finer  blooms  than  is  the  case  when 
growing  over  trees  or  hedges.  A  good 
plan  is  to  plant  some  in  good  soil 
against  wooden  posts  at  distances  of 
12  feet  apart,  and  when  they  have 
reached  the  top  of  the  posts  to  connect 
them  by  a  festooning  chain  from  post 


tnn  ENGLISH  FLOWER  GARDEN.    LOPHOSPERMUM.   555 


to  post,  as  Roses  and  Clematises  are 
often  done. 

Some  attention  is  required  in  prun- 
ing, especially  the  European  and 
American  deciduous  species.  The  old 
stems  should  be  cut  away  so  as  to 
encourage  new  ones,  otherwise  if 
allowed  to  go  unpruned  the  plants 
die  out.  The  Japanese  Honeysuckles 
are  more  vigorous,  and  only  require 
pruning  to  keep  them  in  check.  This 
is  especially  the  case  with  L.  japonica 
and  its  variegated  form,  which  soon 
form  an  impenetrable  mass  of  shoots, 
and  that  is  why  they  should  not  be 
grown  on  an  arbour  or  over  a  walk, 
as  owing  to  the  dense  shade  the  under 
side  becomes  full  of  dead  leaves  and 
shoots. 

L.  CAPRIFOLIUM  (Goat  Honeysuckle). — 
A  common  plant,  but  not  a  true  native, 
though  it  occurs  occasionally  in  a  natura- 
lised state.  The  flowers,  borne  in  clusters, 
have  long  tubes,  yellowish  and  blush 
tinted,  and  very  fragrant,  coming  in  May 
and  June,  succeeded  in  autumn  by 
yellowish  berries.  It  is  a  robust  twiner, 
and  grows  wild  in  chalky  districts  in 
hedges  and  woods.  There  are  numerous 
recorded  names  of  varieties  of  this  Honey- 
suckle, among  them  being  rubella,  pallida, 
verna,  villosa,  atrosanguinea,  and  Magne- 
villei.  The  last  named  is  one  of  the  most 
distinct. 

L.  CILIOSA  (Western  Trumpet  Honey- 
suckle).— A  rare  and  beautiful  kind 
recently  reintroduced.  A  twining  species 
of  the  L.  sempervirens  set,  but  differing  in 
having  leaves  hairy  at  the  margins. 
Flowers  i£  inches  long,  very  freely  pro- 
duced, and  in  their  self-coloured  refined 
orange  tone  very  effective  and  distinct 
from  all  else.  Flowers  in  early  summer, 
the  scarlet  fruits  ripening  in  September. 

L.  CONFUSA. — De  Candolle's  Honey- 
suckle is  the  beautiful  Honeysuckle  that  is 
grown  under  the  name  of  L.  Halleana.  A 
slender  plant  with  long  twining  branches, 
the  leaves  are  ovate,  and  not  pinnatifid 
as  in  L.  japonica,  deep  green,  with  not 
such  a  ruddy  tinge  as  in  L.  japonica.  The 
flowers  are  in  pairs  from  the  axils  of  the 
leaves  on  the  tips  of  the  young  shoots,  pure 
white  when  first  expanded,  changing  to 
yellow,  and  this  is  the  character  that  makes 
the  plant  so  beautiful  apart  from  its 
fragrance  and  free  flowering.  It  flowers 
throughout  the  summer,  and  its  lithe, 
slender  stems  will  soon  reach  the  top  of 
a  wall  or  tree  stump. 

L.  FLAVA. — A  moderate  climber,  with 
broad  ovate  leaves,  pale  green  beneath, 
and  terminal  clusters  of  flowers,  bright 
rich  yellow  fading  to  a  deeper  shade,  and 
delightfully  fragrant.  It  is  best  when 


planted  against  a  sunny  wall  in  this 
country.  N.  America. 

L.  FRAGRANTISSIMA  (The  Winter  Honey- 
suckle).— Among  the  earliest  of  all  hardy 
shrubs  whose  flowers  greet  the  new  year 
are  this  species  and  its  close  ally,  L. 
Standishi.  Neither  of  them  can  be  called 
showy,  yet  they  are  both  well  worth  grow- 
ing, because  their  flowers,  although  small, 
are  abundant,  and  have  besides  a  fine 
fragrance.  These  are  only  good  in  warm 
southern  valleys  or  warm  walls,  but  never 
so  valuable  as  the  summer-flowering  kinds. 

L.  TRAGOPHYLLA  (Chinese  Honeysuckle). 
— A  beautiful  Honeysuckle,  large  yellow 
flowers,  vigorous  and  hardy.  Best  in  a 
half-shady  position  and  in  good  moist 
loam. 

L.  JAPONICA  (Japan  Honeysuckle). — 
This  is  as  hardy  as  the  common  Honey- 
suckle, and  retains  its  foliage  during  win- 
ter. It  may  be  distinguished  from  the 
other  two  Japanese  species  by  its  slender 
growth,  deep  green  shining  leaves,  which 
have  a  marked  tendency  to  vary  from  the 
normal  ovate  form  to  a  pinnatifid  or  Oak- 
leaved  form.  The  flowers  are  in  pairs  on 
the  tips  of  the  young  shoots,  tubular, 
slender,  white  tinged  with  red,  and  fra- 
grant, from  midsummer  till  the  beginning 
of  autumn. 

L.  PERICLYMENUM  (Honeysuckle  : 
Woodbine). — A  native  of  the  middle  of 
Europe  and  northwards,  and  is  a  true 
native  in  England,  where  it  is  generally 
seen  in  hedgerows  and  thickets.  Numer- 
ous varieties  of  this  species  have  sprung 
up  either  wild  or  under  cultivation.  Some 
differ  in  regard  to  colour  of  flowers,  others 
in  time  of  flowering,  and  these  are  the 
most  important.  The  wild  form  flowers 
about  midsummer,  according  to  the  season 
— the  variety  known  as  the  Late  Dutch 
Honeysuckle  flowers  into  autumn. 
Another  variety,  belgica,  is  known  as  the 
Dutch  Honeysuckle,  as  distinguished  from 
the  late  Dutch,  and  it  is  a  stronger  growing 
plant  than  the  type.  Its  branches  are 
purplish,  and  its  flowers  are  reddish  out- 
side, yellowish  within. 

L.  SEMPERVIRENS  (Trumpet  Honey- 
suckle).— The  most  beautiful  Honeysuckle 
that  has  come  to  us  from  America  for  the 
open  garden,  where  it  flourishes  well  in 
the  southern  counties,  and  none  of  the 
Honeysuckles  have  such  brilliant  flowers. 
From  the  beginning  of  summer  till  the 
end  it  bears  loose  clusters  of  long  flowers, 
scarlet  outside.  It  is  best  against  a  warm 
wall  in  the  cooler  parts  of  the  country. 

LOPHOSPERMUM. — L.  scandens  is 
a  tender  climber  with  long  slender 
stems,  pale  green  hairy  leaves,  and 
large  pink  flowers.  It  thrives  in  the 
open  air  in  summer,  and  is  a  beautiful 
plant  for  festooning  old  stumps,  or 


556 


LOTUS. 


THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


LUNARIA. 


for  trailing  over  dead  branches  placed 
against  a  warm  south  wall.  It  may 
be  easily  raised  from  seed  in  heat 
in  early  spring  or  autumn  and  kept 
through  the  winter,  but  the  best  plan 
is  to  lift  the  plants  in  autumn  and  to 
winter  them  in  a  greenhouse. 


in  the  garden.  The  double-flowered 
variety  is  the  best,  as  the  flowers  con-: 
tinue  longer  in  perfection.  L.  creticus, 
maroccanus,  sericeus,  are  found  in 
botanical  gardens,  but  are  not  so 
pretty.  L.  Jacob&us,  a  tender  species 
with  almost  black  flowers,  succeeds 


Lonicera  Periclymenum  (Honeysuckle). 


LOTUS  (Bird's-foot  Trefoil) .—Trail- 
ing or  half-shrubby  herbs,  the  one  best 
worth  growing  being  the  native  L. 
corniculatus ,  which  occurs  in  almost 
every  meadow  or  pasture,  forming 
tufts  of  yellow  flowers  with  the  upper 
part  often  red  on  the  outside.  Though 
so  common,  it  is  worthy  of  a  place 


in  the  open  air  in  summer,  and  is  all 
the  better  for  planting  out.  The  Lotus 
is  best  planted  so  that  its  shoots  may 
fall  in  long  and  dense  tufts  over  the 
face  of  stones. 

LUNARIA    (Honesty}.— When    well 

frown    this    old-fashioned    plant,     L. 
iennis,    is    beautiful,     not    only    on 


LUPINUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


LYCHNIS. 


557 


account  of  its  fragrant  purple  blos- 
soms, but  from  the  silvery  flat  seed- 
pods  that  succeed  them.  In  borders, 
on  the  margins  of  shrubberies,  and  in 
half-shady  situations,  it  is  effective  in 
April  and  May,  in  any  ordinary  light 
garden  soil.  Honesty  is  charming  in  a 
semi-wild  state  on  chalky  or  dry  banks 
and  in  open  bushy  places.  Seed  should 
be  sown  every  spring,  and  the  plants 
should  be  thinned  out  during  growth 
in  order  to  make  good  ones  for  the  next 
year.  L.  rediviva  is  a  perennial  similar 
to  the  Honesty,  but  with  larger  and 
more  showy  flowers.  It  is  2  or  3  feet 
high,  and  flowers  in  early  summer, 
doing  best  in  half -shady  borders  of  good 
light  soil.  Division  or  seed.  Moun- 
tain woods  of  Europe. 

LUPINUS  (Lupine). — Beautiful  an- 
nuals, biennials,  and  perennials,  chiefly 
from  N.  America.  The  species  in  culti- 
vation are  few,  though  the  names 
occurring  in  catalogues  are  numerous. 
The  best  of  the  perennials  are  : — 

L.  ARBOREUS  (Tree  Lupine) . — A  precious 
plant  for  dry  soils  and  rough  rocky  banks 
or  slopes,  the  scent  of  a  single  bush  remind- 
ing one  of  a  field  of  Beans.  Its  purplish 
variety  is  good,  though  not  nearly  so 
valuable,  and  there  are  some  inferior 
yellowish  varieties.  The  best  variety  is 
the  yellow,  because  while  there  are  good 
blue  perennial  Lupines,  there  is  no  other 
good  yellow.  It  forms  a  roundish  bush, 
5  to  7  feet  high,  and  is  easily  raised  from 
seed  ;  handsome  forms  are  increased  from 
cuttings.  As  a  wall  plant  it  is  excellent. 
It  may  be  killed  in  severe  winters,  but  is 
worth  raising  from  time  to  time  where  the 
soil  suits  it.  Mr  T.  Smith,  of  Newry,  has 
raised  many  good  forms  of  this. 

L.  NOOTKATENSIS. — A  dwarfer  species, 
and  has  large  spikes  of  blue  and  white 
blossoms.  It  flowers  earlier  than  L.  poly- 
phyllus,  and  continues  in  bloom  for  a  long 
time,  but  it  is  not  a  good  perennial,  and 
requires  to  be  frequently  raised  from  seeds. 
N.W.  America. 

L.  POLYPHYLLUS. — One  of  the  hand- 
somest hardy  plants,  3  to  6  feet  high,  with 
tall  flower-spikes  crowded  with  blossoms, 
varying  from  blue  and  purple  to  reddish- 
purple  and  white  ;  in  summer  thriving  in 
open  positions  in  any  kind  of  garden  soil. 
It  is  a  fine  plant  for  naturalising,  as  it 
holds  its  own  against  stout  weeds.  The 
principal  varieties  are  argenteus,  flexuosus, 
laxiflorus  ,Lachmanni ,  rivularis,  andgrandi- 
florus.  N.  America.  Seeds. 

Annual  Lupines  are  among  the  best 
of  hardy  annuals,  varied  in  colour,  and 
of  the  simplest  culture.  As  they  grow 
quickly,  they  need  not  be  sown  till 
about  the  middle  of  April.  They 


thrive  in  any  common  soil.  L.  sub- 
carnosus  is  a  beautiful  ultramarine 
blue,  and  should  always  be  grown. 
L.  hybridus  atrococcineus  is  the  finest 
of  all,  having  long  and  graceful  spikes 
of  flowers  of  a  bright  crimson-scarlet, 
with  white  tips.  Other  excellent  sorts 
are  mutabilis,  Ci  uikshanki,  Menziesi, 
luteus,  superbus,  pubescens,  Hartwegi, 


Ltipinus  arboreus, 

and  the  varieties  of  Dunnetti.  Many 
other  sorts  are  so  much  alike  that  they 
are  not  worth  separating.  The  smaller 
annual  Lupines  are  very  pretty,  and 
could  be  charmingly  used  to  precede 
late-blooming  and  taller  plants. 

LYCHNIS  (Campion). — Plants  of  the 
Pink  family,  among  which  are  a  few 
well  suited  for  the  garden.  All  are 
perennial. 

L.  ALPINA. — A  diminutive  form  of  L. 
Viscaria,  the  tufts  being  seldom  more  than 
a  few  inches  high  and  not  clammy.  In 
cultivation  it  is  pretty  and  interesting,  if 
not  brilliant,  and  may  be  grown  without 
difficulty  in  the  rock  garden,  or  in  rather 
moist,  sandy  soil.  A  British  plant. 

L.  CHALCEDONICA. — An  old  border  plant, 
i£  to  4  feet  high,  with  large  dense  heads  of 
brilliant  scarlet  flowers,  and  of  easy  cul- 
ture in  any  good  ordinary  soil.  There  is 
a  handsome  double  scarlet  variety.  The 
double  white  and  single  white  kinds  are 
less  desirable.  Division. 

L.  DIURNA. — The  double  deep  purple- 
red  sort  of  this  common  native  plant  is 
very  desirable,  being  very  hardy  and  very 


558 


LYCHNIS.         THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


LYCHNIS. 


showy,  and  never  failing  in  any  soil  to 
produce  a  fine  crop  of  bloom  in  early 
summer. 

There  are  two  double-red  varieties  of 
L.  Flos-cuculi  (Ragged  Robin),  pretty 
border  plants.  Division. 


Lupinuspolyphyllus. 

L.  GRANDIFLORA. — A  handsome  plant, 
typical  of  the  numerous  varieties  now  in 
cultivation  under  the  names  of  Bungeana, 
and  others  which  grow  i  to  2  feet  high, 
and  bear  flowers  in  a  cluster  of  a  dozen  or 
so,  each  flower  being  i  to  2  inches  across, 
fringed  at  the  edges,  and  varying  from 
vivid  scarlet  to  deep  crimson,  and  from 
pink  to  white.  Exposed  to  strong  sun  the 


colour  of  the  flowers  soon  fades,  but  in  a 
partially-shaded  place  the  flowers  retain 
their  true  colour  for  a  considerable  time. 
They  are  good  border  flowers,  thriving  in 
warm  sheltered  situations  in  light  soil,  for 
though  quite  hardy  they  are  apt  to  suffer 
from  moisture  and  cold.  Plant  in  deep 
sandy  well-drained  soil  in  a  sunny  position. 
All  the  varieties  may  be  raised  by  seeds. 
L.  fulgens,  a  Siberian  plant,  is  similar  to 
the  forms  of  L.  grandi flora. 

L.  HAAGEANA. — Reputed  a  hybrid  be- 
tween L.  fulgens  and  L.  coronata  or  grandi - 
flora,  it  is  one  of  the  best  of  this  valuable 
group  of  border  plants,  in  itself  extremely 
variable,  affording  nearly  every  shade  of 
colour,  from  the  brightest  scarlet  to  white. 
The  flowers  are  large,  of  good  substance, 
and  produced  in- the  greatest  profusion  all 
through  the  summer  months  ;  indeed,  as 
a  permanent  "  bedder  "  we  have  rarely 
seen  its  equal.  Where  it  can  be  managed, 
a  partially  shady  spot  should  be  chosen 
for  the  most  brilliantly  coloured  forms,  as 
the  flowers  fade  somewhat  when  exposed 
to  bright  sunshine.  The  colours  seem 
fixed,  and  we  have  now  good  distinct 
scarlet,  crimson,  pink,  and  salmon  shades, 
all  worthy  of  attention.  The  great  enemy 
of  this  and  other  tuberous  rooted  sorts, 
e.g.,  grandiflora  and  others,  is  the  slug  in 
winter,  the  pest  destroying  the  crowns  and 
roots.  They  should  be  raised  periodically 
from  seeds,  which  are  freely  produced,  the 
seedlings  flowering  in  the  second  year. 
They  dislike  heavy  and  cold  retentive  soils, 
and  should  be  given  rich  light  sandy  soil 
and  a  not  too  sunny  aspect.  L.  Ark- 
wrighti,  boomed  as  a  novelty,  of  late 
appears  to  be  but  a  vigorous  counterpart 
of  this  old  and  well-tried  plant. 

L.  LAGASC-3E. — A  lovely  dwarf  alpine 
plant,  with  many  bright  rose-coloured 
flowers,  about  f  inch  across.  It  is  suited 
for  adorning  fissures  on  the  exposed  faces 
of  rocks  associated  with  the  smallest  alpine 
plants.  It  is  easily  cultivated  in  the  rock 
garden  in  any  free,  sandy,  or  gritty  soil. 
An  exposed  position  should  be  preferred, 
as  the  plant  is  very  free  in  growth.  The 
flowers  appear  in  early  summer,  and  if  not 
weakened  by  shade,  or  by  being  placed  in 
frames,  are  in  fine  condition  when  the 
plant  is  about  3  inches  high.  Seed.  Syn. 
Petrocoptis  Lagasca. 

L.  VISCARIA  (German  Catchfly). — A 
British  plant,  with  long  grass-like  leaves, 
bearing  in  June  many  showy  panicles  of 
rosy-red  flowers,  on  stems  10  to  nearly 
1 8  inches  high.  The  bright-coloured 
variety  called  splendens  is  the  most  worthy 
of  cultivation.  L.  V.  alba,  a  charming 
white  variety,  is  worthy  of  a  place  in 
gardens,  as  also  is  the  double  variety, 
which  has  rocket-like  blooms.  They  are 
excellent  for  the  rougher  parts  of  the  rock 
garden,  and  as  border  plants  on  dry  soils. 
The  double  variety  is  used  with  good 
effect  as  an  edging  plant  about  Paris. 


LYCIUM. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         LYSIMACHIA.       559 


Easily  propagated  by  seed  or  division  ; 
or,  preferably,  by  cuttings  secured  with 
a  heel  in  early  summer,  and  which  when 
rooted  make  excellent  plants. 


Double  Ragged  Robin. 


LYCIUM  (Box  Thorn). — Rambling 
shrubs,  the  best  known  being  L. 
chinense,  a  common  climber  on  cot- 
tage walls.  Though  not  a  showy 
flowering  shrub,  few  others  are  so 
rapid  in  growth,  so  graceful,  and  so 
indifferent  to  the  nature  of  the  soil. 
It  is  also  suited  for  covering  porches, 
pergolas,  and  arbours,  and  in  late 
summer  and  autumn,  when  every  long 
drooping  branch  is  thickly  hung  with 
small  orange-scarlet  berries,  it  is  pretty. 
The  flowers  are  small,  purple  and 
white,  and  the  unripe  berries  are  of 
the  same  tints.  The  commonest  kinds 
are — L.  chinense,  from  China  ;  L.  bar- 
barum,  from  N.  Asia  ;  L.  afrum,  from 
N.  Africa ;  L.  Trewianum,  and  L. 
pallidum,  from  Colorado.  They  are  of 
rapid  growth,  and  therefore  suitable 
for  covering  high  walls,  though  all  are 
deciduous. 

LYCOPODIUM  (Ground  Pine).—L. 
dendroideum  is  a  very  distinct  Club 
Moss,  worth  a  place  in  the  rock 
garden,  its  little  stems,  6  to  9  inches 
high,  much  branched,  and  clothed 
with  small,  bright,  shining  green 
leaves.  It  flourishes  best  in  a  deep 
bed  of  moist  peat  in  a  low  part  of  the 
rock  garden,  where  its  distinct  habit 
is  attractive  at  all  seasons.  Difficult 


to  increase,  it  is  rare  in  this  country. 
N.  America,  in  moist  thin  woods. 

LYGODIUM  (Climbing  Fern).—L. 
palmatum  is  an  elegant  N.  American 
twining  Fern,  hardy  in  a  deep,  peaty, 
moist  soil  if  in  a  sheltered  and  partially 
shady  position.  It  is  remarkable  that 
so  charming  a  plant  is  not  yet  in  culti- 
vation. I  have  so  far  failed  with  it, 
though  I  have  seen  it  among  wild 
shrubs  in  New  Jersey. 

LYONIA. — Plants  allied  to  Andro- 
meda ;  indeed,  the  species  belonging 
to  it,  numbering  about  three,  are  some- 
times called  Andromedas.  They  are 
not  important,  but  would  add  interest 
to  a  collection  of  peat-loving  shrubs. 
The  chief  are  L.  ligustrina,  frondosa, 
and  rubiginosa,  which  have  evergreen 
foliage  and  small  white  blossoms. 

LYSIMACHIA  (Loosestrife).— Plants 
of  the  Primrose  family  of  much  diver- 
sity of  habit.  The  most  familiar 
example  is  the  common  creeping 
Jenny  (L.  Nummularia) ,  than  which 
there  is  no  hardy  flower  more  suit- 
able for  any  position  where  long-droop- 
ing, flower-laden  shoots  are  desired, 
whether  on  points  of  the  rock  garden, 
or  on  steep  banks,  growing  in  any  soil. 
In  moist  soil  the  shoots  attain  a  length 
of  nearly  3  feet,  flowering  throughout 
their  extent ;  it  is  easily  increased  by 
division,  and  flowers  in  early  summer 
and  often  throughout  the  season. 
There  is  a  yellow-leaved  variety  (L.  N. 
aurea),  which  retains  its  colour  well, 
can  be  readily  increased,  is  useful  for 
rock  gardens  or  borders,  and  merits 
its  name.  The  other  kinds  are  tall 
and  erect.  L.  vulgaris,  thy  r sifter  a, 
lanceolata,  ciliata,  verticillata,  punctata, 
and  davurica  are  all  2  to  3  feet  high, 
have  spikes  of  yellow  flowers,  and, 
delighting  in  wet  places,  are  suitable 
for  the  sides  of  ponds,  lakes,  streams, 
and  similar  spots.  Indeed,  they  grow 
almost  anywhere,  but  in  a  border  they 
must  have  a  place  to  themselves,  as 
by  their  spreading  they  soon  destroy 
weaker  subjects.  L.  clethroides,  a 
Japanese  species,  is  a  graceful  plant, 
2  to  3  feet  high,  with  long  nodding 
dense  spikes  of  white  blossoms,  and 
the  leaves  in  autumn  of  brilliant  hues. 
L.  Ephemerum  is  a  similar  plant,  from 
S.  Europe,  but  is  scarcely  so  fine. 
There  are  some  beautiful  species,  such 
as  L.  atro  -  purpurea  and  lupinoides, 
which  are  rare. 


560 


LYTHRUM. 


THE  ENGLISH   FLOWER    GARDEN. 


MAGNOLIA. 


LYTHRUM  (Purple  Loosestrife).  — 
The  common  waterside  L.  Salicaria  is 
the  most  familiar  plant  of  this  genus, 
and  one  of  the  showiest.  It  is  well 
worthy  of  culture  where  it  is  not 
plentiful.  The  beauty  of  the  ordinary 
wild  kind  is  surpassed  by  the  varieties 
originated  in  gardens,  of  which  super- 
bum  and  roseum  are  the  finest.  The 
colour  of  these  is  a  much  clearer  rose 
than  that  of  the  wild  kind,  and  the 
spikes  are  larger,  particularly  those  of 
superbum,  which,  under  good  cultiva- 
tion, are  5  or  6  feet  high.  These  plants 
are  well  worth  growing  by  lakes  or 
in  boggy  ground,  and  are  easily  in- 
creased by  cuttings,  which  soon  make 
good  flowering  specimens.  Isolated 
plants  in  good  soil  make  well-shaped 
bushes,  3  or  4  feet  high  and  as  much 
through,  and  look  better  than  when 
planted  closely  in  rows. 

L.  virgatum,  alatum,  Gr&ffffi,  flexuo- 
sum,  and  diffusum,  smaller  plants,  and 
not  so  showy,  are  not  without  beauty. 

MAACHIA  AMURENSIS.— A  sum- 
mer-leafing tree,  from  Manchuria  and 
Japan.  Syn.  Cladastris. 

MACLURA  (Osage  Orange}.— A  tree 
of  great  use  in  its  own  country,  and 
occasionally  grown  with  us  in  the 
south  and  near  the  sea,  but  of  slight 
value  for  its  beauty,  and  as  a  fence 
not  nearly  as  good  as  our  native 
Whitethorn  or  some  of  the  American 
Thorns. 

MACROTIMIA  (ARNEBIA)  ECHI- 
OIDES  (Prophet  Flower}.— A  handsome 
and  distinct  perennial  herb,  i  foot  to 
1 8  inches  high.  M.  echioides  has 
flowers  of  a  bright  primrose-yellow, 
marked  by  five  black  spots  on  the 
corolla,  which  gradually  fade  and 
finally  disappear.  It  is  quite  hardy 
and  suited  either  to  the  border  or  rock 
garden.  Quite  happy  in  rich  light 
loamy  soils.  It  is  a  native  of  the 
Caucasus  and  N.  Persia,  and  though 
long  introduced  is  still  among  the 
rarest  of  hardy  flowers.  It  is  a  most 
profuse  bloomer,  which  adds  to  its 
value.  Seeds  are  but  sparsely  pro- 
duced and  rarely,  and  should  be  care- 
fully sought  after.  The  best  method 
of  increase  is  by  root  cuttings,  which 
may  be  inserted  from  October  to 
March. 

MAGNOLIA  ( Lily  Tree] .  —  Most 
beautiful  of  flowering  trees  and  shrubs, 
there  are  about  twenty  species  of 
Magnolia  known,  and  all  but  some 
half-dozen  or  so  are  in  cultivation  in 


this  country.  The  headquarters  of 
these  trees  are  in  China  and  Japan,  a 
few  are  peculiar  to  the  Himalayan 
region,  and  a  few  more  to  N.  America. 
It  is  true  that  frosts  sometimes  injure 
the  flowers  and  change  their  snowy 
whiteness  into  an  unsightly  brown. 
The  reason  that  this  Magnolia  and  its 
allies  are  not  more  often  met  with  in 
gardens  is,  perhaps,  owing  to  the  fact 
of  their  not  transplanting  readily.  A 
little  care  in  transplanting  in  spring, 
in  sheltering  with  mats  from  dry  winds 
or  hot  sun,  and  in  syringing  the  wood 
to  prevent  shrivelling,  until  the  plants 
are  established,  would  do  much  to 
prove  that  the  Magnolias  can  be 
planted  with  every  prospect  of  suc- 
cess. Some  species  occasionally  ripen 
seed  freely  in  this  country,  but  if  dried 
and  kept  like  other  seeds  until  the 
following  season,  all  chance  of  ger- 
mination will  have  passed.  All  have 
seeds  which  retain  their  vitality  for 
but  a  short  time. 

M.  ACUMINATA  (Cucumber  Tree). — Is  a 
noble  tree  planted  singly  in  a  park.  It  is 
deciduous,  the  leaves  varying  from  5  inches 
to  i  foot  in  length,  and  glaucous  green,  the 
flowers  yellow  -  tinged,  bell-shaped,  and 
slightly  fragrant.  There  are  fine  examples 
of  this  tree  at  Kew,  in  the  gardens  of  Syon 
House,  and  Claremont.  In  its  native 
country  it  attains  a  height  of  from  60  to 
90  feet,  with  a  trunk  from  2  to  4  feet  in 
diameter.  The  yellow  Cucumber  Tree 
(M.  cordata)  is  regarded  by  Professor  C.  S. 
Sargent  as  a  variety  of  M,  acuminata. 

M.  CAMPBELLI  (Indian  Magnolia). — One 
of  the  most  gorgeous  of  Indian  forest 
trees,  has  not  fulfilled  the  expectations  of 
those  who  took  so  much  trouble  in  intro- 
ducing the  species  to  British  gardens.  In 
a  wild  state  it  attains  a  height  of  150  feet, 
and  the  fragrant  flowers,  varying  from 
deep  rose  to  crimson,  come  before  the 
leaves.  Probably  the  finest  specimen  in 
the  British  Islands  is  the  one  at  Lakelands, 
near  Cork.  In  1884  it  flowered  for  the 
first  time,  and  it  has  also  flowered  well  at 
Fota. 

M.  CONSPICUA  (Lily  Tree). — In  its 
typical  form  this  has  snowy-white  flowers, 
which  are  borne  in  the  greatest  profusion 
in  the  latter  part  of  April  and  beginning 
of  May.  Splendid  specimens  of  this  beau- 
tiful Cninese  and  Japanese  tree  are  to  be 
seen  at  Gunnersbury  House,  Syon  House, 
and  Kew.  Several  hybrid  forms  between 
this  species  and  M.  obovata  occur  in  gar- 
dens. M.  Soulangeana  has  flowers  similar 
in  shape  and  size  to  those  of  typical  M. 
conspicua,  but  they  are  deeply  tinged  with 
red ;  M.  Soulangeana  nigra  has  dark 
plum-coloured  flowers.  Both  these  bloom 
a  week  or  ten  days  later  than  the  type. 


MAGNOLIA.  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        MAGNOLIA.          561 


Other  seedling  forms  or  slight  varieties  of 
the  Yulan  are  M.  Alexandrina,  M.  cyathi- 
formis,  M.  speciosa,  M.  spectabilis,  M. 
superba,  M.  triumphans,  and  M.  Yulan 
grandis. 

M.  DELAVAYI. — A  native  of  Yunnan, 
where  it  is  plentiful  in  the  mountains  at 
an  altitude  of  5500  to  7000  feet  above 
sea-level.  On  poor  soil  it  forms  a  bush 
8  feet  or  so  high,  but  in  rich  soil  it  reaches 
a  height  of  30  feet.  It  has  magnificent 
foliage,  for  the  larger  leaves  are  each  from 
10  to  13  inches  long  and  up  to  7  inches 
wide,  with  stout  stalks  2  to  3  inches  in 
length,  and  remarkable  for  their  thick 
texture  and  rich  colouring,  the  dark  green 
with  a  silvery  reverse,  and  the  younger 
foliage  a  glaucous  bloom.  Like  other 
Magnolias,  it  should  only  be  planted  in 
warm,  well-drained  ground.  Soil  of  a 
light,  loamy  character  is  quite  suitable, 
but  when  peat  can  be  procured  it  is  advis- 
able to  place  a  little  about  the  roots  at 
planting  time. 

M.  FRASERI  (Eraser's  Magnolia).- — 
Native  of  the  southern  United  States, 
recognised  by  its  green  spathulate  leaves, 
measuring  about  8  inches  to  i  foot  in 
length,  and  about  3  or  4  inches  across  at 
the  widest  part,  the  flowers,  3  or  4  inches 
in  diameter,  are  creamy-white  in  colour, 
and  appear  later  than  those  of  any  other 
cultivated  species. 

M.  GLAUCA  (Laurel  Magnolia). — Of  the 
eastern  United  States,  is  a  delightful  sub- 
evergreen  shrub,  with  leathery  leaves, 
bluish-green  above  and  silvery  below. 
The  flowers  are  globular  in  shape,  very 
fragrant,  opening  of  a  rich  cream  colour, 
and  gradually  acquiring  a  pale  apricot 
tint  with  age.  In  a  wild  state  this  species 
occurs  in  swamps  and  attains  a  height  of 
20  feet.  It  is  hardy  and  easily  grown  in 
Britain  in  peat  soil. 

M.  GRANDIFLORA. — The  great  Laurel 
Magnolia  of  the  southern  United  States  is, 
in  England,  best  treated  as  a  wall  plant ; 
under  these  conditions  it  thrives  well  and 
flowers  freely.  A  correspondent  in  the 
west  of  England  has  written  to  The  Garden 
as  to  the  culture  of  this  plant  :  "At  one 
time  it  was  thought  necessary  to  protect 
the  trees  with  mats  during  the  winter,  but 
this  practice  has  largely  ceased,  and  the 
trees  in  some  instances  have  attained  a 
very  great  height.  For  instance,  there  is 
one  under  my  charge  that  is  now  fully 
50  feet  high.  The  bole  of  the  stem  is 
slightly  over  a  yard  in  circumference.  In 
some  seasons  several  scores  of  blooms  are 
borne  by  this  tree,  but  during  the  winters 
of  1891  and  1 892  many  of  the  more  exposed 
points  were  badly  injured  by  frosts,  and 
the  bloom  lessened  in  quality  accordingly. 
A  very  exposed  position  is  not  suitable  for 
this  heavy-foliaged  tree,  and  shelter  from 


cold  winds  is  desirable.  Where  the  ever- 
green Magnolia  does  best  is  in  the  nooks 
between  bay  windows  or  irregular  fronts 
of  dwelling-houses,  buttresses  on  extra 
high  walls  also  affording  a  good  shelter. 
The  best  instance  of  what  can  be  done  in 
the  way  of  clothing  extra  high  yet  shel- 
tered walls  with  evergreen  Magnolias  is  to 
be  seen  at  Canford  Manor,  Wimborne, 
Dorset,  while  there  are  also  several  fine 
specimens  against  high  walls  at  Ashton 
Court,  near  Bristol.  The  site  should  be 
well  prepared  by  trenching  or  forking  peat 
and  leaf  soil  freely  into  common  garden 
soil,  or,  better  still,  fresh  loam,  a  space  not 
less  than  3  feet  by3o  inches  being  prepared 
for  each  tree.  Once  the  trees  have 
attained  a  good  size,  no  further  trouble 
need  be  taken  with  the  roots.  The  tops 
branch  naturally,  and  all  that  need  be 
done  is  to  spread  them  out  thinly,  and  to 
keep  the  growths  secured  to  the  walls  or 
trellis.  They  ought  not  to  be  closely 
trained,  but  if  the  branches  or  shoots  are 
left  too  long  the  strong  winds  may  break 
them  off. 

M.  HYPOLEUCA. — This  is  the  wood  used 
by  the  Japanese  for  lacquer,  for  sword 
sheaths,  etc.,  and  the  charcoal  made  from 
it  is  used  for  polishing  lac.  In  the  southern 
part  of  Yesso  it  is  abundant  in  the  forests, 
and  forms  fine  trees,  60  feet  or  more  in 
height,  with  a  trunk  diameter  of  2  feet. 
The  leaves  are  I  foot  or  more  long,  and 
6  or  7  inches  wide,  dark  green  and  smooth 
above,  and  clothed  with  white  hairs 
beneath.  The  flowers  are  creamy-white 
in  colour,  deliriously  fragrant,  and  when 
fully  expanded  measure  6  or  7  inches 
across,  the  brilliant  scarlet  filaments  form- 
ing a  striking  contrast  to  the  petals. 

M.  KOBUS. — Is  hardy  in  the  south  of 
England.  The  leaves  are  6  or  7  inches 
long  by  about  half  as  much  in  width,  the 
flowers  4  to  5  inches  in  diameter,  creamy- 
white.  Professor  Sargent,  who  found  the 
species  growing  in  the  forests  of  Hok- 
kaido, in  Japan,  describes  it  as  a  tree 
70  to  80  feet  high,  with  a  tall  straight 
trunk  2  feet  in  diameter.  He  says  the 
flowers  appear  before  the  leaves,  about  the 
middle  of  May.  Japan. 

M.  MACROPHYLLA. — This,  though  some- 
what tender  in  the  young  plants,  is  worth 
growing  simply  for  its  beautiful  leaves, 
which  are  green  above  and  clothed  with 
white  hairs  beneath,  and  attain  a  length 
of  upwards  of  3  feet.  The  open  bell- 
shaped  fragrant  flowers  are  white  with  a 
purple  blotch  at  the  base  of  the  inner 
petals,  and  measure  8  or  10  inches  across. 
It  is  a  lovely  flowering  tree  on  warm  soils 
in  the  southern  counties  of  England,  as 
may  be  seen  at  Claremont. 

M.  OBOVATA. — Dwarf-growing  bush, 
hardy  in  the  south  of  England,  and  bears 
freely  its  purple,  sweet-scented  flowers. 
This  species  has  a  number  of  synonyms, 

2    N 


56a         MAGNOLIA.         THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.          MALdotMiA 


amongst  which  the  following  are  the  most 
frequently  met  with  in  books  and  nursery 
catalogues  :  M.  discolor,  M.  denudata,  M. 
liliflora,  M.  purpurea,  Talauma  Sieboldi. 
China. 

M.  SALICIFOLIA  (Willow-leaved  M.). — 
A  native  of  Japan,  where  it  forms  a  small 
tree  20  feet  high  ;  in  this  country  speci- 
mens 10  or  12  feet  high  already  exist. 
Its  graceful  habit,  slender  branchlets,  and 
narrow,  Willow-like,  deciduous  leaves 
make  it  a  desirable  shrub.  The  glistening 
white  flowers,  made  up  of  six  narrow 
petals,  when  fully  expanded  are  each 


and  obovate-lanceolate  leaves,  from  i  to 
3  feet  in  length.  In  a  wild  state  the  tree 
rarely  exceeds  40  feet  in  height.  Philip 
Miller  was  the  first  to  introduce  this  fine 
species  to  British  gardens. 

M.  WATSONI. — A  coloured  plate  of  this 
beautiful  Japanese  species  was  published 
in  The  Garden  in  December  1883,  under 
the  name  of  M.  parviflora  ;  at  that  time 
it  had  not  flowered  in  British  gardens. 
It  is  hardy,  has  large  creamy-white  fra- 
grant flowers  with  petals  of  great  substance 
and  deep  red  filaments,  which  add  materi- 
ally to  the  beauty  of  the  blossoms. 


Magnolia  oboTata  var. 


nearly  4  inches  across.  It  gives  excellent 
results  in  light,  well-drained,  loamy  soil, 
with  which  a  little  peat  has  been  mixed. 

M.  STELLATA. — An  excellent  coloured 
plate  of  this  very  beautiful  Japanese  shrub 
was  published  in  The  Garden  in  June  1878, 
under  the  name  of  M.  Halleana.  This 
species  is  the  earliest  of  the  Magnolias  to 
flower,  and  it  should  be  extensively  grown 
for  the  beauty  of  its  starry  white  flowers. 
A  variety  with  blush-coloured  flowers  was 
sent  from  Japan  by  Maries. 

M.  TRIPETALA,  a  native  of  the  southern 
United  States,  has  large  slightly-scented 
white  flowers,  from  5  to  8  inches  across, 


MAIANTHEMUM  ( Twin  -  leaved 
Lily -of -the- Valley}. — A  plant  allied  to 
the  Lily-of-the-Valley,  M.  bifolium  is 
a  native  of  our  own  country.  Its 
habit  and  relationship  make  it  inter- 
esting, and  it  is  easily  grown  in  shady 
or  half-shady  spots,  and  under  or  near 
Hollies  or  other  bushes.  It  is  not 
fitted  for  the  border,  and  is  more  suit- 
able for  the  rock  garden. 

MALCOLMIA  (  Virginian  Stock).— 
The  old  M.  maritima  is  a  dwarf  hardy 
annual,  and  grows  in  any  soil.  The 


MALLOTUS.        THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.      MARGVRICARPUS.     563 


Virginian  Stock,  like  many  other 
annuals,  does  not  show  its  full  beauty 
from  spring-sown  seedlings,  and  where 
it  sows  itself  in  the  gravel  it  is  often 
welcome.  Being  easily  raised,  it  is  a 
good  surfacing  plant  in  the  spring  or 
early  summer  garden,  bolder  flowers 
standing  up  from  its  sheets  of  bloom, 
and  in  masses  it  is  effective.  S. 
Europe. 

MALLOTUS  JAPONICUS.— A  sum- 
mer-leafing shrub  from  Japan  and 
C.  China,  as  yet  little  known,  but 
thriving  in  high  ground  at  Haslemere, 
in  Surrey. 

MALOPE.— M.  grandiflora  is  one  of 
the  most  showy  of  hardy  annuals,  and 


native  Musk  Mallow  (M.  moschata). 
It  is  a  branching  bush,  with  stems 
about  2  feet  high,  and  many  flowers 
i  to  i£  inches  in  diameter.  M.  cam- 
panulata  is  a  beautiful  dwarf  plant, 
but  rare  and  not  hardy  except  in  very 
mild  districts.  It  is  dwarf  and  spread- 
ing, and  bears  numerous  lilac  bell- 
shaped  flowers.  M.  Alcea,  Moreni 
and  mauritanica  are  worth  growing  in 
a  full  collection,  and  so  is  the  annual 
M.  crispa,  3  to  6  feet  high — an  erect 
pyramidal  bush  of  broad  leaves,  with 
a  crimped  margin,  pretty  in  groups  or 
borders. 

MALVASTRUM    (Rock   Mallow).— 
These  are  in  flower  like  Mallows,  but 


Magnolia  stellata. 


effective  where  a  bold  crimson  flower 
is  desired.  It  is  18  to  24  inches  high, 
and  the  better  the  soil  the  finer  will  be 
its  bloom.  There  is  a  white  variety, 
M.  g.  alba.  The  variety  M.  g.  rosea, 
white  flushed  with  rose,  is  pretty  and 
distinct.  M.  trifida  is  smaller  in  every 
part,  but  showy.  These  bold  annuals 
are  rarely  used  with  good  effect.  If 
from  any  cause  the  beds  or  borders  get 
worn  out,  it  is  worth  while  to  try  the 
effect  of  a  crop  of  the  best  annuals. 
The  Malopes,  being  vigorous  plants, 
are,  as  a  rule,  best  in  groups.  S. 
Europe. 

MALVA  (Mallow}.— Stout  and  some- 
times showy  perennial  and  half- 
shrubby  plants,  of  which  there  are 
few  pretty  garden  plants,  the  majority 
being  coarse  and  weedy.  One  of  the 
best  is  the  white  variety  of  the 


dwarfer,  not  quite  hardy,  beingjnatives 
of  the  warmer  parts  of  America.  M. 
Munroanum  is  a  dwarf  plant  with 
rather  small  orange-red  flowers,  and 
M .  lateritium,  a  dwarf  native  of  Buenos 
Ayres,  has  brick-red  flowers.  Some- 
times in  mild  districts  these  plants 
thrive  in  the  rock  garden  or  well- 
drained  borders,  in  light  warm  soil. 
M .  coccineum  has  flowers  of  a  brick- 
red  and  blue-grey  leaves.  M.  gillissi, 
crimson  flowers.  Dry  and  warm  posi- 
tions on  the  rock  garden. 

MANDRAGORA  (Mandrake). —Curi- 
ous plants  of  the  Solanum  family,  suit- 
able mainly  for  botanical  collections. 
They  are  easily  grown  in  warm,  free 
soil,  and  enjoy  borders  at  the  foot  of 
south  walls. 

MARGYRICARPUS  (Pearl  Berry).— 
Small  wiry  shrubs,  natives  of  the  moun- 


MARTYNIA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.       MATTHIOLA. 


tains  and  cool  parts  of  South  America, 
the  flowers  not  showy,  but  the  berries 
pretty.  One  kind,  M.  setosus,  is  best 
suited  for  the  rock  garden  in  dry  soil. 

MARTYNIA. — M.  lutea  is  a  pretty 
Brazilian  annual,  about  i£  feet  high, 
with  large  roundish  leaves  and  hand- 
some yellow  flowers  in  clusters,  useful 
for  beds,  groups,  and  borders.  It  re- 
quires a  light,  rich,  cool  soil,  a  warm 
place,  and  frequent  watering  in  sum- 
mer. M.  fragrans,  another  species,  has 
sweet  -  scented  flowers,  and,  under 
similar  conditions,  thrives  in  the  open 
air  in  summer.  It  is  best  in  rich 
borders  or  among  groups  or  beds  of 
curious  or  distinct  plants.  Seed. 

MATRICARIA  (Mayweed).— Weeds, 
excepting  the  double  variety  of  M. 
inodora,  which  is  a  pretty  plant  with 
feathery  foliage  somewhat  like  Fennel, 
and  with  large  white  flowers,  perfectly 
double.  It  is  creeping,  requires  much 
space,  and  pegged  down  forms  a  dense 
mass  which  has  a  pretty  effect  in 
autumn.  It  is  hardy,  and  perennial  on 
most  soils,  and  is  easily  propagated 
by  cuttings  or  division  in  autumn  or 
spring. 

MATTHIOLA  (Stock)  .—Annual  or 
perennial  herbs,  sometimes  inhabiting 
sea  cliffs.  From  a  few  wild  kinds  have 
been  obtained  the  numerous  varieties 
of  the  garden  Stocks,  which  have  so 
long  been  among  the  best  of  our  open- 
air  flowers.  The  principal  of  these 
species  are  M.  incana,  M.  annua,  and 
M.  sinuata.  M.  incana  grows  wild  on 
cliffs  in  the  Isle  of  Wight,  and  is  the 
origin  of  the  Biennial,  or  Brompton 
and  Queen  Stocks ;  M.  annua  has 
yielded  the  Ten-week  Stocks,  and  M. 
sinuata  the  others.  These  three 
primary  divisions  —  the  Ten-week, 
Intermediate,  and  Biennials — require 
each  different  treatment,  and  Stocks 
are  so  easily  grown,  so  fragrant  and 
handsome,  that  they  will  ever  deserve 
care  in  our  gardens. 

Ten-week  Stocks,  if  sown  in  spring, 
will  flower  continuously  during  the 
summer  and  autumn.  The  finest  strain 
is  the  large  flowering  Pyramidal  Ten- 
week,  vigorous  plants,  each  branching 
freely,  bearing  a  huge  main  spike  of 
double  flowers  and  numerous  branching 
spikes  in  succession.  A  bed  of  these 
Stocks  should  be  grown  if  cut  flowers 
are  in  request  during  the  summer. 
The  seed  may  be  sown  at  any  time 
from  the  middle  of  March  onward,  but 
it  is  always  well  to  get  Stocks  from 


seed  early.  The  seed  can  be  sown 
thinly  in  pans  or  shallow  boxes,  in  a 
gentle  heat,  and  as  soon  as  the  plants 
can  be  handled  without  injury,  they 
should  be  transplanted  to  other  pans 
or  boxes  and  grown  on  quickly,  care 
being  taken  not  to  draw  them  so  as 
to  make  them  lanky.  There  are 
various  places  in  most  gardens  where 
a  bed  or  patches  of  Stocks  might  be 
grown  with  advantage,  and,  given 
good  rich  soil,  they  will  amply  reward 
the  grower.  The  German  growers 
have  a  formidable  list  of  kinds,  many 
of  which  are  more  curious  than  showy. 
There  are,  however,  sufficient  good 
colours  among  them,  such  as  crimson, 
rose,  purple,  violet,  and  white,  to  yield 
distinct  hues.  There  is  a  strain  of 
English  -  selected  Stocks,  known  as 
Pyramidal,  which  are  of  tall  growth, 
and  remarkable  for  their  large  pyra- 
mids of  flowers,  and  there  is  a  very 
distinct  type  known  as  Wallflower- 
leaved,  which  was  introduced  many 
years  ago  from  the  Grecian  Archi- 
pelago, and  which  has  shining  deep- 
green  leaves,  not  unlike  a  Wallflower. 
In  all  other  respects  the  type  is  like 
the  ordinary  German  Stock.  One  of 
the  finest  varieties  of  this  type,  and 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  Stocks  in 
cultivation,  is  known  as  Mauve  Beauty. 
It  has  huge  heads  of  pale,  lustrous, 
mauve-coloured  flowers.  The  culture 
for  the  Ten-week  Stock  will  answer 
for  this.  The  autumn-flowering  strain 
is  very  desirable,  as  the  plants  succeed 
the  German  varieties,  and  so  prolong 
the  season. 

Intermediate  Stocks  may  be  sown 
either  in  July  or  August,  to  stand  the 
winter  and  flower  early  in  the  spring, 
or  in  March,  to  flower  in  the  following 
autumn.  The  strain  is  dwarf  and 
bushy,  and  very  free-blooming,  and 
the  varieties  may  be  said  to  be  confined 
to  scarlet,  purple,  and  white.  There 
is  a  strain  grown  in  Scotland  under  the 
name  of  the  East  Lothian  Intermediate 
Stock,  and  much  used  there  for  beds 
and  borders,  the  climate  exactly  suiting 
it  for  late  summer  blooming.  It  is 
sown  in  the  usual  way  about  the  end 
of  March,  planted  out  at  the  end  of 
May  when  3  or  4  inches  high,  and 
blooms  finely  through  August  and 
September,  and  even  later,  as  the 
numerous  side  shoots  give  spikes  of 
flowers.  Thus,  by  using  the  autumn- 
sown  Intermediate  Stocks  for  early 
blooming,  the  ordinary  large  flowering 
German  Ten-week  Stock  for  summer 


MAURANDIA.         THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        MECONOPSIS. 


56.5 


flowering,  and  the  later  East  Lothian 
Intermediate  Stock  for  late  summer, 
Stocks  can  be  had  in  flower  for  eight 
or  nine  months  of  the  year  without 
intermission. 

Biennial  Stocks  comprise  the 
Brompton  and  the  Queen,  and  they 
should  be  sown  in  June  and  July  to 
flower  in  the  following  spring  or 
summer.  They  are  closely  allied,  and 
are  probably  only  varieties  of  the  same 
kind  ;  but  the  seed  of  the  white 
Brompton  is  pale  in  colour,  whilst 
that  of  the  Queen  is  quite  dark.  Old 
growers  of  the  Stock  assert  that  while 
the  under  side  of  the  leaf  of  the  Queen 
Stock  is  rough  and  woolly,  the  leaf  of 
the  Brompton  Stock  is  smooth  on 
both  sides.  Of  the  Queen  Stock  there 
are  three  colours — purple,  scarlet,  and 
white  ;  and  of  the  Brompton  Stock 
the  same,  with  the  addition  of  a 
selected  crimson  variety  of  great 
beauty,  but  somewhat  difficult  to  per- 
petuate. Both  types  are  really  bien- 
nials. The  seed  should  be  sown  at 
the  end  of  July  in  beds,  and  the  plants 
transplanted  to  the  open  ground  in 
the  autumn.  The  difficulty  of  win- 
tering the  Brompton  Stocks  deters 
many  from  attempting  their  cultiva- 
tion, and  many  die,  even  in  a  mild 
winter.  A  well-drained  subsoil  with 
a  porous  surface  soil  suits  them  best, 
and  shelter  from  hard  frost  and  nipping 
winds  is  of  great  service.  A  second 
transplantation  of  the  seedlings  about 
December  has  been  tried  with  success. 

MAURANDIA.— An  elegant  Mexican 
twining  plant,  M.  barclayana  is  often 
grown  in  the  greenhouse,  but  hardy 
enough  for  the  open  air  in  summer, 
and  admirably  suited  for  covering 
trellises.  The  deep  violet  flowers  are 
very  showy,  and  there  are  also  white 
(alba),  deep  purple  (atro-purpurea) ,  and 
rosy-purple  (rosea)  varieties.  Easily 
raised  from  seed  sown  in  early  spring 
in  heat,  they  will  flower  in  the  follow- 
ing summer  if  planted  out  in  May  in 
good  soil  and  sheltered  situations. 

MAZUS. — M.  pumilio  is  a  distinct 
New  Zealand  plant,  vigorous,  and 
creeping  underground  so  as  rapidly  to 
form  dense  tufts,  rarely  more  than 
\  inch  high  ;  the  pale  violet  flowers 
are  borne  on  very  short  stems  in  early 
summer,  and  the  leaves  lie  flat  on  the 
soil.  M.  pumilio  thrives  in  pots,  cold 
frames,  or  the  open  air,  and  does  best 
in  firm,  open,  bare  spots  in  the  rock 
garden,  in  warm  positions  in  free  sandy 
soil.  Though  not  showy,  it  is  an 


interesting  plant,   easily  increased  by 
division.     Figwort  family. 

MECONOPSIS  (Indian  Poppy}.— 
Handsome  Poppyworts,  the  most  fam- 
iliar of  which  is  the  common  Welsh 
Poppy  (M.  cambrica)  ;  the  other  kinds 
are  natives  of  the  Himalayas,  hardy, 
but  only  of  biennial  duration.  They 
may  be  easily  raised  from  seed  sown 
soon  after  ripening,  preferably  in  a 
little  warmth ;  and,  indeed,  a  good 
stock  of  strong  plants  can  be  ensured 
only  by  annual  sowings.  The  following 
is  the  most  successful  mode  of  culti- 
vating them  :  A  piece  of  ground  is 
prepared  by  digging  in  good  loam  and 
well-rotted  stable  manure  ;  a  two-light 
frame  is  placed  over  it,  and  seedlings 
are  put  in  about  March.  As  soon  as 
the  plants  are  fairly  established  the 
sashes  are  removed  (unless  the  weather 
is  frosty),  and  throughout  the  summer 
the  plants  are  well  supplied  with  water. 
In  the  following  April  and  May  they 
will  have  become  large  plants,  often 
2  to  3  feet  in  diameter,  and  are  then 
removed  to  where  they  are  wanted  to 
flower.  This  may  be  readily  done 
without  needlessly  checking  them,  as 
they  form  so  many  fibrous  roots  that  a 
good  ball  of  soil  usually  adheres  to 
them.  They  are  thus  grown  on  as 
quickly  as  possible,  being  treated  like 
biennials.  They  should  be  planted  out 
in  a  well-drained  rock  garden  in  good 
soil,  with  plenty  of  water  in  summer, 
but  they  must  be  kept  as  dry  as 
possible  in  the  winter,  as  excessive 
moisture  in  cold  weather  soon  kills 
them.  Sandstone  broken  fine  should 
be  placed  under  the  leaves,  to  prevent 
contact  with  the  damp  soil. 

M.  ACULEATA. — A  singularly  beautiful 
plant,  with  purple  petals,  like  shot  silk, 
which  contrast  charmingly  with  the  numer- 
ous yellow  stamens.  The  flowers  are 
2  inches  across,  on  stems  about  2  feet  high. 

M.  CAMBRICA. — For  the  wild  garden  or 
wilderness  the  Welsh  Poppy  is  one  of  the 
best  plants.  It  is  a  cheerful  plant  in  all 
seasons,  and  a  coloniser,  making  its  home 
of  the  wall,  rock,  and  the  ruin.  In  many 
places  it  grows  freely  at  the  bottom  of 
walls,  or  even  in  gravel  walks  if  allowed 
a  chance. 

M.  GRANDIS. — A  newly  introduced  kind 
from  the  mountains  of  Sikkim,  and  one  of 
the  few  true  perennials  in  the  genus.  It 
is  a  plant  of  tall  habit,  with  uncut  leaves 
and  solitary  purple  flowers  of  beautiful 
glossy  texture. 

M.  HETEROPHYLLA. — The  only  kind 
found  in  America,  where  it  grows  over  a 
wide  area  but  is  nowhere  abundant,  thriv- 


566 


MECONOPSIS.       THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         MELANTHIVM. 


ing  best  in  the  light,  dry  soils  of  California. 
It  is  an  annual,  and  succeeds  in  this 
country  both  as  a  pot-plant  under  glass, 
or  in  the  border  during  summer,  where  it 
flowers  and  ripens  seed  freely.  It  is  a 
variable  plant,  but  mostly  reaches  12  to 
1 8  inches  in  height,  with  pale  green  leaves, 
deeply  cut,  and  hairy.  The  flowers,  upon 
long  slender  stems,  are  red  copper-coloured 
or  orange,  with  a  deep  maroon  blotch  in 
the  centre,  and  a  scent  of  Lily-of-the- 
Valley. 

M.  HORRIDULA. — A  little  plant  found  at 
a  great  height  in  the  Himalayas,  growing 
as  almost  stemless  tufts  of  lanceolate 
leaves,  covered  densely  with  prickles ; 
the  short  stems  bear  bluish-purple  flowers 
about  an  inch  and  a  half  wide. 

M.  INTEGRIFOLIA. — A  new  kind,  its  pale 
yellow  flowers  being  much  admired.  The 
plant  grows  at  a  height  of  11,000  feet  to 
15,500  feet  in  the  mountains  of  Thibet 
and  S.W.  China,  where  myriads  of  plants 
are  to  be  seen  bearing  flowers  which  some- 
times measure  10  inches  across.  It  is  a 
biennial,  hardy,  and  with  oval  uncut  leaves 
of  pale  green,  about  i  foot  long  when  fully 
grown,  and  more  or  less  covered  with  soft, 
silky  hairs.  The  stems  vary  in  height, 
but  the  plants  flowered  in  this  country 
were  from  12  to  18  inches  high,  flowering 
until  the  first  keen  frosts.  It  is  a  mois- 
ture-loving plant,  thriving  in  peat  or  leafy 
soil  in  a  half -shady  place. 

M.   NEPALENSIS  has  flower-stems   3   to 

5  feet  high,  which  are  not  much  branched,, 
the   nodding  blossoms,  borne  freely,   are 
2  to  3^  inches  across,  and  of  a  pale  yellow. 

M.  "PANICULATA. — A  beautiful  Hima- 
layan plant  with  much-cut  foliage  and 
panicles  of  bright  yellow  flowers,  which 
come  true  from  the  seed  ripened  sparingly 
in  fine  seasons. 

M.  PRINCIPIS. — A  plant  first  found  by 
Franchet  in  Thibet ;  it  comes  near  M. 
punicea,  but  is  not  so  large  a  plant,  and  its 
smaller  crimson  flowers  are  held  erect 
instead  of  nodding. 

M.  PUNICEA. — A  fine  kind,  growing  at 
a  great  height  in  the  mountains  of  Thibet. 
The  leaves  are  entire,  tapering  at  both 
ends,  and  covered  with  long  coarse  hairs 
of  a  shining  yellow  colour.  The  massive 
flowers  are  borne  singly  upon  slender  stems 
of  1}  to  2  feet,  reaching  at  their  best 

6  inches   wide,    and    composed    of   large 
drooping  petals  of  carmine-red  or  reddish- 
purple. 

M.  QUINTUPLINERVIA. — A  perennial  kind 
from  Manchuria,  of  dwarf  growth  as  a 
rosette  of  long-stemmed  uncut  leaves, 
covered  with  reddish  hairs  and  traversed 
by  five  prominent  veins.  The  nodding 
flowers  come  during  summer  upon  hairy 
stems  of  6  to  12  inches,  and  are  cup- 
shaped,  1 1  inches  wide,  and  pale  violet  or 
purple  with  a  large  cluster  of  golden 
stamens. 


M.  RACEMOSA. — A  rare  plant  but  lately 
introduced  to  this  country.  Its  flowers 
range  in  colour  from  pale  lilac  to  deep 
purple,  and  have  given  good  seed  in  the 
past  autumn.  China. 

M.  SIMPLICIFOLIA  has  a  tuft  of  lance- 
shaped  leaves,  3  to  5  inches  long,  slightly 
toothed,  and  covered  with  a  short,  dense, 
brownish  pubescence.  The  unbranched 
flower-stalk  is  about  i  foot  high,  and  bears 
at  its  apex  a  single  violet-purple  blossom, 
2  to  3  inches  in  diameter. 

M.  SINUATA  LOBATA. — This  handsome 
Meconopsis  was  very  fine  in  a  Scottish 
garden  I  visited  this  year.  It  was  raised 
in  quantity  from  seeds,  and  a  good  group 
in  a  partially-shaded  place  was  very  effec- 
tive. The  plants  were  about  3  feet  high 
and  bore  many  flowers  of  a  wonderfully 
burnished  purple.  It  is  one  of  the  best  of 
the  many  Meconopsis  which  have  been 
recently  introduced.  Like  most  of  the 
others,  it  evidently  prefers  a  moist  and 
partially-shaded  place. — S.  ARNOTT. 

M.  WALLICHI. — A  very  handsome  plant, 
between  4  and  5  feet  high.  It  forms  an 
erect  pyramid,  the  upper  half  of  which  is 
covered  with  pretty  pale  blue  blossoms, 
drooping  gracefully  from  slender  branch- 
lets.  It  is  a  most  conspicuous  plant  in  the 
rock  garden,  where  it  withstands  the 
winter  without  the  least  injury.  Well- 
grown  specimens  have  leaves  12  to  15 
inches  long,  and  a  great  number  of  pale 
blue  flowers,  opening  terminally.  Separ- 
ate flowers  do  not  last  long,  but  a  few 
expand  at  a  time,  and  it  is  fully  a  month 
before  they  are  all  expanded  at  the  base, 
by  which  time  the  seeds  of  those  which 
opened  first  are  nearly  ripe. 

MEDICAGO  (Medick).— This  is  a 
large  genus,  but  it  contains  few,  if  any, 
good  garden  plants.  One  or  two  aie 
useful  for  planting  on  banks  or  slopes. 
For  this  purpose  the  most  suitable  are 
M.  falcata  and  elegans,  both  vigorous 
herbs  with  yellow  flowers,  thiiving  in 
almost  any  kind  of  soil. 

MEGARRHIZA          CALIFORNIA 

(Calif ornian  Big  Root). — A  twining 
Bryony-like  plant,  having  an  enor- 
mous root.  Only  suitable  for  botani- 
cal gardens. 

MELANOSELINUM    DECIPIENS.- 

An  umbelliferous  shrub  from  Madeira, 
with  a  round  simple  stem,  bare  below, 
and  large,  spreading  compound  leaves. 
The  flowers  are  white,  and  borne  in 
umbels.  Young  plants  are  to  be  pre- 
ferred for  placing  out.  Seed. 

MELANTHIUM     TRIQUETRUM.— 

A  bulbous-rooted  plant  little  known  to 
cultivation.  It  has  long,  round  leaves, 
like  those  of  some  of  the  Alliums,  and 
its  flowers,  which  are  small  and  have 


MELIANTHUS.        THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         MELITTIS. 


567 


delicate  mauve  petals  and  a  purple 
centre,  are  borne  on  spikes  from 
5  inches  to  6  inches  long.  It  is  a 
half-hardy  plant — hardy,  perhaps,  in 
favoured  districts. 


Meconopsis  Wallichi. 

MELIANTHUS  (Cape  Honey 
Flower] . — An  effective  half-hardy  plant 
for  the  summer ;  M.  major  having 
finely-cut,  large,  glaucous  leaves  con- 
trasting effectively  with  the  garden 
vegetation,  and  being  of  the  easiest 
cultivation,  it  has  become  a  favourite 
in  sub  -  tropical  gardening.  Plants 


raised  from  seed  early  in  the  season 
make  good  growth  by  planting-out 
time,  and  by  midsummer  attain  a 
height  of  3  to  4  feet.  S.  Africa. 

MELIOSMA     CUNEIFOLIA.  —  The 

genus  Meliosma  was  probably  repre- 
sented by  one  species  only  in  British 
gardens  previous  to  Mr  E.  H.  Wilson's 
plant- collecting  journeys  to  China, 
that  species  being  M.  myriantha,  which 
was  introduced  by  Maries  in  1879. 
There  are  now  several  species  available, 
all  of  them  handsome  decorative 
bushes,  both  as  regards  foliage  and 
flowers.  M.  cuneifolia  is  more  like  the 
older  M.  myriantha  than  the  other  new 
species,  for  it  has  somewhat  similar 
simple  leaves,  which  are  up  to  7  inches 
long  and  3  inches  wide,  with  prominent 
veins.  The  flowers  are  small  and 
alternately  creamy- white  and  white. 
They  are  borne  in  long  terminal 
panicles,  sometimes  9  inches  long  and 
6  inches  through,  and  are  fragrant. 
In  a  wild  state  it  forms  a  large  tree, 
but  in  this  country  so  far  it  is  only  a 
well-branched  shrub  which  flowers 
freely  every  summer.  The  leaves  have 
regular  pinnate  nerves,  marginal  teeth, 
and  a  dark  green  glossy  surface  ;  but 
they  are  smaller,  the  largest  being 
about  8  inches  long  and  4  inches  wide. 
The  flowers  are  in  effect  like  those  of 
some  of  the  Sumachs. 

M.  VEITCHIORUM. — Has  noble  pinnate 
leaves  each  2  feet  or  more  long,  with  five 
pairs  of  leaflets  and  a  terminal  odd  one, 
the  largest  being  6  inches  long  and  3  inches 
wide  ;  the  rachis  and  principal  nerves 
dark  red,  the  other  parts  a  rich  green. 
It  forms  a  fairly  large  tree,  not  unlike  a 
Walnut,  and  the  panicles  of  small  white 
flowers  are  said  to  be  18  inches  long  and 
very  decorative.  The  young  shoots  are 
stout  with  smooth  bark,  and  the  leaves, 
when  they  first  develop,  are  dark  crimson. 

MELISSA  (Common  Balm}.  —  M. 
officinalis  is  a  well-known  old  garden 
plant,  2  to  3  feet  high,  emitting  a 
grateful  odour  when  bruised.  It  may 
be  naturalised  in  any  soil.  Division. 
Europe. 

MELITTIS  (Bastard  Balm).  —  M. 
Melissophyllum  is  a  distinct  plant  of 
the  Salvia  order,  with  one  to  three 
flowers  about  i£  inches  long  in  May. 
The  handsome  purple  lip  reminds  one 
of  some  Orchids.  M.  grandiflora  is  a 
slight  variety,  differing  in  colour  from 
the  normal  form.  The  plant  is  dis- 
tinct, and  merits  a  place  by  shady 
wood  walks,  as  it  naturally  inhabits 
woods,  'Woody  spots  near  a  fernery 


568       MENISPERMUM.       THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        MERTENSIA. 


: 


or  a  rock  garden  suit  it ;  it  grows 
readily  among  shrubs,  and  in  the  mixed 
border.  It  is  found  in  a  few  places  in 
England,  and  widely  over  Europe  and 
Asia.  Seed  or  division. 

MENISPERMUM  (Canadian  Moon- 
seed}. — M.  canadense  is  a  hardy  climber 
of  rapid  growth,  having  slender,  twin- 
ing, large  roundish  leaves,  in  summer 
bearing  long  feathery  clusters  of  yel- 
lowish flowers.  It  is  useful  for  cover- 
ing a  wall  quickly  for  summer  effect  or 
for  arbours,  trellises,  and  pergolas,  and 
thrives  in  almost  any  soil  in  shade  or 
sun. 

MENTHA  (Mint}. — Marsh  herbs  or 
rock  plants  of  which  the  variegated 
form  of  M.  rotundifolia  is  common,  and 
useful  for  edgings  or  for  clothing  any 
dry  spots.  Another  is  M.  gibraltarica, 
a  variety  of  the  native  M.  Pulegium, 
used  in  summer  for  flat  geometrical 
beds  on  account  of  its  compact  growth. 
In  its  growth  it  hugs  the  soil, 
and  throws  out  roots  at  every  joint, 
and  all  that  is  necessary  is  to  keep 
cutting  off  little  plants  and  potting 
them,  or  planting  them  in  shallow 
boxes,  and  in  a  very  short  time 
they  will  in  their  turn  bear  cutting 
up  in  like  manner.  A  native  of  S. 
Europe,  it  is  somewhat  tender,  and  is 
generally  killed  in  winter. 

M.  REQUIENI. — A  minute  creeping  plant 
with  a  strong  odour  of  Peppermint,  and 
trails  about  among  the  tiniest  plants  in 
the  rock  garden.  I  use  it  often  for  cover- 
ing the  ground  beneath  Tea  Roses,  and  it 
spreads  and  grows  everywhere.  It  is  the 
smallest  flowering  plant  grown  in  gardens, 
and  for  chinks  in  paved  pathways  one  of 
the  most  charming. 

MENTZELIA.— Lovely  Californian 
plants,  mostly  of  biennial  duration, 
and  requiring  more  care  than  most 
half-hardy  plants.  The  following  is  a 
selection  of  the  prettiest  kinds  :  M. 
(Bartonia)  aurea  I. — A  showy  golden- 
flowered  hardy  annual,  i  to  2  feet  high. 
Should  be  sown  in  April  in  groups  or 
patches  where  it  is  to  remain  in  light 
soil  and  warm  situations,  the  plants 
being  thinned  to  about  i  foot  apart. 
As  the  seed  is  very  small,  care  should 
be  taken  not  to  bury  it  too  deep. 
When  well  grown  it  might  be  used  as 
a  bold  group,  relieved  here  and  there 
by  tall  plants.  Chili.  M.  Icevicaulis  is 
a  good  kind,  with  whitish  stem,  i  to 
3  feet  high,  both  stems  and  leaves 
covered  with  short  and  stout  bristles, 
the  rich  yellow  flowers  opening  only  in 
bright  sunshine.  M.  nuda  is  2  to  4  feet 


high,  with  flowers  resembling  the  last 
M.  oligosperma  is  a  perennial,  i  to  3 
feet  high,  with  bright  yellow  flowers 
3  inches  across,  opening  in  sunshine. 
M.  ornata  is  a  biennial,  2  to  4  feet  in 
height,  with  creamy-white  fragrant 
flowers  2 1  to  4  inches  across.  It 
belongs  to  the  vespertine  section,  that 
is,  to  those  in  which  the  flowers  expand 
towards  evening.  Syn.  Bartonia. 

MENYANTHES  ( Buckbean] .  —  M. 
trifoliata  is  a  beautiful  and  fragrant 
native  of  Britain,  found  in  shallow 
streams  or  pools,  in  very  wet  marshy 
ground,  and  in  bogs  ;  its  strong  creep- 
ing, rooting  stems  often  floating  in 
deeper  water.  The  flowers  are  borne 
on  stout  stalks,  which  vary  in  length 
with  the  depth  of  the  water,  and  are 
beautifully  fringed  and  suffused  with 
pink.  M.  trifoliata  is  easy  to  establish 
by  introducing  pieces  of  stems,  and 
securing  them  till,  by  the  emission  of 
roots,  they  have  secured  themselves. 
In  some  moist  soils  it  thrives  in  the 
ordinary  border. 

MENZIESIA.  —  Dwarf  shrubs  re- 
sembling Heaths,  and,  like  them,  ad- 
mirably suited  for  large  rock  gardens 
or  wherever  there  is  a  moist  peat  soil. 
They  are  all  of  neat  growth,  and  bear 
pretty  flowers. 

M.  CCERULEA. — A  tiny  alpine  shrub, 
native  of  Scotch  mountains  and  of  nor- 
thern European  mountains.  A  pretty 
bush  for  the  rock  garden  or  for  choice  beds 
of  dwarf  plants,  4  to  6  inches  high,  with 
pinkish-lilac  flowers,  flowering  rather  late 
in  summer  and  in  autumn.  Europe. 

M.  EMPETRIFORMIS. — A  dwarf  Heath- 
like  bush,  seldom  more  than  6  inches  high, 
with  clusters  of  rosy-purple  bells  in  sum- 
mer. Though  not  common  in  gardens,  it 
is  one  of  the  brightest  gems  for  the  choice 
rock  garden,  and  thrives  in  exposed  posi- 
tions in  moist  sandy  peat  soil,  and  should 
be  associated  with  the  dwarfest  rock 
plants.  N.  America. 

MERENDERA. — M.  bulbocodium  is 
very  much  like  Bulbocodium  vernum, 
but  flowers  in  autumn,  having  large 
handsome  blooms  of  a  pale  pinkish- 
lilac.  Suitable  for  the  rock  garden 
and  the  bulb  garden  till  plentiful 
.enough  for  borders.  Increased  by 
separation  of  the  new  bulbs  and  by 
seed.  S.  Europe. 

MERTENSIA. — Borage-worts,  beau- 
tiful in  form  of  foliage  and  stem,  and 
in  the  graceful  way  in  which  they  rise 
in  panicles  of  blue. 


MESEMBRYANTHEMUM.    THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.      MESPILUS.      569 


M.  ALPINA. — A  dwarf  kind.  The  leaves 
are  bluish-green  ;  the  stem  6  to  10  inches 
high,  bearing  in  early  summer  one  to  three 
drooping  terminal  clusters  of  light  blue 
flowers. 

M.  DAHURICA. — Although  very  slender 
and  liable  to  be  broken  by  high  winds,  is 
hardy.  It  is  6  to  12  inches  high,  has  erect 
branching  stems,  and  bears  in  June 
panicles  of  handsome  drooping  azure-blue 
flowers.  It  is  very  pretty  for  the  rock 
garden  borders,  and  should  be  planted 
in  a  sheltered  nook  in  a  mixture  of  peat 
and  loam.  Division  or  seed. 

M.  MARITIMA  (Oyster  Plant). — Very 
little  known  in  gardens,  and  though  a 
seaside  plant  and  usually  found  growing 
in  sea-sand,  it  is  amenable  to  garden  cul- 
ture. Given  a  light  sandy  soil  of  good 
depth,  and  a  sunny  position  where  its  long 
and  succulent  flower-stems  may  spread 
themselves  out,  carrying  a  long  succession 
of  turquoise-blue  flowers,  it  is  a  plant  that 
we  may  expect  to  see  year  after  year. 

M.  OBLONGIFOLIA.  —  Another  dwarf 
species.  The  stems  are  6  to  9  inches  high, 
and  they  bear  handsome  clustered  heads 
of  brilliant  blue  flowers,  and  deep  green 
fleshy  leaves. 

M.  PRIMULOIDES.  —  A  beautiful  and 
choice  species  from  the  Himalayas,  with 
rich  blue  Forget-me-not  like  flowers. 
Quite  happy  in  cool  places  in  peat  and 
loam.  Height,  6  inches.  Seeds  and  divi- 
sion. 

M.  SIBIRICA. — A  plant  of  much  beauty 
of  colour  and  grace  of  habit,  grows  and 
flowers  for  a  long  period  in  ordinary  soil. 
The  small  bell-shaped  flowers  are  borne  in 
loose  drooping  clusters,  gracefully  ter- 
minating in  arching  stems.  The  colour 
varies  from  a  delicate  pale  purple-blue  to 
a  rosy-pink  in  the  young  flowers.  A 
hardy  perennial  growing  best  in  a  peaty 
bog.  Division.  ' 

M.  VIRGINICA  (Virginian  Cowslip). — The 
handsomest  of  the  Mertensias,  bearing  in 
early  spring  drooping  clusters  of  lovely 
purple-blue  blossoms  on  stems  i  to  i  i  feet 
high,  the  leaves  large  and  of  bluish-grey. 
In  many  gardens  it  never  makes  the 
slightest  progress  ;  but  a  sheltered,  moist, 
peaty  nook  is  the  place  for  it.  The  finest 
plants  are  grown  in  moist,  sandy  peat, 
with  shelter  near.  It  is  an  old  garden 
plant,  and  one  which  has  never  become 
common  ;  in  the  southern  country  it  is 
grown  too  dry. 

MESEMBRYANTHEMUM  ( Ice 

Plant). — Dwarf  or  trailing  succulent 
plants,  of  which  there  are  several 
grown  in  the  open  air,  though  none 
are  hardy.  The  Common  Ice  Plant 
(M.  crystallinum)  is  grown  for  garnish- 
ing in  most  large  gardens  and  is  also 
used  as  a  pot  plant ;  but  it  is  most 
effective  when  planted  out  in  the  rock 
garden  or  on  an  old  wall.  In  a  sunny 


situation  it  will  grow  in  any  good  soil, 
and  will  grow  from  3  to  4  feet  in  a 
season.  On  warm  days  has  a  refresh- 
ing look,  and  its  flowers,  unimportant 
compared  with  the  stems  and  foliage, 
are  bespangled  with  crystal.  Seeds 
should  be  sown  in  heat  in  March,  and 
the  seedlings  planted  out  6  to  8  inches 
apart.  There  are  two  varieties — one 


"»/c<»  ( Vii gininn  Co\v\slip). 

red  and  the  other  white.  M.  cordi- 
folium  is  a  perennial,  the  variegated 
form  of  which  is  used  in  carpet-gar- 
dening. M.  Pomeridianum  is  a  strong 
species  with  broad  foliage  and  large 
purple  and  rose  flowers.  It  is  not  so 
common  as  the  last,  but  it  deserves  a 
place  on  the  south  border.  M.  tricolor 
is  the  most  showy  of  the  annual  Mes- 
embryanthemums.  It  is  a  neat  plant 
with  cylindrical  foliage,  growing  in 
neat  tufts  4  to  6  inches  in  height ;  its 
abundant  flowers,  of  purple-rose  or 
white,  afford  good  contrast.  It  should 
be  sown  in  sandy  soil  in  the  open  garden 
about  the  end  of  April  ;  it  dislikes 
transplantation,  and  lasts  longer  in 
the  ground  than  in  a  pot.  They  are 
children  of  the  sun,  and  a  rock  garden 
devoted  to  a  collection  in  an  open  sunny 
spot  is  worth  seeing.  A  soil  consisting 
of  little  besides  sand  and  gravel  suits 
them  perfectly. 

MESPILUS  (Medlar}. — M.  germanica 
is  a  beautiful  small  tree  or  bush  with 
large  and  handsome  flowers,  and  a 
wide-spreading  head,  and  is  beautiful 
in  early  summer  when  studded  with 
great  white  flowers  among  its  large 
pale  green  leaves.  The  only  other 
species  in  gardens  is  M.  grandiflora, 


57° 


MEUM. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


MIMULUS. 


also  called  M.  Smithi.  It  is  a  good 
lawn  tree.  About  the  middle  of  May 
it  is  attractive  with  its  large  flowers. 

MEUM  (Spignel). — M.  athamanticum 
is  a  graceful  fine-leaved  perennial, 
dwarf  in  habit,  6  to  12  inches  high, 
free  in  ordinary  soils,  and  hardy.  In 
dry  seasons  it  might  wither  too  soon, 
but  it  is  pretty  for  the  rock  garden  or 
borders.  A  British  mountain  plant 
and  aromatic.  Division. 

MICHAUXIA  (Michaux's  Bellflower}. 
— M.  campanuloides  is  a  remarkable 
plant  of  the  Bellflower  family,  3  to 
8  feet  high,  the  flowers  white  tinged 
with  purple,  and  arranged  in  a  pyra- 
midal candelabra  -  like  head.  Some- 


Michauxia  cainpanuloides. 

times  it  flowers  in  the  third  or  even  in 
the  fourth  year,  but  is  usually  con- 
sidered a  biennial,  and  should  be 
treated  as  a  hardy  one.  Seedlings 
should  be  raised  annually,  so  as  to 
always  have  good  flowering  plants. 
It  flourishes  best  in  a  deep  loam.  Its 
stately  form  and  tall  stature  are 
effective  in  the  mixed  border  or  in  a 
nook  in  a  bed  of  evergreen  shrubs. 
Warm  sheltered  borders  and  borders 
on  the  south  side  of  walls  suit  it  best. 
Levant. 

M.  TCHIHATCHEFFII. — A  remarkable 
species  from  Asia  Minor,  rare 'in  cultiva- 
tion and  difficult  to  flower.  It  forms  large 
spreading  rosettes  of  leaves  and  produces 
pale  blue  flowers.  It  should  be  tried  in  a 
sunny,  well-drained  position  in  loam  and 
lime  rubble.  As  a  plant  difficult  to  culti- 
vate, it  ranks  with,  or  surpasses,  the 
equally  remarkable  Ostrowskia  magnified. 

MIGHELIA. — Very  interesting  trees 
and  shrubs  of  the  Magnolia  order ; 
mostly  from  Asia  and  China.  Little 
known  in  our  gardens  as  yet,  except- 


ing one  kind,  which  is  grown  in  con- 
servatories. They  are  only  likely  to 
succeed  in  the  southern  most  favoured 
parts  of  the  country. 

MICROLEPIA.— M.  anthriscifolia  is 
an  elegant  Fern,  6  to  12  inches  high, 
hardy,  deciduous,  charming  in  spring 
and  summer,  and  of  easy  culture.  It 
thrives  in  the  open  as  well  as  in  the 
shade,  and  may  be  used  with  good 
effect  as  an  edging  to  a  sheltered 
border. 

MICROMERIA  (Pepper  Nettle}.  — 
Dwarf  plants  of  the  Sage  family,  with 
strong  odours,  chiefly  from  S.  Europe, 
W.  Asia  and  America  ;  as  yet  little 
known  in  gardens  and  mostly  fitted 
for  the  rock  garden  or  dry  banks. 

MIKANIA  (German  Ivy}. — M.  scan- 
dens  is  a  slender  twining  perennial, 
with  Ivy-like  foliage  and  small  flesh- 
coloured  flowers.  It  is  hardy  in  light 
warm  soils,  and  is  used  for  cover- 
ing trellises.  N.  America. 

MILIUM  (Millet  Grass}.  —  Grasses, 
some  of  them  graceful.  Our  native  M. 
effusum  is  worth  cultivating  for  its 
feathery  plumes.  It  is  suitable  for 
associating  with  flowers  in  summer, 
and  grows  in  any  soil,  preferring  moist 
places.  There  are  one  or  two  other 
kinds  worth  growing. 

MILLA. — The  bulbous  plants  for- 
merly known  under  this  name  are  now 
described  under  the  name  of  Brodiaea. 
The  only  true  Milla  is  said  to  be 
M.  biflora,  a  beautiful  plant  with 
large  snow-white  blossoms  deliciously 
scented.  It  is  rather  difficult  to  cul- 
tivate, but  it  is  well  worth  any  care. 

MIMULUS  (Monkey-flower}.  —  The 
cultivated  species  are  valuable  showy 
border  flowers,  and  are  for  the  most 
part  natives  of  California.  They  love 
moisture,  and  are  suitable  for  damp 
places,  such  as  bogs,  moist  borders, 
and  the  margins  of  streams  and 
artificial  water.  The  old  M.  cardin- 
alis  is  showy  when  well  grown,  and  is 
deserving  of  a  place.  There  are  several 
varieties  of  it.  The  common  Musk, 
so  hardy  and  enduring  for  many  years, 
is  now  lost.  M.  luteus  and  its  varie- 
ties, cupreus,  guttatus,  and  others,  are 
typical  of  the  beautiful  hybrids  which 
are  now  in  gardens,  and  which  combine 
the  dwarf  habit  and  hardiness  of  M. 
cupreus  with  the  large  flowers,  richly 
spotted  and  blotched,  of  the  other 
parent,  the  old  M.  variegatus.  These 
hybrids,  wliich  are  knowri  as  M. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.      MOLOPOSPERMUM.     571 


losus,  bear  exposure  to  the  sun  better 
than  the  parents.  These  sorts  should 
be  grown,  and  a  packet  of  seeds  affords 
a  wonderful  \  ariety.  The  seeds  of  the 
Mimulus  should  be  merely  sprinkled  on 
the  soil ;  if  covered  by  it  they  may 
vegetate  less  quickly  and  abundantly. 
A  little  damp  moss  may,  however,  be 
laid  over  the  surface,  but  should  be 
removed  as  soon  as  the  seeds  have 
germinated. 

MINA. — Fast-growing  climbers  from 
Mexico,  and,  while  perennials  in  their 
own  country,  mostly  grown  as  tender 
annuals  with  us.  M.  lobata,  the  best- 
known  kind,  is  used  for  summer  gar- 
dening, its  three-lobed  leaves  of  deep 
green  being  handsome  upon  arches  or 
trellises.  Sprays  of  tubular  flowers 
spring  upon  the  upper  leaf-axils,  deep 
crimson  in  bud  fading  to  pale  yellow 
as  they  open,  giving  a  parti-coloured 
effect.  It  is  easily  grown,  flowers 
freely  until  frost,  and  continues  until 
winter  if  taken  under  glass.  M.  cor- 
data  comes  very  near  the  older  kind, 
save  that  its  leaves  are  rounded  and 
tapering  like  those  of  a  Convolvulus, 
and  the  flowers  have  traces  of  a 
magenta-purple.  Both  kinds  are 
raised  from  seeds  sown  in  heat  early 
in  the  year,  and  the  tips  of  old  plants 
rooted  under  glass  come  into  flower 
earlier  than  seedlings. 

MIRABILIS  (Marvel  of  Peru).  — 
Stout  herbaceous  plants,  the  most 
familiar  of  which  is  M.  Jalapa, 
a  dense,  round  bush  covered  with 
flowers,  nearly  3  feet  high,  the  flowers 
about  i  inch  across,  white,  rose,  lilac, 
yellow,  crimson  and  purple — striped, 
mottled,  and  selfs.  The  plants  may 
be  treated  as  half-hardy  annuals, 
raised  from  seed  in  a  warm  frame, 
potted  on,  and  planted  out  in 
May.  They  are,  however,  peren- 
nial, and  when  the  leaves  are  killed 
by  frost  the  tapering  black  root 
must  be  lifted  and  stored  in  sand 
during  the  winter.  The  plants  should 
be  started  in  pots  in  spring  and  planted 
out  as  before  ;  but  after  the  second 
year  the  roots  become  unwieldy,  and 
should  be  discarded.  They  require  a  I 
warm  soil  and  all  the  sunshine  of  our 
climate.  The  seeds  ripen  rapidly  and 
readily ;  each  flower  produces  one 
seed  only,  and  as  the  seeds  are  large 
they  can  be  gathered  from  the  ground 
beneath  the  plants.  M.  multiflora  is 
somewhat  similar  to  M.  Jalapa,  but 
dwarfer,  and  the  bright  crimson-purple 
flowers  are  in  large  clusters,  expand- 


ing in  bright  sunshine.  It  is  a  hardy 
perennial  in  light  warm  soils,  and  is 
a  good  border  plant.  M.  longiflora, 
having  long  tubular  flowers  with  car- 
mine centres,  is  capital  for  the  foot  of 
a  warm  south  wall.  Mexico. 

MITCHELLA  (Deer  Berry}.  —  M. 
repens  is  a  neat,  trailing,  small  ever- 
green herb,  2  or  3  inches  high,  with 
white  flowers  in  summer,  succeeded 
by  small  bright  red  berries.  It  thrives 
in  shady  spots  on  the  rock  garden  or 
the  hardy  fernery,  in  sandy  peat. 
Division.  N.  America. 

MITRARIA  (Mitre-flower}.— M.  coc- 
cinea  is  a  bright  charming  little  shrub 
from  Chili,  hardy  in  mild  districts,  but 
generally  requiring  winter  protection. 
It  is  a  small  evergreen  shrub,  bear- 
ing in  summer  numerous  urn-shaped 
flowers  about  i|  inches  long  and  of  a 
brilliant  scarlet,  thriving  in  a  mixture 
of  sandy  peat  and  loam,  in  a  moist 
sheltered  spot  with  perfect  drainage. 

MOLOPOSPERMUM.  — M.  cicu- 
tarium  is  a  hardy  perennial,  5  feet  or 
more  high,  with  large  graceful  leaves 
which  form  a  dense  bush.  It  thrives 


Molopospermitm  cicutarinin. 

in  ordinary  soil,  and  is  useful  for 
grouping  with  fine  -  leaved  plants, 
Division  and  seed,  Carniola, 


572 


MOLUCCELLA.        THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.       MONTBRETIA. 


MOLUGCELLA  (M.  Icevis}. — A  sin- 
gular plant  of  the  Dead  Nettle  family. 
It  is  by  no  means  showy,  and  its  only 
recommendation  for  the  garden  is  the 
singular  form  of  its  calyces,  which  are 
bell-shaped  and  densely  arranged  on 
erect  stems  about  i  foot  in  height. 
It  is  a  fine  subject  for  skeletonising, 
and  the  stems,  bracts,  and  calyces 
may  be  skeletonised  intact.  For  this 
purpose  they  should  not  be  cut  before 
autumn,  when  the  plant  is  fully 
matured.  Should  be  treated  as  a 
half-hardy  annual.  Eastern  Mediter- 
ranean. 

MONARDA  (Bee  Balm) .  —  Border 
perennials  of  the  simplest  culture, 
thriving  in  any  soil,  and  suited  for 
borders  or  for  naturalisation  in  open 
copses.  The  red  kind  scattered 
through  American  woods  in  autumn 
is  very  handsome.  M.  fistulosa  (Wild 
Bergamo t)  is  a  robust  perennial,  2  to 
4  feet  high,  the  flowers  variable  ;  the 
usual  colour  is  pale  red,  and  every 
gradation  almost  to  white  may  be 
found  in  it.  M.  didyma  (Oswego  Tea) 
is  robust,  about  3  feet  high,  the  deep 
red  flowers,  borne  in  head-like  whorls, 
continuing  a  long  time  in  summer. 
M.  Kalmiana  is  a  showy  plant,  often 
4  feet  high,  the  deep  crimson  flowers 
in  dense  whorls.  To  see  the  true  effect 
of  this  fine  plant  it  must  be  massed  in 
groups.  In  M.  purpurea  the  deep 
purplish-crimson  flowers  are  smaller. 
N.  America.  Division  or  seed. 

MONTAGN^IA     HERACLEIFOLIA 

( Polymnia  grandis) .  —  A  half-hardy 
shrub  with  large,  much  divided,  and 
elegantly-lobed  leaves,  about  3  feet 
long,  presenting  luxuriant  masses  of 
foliage.  The  stem  and  leaf -stalks  are 
spotted  with  white,  and  the  leaves 
when  young  are  covered  with  a  soft 
white  down.  Easily  multiplied  from 
cuttings,  which  plants  freely  produce 
if  placed  in  heat  in  January,  but  it  is 
only  useful  where  sub-tropical  plants 
are  put  out  for  the  fine  months  in 
sheltered  dells. 

MONTBRETIA  ( Tritonia]  .—Grace- 
ful and  showy  plants  from  the  Cape, 
better  than  most  S.  African  plants  in 
their  hardiness  and  vitality,  even  in 
the  poorest  conditions  of  soil  and 
exposure,  growing,  indeed,  like  weeds, 
and  so  close  that  I  have  used  them 
between  shrubs  to  keep  the  ground  free 
from  weeds  ;  and  well  they  do  it, 
giving  very  graceful  bloom  in  masses 
towards  the  summer  and  autumn.  In 


rich  light  soils  they  give  little  trouble  ; 
in  clay  soils  where  the  drainage  is  less 
under  control  they  are  apt  to  fail,  but 
we  have  seen  them  thrive  in  poor 
clayey  soil  if  not  wet.  In  badly- 
drained  soils  it  is  best  to  grow  them  in 
raised  beds  of  good  soil.  All  danger 
can  be  avoided  by  lifting,  though  some 
hold  that  this  is  injurious.  The  suc- 
cess which  attends  the  planting  of  dry 
bulbs  during  the  early  spring  months— - 
frequently  as  late  as  April — is  the  best 
proof  that  the  harm  from  drying  such 
things  is  of  small  moment.  Where  both 
systems  can  be  pursued  in  one  garden 
a  long  succession  of  bloom  will  be  the 
result.  The  spring  planted  stock  of 
this  year  may  remain  undisturbed 
through  the  coming  winter,  to  yield 
early  bloom  next  year,  while  the  batch 
that  remained  in  the  ground  the  winter 
previous  is  the  one  to  be  lifted  this 
coming  autumn.  In  this  way  there  is 
little  loss  in  a  single  year  by  deteriora- 
tion, and  the  corms,  if  harvested  at 
the  right  time  and  well  kept — i.e.,  cool 
and  dry — will  more  than  repay  the 
labour  and  trouble  involved.  Even  in 
those  gardens  where  there  is  no  real 
need  to  lift  the  roots  the  plan  is  of 
value  for  the  longer  time  of  blooming 
it  ensures. 

During  recent  years  the  Montbretia 
has  been  much  improved,  both  as 
regards  the  size  of  the  flowers  and  their 
colour.  Of  more  imposing  stature 
than  aforetime  varieties,  with  freer 
branching  habit,  more  erectly-held 
sprays,  and  widely  expanded  flowers 
that  face  the  observer,  they  make  for 
greater  garden  display  ;  in  fine,  are 
immeasurably  superior  even  when 
compared  to  those  raised  little  more 
than  a  decade  ago.  Those  named  are 
among  the  best  of  this  modern  race. 
Comet,  crimson  stained,  very  large  ; 
King  Edmund,  3  to  4  feet,  rich  yellow  ; 
Lord  Nelson,  deepest  of  all,  orange- 
scarlet  and  crimson,  3^  feet ;  Prome- 
theus, one  of  the  giants,  orange  and 
crimson  flowers,  4  inches  across  ;  Star 
of  the  East,  pure  orange-yellow  with 
lemon  centre,  probably  the  best  yet 
raised  ;  Westwick,  orange  and  maroon  ; 

eueen  Alexandra,  apricot-yellow  ; 
ueen  Mary,  orange,  dark  purple 
stems  ;  Nimbus,  golden-yellow,  very 
fine  ;  Citronella,  pale  refined  yellow, 
very  beautiful  ;  Queen  Boadicea, 
4  feet,  orange  and  copper ;  His 
Majesty,  yellow  and  brownish  crimson  ; 
and  Una,  pale  refined  orange  with 
crimson  zone. 


GLAUCOPIS.      THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


MORtrs. 


573 


CULTURE  IN  THE  WEST  COUNTRY. — 
We  have  seen  the  Tritonias  (of  the 
Montbretia  section)  bloom  every  year 
freely  on  poor  clay  ;  the  better  soils 
and  more  copious  rainfall  of  the  west 
make  a  difference,  and  this  note  as  to 
their  culture  in  a  Cheshire  garden  may 
be  useful  to  any  who  work  under  like 
conditions  :  "To  make  them  do  well, 
the  chief  point  is  to  keep  them  thin, 
and  so  they  must  be  divided  every 
year.  This  may  be  done  any  time  in 
autumn  before  the  ground  is  frozen 
up.  My  practice  at  Edge  after  digging 
them  up — suppose  there  are  twelve 
stalks,  that  is,  twelve  bulbs  in  each 
clump,  with  three  or  four  young  points 
to  each  bulb — is  to  have  fifty  or  a 
hundred  pots  ready  and  to  put  three 
bulbs  into  each  pot,  filling  up  with  any 
waste  soil,  drainage  being  superfluous. 
The  less  they  grow  before  March  the 
better.  They  must  not  be  cut  down 
till  spring.  When  all  the  pots  are  full 
they  are  placed  together  in  some  shel- 
tered spot  out  of  doors  and  well 
watered — for  if  kept  dry  they  die — 
then  they  are  covered  with  a  foot  or 
two,  according  to  weather,  of  dry  leaves 
or  other  litter,  enough  to  ensure  their 
safety  from  frosts.  By  the  end  of 
March  they  are  safe,  and  may  then  be 
planted  out  anywhere,  letting  the  bulbs 
be  at  least  6  inches  deep,  either  amongst 
herbaceous  plants,  which  they  like,  or 
amongst  low  shrubs.  I  have  some  in 
beds  of  dwarf  Roses,  where  they  do 
and  look  very  well.  As  they  increase 
at  least  fourfold  every  year,  the  gar- 
dener must  harden  his  heart  and  not 
be  tempted  to  let  them  grow  more 
densely,  but  as  he  will  find  that  most 
of  his  friends  have  as  many  as  they 
want,  throw  the  surplus  on  to  the 
rubbish  heap.  I  find  one  morning  in 
each  year  enough  for  this  work,  which 
may  be  done  in  the  roughest  and  most 
hasty  way  without  detriment  to  the 
bulbs.  Indeed,  I  have  sometimes 
buried  the  clumps  in  a  soil  heap  for 
winter,  littering  them  over  as  described, 
and  planting  the  bulbs  out  by  threes 
in  spring.  The  main  objects  are  not 
to  let  them  get  frozen  and  not  to  let 
them  get  dry  or  grow  during  winter.  I 
generally  also  replant  three  bulbs 
where  I  dig  up  each  clump.  If  the 
winter  is  mild,  these  survive  and  the 
pots  are  not  wanted ;  if  they  are 
killed,  the  pots  take  their  place.  They 
flower  better  if  a  spadeful  of  rich  stuff 
is  put  in  where  each  pot  is  planted. 

MOR^JA  GLAUCOPIS  (Peacock 
Iris). — A  charming  bulbous  plant 


9  to  15  inches  high,  with  flowers  in 
early  summer,  about  2  inches  across, 
pure  white,  with  a  beautiful  porcelain- 
blue  stain  nearly  1  inch  broad,  at  the 
base  of  each  of  the  three  larger  divi- 
sions. This  stain  is  deep  violet  at 
the  base,  and  edged  with  deep  purple 
teeth.  There  is  only  one  long  narrow 
leaf.  The  plant  should  be  grown  on 
warm  sheltered  borders  in  sandy  peat 
or  sandy  loam  and  leaf-mould.  In- 
crease by  separation  of  the  bulbs  in 
autumn.  S.  Africa. 

MORINA  (Whorl-flower).— M.  longi- 
folia  is  a  handsome  and  singular  peren- 
nial, with  large  spiny  leaves,  resembling 
those  of  certain  Thistles,  and  with  long 

j   spikes  of  whorled  flowers,  2  to  3  feet 

|  high.  It  is  excellent  for  the  mixed 
border,  and  for  grouping  with  medium- 

|   sized  perennials  that  have  fine  foliage. 

i    It  thrives   in   ordinary  soil.     Nepaul. 

I   Seed. 

MORISIA  (M.  hypog&a).—A  pretty 

|   alpine   plant   from   the   mountains   of 

I    Sardinia.     The  flowers,   as  large  as  a 

|   shilling  and  of  a  bright  yellow,  are  on 

short  stalks  rising  very  little  above  the 

tufted  foliage,  in  April  and  May,  and 

the   contrast   between   them   and   the 

|   dark    glossy    foliage    is    effective.     It 

,   seems  to  do  best  in  a  light  gritty  soil, 

|   and  the  seed  should  be  sown  directly 

it  is  ripe. 

M  0  R  U  S  (Mulberry}.  —  Usually 
medium-sized  trees  of  the  temperate 
|  and  sub- tropical  countries,  the  best 
kind  for  our  country  is  the  Black 
Mulberry  (M.  nigra),  a  distinct  tree  of 
great  value  and  beauty  giving  showers 
of  fruit  in  hot  days.  The  Mulberry 
often  attains  great  age,  and  when  old 
gives  deep  shade,  thriving  best  always 
in  sheltered  gardens  in  deep  soils.  It 
is  hardy,  coming  late  in  leaf,  and  the 
leaves  fall  with  the  first  touch  of  the 
frost.  It  is  often  a  beautiful  lawn 
tree,  though  it  may  well  take  its  place 
in  the  orchard  or  enclosed  fruit  garden, 
always,  if  possible,  giving  it  a  free 
deep  soil. 

It  is  not  difficult  to  increase  from 
cuttings  or  even  pieces  of  branches, 
and  by  layers,  but  not  by  any  means 
common  to  find  good  stocks  of  the 
trees  in  nurseries.  A  very  much  more 
cultivated  species  in  Europe  and  other 
countries  is  the  White  Mulberry  (M. 
alba)  and  its  varieties,  but  as  our 
country  is  too  cold  for  silk  cultivation 
it  is  of  slight  value  with  us,  and  the 
same  may  be  said  of  the  other  kinds, 


574       MuriLENBEckiA.       THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         MuscARi. 


the  one  exception  being,  perhaps,  the 
American  Red  Mulberry  (M.  rubra), 
a  native  of  the  northern  United  States. 
MUHLENBECKIA. — These  graceful 
free-growing  evergreen  trailers  are 
useful  as  coverings  for  trellis-work  or 
rocks  or  stumps.  The  kinds  in  culti- 
vation are  natives  of  New  Zealand  ; 
the  best  known,  M.  complexa,  is  a 
very  rapid  grower,  with  long  wiry  and 
entangled  branches,  small  leaves,  and 
rather  inconspicuous  white  waxy 
flowers.  M.  adpressa  is  larger  and 
has  heart-shaped  leaves,  and  long 
racemes  of  whitish  flowers.  M.  varia 


and  placed  on  shelves  in  houses  with 
a  temperature  of   not   less   than   45°. 
Here    they    are    laid    on    their    sides, 
their  leaves  being  kept  close  together, 
I    and    remain    throughout    the    winter, 
with  only  a  mat  thrown  over  the  roots. 
In  February  the  roots  are  examined, 
!    planted  in  trenches,  and  subjected  to 
i    an  increased  temperature,   when  new 
!    roots   soon   form   and   begin   to   grow 
afresh.     In  June,  after  being  gradually 
i    hardened,  the  leaves  are  tied  up,  the 
•    plants  are   lifted  with   as  good   balls 
as  possible,  and  placed  in  their  sum- 
mer quarters.     M.  Ensete  is  the  kind 


Musa  Ensete. 


is  a  small  kind,  with  fiddle-shaped 
leaves,  and  is  very  distinct  from  either 
of  the  above. 


Mulgedium  (Blue  Thistle}. 
TUCA. 


See  LAC- 


HI  U  S  A  (Banana).  -—  These  fine 
tropical  plants  are  seen  in  our  parks 
during  summer,  and  less  frequently  in 
private  gardens.  In  the  London  parks, 
Musas,  especially  the  smaller  ones,  are 
often  plunged  in  the  ground  in  their 
pots  during  the  summer,  but  the  larger 
ones  are  planted  out.  When  they  are 
lifted  in  autumn,  those  in  pots  are 
stored  in  houses,  but  the  larger  ones 
are  lifted  with  small  balls  of  earth 


generally  used   in  the  open   air,   and 

in  form  is  one  of  the  noblest  plants. 

Any  one  with  a  warm  house  may  grow 

it,  and  when  planted  out  in  June,  in 

|   deep,  warm,  rich  soil,  and  a  sheltered 

j   position,    it    will    grow    well    during 

summer  ;   such,  at  least,  is  our  experi- 

i   ence  in  London  and  the  home  counties, 

but  such  tender  plants  must  ever  have 

a    limited    use    in    our    country.     M. 

Basjoo,    a    graceful    Japanese    species 

j   that  has  some  pretensions  to  hardi- 

!   ness,  has  been  tried  as  a  plant  for  the 

open,  but  it  is  not  hardy  enough  for 

our  winters  except  in  the  south. 

MUSGARI    (Grape    Hyacinth).  — A 
very  pretty  little  family,  mostly  from 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARbEti. 


kvosotis. 


S.  Europe,  easily  grown  in  ordinary 
soil,  and  charming  spring  bloomers. 
They  are  all  so  much  alike  in  their 
characteristics  that  a  separate  descrip- 
tion for  each  one  is  not  needed.  The 
main  thing  is  to  get  the  best  kinds  and 
enough  of  these  and  use  them  rightly. 
They  do  not  come  well  into  the  flower 
garden,  as  their  season  of  bloom  is  not 
long,  and  it  is  therefore  worth  while 
naturalising  them  in  free  soils,  and 
also  using  them  as  edgings  in  the 
flower  garden.  One  of  the  best  is 
conicum,  which  is  free  and  handsome  ; 
botry ' aides  and  its  forms  are  also  good. 
I  find  the  native  racemosum  as  good  as 
any. 

MUTISIA.— Very  curious  and  dis- 
tinct half-shrubby  climbers  from  Peru, 
with  tendril-pointed  leaves.  Other 


kinds  are  natives  of  the  Chilian  Andes, 
and  have  simple  leaves,  rigid  in  tex- 
ture, and  their  habit  is,  as  a  rule,  bushy 
and  not  climbing.  They  are  found 
at  elevations  sufficiently  high  to  admit 
of  their  being  grown  out  of  doors  in 
England,  or  at  any  rate  in  the  warmer 
parts  of  the  country,  and  yet  the 
Mutisias  are  scarcely  known  in  our 
gardens.  Some  few  cultivators  have 
been  successful  with  M.  decurrens  ; 
once  or  twice  M.  ilicifolia  has  been 
grown  and  flowered  very  well.  M. 
Clematis  is  the  least  delicate  of  the 
garden  Mutisias. 

M.  CLEMATIS. — The  first  coloured  pic- 
ture of  this  species  ever  published  in  any 
English  work  was  the  plate  in  The  Garden, 
ayth  July  1883.  It  is  a  tall  herbaceous 
climber,  10  to  20  feet  high,  with  pinnate 
leaves,  terminating  in  branched  tendrils, 


the  leaflets  being  covered  on  the  under 
side  with  a  fine  silky  down.  There  are 
very  few  instances  of  its  successful  culture, 
even  in  the  south.  This  species  is  a  native 
of  New  Grenada,  Peru,  and  Ecuador,  at 
elevations  of  from  6000  to  11,000  feet. 

M.  DECURRENS. — Of  this,  the  most 
beautiful  of  the  three  garden  Mutisias, 
a  fine  plate  will  be  found  in  The  Garden 
for  1883,  p.  553.  Mr  Coleman  has  grown 
it  well  amongst  Rhododendrons  at  Eastnor 
Castle  ;  Mr  Gumbleton,  Mr  Hooke,  Mr 
Ellacombe,  and  Kew  have  also  had  it  in 
good  condition.  Most  cultivators  kill  this 
species  by  planting  it  in  a  hot,  sunny,  dry 
position.  It  wants  a  moist,  cool  soil,  a 
sunny,  airy  position,  and  a  few  slender 
Pea-sticks  to  clamber  upon.  The  stems 
when  mature  are  wiry,  the  leaves  strap- 
shaped,  with  the  blade  extending  a  long 
distance  down  the  stem,  forming  very 
conspicuous  wings.  The  midrib  is  pro- 
longed into  a  stout  wiry  tendril,  which 
holds  on  firmly  to  anything  it  once  clasps. 
There  are  fourteen  ray-florets,  each  half 
an  inch  across,  spreading,  and  then  curving 
elegantly  downwards,  their  colour  being 
brilliant  orange.  The  disc  is  bluish-green. 

M.  ILICIFOLIA. — Native  of  Chili,  where 
it  grows  over  bushes.  The  plant  has  thin 
wiry  stems,  and  every  part  is  covered  with 
a  cobweb-like  tomentum.  The  leaves 
are  about  2  inches  long,  the  margins  spiny- 
toothed,  the  texture  leathery,  and  the 
midrib  extending  beyond  the  blade, 
branching  and  forming  a  strong  twining 
tendril.  The  flowers  are  axillary,  3  inches 
across,  with  from  eight  to  twelve  ray 
florets  coloured  pale  pink  or  sometimes 
white  with  pink  tips  ;  the  disc  is  lemon- 
yellow.  It  is  a  distinct,  interesting,  and 
beautiful  plant,  but  very  difficult  to  grow. 

MYOSOTIDIUM  (Antarctic  Forget- 
me-Not). — M.  nobile  is  a  lovely  her- 
baceous plant  about  which  very  little 
is  known.  In  its  native  isle  it  is  a 
seaside  plant,  in  damp  sand.  It  has 
a  thick  root-stock,  from  which  arise 
the  large  heart-shaped,  shining  green 
leaves.  The  erect  stem  is  leafy  all  the 
way  up,  and  is  terminated  by  a  loose 
corymb  of  flowers  in  colour  like  Forget- 
me-Not,  but  the  shade  of  blue  varies. 
After  flowering,  the  plants  should  be 
kept  in  a  cool  and  light  position  in  a 
frame,  and  be  liberally  watered  in  dry 
weather.  It  is  a  native  of  the  Chatham 
Islands,  a  small  group  in  the  Pacific, 
lying  400  miles  east  of  New  Zealand. 
It  was  flowered  in  several  gardens  of 
recent  years,  and  very  finely  by  Mrs 
Rogers,  in  Cornwall  in  the  open  air. 

MYOSOTIS  ( Forget-me-  Not)  .—Beau- 
tiful perennial  and  biennial  marsh  and 
alpine  plants,  children  of  the  mountain 
and  marsh  land  from  many  parts  of 


576 '      MYOSOTIS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


MYRRHIS. 


Europe  and  our  own  land,  and  of  high 
value  and  charming  in  all  ways  for 
gardens. 

M.  ALPESTRIS  (Alpine  Forget- me-Not). — 
A  compact  plant  of  the  loveliest  blue 
flowers,  thriving  on  the  rock  garden,  in 
moist  gritty  soil.  It  should  be  surrounded 


Myosotis  alpestris. 

by  half -buried  pieces  of  sandstone.  There 
are  various  forms,  some  very  dwarf,  with 
white  and  rose  flowers.  Princess  Maud  is 
a  robust  variety  with  rich  deep  blue 
flowers. 

M.  AZORICA  (Azorean  Forget-me-Not). — 
A  beautiful  somewhat  tender  kind,  with 
dark  blue  blooms,  6  to  10  inches  high,  and, 
coming  from  the  extreme  W.  Azores, 
will  not  survive  except  in  warm  corners 
of  the  rock  garden.  It  grows  freely  in 
light  soil,  and  may  be  raised  from  seed  or 
cuttings.  Not  easy  to  grow,  and  only 
by  raising  from  seed. 

M.  DISSITIFLORA  (Early  Forget-me- 
Not). — Beautiful  and  early  flowering,  6 
to  12  inches  high,  with  large  handsome 
flowers  deep  sky-blue,  continuing  till 
midsummer.  It  is  best  in  broad  masses 
in  open  spots  of  the  rock  garden,  or 
wherever  spring  flowers  are  much  valued. 

M.  PALUSTRIS. — Although  common  in 
wet  ditches  and  by  streams  and  canals 
throughout  Britain,  M.  palustris  should 
be  grown  in  the  garden  among  shrubs  in 
peat  beds,  or  for  edgings,  or  as  a  carpet 
to  taller  subjects,  in  small  beds  or  borders 
in  moist  soil.  There  are  forms  of  this, 
one  with  white  flowers,  another  with 
larger  flowers  than  the  type,  whilst  one  is 
called  semperflorens,  from  its  long  season 
of.  flowering. 


M.  REHSTEINERI. — One  of  the  prettiest 
Forget-me-Nots,  an  effective  close-to-the- 
ground  creeper,  practically  forming  a 
dense  cushion  of  blue  for  several  weeks  in 
April  and  May.  The  plant  thrives  and 
spreads  like  a  mossy  Saxifrage,  but  keeps 
flat  to  the  ground. 

M.  SYLVATICA  (Wood  Forget-me-Not).— 
A  beautiful  woodland  plant,  and  of  great 
value  for  the  wild  garden.  It  should  be 
abundant  in  a  wild  state  by  wood  walks, 
in  copses,  and  sows  itself  freely  in  such 
places.  For  the  garden,  sow  seeds  in  beds 
in  August  every  year.  Britain.  Seed. 
There  are  a  white,  a  rose-coloured,  and  a 
striped  variety. 

MYRICA  (Sweet  Gale).  —  The 
Myricas,  though  not  showy  flowering 
shrubs,  are  desirable  on  account  of 
their  scented  foliage.  The  native 
Sweet  Gale  or  Dutch  Myrtle  (M.  Gale) 
should  be  wherever  sweet-smelling 
plants  are  cared  for.  It  is  a  thin 
bush,  2  to  3  feet  high,  having  fragrant 
leaves.  In  a  moist  spot,  such  as  a 
bog,  it  spreads  by  underground  shoots 
and  makes  a  large  mass. 

M.  CERIFERA  (Wax  Myrtle)  and  also 
M.  Pennsylvanica  and  Californica,  N. 
American  species,  are  less  common.  The 
last  is  a  good  evergreen  of  dense  growth, 
with  fragrant  leaves,  green  through  the 
winter.  It  is  a  vigorous  plant,  especially 
in  light  soils,  and  is  hardy,  but  is  little 
known  outside  botanical  collections.  The 
Wax  Myrtle  is  met  with  in  old  gardens, 
where  it  was  planted  for  its  spicy  foliage. 
I  find  our  native  Sweet  Gale  free  and 
vigorous  in  stiff  soils  where  few  things 
grow  well. 

M.     (COMPTONIA)     ASPLENIFOLIA     (Sweet 

Fern). — A  quaint  little  shrub  2  to  3  feet 
high,  with  Fern-like  long,  cut  into  rounded 
lobes,  and  aromatic  leaves.  It  spreads 
freely  in  sandy  soils,  and  may  be  increased 
by  layers,  suckers,  or  seeds.  A  pretty 
plant  in  the  sandy  woods  of  many  other 
parts  of  N.  America.  In  gardens  its 
place  is  among  small  shrubs  and  on  the 
margins  of  peat  beds. 

MYRICARIA  (German  Tamarisk}.— 
M.  germanica  is  an  elegant  shrub, 
hardly  differing  from  the  common 
Tamarisk  of  our  sea  -  coasts,  with 
feathery  foliage  and  many  long  plume- 
like  clusters  of  small  pink  flowers. 
It  grows  6  or  8  feet  high  in  warm 
sandy  soils,  and,  like  the  true  Tamarisk, 
is  a  good  shrub  for  dry  banks  where 
few  shrubs  would  flourish. 

MYRRHIS  (Sweet  Cicely}.  —  M. 
odorata  is  a  graceful  native  plant,  with 
a  peculiar  but  grateful  odour  and 
sweet- tasting  stems,  2  to  3  feet  high, 
with  white  flowers  in  early  summer, 


MYRSINE  AFRICANA.       THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.      NARCISSUS.         577 


in  compound  umbels.  Suitable  for 
naturalising  near  wood  walks  and  in 
open  shrubberies  in  any  soil,  and  may 
be  used  among  fine-leaved  perennials. 
Division. 


Myrrhis  odot-ata  (Sweet  Cicely). 

MYRSINE  AFRICANA.— A  curious 
little  evergreen  found  in  many  parts 
of  the  world — India,  China,  etc. — and 
of  very  neat  habit.  Thrives  in  the 
rock  garden. 

MYRTUS  (Myrtle).— In  southern  and 
coast  counties  the  Myrtle  is  hardy 
enough  to  be  planted  as  a  bush,  for  if 
its  shoots  are  killed  by  frosts  it  often 
recovers  the  following  season.  But 
the  common  Myrtle  is  most  gener- 
ally grown  as  a  wall-shrub,  and  house 
walls  could  not  have  a  more  beauti- 
ful covering,  especially  if  some  pretty 
Clematis  or  other  graceful  climber  be 
allowed  to  ramble  amongst  the  Myrtle. 
There  are  many  varieties  of  the 
common  Myrtle,  every  one  with  sweet- 
smelling  leaves,  and  all  with  white 
flowers.  The  chief  sorts  are  the  Dutch, 
Italian,  Roman,  Rosemary  or  Thyme- 
leaved,  Nutmeg,  Box  -  leaved,  and 
Andalusian.  Besides  these  there  are 
some  with  variegated  leaves,  the  leaves 
being  striped  with  gold  or  silver,  or 
spotted  and  blotched.  In  planting  a 
Myrtle  against  a  wall,  choice  should, 
if  possible,  be  given  to  a  space  pro- 
tected from  northerly  and  easterly 


winds,  which   in   spring  are   injurious 
to  the  leaves.     S.  Europe. 

NANDINA  (Heavenly  Bamboo).— N. 
domestica  is  a  distinct  and  graceful 
shrub  with  dark  leathery  leaves,  often 
flushed  with  red  towards  autumn. 
The  flowers  are  small  and  whitish,  in 
panicles,  the  berries  about  the  size  of 
peas,  of  a  fine  red.  In  our  climate,  it 
does  not  produce  these  freely,  but  it 
thrives  in  southern  and  western  gar- 
dens, and  is  best  grouped  with  Ameri- 
can plants  on  peaty  or  free  soil,  best 
in  half-shade.  China  and  Japan. 

NARCISSUS  (Daffodil).  —  Beautiful 
bulbous  flowers  of  mountain  and  alpine 
pastures,  plains,  or  woods,  thriving 
admirably  in  most  parts  of  our  island  ; 
if  anywhere,  better  in  the  cooler  nor- 
thern parts  and  in  Ireland,  though 
excellent  in  cool  soils  in  the  south. 
They  are  to  the  spring  what  Roses, 
Irises,  and  Lilies  are  to  summer,  what 
Sunflowers  and  Chrysanthemums  are 
to  autumn,  and  what  Hellebores  and 
Aconite  are  to  winter.  No  good  garden 
should  be  without  the  best  of  the 
lovely  varieties  now  known.  Narcissi 
vary  so  much  in  form,  size,  colour,  and 
in  time  of  flowering,  that  a  most  attrac- 
tive spring  garden  could  be  made  with 
them  alone  ;  provided  one  had  suitable 
soil,  and  a  background  of  fresh  turf, 
shrubs,  and  trees.  The  best  of  the 
commoner  kinds  should  be  planted  by 
the  thousand,  and,  indeed,  in  many 
cases  this  has  been  done  with  the  best 
results.  On  grassy  banks,  on  turfy 
bosses  near  the  roots  of  lawn  -  trees, 
or  in  meadows  near  the  house,  their 
effect  is  delightful.  All  the  best  Nar- 
cissi, and  practically  all  the  forms  of 
the  yellow  and  the  bicolor  Daffodils, 
may  be  planted  in  June,  July,  or 
August,  in  three  ways — in  the  lawn 
or  meadow,  in  the  beds  and  borders 
of  the  garden,  or  in  6  or  8 -inch  pots. 
Five  bulbs  should  be  planted  in  a 
pot  and  covered  over  with  coal-ashes 
or  sand  until  January,  when  they  may 
be  placed  in  a  sunny  frame,  pit,  or 
greenhouse,  or  even  in  a  sunshiny 
window,  and  a  crop  of  flowers  can 
be  secured  earlier  than  on  the  open 
ground.  The  main  points  in  beginning 
the  culture  of  Narcissi  are  to  get  sound 
and  healthy  bulbs  as  early  as  possible 
after  June,  and  to  plant  or  pot  them 
at  once  in  good  fibrous,  sandy,  or 
gravelly  loam,  or  in  any  virgin  soil. 
They  like  fresh  deep-tilled  loam,  and 
the  strongest  of  the  bicolor  and  star 
Narcissi  do  not  object  to  soils  rich  in 

2  O 


NARCISSUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN,         NARCISSUS. 


manure  ;  but  it  is  as  well  to  remem- 
ber that  no  manure  should  be  used  in 
its  raw  or  crude  state,  and  that  wild 
species  and  wild  -  collected  varieties 
suffer  and  often  fail  if  planted  at  once 
in  heavily  manured  soils. 

In  naturalising  the  Daffodil  en  the 

frass,  the  Poet's  Narcissus,  or  the 
tar  Narcissus  ( N.  incomparabilis  in  all 
its  forms),  do  not  begin  as  late  as 
November  or  December  by  planting 
the  sweepings  out  of  the  bulb-stores, 
since  such  bulbs  are  weak  and  flabby, 
and  are  liable  to  rot  in  the  frozen 
ground.  The  time  to  begin  planting 
is  June  and  July,  and  it  is  a  good  rule 
to  refuse  to  plant  in  quantity  after 
August  or  September. 

In  grouping  border  Narcissi  it  \\ill 
usually  be  found  advisable  to  lift  and 
replant  the  clumps  every  three  or  four 
years,  but  if  any  delicate  varieties  do 
not  flower  well,  or  if  they  show  signs 
of  weakness  or  of  disease,  they  should 
be  lifted  not  later  than  July,  and  after 
being  cleaned,  at  once  replanted  in 
fresh  and  good  soil,  and,  if  possible,  in 
shady  or  gravelly  loam  free  from  fresh 


Narcissus  calathiniis. 


manures.  It  is  better  to  dig  and 
replant  Daffodils  too  soon  than  too  late. 
The  best  time  is  when  the  leaves  turn 
yellow  in  June  or  July.  On  well- 
drained  loams  resting  on  gravel,  the 
bulbs  lose  both  leaves  and  roots  in 
June  or  July,  and  may  be  taken  up 
and  removed  with  advantage  ;  and, 
indeed,  where  good  round  presentable 
sale  bulbs  are  grown,  the  rule  is  to  dig 


them  every  summer  as  soon  as  the 
leaves  wither.  Whenever  an  amateur's 
stock  of  bulbs  is  divided,  it  is  wise  to 
replant  some  in  fresh  ground,  and  any 
surplus  may  be  naturalised  in  grass. 
The  rate  of  increase  on  good  soils 
is  surprising,  such  splendid  sorts  as 
N.  John  Horsfield,  N.  Empress,  N. 
Grandee,  N.  Emperor,  and  N.  Sir 
Watkin  actually  trebling  themselves 
the  second  year  after  planting.  The 
depth  at  which  the  bulbs  should  be 
planted  varies  according  to  the  tex- 
ture and  the  drainage  of  the  soil.  In 
strong  or  wet  and  retentive  soils, 
shallow  planting,  say  3  to  5  inches 
beneath  the  surface,  is  ample,  but  on 
light,  sandy,  and  well-drained  soils,  or 
on  what  are  known  as  warm  soils,  the 
depth  may  vary  from  6  to  12  inches — 
in  a  word,  the  bulbs  should  be  as  far 
as  possible  below  the  drought  and 
frost  line.  The  best  grown  private 
collections  of  these  flowers  I  have 
seen  are  those  at  Great  Warley,  Essex, 
and  at  Totley  Hall,  near  Sheffield, 
where  the  best  kinds  are  grouped 
boldly  by  the  thousand. 

If  cut  flowers  are  desired,  then  bold 
groups  on  borders,  in  beds,  or  on 
grass  sheltered  by  hedges  or  shrubs 
are  desirable.  The  first  crop  can  be 
obtained  from  pots  or  boxes  in  the 
greenhouse,  and  these  will  be  followed 
by  fully  formed  and  bursting  buds,  in 
sheltered  and  sunny-  places.  These 
buds  will  open  large,  fresh,  and  fair 
if  placed  in  pots  of  water  in  a  warm 
greenhouse  or  a  sunny  frame  or 
window.  In  March  and  April  comes 
the  prolific  harvest  of  golden  open-air 
blossoms.  In  cutting  Daffodils  or 
Narcissi  for  indoor  decoration,  cut  the 
flowers  when  the  buds  are  opening,  or 
even  just  before,  and  let  the  stalks 
be  long,  as  the  flowers  group  better 
with  long  stalks.  Do  not  cut  the 
leaves  of  choice  kinds,  but  use  leaves 
of  common  sorts  with  choice  flowers. 
Put  each  kind  in  a  separate  glass,  but 
put  together  as  many  of  the  same  kind 
as  you  like. 

Such  delicate  southern  kinds  as  N. 
Bulbocodium,  N.  triandrus,  N.  cala- 
thinus,  N.  juncifolius,  and  most  of  the 
varieties  of  N.  Tazetta  may  be  grown 
in  front  of  sunny  walls  on  prepared 
peaty  or  on  sandy  borders,  or  else  in 
glasshouses  in  the  garden  ;  but  even 
in  such  places  their  flowers  often  suffer 
from  spring  storms,  and  the  surest 
plan  is  to  adopt  pot-culture  in  a  sunny 
frame.  N.  viridiflorus,  N.  serotinus, 
N.  intermedius,  N.  elegans,  N.  pachy- 


NARCISSUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         NARCISSUS. 


579 


bulbus,  N.  Broussoneti,  etc.,  are  inter- 
esting to  collectors ;  but  the  diffi- 
culties of  their  culture  are  out  of  all 
proportion  to  their  beauty,  and  those 
who  only  wish  for  large  and  beautiful 
flowers  had  better  ignore  them.  Prac- 
tically, we  have  only  six  species  of 
Narcissus  worth  cultivating — N.  Bul- 
bocodium,  N.  pseudo-narcissus,  N. 
poeticus,  N.  Tazetta,  N.  jonquilla,  and 
N.  triandrus.  Then  for  naturalisa- 
tion, or  for  ordinary  garden  culture, 
these  six  may  be  reduced  to  three 
groups — N.  pseudo-narcissus,  or  the 
Ajax  Daffodils  ;  N.  poeticus,  or  the 
Poet's  Narcissus ;  and  the  natural 
hybrid  between  these  two  species,  the 
ubiquitous  Star  Narcissus — N.  incom- 
parabilis.  These  kinds  are  really  the 
only  free  and  hardy  open-air  Narcissi, 
and  are  the  best  for  the  meadow  or 
the  lawn. 

Of  the  newer  seedlings,  perhaps 
the  finest  are  N.  "  Ellen  Willmott  " 
and  N.  Mme.  de  Graaff,  which  first 
flowered  at  Leyden  in  1883.  N.  Glory 
of  Leyden  is  a  yellow  counterpart  of 
it.  The  two  were  offered,  one  bulb  of 
each,  for  seven  guineas  only  a  year 
or  two  ago.  They  are  so  vigorous, 
and  they  increase  so  fast  in  good  soil, 
that  buyers  were  amply  repaid,  high 
as  these  prices  appear.  N.  Weardale 
Perfection,  N.  Monarch,  and  some 
others  are  so  fine  and  so  rare  that  they 
are  practically  not  to  be  had,  anything 
less  than  ten  guineas  having  been 
refused  for  a  single  bulb  of  N.  Wear- 
dale  Perfection.  These  are  only  show 
flowers,  however,  and  many  others 
not  much  less  handsome  may  be  had 
by  the  hundred  or  the  thousand  at  a 
moderate  price. 

Narcissi  flower  in  continuous  suc- 
cession from  February  until  June  ;  and 
when  pot  -  culture  and  warm  -  house 
treatment  is  adopted,  the  double 
Roman  Narcissus  and  the  Italian 
paper- white  Narcissus  flower  in  Novem- 
ber, and  there  are  always  some  Nar- 
cissi in  flower  from  that  time  to  June. 

HYBRID  NARCISSI.  —  The  species 
which  have  best  lent  themselves  to 
the  hybridiser's  art  are  AT",  pseudo- 
narcissus,  N.  poeticus,  N.  montanus,  N. 
triandrus,  N.  jonquilla,  and  N.  Tazetta. 
The  type  hybrids  are  N.  incompara- 
bilis,  Bernardi  (both  found  wild), 
Nelsoni,  Barrii,  Burbidgei,  Humel, 
Leedsii,  Milneri,  tridymus,  and  odorus. 
There  are  wild  and  garden  hybrids 
between  N.  Bulbocodium  and  pseudo- 
narcissus  ;  N.  triandrus  and  N. 
pseudo-narcissus  ;  N.  jonquilla  and  N. 


pseudo-narcissus  ;  N.  juncifolius  and 
N.  pseudo-narcissus  ;  N.  Tazetta  and 
N.  pseudo-narcissus ;  N.  Tazetta  and 
•  N.  poeticus ;  N.  poeticus  and  N. 
pseudo-narcissus ;  and  N.  montanus 
and  N.  poeticus  ;  and  also  N.  pseudo- 
narcissus  and  N.  montanus ;  while 
derivative  hybrids  have  been  obtained 
between  some  of  these  hybrids  and 
some  of  the  parent  species.  It  is 
remarkable  that  while  wild  hybrids 
and  garden  seedlings  usually  enjoy 
richly  manured  soils,  wild  species  and 
the  white  varieties  of  the  Daffodil, .  N. 
triandrus  and  N.  Bulbocodium,  usually 
die  out  on  deep  richly  manured  borders, 
but  frequently  live  on  poor  stony  or 
sandy  soils,  on  dry  grassy  banks,  or 
amongst  the  roots  on  the  sunny  sides 
of  hedges,  shrubs,  stone  walls,  and 
trees. 

N.  BIFLORUS  (Primrose  Peerless). — 
Similar  in  habit  to  N.  poeticus,  but  has 
creamy-white  flowers,  two  on  a  scape,  and 
the  rim  of  the  primrose  corona  is  scariose 
but  colourless  (i.e.,  not  purple).  N.  bi- 
florus  is  now  known  to  be  a  natural  hybrid 
between  N.  poeticus  and  N.  Tazetta,  hav- 
ing been  found  wild  with  its  parents  near 
Montpellier  by  Mr  Barr  ;  and  also  raised 
from  its  parents  in  the  garden  by  the 
Rev.  Mr  Engleheart.  N.  biflorus  is 
naturalised  in  England  and  Ireland,  but 
is  a  native  of  Europe.  It  is  one  of  the 
easiest  of  all  the  kinds  to  naturalise,  and 
spreads  rapidly,  but  is  usually  supposed 
not  to  bear  seed.  N.  Dr  Laumonier 
(Wilks)  is  a  very  fine  seedling  of  this 
group. 


PRINCIPAL  SPECIES  OF  NARCISSI. 

N.      (CORBULARIA)     BULBOCODIUM     (The 

Hooped  Petticoat  Daffodil). — This  is  one 
of  a  kind  with  slender  rush-like  leaves. 
In  Spain  it  grows  in  wet  meadows  during 
winter  and  spring,  but  is  dried  up  through- 
out summer  and  autumn.  The  types  are 
golden-yellow  in  Spain  and  Portugal, 
sulphur-yellow  in  S.  France,  as  at  Biarritz 
and  Bayonne,  one  variety  in  the  Pyrenean 
district  (N.  Grcellsii)  is  whitish,  but  in 
Algeria  grows  the  exquisite  snowy- white 
N.  monophyllus.  Hybrids  between  N. 
Bulbocodium,  N.  triandrus,  and  the  Daffo- 
dil have  been  obtained  in  gardens,  and 
are  also  found  wild.  The  main  varieties 
are  conspicuus,  a  large,  rich,  golden- 
yellow  kind  with  green  rushy  leaves ; 
tenuifolius,  a  small  golden  form,  having 
a  six-lobed  rim  to  the  corona,  and  very 
long  rush  leaves  which  lie  on  the  ground  ; 
nivalis,  abundant  in  Portugal  and  near 
Leon  in  Spain,  a  small  golden  kind  with 
short  erect  leaves  ;  prcscox,  a  large  early- 
blooming  form,  found  by  Mr  Barr  in 
Spain ;  citrinus,  a  pale  French  form, 


NARCISSUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         NARCISSUS. 


varying  much  in  size  ;  Grallsii,  the  Euro- 
pean white  ;  and  monophyllus,  the  African 
white.  These  are  dainty  bulbs  for  pots 
or  for  choice  borders  on  warm  dry  soils. 
They  can  rarely  be  naturalised  in  our 
country. 

N.  CYCLAMINEUS  (Cyclamen  Daffodil). — 
A  dainty  but  not  showy  species,  easily 
grown  in  a  peat-earth  rock  garden  or  in 
pots  of  peaty  compost.  It  seldom  exists 
from  year  to  year  in  the  open  air.  It  has 
lived  on  grass  in  peat,  and,  no  doubt, 
could  be  naturalised  easily  enough  on 


green  leaves.  There  are  large  and  small 
forms,  and  a  bicolor  variety  seems  to  have 
been  known  long  ago.  N.  cyclamineus, 
although  but  lately  re-discovered,  was 
figured  in  French  books  early  in  the 
seventeenth  century.  Like  N.  Johnstoni, 
it  came  from  Oporto  in  1884-85. 

N.  INCOMPARABILIS  (Star  Daffodil). — 
To  this  group  belong  N.  incompardbilis, 
Barrii,  Burbidgei,  odorus,  Backhousei, 
Nelsoni,  Sabinei,  tridymus,  and  the  Pyre- 
nean  wild  hybrid  Bernardi,  which  is  found 
wherever  N.  variiformis  and  N.  poeticus 


Narcissus  Sir  Watkin. 


sandy  peat  soils  which  are  wet  in  winter 
and  spring  and  dry  in  summer  and 
autumn.  In  April  1892  I  saw  a  most 
lovely  specimen  low  down  in  a  damp 
little  grassy  bay  beside  a  mill-race  at 
Mount  Usher  in  Wicklow.  N.  cycla- 
mineus likes  the  sides  of  a  stream,  and  is 
found  by  streams  in  Portugal.  Like 
N.  triandrus,  it  is  readily  raised  from  seed, 
and  the  seedlings  flower  the  third  year. 
It  is  6  to  8  inches  high,  and  the  scapes  are 
about  the  same  length,  each  bearing  a 
bright  golden  reflexed  flower.  It  has  sap- 


occur  together.  Of  N.  incomparabilis 
there  are  over  a  hundred  named  kinds, 
the  best  being  :  Sir  Watkin  or  Welsh 
Peerless,  Gloria  Mundi,  Queen  Sophia, 
C.  J,  Backhouse,  Princess  Mary,  Gwyther, 
splendens,  Beauty,  Autocrat,  Frank  Miles, 
Cynosure,  James  Bateman,  King  of  the 
Netherlands,  Commander,  Figaro,  Goliath, 
Mabel  Cowan,  Mary  Anderson  (delicate, 
but  of  a  splendid  colour),  Fair  Helen,  Lul- 
worth,  St  Patrick,  and  Queen  Bess. 
Mr  Engleheart  has  a  large  series  of 
shapely  seedlings  with  richly  coloured 


NARCISSUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


NARCISSUS. 


581 


crowns,  such  as  "  Southern  Star,"  Lettice 
Harmer,  Red  Prince,  Beacon,  and  White 
Queen.  There  are  three  or  four  hand- 
some double  forms  of  AT.  incomparabilis, 
long  known  in  gardens.  The  most  abun- 
dant of  these  is  incomparabilis  fl.-pl. 
(Butter  and  Eggs).  There  is  a  white 
variety,  with  vermilion  chalice  segments, 
known  as  Eggs  and  Bacon  or  Orange 
Phoenix  ;  and  a  pale  sulphur  double  called 
Sulphur  Kroon,  which  is  exquisite  if  well 
grown.  Sulphur  Kroon  is  often  known  as 
Codlins  and  Cream. 

Of  Barr's  Peerless  (N.  Barrii,  hybrids), 
the  best  are  Conspicuus  and  Sensation, 
but  Golden  Star,  Crown  Prince,  Flora 
Wilson,  Miriam,  Barton,  Orphee,  General 
Murray,  Albatross,  Sea  Gull,  Maurice 
Vilmorin,  and  Dorothy  E.  Wemyss  are  all 
good,  and  are  useful  for  extended  culture 
on  grass  or  for  cut  flowers. 

The  Burbidge  hybrids  are  like  the 
Barrii  forms,  but  have  small  crowns. 
Their  chief  value  lies  in  the  freedom  and 
earliness  of  their  bloom,  as  they  open 
days  before  even  ornatus — the  early  April 
form  of  N.  poeticus.  The  best  varieties 
are  Burbidgei  (type),  Agnes  Barr,  Beatrice 
Heseltine,  Baroness  Heath,  Constance, 
Crown  Princess,  Ellen  Barr,  John  Bain. 
Little  Dirk,  Model,  Mrs  Krelage,  and 
Mary. 

Of  Leeds'  Silver  Star  forms  the  best  are 
exquisite  on  good  sandy  soils,  and  their 
whiteness,  delicate  purity,  and  grace 
render  them  most  acceptable  as  cut 
flowers.  The  best  are  :  N.  Leedsii  (type), 
amabilis,  Beatrice,  Hon.  Mrs  Barton, 
Katherine  Spurrell,  Duchess  of  West- 
minster, Madge  Matthew,  elegans,  Minnie 
Hume,  superbus,  Princess  of  Wales,  Mag- 
dalina  de  Graaff,  Gem,  Grand  Duchess, 
Acis,  and  Palmerston.  Hume's  hybrids 
are  deformed  Daffodils,  the  best  being 
Giant  and  concolor.  Sabine's  hybrid  (N. 
Sabinei)  is  a  bold  white  bicolor,  with  a 
shortened  trumpet,  and  so  are  the  so- 
called  Backhouse  hybrids — Wolley  Dod 
and  William  Wilks,  a  shapely  and  effec- 
tive flower  of  good  substance  and  with 
vigorous  leaves. 

More  starry,  but  with  smaller  cups, 
are  Nelson's  hybrids  ;  tall,  free,  and  dis- 
tinct habit ;  the  best,  Nelsoni  major, 
minor,  pulchellus  (perfect  shape),  Mrs  C.  J. 
Backhouse,  aurantius  (orange-red  cup), 
and  William  Backhouse.  Collected  bulbs 
of  N.  Bernardi  are  very  variable  in  size 
and  form,  and  some,  like  E.  Buxton,  have 
fine  orange-red  cups,  which  resemble 
Nelson's  aurantius.  N.  tridymus  is  a 
variable  hybrid  between  the  Daffodil  and 
N.  Tazetta,  with  two  or  three  flowers  on 
a  scape. 

N.  JONQUILLA  (Jonquil). — Long  known 
in  gardens,  and  imported  from  Italy  and 
Holland  for  forcing  in  pots.  Much  grown 
at  Grasse,  Cannes,  etc.,  for  its  perfume. 
N.  stellaris  has  narrow  perianth  lobes,  and 


N.  jonquilloides  is  a  robust  form  from 
Spain.  The  varieties  gracilis  and  tenuior 
are  now  supposed  to  be  hybrids  between 
the  Jonquil  and  some  other  species,  or 
between  N.  intermedius  and  juncifolius, 
N.  intermedius  itself  being  a  hybrid  be- 
tween some  form  of  N.  Tazetta  and  the 
Jonquil.  The  Jonquil,  when  strongly 
grown  on  a  warm  border,  is  handsome 
and  very  sweet-scented,  and  N.  gracilis  is 
the  latest  of  all  single  Narcissi,  as  it  blooms 
with  N.  poeticus  fl.-pl.  in  May  or  early 
June.  The  double  Jonquil  is  rarely  seen 
doing  well  in  open  ground,  but  as  a  pot- 
plant  it  is  handsome.  S.  France  and 
Spain. 

N.  JUNCIFOLIUS  (Rush  Jonquil). — A 
small  plant,  suitable  only  for  sheltered 
borders,  for  stone  edgings,  and  for  pot- 
culture  in  a  cold  frame.  It  is  very  vari- 
able, and  rupicola,  minutiflorus,  and 
scaberulus  are  well-known  variations. 
Its  small  Jonquil-scented  flowers  have 
very  large  cups,  often  widely  expanded, 
which  are  crenelate  at  their  edges.  The 
var.  rupicola  flowers  and  seeds  annually 
in  the  Rock  Garden  at  Edinburgh  Botani- 
cal Gardens,  and  seems  hardier  than  the 
type. 

N.  ODORUS  (Great  Jonquil). — This 
plant,  although  found  wild  in  S.  France, 
Portugal,  and  N.  Spain,  is  now  believed 
to  be  a  hybrid  —  N.  jonquilla  x  N.  pseudo- 
narcissus.  The  leaves  are  rushy,  and  two 
or  three  yellow  starry  flowers  are  borne 
on  each  scape.  The  best  kinds  are  N. 
odorus  (Campernelle)  and  rugulosus,  a 
more  robust  form,  with  larger  flowers. 
A  double  form,  very  handsome  on  warm 
soils,  is  known  as  Queen  Anne's  Jonquil. 

N.  POETICUS  (Poet's  or  Pheasant's-eye 
Narcissus). — One  of  the  oldest  and  most 
popular  of  garden  flowers,  and  errone- 
ously supposed  to  be  the  Narcissus  of  the 
Greek  poets.  It  is  widely  distributed  in 
France  and  Germany,  and  extends  to  the 
Pyrenees.  In  upland  meadows  of  the 
Pyrenees  it  is  very  abundant  in  June  and 
July.  It  flowers  from  the  beginning  of 
April  until  June.  The  older  forms  of 
N.  poeticus  are  now  far  surpassed  by 
Mr  Engleheart's  new  seedlings,  such  as  ' 
Dante,  Petrarch,  and  many  others.  N. 
ornatus  is  now  grown  by  the  million  for 
Easter  decoration.  N.  grandiflorus  is  a 
very  large  floppy  variety,  N.  poetarum 
has  a  saffron-red  crown,  and  N.  tripodalis 
has  reflexed  segments  and  a  bold  crimson- 
scarlet  ring.  The  typical  N.  poeticus  is  a 
tall  plant,  with  a  small  shapely  flower, 
but  is  not  often  seen.  N.  Marvel  has  a 
bladder-like  spathe  like  an  Allium,  and  a 
pale  and  shapely  flower.  N.  patellaris 
has  a  broad  crown  and  a  saffron  rim,  and 
blooms  late  ;  but  the  form  usually  met 
with  early  in  May  is  N.  recurvus,  the 
Pheasant's-eye  of  cottage  gardens.  N. 
recurvus  has  a  green  eye  and  a  crimson- 
fringed  crown.  All  the  forms,  especially 


Narcissus  Emperor. 


NARCISSUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.          NARCISSUS.         583 


ornatus  and  recurvus,  naturalise  perfectly, 
and  of  recent  years  bulbs  have  been  dug 
on  the  Pyrenees  by  the  thousand  for 
naturalisation.  They  are  so  variable  in 
habit,  size,  shape,  and  colour  that  any 
number  of  varieties  could  be  selected  from 
them.  The  June-flowering  double  form 
of  AT",  patellaris,  or  Gardenia  Narcissus,  is 
very  fine.  It  does  well  on  sandy  deep 
borders.  It  is  a  shy  flowerer,  and  many 
of  its  buds  go  blind,  so  that  half  the  stock 
should  be  transplanted  every  year  in 
August.  N.  stellaris,  the  latest  single 
form  of  N.  poeticus,  flowers  in  June. 
Some  very  fine  and  shapely  seedlings  of 
N.  poeticus  have  been  raised  by  Mr  Engle- 
heart. 

N.  PSEUDO-NARCISSUS  (Common  Daffo- 
dil).— There  are  several  hundred  varieties 
of  the  Common  Daffodil,  either  wild  or 
cultivated.  The  only  native  of  Britain  is 
the  common  English  kind,  which  extends 
from  Cornwall  to  Fife,  and  is  specially 
plentiful  in  the  south-eastern  counties. 
In  Normandy,  Daffodils  by  millions  light 
up  the  woods  in  April,  while  many  fine 
forms  are  wild  in  Spain  and  in  the  Pyre- 
nean  region,  and  the  richest  of  golden 
Daffodils  come  from  Spain  and  Portugal. 
The  Rev.  C.  Wolley  Dod  found  N.  maxi- 
mus  growing  between  Dax  and  Bayonne, 
probably  naturalised.  Nearly  all  Daffo- 
dils do  well  on  grass,  if  the  soil  be  at  all 
suitable  ;  and  as  regards  our  wild  English 
Daffodil,  the  grass  is  the  only  place  in 
which  to  grow  it  permanently.  Daffodils 
are  usually  divided  into  three  groups — 
first,  golden  Daffodils,  such  as  N.  maxi- 
mus,  Tenby,  and  spurius ;  secondly, 
bicolors,  such  as  John  Horsfield,  Empress, 
Grandee,  etc.  ;  thirdly,  sulphur  and  white 
kinds,  such  as  Exquisite,  and  the  white 
Daffodils,  such  as  the  wild  Pyrenean  and 
N.  moschatus.  Nearly  all  the  golden 
kinds  are  robust  and  easily  grown,  and 
the  bicolor  group  are  even  more  so,  but, 
speaking  broadly,  the  delicate  sulphur 
and  white  sorts  are  tender  and  unsatis- 
factory, except  on  the  most  favourable 
soils.  The  following  are  the  best  in  each 
group  : — 

Golden  Daffodil  Group. — A,bscissus 
(muticus),  Ard  Righ,  Emperor,  Countess 
of  Annesley,  Bastemil,  Captain  Nelson, 
spurius,  coronatus  (General  Gordon),  Gol- 
den Spur,  Distinction,  obvallaris,  Henry 
Irving,  Glory  of  Leyden,  Golden  Prince, 
Golden  Plover,  Golden  Vase,  Her  Majesty, 
John  Nelson,  spurius,  major,  maximus, 
M.  J.  Berkeley,  and  Mrs  Elwes.  Nanus 
and  minor  are  dwarf  varieties,  minimus 
is  the  smallest  of  all  the  Daffodils. 
Shakespeare,  Hodsock's  Price,  Fred. 
Moore,  Wide  Awake,  Marchioness  of 
Headfort,  P.  R.  Barr,  rugilobus,  Santa 
Maria,  Samson,  Sir  W.  Harcourt,  Town- 
shend,  Boscawen,  Stanfield,  Croom  a  Boo 
{Ard  Righ  with  a  frilled  trumpet), Weardale 
Perfection,  "  Ellen  Willmott,"  Monarch, 


and  many  others  are  not  as  yet  much 
grown. 

Bicolor  Group. — Empress,  John  Hors- 
field, Grandee,  Dean  Herbert,  Michael 
Foster,  Alfred  Parsons,  George  C.  Barr, 
Harrison  Weir,  J.  B.  M.  Camm,  John 
Parkinson,  Mrs  Walter  Ware,  Mad. 
Plemp,  T.  A.  Dorien  Smith,  and  varii- 
formis.  Carrie  Plemp,  Princess  Colibri, 
Duchess  of  Teck.  and  Victoria  are  new 
kinds. 

White  and  Sulphur-flowered  Group. — 
Moschatus,  albicans  (Leda),  cernuus  (very 
variable),  Cecilia  de  Graaff,  Colleen  Bawn, 
cernuus  pulcher,  C.  W.  Cowan,  Dr  Hogg, 
Exquisite,  J.  G.  Baker  (volutus),  F.  W. 


Hybrid  Narcissus  Snowdrop. 

Burbidge,  Lady  Grosvenor,  Galatea,  Mme. 
de  Graaff,  Mrs  F.  W.  Burbidge,  Mrs 
J.  B.  M.  Camm,  Mrs  Thompson,  Helen 
Falkiner,  pallidus  pvcecox  (the  variable 
sulphur  Daffodil  of  Biarritz  and  Bayonne), 
pallidus  asturicus,  Princess  Ida,  Sarnian 
Belle,  tortuosus,  Wm.  Goldring,  W.  P. 
Milner,  Minnie  Warren,  Countess  of 
Desmond,  Robert  Boyle,  Silver  Bar, 
Mrs  Vincent. 

The  best  of  the  double  Daffodils  are 
— Telamonius  plenus  (Van  Sion),  very 
free  and  robust,  naturalised  everywhere  ; 
double  English,  minor  plenus  (Rip  van 
Winkle) ;  lobularis  plenus;  Scoticus  plenus; 
plenissimus  (Parkinson's great  rose  double); 
capax  plenus  (Eystettensis),  an  exqui- 
sitely pretty  and  pale  six-rowed  double, 
but  requiring  a  warm  sandy  soil,  and 
remarkable  as  being  a  distinct  double, 
of  which  the  single  type  is  unknown ; 
Cernuus,  C.  bicinctus  ;  the  last  do  well  in 
warm,  stony  soils,  and,  like  other  delicate 
kinds,  enjoy  the  company  of  tree,  shrub, 
or  Rose  roots. 

Johnstoni  (Johnston's  hybrid  Daffodil) 
was  found  by  Mr  A.  W.  Tait  near  Oporto 
in  1885,  and  figured  in  Bot.  Mag.,  7012  ; 
it  is  a  natural  hybrid,  between  N.  pseudo- 
narcissus  and  N.  triandrus,  and  is  variable, 


5*4 


NARCISSUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


NARCISSUS. 


Mr  Tait  having  in  March  1892  sent  me  a 
bicolor  form  (Garrett  x  N.  triandrus  albus} . 
The  best  forms  are  N.  Johnstoni  (type), 
Queen  of  Spain,  Mrs  Geo.  Cammell,  Pelayo, 
and  Mr  Tait's  new  bicolor  form  to  which 
I  have  above  alluded.  The  Rev.  G.  H. 
Engleheart  has  repeated  crosses  between 
the  parent  species,  and  has  produced  a 
pale  sulphur  or  white  Johnstoni  (Snow- 
drop) and  others. 

N.  TAZETTA  (Polyanthus  or  Bunch 
Narcissus). — This  is  the  classical  Narcis- 
sus of  Homer  and  other  poets,  Greek  and 
Roman — the  flower  of  a  hundred  heads 
that  delights  all  men,  and  lends  a  glory  to 
the  sea  and  the  sky.  Tazetta  is  focused 
in  the  Mediterranean  Basin,  but  extends 
from  the  Canary  Islands  to  the  north  of 
India  and  to  Japan.  It  has  long  been 
naturalised  in  the  Scilly  Isles  and  in 
Cornwall ;  but  its  early  habit  of  growth., 
acquired  in  more  sunny  climes,  often  with 
us  causes  the  flowers  to  be  injured  by 
frosts  and  storms.  These  Narcissi  are 
hardy  on  warm  dry  soils,  and  as  pot- 
plants  many  of  them  are  handsome,  while 
in  deep,  warm,  sandy  borders,  which  are 
sheltered  by  sunny  walls  or  by  plant- 
houses,  they  frequently  do  well,  but  as  a 
rule  bulbs  must  be  imported  from  France, 
Italy,  or  Holland  every  year.  The  earliest 
are  the  double  Roman  and  the  paper- 
white  (N.  papyraceus}.  One  variety  from 
China  may  be  grown  in  a*  sunny  window 
if  placed  in  water,  and  the  bulbs  sub- 
merged and  held  in  position  by  gravel  or 
stones.  The  growth  of  this  variety  is 
rapid,  and  good  bulbs  produce  five  to 
eight  spikes.  Its  shop  name  is  "  Sacred 
Narcissus  "  or  Chinese  "  Joss  Lily." 

The  best  varieties  are  Grand  Monarque, 
States-General,  Newton,  Scilly  White 
(White  Pearl),  Soleil  d'Or,  Bathurst, 
Baselman  major  (Trewianus),  Gloriosus, 
Sulphurine,  Czar  de  Muscovie,  Grand 
Sultana,  Grand  Primo  Citroniere,  Luna, 
Her  Majesty,  Queen  of  the  Netherlands, 
Lord  Canning,  and  Golden  Era. 

N.  Baselman  minor  is  now  proved  by 
Mr  Engleheart  and  others  to  be  a  hybrid 
between  N.  Tazetta  and  N.  poeticus,  and 
a  similar  hybrid  has  been  found  wild  near 
Montpellier. 

N.  TRIANDRUS  (Ganymede's  Cup). — A 
distinct  and  elegant  species  which  is  rarely 
happy  out  of  doors  except  on  warm,  moist 
and  sheltered  borders,  or  in  nooks  of  the 
rock  garden,  but  which  as  a  pot-bulb  has 
no  superior  for  delicate  beauty,  its  flowers 
rivalling  in  texture  those  of  the  Cape 
Freezias.  The  late  Mr  Rawson,  of  Fall- 
barrow,  Windermere,  grew  it  in  pots,  and 
his  specimens  bore  fifty  to  a  hundred 
flowers.  His  plan  was  to  rest  it  thor- 
oughly after  the  leaves  faded,  and  then  to 
top-dress  the  bulbs,  and  rarely  or  never 
to  re-pot  them.  As  a  rule,  N.  triandrus 
is  short-lived,  but  it  naturally  reproduces 
itself  from  seeds,  which  bloom  the  second 


or  third  year  after  sowing.  The  principal 
varieties  are  N.  albus  (Angel's  Tears), 
N.  calathinus  (a  robust  form  from  the 
Isle  de  Glennans),  and  LTle  St  Nicholas. 
On  the  coast  of  Brittany,  N.  calathinus 
grows  among  rocks  and  short  sandy  sward 
close  to  the  sea,  and  within  reach  of  its 
spray  during  rough  weather.  N.  pul- 
chellus  has  a  primrose  perianth  and  a 
white  cup,  and  is  very  pretty.  In  the 
late  Mr  R.  Parker's  nursery  at  Lower 
Tooting,  in  1874,  it  was  very  strong  and 
healthy  in  an  open-air  bed  resting  on  the 
gravel,  and  some  of  its  scapes  bore  seven 
or  nine  flowers.  No  other  Narcissus  has 
a  cup  paler  than  the  perianth  segments. 
Pulchellus  has  recently  been  found  wild 
in  Portugal  and  Spain. 

NEW  HYBRID  AND  CROSS-BRED  NAR- 
CISSI.— Every  year  we  have  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  new  and  improved 
seedlings  by  the  score,  and  any  one 
may  raise  seedlings  for  themselves  if 
they  will  take  the  trouble  to  cross- 
fertilise  the  flowers  either  as  grown  in 
pots  in  cool  greenhouse  or  cold  frame, 
or  in  open-air  borders.  In  some  gar- 
dens, as  at  Chirnside  and  Kilma- 
curragh,  series  of  natural  cross-bred 
kinds  have  appeared  spontaneously, 
and  this  is  doubtless  how  White 
Minor,  St  Austin,  Countess  of  Des- 
mond, and  many  other  Irish  forms 
appeared. 

DISEASES  AND  INSECTS. — As  Narcissi 
may  be  grown  on  dry  warm  soils,  or 
in  grassy  lawns  and  meadows,  the 
insects  and  fungoid  diseases  that  would 
affect  them  on  deep-dug  and  highly 
manured  borders  are  few  and  far 
between.  Neither  cattle  nor  sheep 
molest  them,  and  game  and  poultry, 
and  even  the  more  voracious  of  rabbits 
and  the  most  impudent  of  town- 
sparrows  leave  the  flowers  alone. 
That  their  leaves  and  roots  are 
poisonous,  or  acridly  narcotic,  may 
account  for  this.  In  some  gardens 
and  nurseries  the  larva  of  the  Nar- 
cissus Fly  (Merodon  equestris]  infests 
old  bulbs,  and  whenever  bulbs  are 
imported  from  abroad  or  are  dug 
for  replanting,  this  larva  should  be 
searched  for  and  exterminated.  The 
bulbs  affected  may  generally  be  known 
by  their  necks  feeling  soft  when 
pinched.  All  such  bulbs  should  be 
cut  open  and  the  larvae  extracted  and 
killed.  Such  means  are  the  only  cure, 
as  no  insecticides  will  kill  the  pest  with- 
out destroying  the  bulbs.  The  pest 
checks  both  root  and  bulb  growth, 
but  after  the  larvae  are  removed  the 
rare  bulbs  recently  infected  may  be 


NARDOSTACHYS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


NEMESIA. 


585 


planted  for  stock,  for  although  the 
heart  be  eaten  away,  the  lateral  buds 
at  the  base  of  the  bulb-scales  often 
produce  young  bulbs. 

N.  poeticus  and  its  varieties  have 
rarely  been  infected  by  a  leaf  fungus 
(Puccinia  Schrceteri),  and  so  far  its 
ravages  have  been  limited. 

Bulbs  of  Narcissus  are  now  and  then 
found  to  be  afflicted  with  black  canker 
or  "  black-rot,"  probably  caused  by 
Peziza  cibovioides,  but  so  far  little 
serious  injury  has  been  done.  The 
most  insidious  disease  that  affects 
Narcissi  is  one  to  which  Mr  C.  W.  Dod 
some  few  years  ago  originally  drew 
attention,  under  the  name  of  "  basal 
rot."  The  stunted  flowers  come  up 
prematurely,  while  the  leaves  have  a 
diseased  appearance,  and  are  much 
dwarfed  and  contorted.  The  base  of 
the  bulb  rots  away,  while  no  roots 
are  formed  from  the  disc,  and  the  wet 
and  flabby  bulb-coats  are  more  or 
less  discoloured,  as  if  parboiled.  This 
disease  is  most  prevalent  among  white 
Daffodils,  white  single  and  double  ; 
but  yellow  kinds  such  as  Ard  Righ 
and  maximus  are  affected  on  wet  and 
cold  soils,  and  even  N.  Tazetta,  N. 
Leedsii,  and  N.  jonquilla  are  also 
affected.  In  many  cases  this  disease 
is  checked  by  annual  digging  and 
replanting  in  July  or  August ;  and 
sometimes  bulbs,  affected  on  deep 
rich  borders,  have  recovered  on  being 
transplanted  to  grass  or  beds  of  moss 
and  Brier  Roses.  Cold  and  wet,  or 
even  richly  manured  soils,  seem  especi- 
ally conducive  to  this  disease,  and  the 
only  remedy  is  to  alter  the  conditions 
of  growth  as  soon  as  the  leaves  have 
died  away.  A  celebrated  northern 
grower  of  Narcissi  tells  me  that  some 
sorts  that  formerly  failed  on  level 
borders  do  well  on  the  drier  and  warmer 
grassy  banks  to  which  he  transferred 
them.  Facility  in  altering  conditions 
of  growth  is  often  the  best  way  to 
save  plants  that  show  signs  of  disease 
or  failing  in  any  way.  It  is  a  great 
consolation  to  know  that  many  of  the 
best  and  most  showy  kinds,  if  broadly 
and  naturally  grown  on  the  grass  of 
meadow  or  of  outlying  lawn,  are  rarely, 
if  ever,  afflicted  seriously  with  the 
above  pests. 

NARDOSTACHYS  (Spikenard). — 
There  are  two  kinds,  but  only  one  is 
in  cultivation,  N.  Jatamansi,  a  pretty 
little  perennial  plant,  hardy,  and  very 
attractive  when  well  grown  in  the 
rock  garden.  Its  leaves  are  spoon- 


shaped  and  pointed,  and  rising  above 
them  are  stems  of  6  to  10  inches  high, 
bearing  dense  heads  of  pale  pink  or 
whitish  flowers  in  September.  Though 
the  flowers  are  sweet,  the  special 
fragrance  lies  in  the  short  thick  root, 
from  which  the  celebrated  perfume  of 
the  ancients  is  supposed  to  have  come. 
Himalayas. 

NEILLIA  (Nine  Bark). —  N.  opuli- 
folia  is  a  hardy  shrub  generally  known 
as  Spircea  opulifolia.  Usually  3  to  5. 
feet  in  height,  but  in  good  soils  and 
in  sheltered  places  it  makes  a  bush  8 
or  10  feet  high,  and  as  much  through. 
It  blooms  about  mid  -  summer,  the- 
small  white  flowers  being  borne  in 
dense  feathery  clusters.  The  yellow 
tinge  of  the  foliage  is  extremely  bright, 
and  at  a  distance  looks  like  a  glowing 
mass  of  yellow  bloom.  This  variety 
is  a  hardy  and  vigorous  shrub  suitable 
for  planting  anywhere.  Other  kinds 
as  yet  little  known  in  gardens  are  N. 
Amurensis,  N.  thyrsiflora,  N.  Torryii, 
sinensis,  and  capitata. 

NELUMBIUM  (Yellow  Sacred  Bean). 
— N.  luteum  is  the  hardiest  known 
Sacred  Bean,  and  therefore  the  one- 
most  interesting  for  northern  gardens. 
Its  large  blossoms  are  a  pale  yellow, 
and  its  large  round  leaves  arise  boldly 
out  of  the  water  3  to  4  feet.  I  have 
seen  it  flower  strongly  in  the  Garden 
of  Plants  at  Paris  ;  it  remained  out  all 
the  winter  in  a  fountain  basin  in  a 
sheltered  and  warm  nook  in  the  open 
air.  It  would  probably  flower  out  of 
doors  in  a  sunny  and  sheltered  spot  in 
the  south  of  England.  It  is  rare,  but 
may  be  procured  from  some  nurseries, 
or  from  America. 

NEMESIA. — Pretty  hardy  annuals- 
of  the  simplest  culture,  N.  floribunda 
growing  about  i  foot  high,  and  bear- 
ing in  summer  fragrant  Linaria-like 
blossoms,  white  with  yellow  throats. 
N.  versicolor  has  blue,  lilac,  or  yellow 
and  white  blossoms  ;  and  its  variety 
compacta,  blue  and  white  flowers.  If 
sown  in  ordinary  soil  in  masses  in  early 
spring  and  then  well  thinned,  the 
plants  will  have  a  pretty  effect  for 
several  weeks  after  June.  In  N. 
strumosa  the  flowers  display  a  variety 
of  colours,  white,  pale  yellow,  and 
shades  between  pink  and  deep  crimson. 
It  grows  12  to  15  inches  high,  and  has- 
five  or  six  stems,  each  of  which  bears  a 
head  of  flowers,  blooming  from  summer 
until  late  in  autumn.  The  blue  forms 
are  charming  in  effect,  but  seem  dying 


586 


NEMOPHILA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


NICANDRA. 


•out.  Sow  in  heat  in  March,  and  trans- 
plant the  seedlings  in  May,  or  sow  in 
the  open  ground  after  the  middle  of 
May.  S.  Africa. 

NEMOPHILA  (Calif ornian  Bluebell). 
— Pretty  Californian  hardy  annuals  of 
much  value  for  our  gardens.  The 
species  from  which  the  cultivated 
varieties  have  been  derived  are  N. 
insignis,  N.  atomaria,  N.  discoidalis, 
and  AT.  maculata.  N.  insignis  has 
sky-blue  flowers,  and  its  varieties  are 
grandiflora,  alba,  purpurea-rubra,  and 
striata.  N.  atomaria  has  white  flowers 
speckled  with  blue.  Its  varieties  are 
.ccelestis  (sky-blue  margin),  oculata  (pale 
blue  and  black  centre),  and  alba  nigra 
(white  and  black  centre).  N.  dis- 
.coidalis  has  dark  purple  flowers  edged 
with  white,  and  the  flowers  of  its 
variety  elegans  are  maroon  margined 
with  white.  N.  maculata  has  large 
white  flowers  blotched  with  violet,  and 
its  variety  purpurea  is  of  a  mauve 
colour.  These  kinds  are  all  worth 
growing.  They  thrive  in  any  soil,  and 
are  of  the  simplest  culture.  In  spring 
some  pretty  combinations  may  be 
effected  by  arranging  the  masses  in 
harmonising  colours.  All  Nemophilas 
.are  well  suited  for  edgings  and  for 
filling  small  beds,  as  they  are  compact 
in  growth.  The  insignis  section  should 
always  be  preferred  to  the  others. 
Seeds  should  be  sown  early  in  August 
ior  spring  flowering,  and  in  April  for 
summer  flowering.  To  secure  a  good 
display  of  flower,  however,  the  best 
time  to  sow  is  in  August,  and  the  soil 
should  be  a  light  one,  where  the  seed 
can  germinate  freely,  and  where  the 
plants  will  not  become  too  robust 
before  winter  sets  in.  If  the  seed  be 
sown  where  the  plants  are  to  flower, 
the  results  will  be  most  satisfactory  ; 
but  if  transplanting  be  necessary,  it 
should  be  done  early  in  the  winter. 
These  plants  often  give  prettier  effects 
in  the  cooler  northern  parts  of  the 
•country  and  in  Scotland. 

NEPETA  (Cat  Mint]  .—Herbaceous 
perennials,  of  which  N.  macrantha  has 
rather  showy  purple  flowers,  but  is  too 
tall  and  coarse  for  the  border.  N. 
Mussini  is  an  old  plant,  flourishing  in 
ordinary  garden  soil,  and  was  once 
used  for  edgings  to  borders,  a  purpose 
for  which  its  compact  growth  suits  it 
well ;  but  none  of  these  plants  are 
among  the  best  for  choice  borders. 

NEPHRODIUM.  —  N.  American 
Ferns,  some,  hardy  and  very  hand- 


some, and  these  thrive  under  the 
same  conditions  as  our  native  Ferns. 
The  chief  sorts  are  N.  Goldieanum, 
N.  intermedium,  N.  marginale,  and  N. 
noveberacense.  Several  Japanese  and 
Chinese  species  thrive  without  pro- 
tection in  mild  localities,  but  they 
cannot  be  recommended  for  general 
culture.  N.  fragrans  is  a  sweet- 
scented  little  form.  It  is  somewhat 
delicate,  but  thrives  in  a  sheltered 
situation. 

NERTERA  (Fruiting  Duckweed). — 
N.  depressa  is  a  pretty  creeping  and 
minute  plant,  thickly  studded  with 
tiny  reddish-orange  berries,  and  with 
minute  round  leaves  which  are  sugges- 
tive of  the  Duckweed  of  our  stagnant 
pools.  It  forms  densely  matted  tufts 
in  the  open  air,  best  perhaps  on  level 
spots  in  the  rock  garden.  It  is  also 
often  grown  in  pans,  and  out  of  doors 
in  some  places  may  require  protection 
in  winter.  N.  depressa  may  be  pro- 
pagated by  dividing  old  plants  into 
small  portions  and  placing  them  in 
small  pots  in  a  gentle  heat  until  they 
start  into  growth,  and  then  removing 
them  to  a  cooler  atmosphere.  New 
Zealand. 

NEVIUSIA  ALABAMENSIS  (Snow 
Wreath). — Introduced  in  1882,  the 
objection  generally  made  to  it  is  that 
the  flowers,  instead  of  a  snowy  white- 
ness, are  a  dingy  green.  The  foliage 
resembles  that  of  Spirtea  opuli folia. 
Of  this  shrub  Mr  John  Saul,  of  Wash- 
ington, U.S.A.,  has  written  :  "  Large 
bushes  in  my  nursery  were  covered 
with  flowers  of  the  purest  snow-white. 
The  small  flowers,  from  their  immense 
number  and  purity  and  their  light 
airiness,  could  be  likened  in  justice  to 
waves  of  flickering  snow.  It  appears 
quite  hardy,  as  it  passed  through 
10  degs.  of  frost  on  four  nights  last 
winter,  which  killed  many  tender 
subjects,  without  being  harmed  in  the 
least.  It  is  easily  raised  from  suckers, 
which  spring  up  in  numbers  aroim'd 
the  parent  plant  and  can  be  taken  off 
with  roots  attached." 

NICANDRA. —  N.  physaloides  is  a 
pretty  Peruvian  half-hardy  annual, 
about  2  feet  high,  of  stout  growth, 
bearing  in  summer  numerous  showy 
blue  and  white  bell-like  flowers,  and 
thriving  in  an  open  position  in  light 
soil.  Seed  should  be  sown  in  heat  in 
early  spring  or  in  the  open  air  about 
the  end  of  March,  and  the  seedlings 
should  be  transplanted  in  May.  One 


NICOTIANA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


NIGELLA. 


plant  is  sufficient  for  a  square  yard. 
S.  America. 

NICOTIANA  (Tobacco}.— Stout  half- 
hardy  annuals  of  rapid  growth.  The 
varieties  differ  chiefly  in  the  stoutness 
and  the  height  of  their  stems,  and  in 
size  of  their  leaves  and  flowers,  these 
differences  depending  largely  on  cul- 
tivation. Seed  must  be  sown  in 
February  in  a  warm  house  or  frame. 
Prick  off  the  plants  as  soon  as  they 
appear,  and  pot  them  in  a  genial  heat 
of,  say,  60°.  Then  about  the  end  of 
May  fine  plants  will  be  ready  for  put- 
ting out  from  6  or  8-inch  pots.  They 
will  start  off  at  once,  and  not  cease 
growing  until  frost  comes.  The  most 
useful  of  all  is  N.  affinis,  used  largely 
in  gardens  large  and  small,  in  distinct 
groups  or  with  other  things.  It  is 
much  smaller  in  leaf  and  habit  than 
.such  kinds  as  N.  macrophylla,  and. 
therefore  more  suitable  for  small  gar- 
dens. 

N.  SANDERS. — A  hybrid  form  of  rich 
and  varied  colour,  of  easy  culture  for  the 
flower  garden. 

N.  SYLVESTRIS. — Is  one  of  the  most 
ornamental  of  these  plants.  Vigorous 
habited,  it  often  reaches  3  to  5  feet  high, 
producing  over  a  long  season  endless  num- 
bers of  long  tubular  white  flowers.  In 
some  instances  the  flowers  remain  open 
throughout  the  day. 

NIEREMBERGIA.— The  only  quite 
hardy  Nierembergia  is  M.  rivularis 


Holland   Violet,   while   barely  pushed 
above   the   foliage   are    open   cup-like 


Nierembergia  rivularis. 

(White  Cup),  one  of  the  handsomest  of 
all.  The  stems  and  foliage  trail  along 
the  ground  like  those  of  the  New 


Nigella  dauiascena. 

creamy-white  flowers,  usually  nearly 
2  inches  across.  They  continue  during 
the  summer  and  autumn,  and  have  a 
pleasing  effect  in  the  distance,  as  they 
suggest  Snowdrops  at  first,  and  are 
quite  as  pretty  when  closely  viewed. 
To  ensure  success  with  Nierembergias 
have  heavy,  firm  soil,  a  level  surface, 
and  sunny  aspect.  The  tender  Nierem- 
bergias are  N.  frutescens,  a  sub-shrubby 
plant  of  erect  growth,  and  N.  fili- 
caulis,  or  gracilis,  as  it  is  called,  which 
has  slender  drooping  branches.  Both 
have  pretty  white  flowers  pencilled 
with  purple,  and  are  suitable  for  the 
rock  garden  in  summer  or  for  drooping 
over  the  edges  of  vases.  Propagate 
by  cuttings  in  spring  in  heat. 

NIGELLA  (Fennel  Flower}. — Hardy 
annuals  of  the  Crowfoot  family,  all 
curious  and  pretty  with  feathery 
Fennel-like  foliage  and  bluish  or 
yellowish  blossoms.  N.  saliva,  N. 
orientalis,  N.  damascena  (Devil- in- a- 
Bush),  and  AT",  hispanica  are  the  kinds 
cultivated,  N.  hispanica  being  the 
prettiest,  growing  about  i  foot  high, 
and  with  showy  blue  flowers  from 
July  onwards.  There  is  a  white  variety 
and  a  variety  with  deep  purple  blos- 
soms. AH  the  Nigellas  should  be 


588 


NOCC^EA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.       NOTOSPARTIUM. 


sown  in  March,  in  light  warm  soil  in 
the  open  border.  They  should  be 
sown  in  the  place  which  they  are  to 
occupy,  as  they  do  not  succeed  so 
well  if  transplanted.  If  sown  in 
autumn,  the  seedlings  often  survive 
the  winter  and  flower  early  and  well. 

NOCCZEA. — Pretty  rock  plants,  with 
evergreen  foliage  and  flowers  like  a 
little  Candytuft.  The  most  familiar  is 
N.  stylosa,  perhaps  better  known  as  an 
Iberis,  which  makes  tiny  dark  green 
cushions  barely  2  inches  high,  covered 
early  in  the  year  with  clusters  of 
rosy-purple  flowers  smelling  like  helio- 
trope. It  will  root  into  the  narrowest 
of  chinks  upon  walls  or  stonework, 
braving  the  full  sun,  and  spreading 
into  neat  tufts  in  the  rock  garden  in 
dry,  gritty  soil.  In  seaside  gardens  it 
often  comes  into  flower  with  the  new 
year,  and  is  seldom  later  than  the 
first  week  of  March  anywhere,  bloom- 
ing thenceforward  into  early  summer. 


Notospartium  Carmichaelhe. 

Though  short-lived,  self-sown  seedlings 
maintain  themselves  as  pretty  patches, 


coming  year  after  year  on  old  walls  or 
any  rocky  surface.  A  variety  known 
as  speciosa  has  larger  and  deeper 
coloured  flowers.  Syn.  Iberis  stylosa. 
N.  alpina,  better  known  as  Hutchinsia, 
is  also  attractive,  with  its  glossy  green 
leaves  and  white  flowers. 

NOLANA  (Chilian  Bellflower}.— 
Pretty  hardy  annuals  from  S. 
America — N.  paradoxa,  N.  prostrata, 
and  N.  atriplicifolia  among  the  best. 
They  have  slender  trailing  stems,  and 
flowers  generally  blue.  N.  atriplici- 
folia has  beautiful  and  very  showy 
blue  flowers  with  a  white  centre,  and 
there  is  a  white  variety  (N.  a.  alba). 
The  Nolanas  are  suitable  for  borders 
or  for  the  rock  garden,  as  they  thrive 
in  any  warm  open  situation  in  good 
light  soil.  As  seedlings  do  not  trans- 
plant well,  seed  should  be  sown  in  the 
open  in  March,  and  the  plants  well 
thinned  out.  Seeds. 

NOTHOFAGUS  (Southern  Beeches).— 
A  very  interesting  group  of  trees,  quite 
distinct  from  our  Northern  Beeches, 
and,  though  as  yet  little  tried  in  our 
country,  likely  to  give  us  in  time  some 
of  the  most  beautiful  trees  for  the 
lawn  and  pleasure  ground,  but  only  in 
the  southern  parts  of  our  isles.  Some 
are  evergreen  and  some  are  summer- 
leafing,  and  all  love  cool  and  moist 
places.  First  among  them  is  the 
Antarctic  Beech,  thought  to  be  about 
the  best  for  our  land  ;  next,  Betuloides, 
a  native  of  S.  America  (Terra  del 
Fuego),  has  been  several  times  intro- 
duced, but  not  very  successfully, 
although  there  are  several  trees  of  it 
on  high  southern  ground  ;  the  Moun- 
tain Beech  of  New  Zealand  is  another  : 
it  thrives  in  Surrey ;  Cunningham's 
Beech,  a  native  of  Tasmania,  succeeds 
in  the  Isle  of  Wight  and  also  in  S. 
Ireland.  N.  Fusca,  a  native  of  New 
Zealand,  also  thrives  in  Surrey  ;  and 
Moore's  Australian  Beech,  found  in 
New  South  Wales,  does  well  at  Kilma- 
curragh,  Co.  Wicklow,  but  cannot  be 
said  to  IDC  hardy,  except  in  the  mildest 
parts  of  our  land.  Among  the  most 
charming  experiments  for  the  tree-lover 
to  make  would  be  these  Southern 
Beeches,  but  the  trouble  is  that  for 
some  time  it  may  be  difficult  to  get 
healthy  young  stock. 

NOTOSPARTIUM  (Pink  Broom  of 
New  Zealand) .  —  N.  Carmichaelice  is 
much  like  some  of  the  Brooms,  hence 
its  name,  the  leafless,  graceful  shoots 
studded  late  in  June  with  small  bright 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         NYMPH^A.       589 


rosy  flowers  in  clusters  towards  the 
point.  Its  graceful  growth  is  well 
seen  in  the  bolder  arrangement  of  the 
rock  garden.  In  New  Zealand  it 
grows  20  feet  in  height,  and  seems  to 
be  fairly  hardy  here,  though  not  a 
shrub  for  cold  climates  or  exposed 
places. 

NUPHAR  ( Yellow  Water-  Lily] .  — 
Bold  water  plants  nearly  allied  to 
the  Water-Lily ,  but  not  so  handsome. 
The  most  familiar  Nuphar  is  the  com- 
mon Yellow  Water- Lily  (N.  lutea), 
which  inhabits  many  of  our  lakes  and 
slow-running  rivers.  It  has  a  very 
interesting  little  variety  called  pumila, 
which  is  found  wild  in  some  of  the 
Highland  lakes,  and  which  has  the 
same  vinous  perfume  as  the  type.  N. 
advena  is  the  N  American  ally  of  our 


When  in  bloom  it  bears  a  resemblance 
to  the  Flowering  Currant,  and  forms 
a  dense  bush,  6  to  12  feet  high,  growing 
in  any  kind  of  soil.  California. 

NYCTERINI A.— Half-hardy  annuals 
from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  N. 
selaginoides  grows  about  9  inches 
high,  forming  dense  compact  tufts  of 
slender  stems,  in  late  autumn  covered 
with  small  white,  orange-centred  blos- 
soms fragrant  at  night.  N.  capensis  is 
about  the  same  size  as  N.  selaginoides, 
and  is  of  similar  growth,  its  flowers 
larger,  and  not  of  so  pure  a  white. 
N.  selaginoides  and  N.  capensis  require 
to  be  sown  early  in  heat,  and  to  be 
transplanted  in  May  in  light,  rich 
sandy  loam  in  warm  borders. 

NYMPELffiJA  (Water-Lily).—&  beau- 
tiful family  of  water  plants,  distributed 


Hardy  American  Water-Lily  (N.  tuberosa). 


yellow  Water-Lily,  and  resembling  it, 
but  larger  and  with  leaves  which  stand 
erect  out  of  the  water,  and  is  a  much 
finer  plant.  N.  Kalmiana,  also  a 
N.  American  kind,  much  resembles 
the  small  variety  of  N.  lutea,  and  is 
an  interesting  plant  to  grow  in  com- 
pany with  it.  The  cultivation  is 
quite  simple — placing  the  root-stocks  in 
water  2  or  3  feet  deep,  when  they  will 
soon  root  in  the  mud  ;  but  they  are 
apt  to  increase  too  rapidly,  and  may 
prove  troublesome  to  get  rid  of. 

NTJTTALLIA  (Osoberry). —  N.  cerasi- 
formis  is  a  hardy  shrub,  and  one  of 
the  earliest  to  flower.  Hardly  before 
winter  is  past  its  abundant  drooping 
racemes  of  white  flowers  appear,  and 
they  usually  do  so  before  the  leaves. 


over  many  parts  of  the  world,  some  of 
the  northern  kinds  hardy.  Our  own 
native  Water-Lily  was  always  neglected 
and  rarely  effective,  except  in  a  wild 
state  ;  but  when  it  is  seen  that  we 
may  have  in  Britain  the  soft  and  beau- 
tiful yellows  and  the  delicate  rose  and 
red  flowers  of  the  tropical  Water-Lilies 
throughout  summer  and  autumn,  we 
shall  begin  to  take  more  interest  in 
our  garden  water  flowers,  and  even  the 
wretched  formless  duckponds  which 
disfigure  so  many  country  seats  may 
have  a  reason  to  be.  The  new  hybrid 
kinds  continue  blooming  long  after 
our  native  kind  has  ceased,  and  from 
the  middle  of  May  to  nearly  the  end 
of  October  flowers  are  abundant. 

CULTURE  OF  HARDY  WATER-LILIES. 


590 


NYMPH^EA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


NYMPH-fliA. 


— These  lovely  water  flowers  are  not 
difficult  to  manage.  A  simple  way  of 
planting  is  to  put  the  plants  with  soil 
in  some  shallow  baskets  and  sink  these 
to  the  bottom,  and  before  the  basket 
has  rotted  the  plant  will  have  fixed 
itself  to  the  bottom.  Or  in  ponds 
where  there  is  a  rich  muddy  bottom 
I  plant  by  tying  a  drain-pipe  or  a 
piece  of  waste  iron  to  a  root  and 
throw  it  in  where  the  water  is  between 
1 8  inches  and  2  feet  deep.  The  best 
season  for  planting  is  the  spring,  and 
plants  put  in  in  April  or  May  make 


conditions  of  the  cemented  tank.  But 
if  neither  ponds  nor  tanks  are  available, 
these  Water-Lilies  can  still  be  easily 
grown,  for,  as  M.  Latour-Marliac  says, 
like  Diogenes,  they  can  content  them- 
selves in  a  tub. 

"  The  enemies  of  Water-Lilies  are 
water-rats  and  swans  and  other  water 
birds,  especially  moorhens,  which  often 
pull  them  to  pieces.  Moorhens  are 
very  destructive  to  the  flowers,  and 
should  be  closely  watched.  There  is, 
however,  another  enemy.  We  noticed 
it  first  from  seeing  leaves  detached  and 


Bud  of  hybrid  Water-Lily,  N.  Marliacea.  carnea  (natural  size),  gathered  from  open  water  at  Gravetye, 

Sussex,  at  the  end  of  October. 


sufficient  progress  to  flower  before 
summer  is  gone.  They  are  often 
grown  in  brick  and  cement  tanks,  sunk 
in  the  ground  to  a  depth  of  from 
•2\  to  3  feet.  These,  with  a  foot  of 
soil  and  the  rest  water,  would  grow 
excellent  Water-Lilies,  and  the  plants 
do  not  want  a  great  depth  of  water 
over  their  crowns.  It  would  be  well 
to  arrange  that  at  least  a  foot  might 
cover  them  in  winter,  and  then  they 
are  virtually  safe  from  frost.  They 
grow  better  in  the  mud  of  ponds  and 
lakes  than  under  the  more  artificial 


floating.  On  the  water  becoming 
clearer  one  could  see  what  appeared 
to  be  small  bits  of  stick  an  inch  or  so 
long  attached  in  numbers  to  the  leaf- 
stalk. It  was  the  grub  of  the  caddis- 
fly,  with  its  house  upon  its  back.  In 
the  hollow  stick  it  was  safe  from  the 
fish,  and,  fastening  upon  the  young 
and  tender  leaf-stalk,  the  grubs  fed 
away  until  the  leaf  was  eaten  asunder. 
Strongly  -  established  plants  are  not 
likely  to  suffer,  but  a  watch  should  be 
kept  on  young  plants  if  rare  varieties." 
The  common  water-rat  or  vole  is  an 


NYMPH^A. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         NYMPH^EA.        59* 


active  destroyer  of  the  flowers,  and 
where  it  inhabits  water,  as  it  commonly 
does  all  ponds  and  streams,  nearly  all 
the  flowers  will  be  destroyed  if  this 
animal  is  not  constantly  kept  down. 

In  the  recent  story  of  our  open-air 
gardens,  there  have  been  no  gains  so 
good  as  those  which  have  transformed 
our  waters  into  gardens  of  beautiful, 
hardy  plants.  Wherever  there  exists 
a  streamlet,  we  may  arrange  a  water 
garden,  and  in  the  many  places  where 
pieces  of  water  already  exist,  nothing 
is  easier  than  to  establish  colonies  of 
these  flowers,  of  charming  effect  from 
June  to  September.  The  water  is  best 
when  open  to  the  sun,  renewed  by 
only  a  small  inflow,  and  if  possible 
sheltered  from  rough  wincls  by  the 
lie  of  the  land  or  by  a  belt  of  shrubs. 
The  water  should  be  cleared  of  coarse 
weeds,  and  in  most  cases  the  natural 
mud  is  the  best  soil  in  which  to  plant. 
In  artificial  pools  a  layer  of  soil  may 
be  prepared  by  mixing  loam  with  a 
little  sand  and  some  of  the  rich  deposit 
of  grit,  leaves,  and  mud  so  often  left 
behind  by  water  when  in  flood.  This 
is  the  natural  food  of  the  Water-Lily, 
and  manure  only  excites  rank  leaf- 
growth  and  predisposes  to  disease. 
Little  mounds  may  be  made  by  laying 
a  few  sods  together,  but  if  the  depth 
of  water  makes  this  difficult  the  plants 
may  be  simply  lowered  into  place — 
planted  firmly  in  baskets — and  the 
mud  pressed  around  them.  May  is  a 
good  time  for  planting,  and  (for  estab- 
lished plants)  the  flower  season  begins  in 
June,  reaches  its  height  in  August,  and 
in  good  years  lasts  into  October.  After 
growing  for  three  or  four  years,  some 
kinds  get  too  thick,  and  these  may  be 
raised  and  divided  late  in  April ;  others 
we  have  had  in  the  same  place  for  ten 
years  with  no  loss  of  health  or  bloom. 

A  crowded  water  garden  is  often  a 
matter  of  necessity,  but  where  space 
is  at  command  the  plants  are  best  in 
bold  groups  and  far  enough  apart  to 
keep  the  kinds  distinct.  The  depth  of 
water  may  vary  from  a  foot  to  as 
much  as  7  feet,  but  only  the  strongest 
kinds  will  thrive  in  water  as  deep  as 
this.  The  flowers  vary  as  to  opening 
and  closing,  and  while  on  bright  days 
they  mostly  fold  away  about  four  in 
the  afternoon,  on  dark  days  they  some- 
times keep  open  until  evening.  But 
it  is,  perhaps,  after  a  sharp  shower, 
when  leaves  and  flower  -  cups  are 
thickly  set  with  diamond  drops,  that 
the  water  garden  is  at  its  best.  If  the 
fading  flowers  and  damaged  leaves  can 


be  removed  from  day  to  day  (by  the 
help  of  a  flower-cutter  and  long-handled 
rake),  the  flower  season  will  be  longer, 
but  this  cannot  well  be  done  save  in 
small  tanks.  As  soon  as  they  open, 
the  flowers  may  be  arranged  very 
prettily  in  shallow  bowls,  lasting  fresh 
for  several  days  and  fragrant.  If  care 
is  taken  to  bend  back  the  sepals  when 
the  flowers  are  cut,  the  blooms  remain 
open  until  they  wither. 

INCREASE. — Though  some  of  the 
finer  hybrids  make  few  side  crowns 
and  thus  increase  slowly,  others  may 
be  freely  divided,  the  offsets  being  cut 
away  with  a  bit  of  the  old  stem 
attached.  Some  kinds — mostly  of  the 
odorata  and  tuberosa  sections  —  are 
easily  increased  from  seed,  but  many 
kinds  are  sterile,  in  others  seed  is  slow 
in  germinating,  and  the  seedlings  are 
so  liable  to  degenerate  that  this  way 
of  increase  is  not  much  followed.  The 
flowers  sink  upon  the  third  day,  and, 
ripening  under  water,  open  half-way 
when  mature  to  allow  the  seeds  to 
escape.  They  are  at  first  held  together 
by  a  mass  of  jelly-like  matter,  and 
float  for  several  hours,  and  during  this 
time  may  be  skimmed  from  the  surface 
and  sown  at  once  in  pans  of  mud. 
Care  must  be  taken  not  to  disturb  the 
soil  when  adding  water,  and  if  placed 
in  a  warm  and  sunny  corner  the 
seedlings  are  not  long  in  starting. 

PESTS. — Weeds  must  be  kept  under, 
such  things  as  the  Water  Starwort 
and  Floating  Pond  Weed  giving 
trouble,  the  last  pest  with  its  brittle 
roots  being  especially  difficult  to  get 
out.  In  early  summer  the  grubs  of 
the  caddis-fly  gnaw  the  young  leaves 
and  stems,  and  water  snails  so  load 
them  with  eggs  as  to  cause  curling 
and  distortion,  but  as  a  rule  the  plants 
outgrow  these  troubles  with  the  warmer 
days,  and  have  more  to  fear  from  rats 
and  water-fowl  when  in  full  bloom. 
In  small  ponds  these  may  be  kept 
under,  but  in  larger  sheets  of  water 
they  often  do  harm,  gnawing  the  buds 
before  they  open,  and  even  carrying 
them  off  to  build  their  nests.  Green- 
fly also  appears  upon  the  leaves  and 
flowers  above  water,  and  grubs  of 
various  kinds  attack  them,  but  spray- 
ing with  a  weak  solution  of  quassia 
will  generally  clear  the  emergent  leaves 
and  flowers,  while  a  few  drops  of  a 
mixture  of  three  parts  of  colza  to  one 
of  paraffin  will  spread  over  the  water 
and  check, the  foe. 


592 


NYMPH^EA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


NYMPH^A. 


NYMPH^A  ALBA  (White  Water-lily). — 
Found  in  many  parts  of  our  country 
and  throughout  Europe  to  Siberia.  The 
flowers,  of  4  to  6  inches  across,  float  upon 
the  water  amid  rounded  leaves  of  bright 
green,  very  variable  as  to  size,  and  reddish 
while  young. 

N.    ALBA   VAR.    CANDIDISSIMA. A  large- 

flowered  form  sometimes  called  the 
Hampton  Court  Lily.  Its  white  flowers 
are  broader  in  petal,  coming  early  and 
continuing  late,  and  thrust  well  above  the 
water.  Its  growth  is  strong,  needing 
ample  space.  Leaves  of  yellow  green 
while  young,  the  leaf-lobes  much  curved 
and  overlapping.  At  certain  times  and 
in  certain  soils  the  sepals  are  flushed 
with  rose-colour. 

N.        ALBA       VAR.        DELICATA. Flowers 

flushed  with  pale  rose.  N.  alba  maxima 
large  flowers.  N.  alba  minor,  a  small- flow- 
ered variety  with  blooms  of  great  purity, 
and  prettily  incurved.  N.  alba  var.  plenis- 
sima,  a  form  with  large,  nearly  double 
flowers.  N.  alba  var.  rubra  is  a  scarce 
plant,  best  known  as  the  Swedish  Water- 
Lily,  and  classed  as  a  form  of  alba,  though 
distinct  in  its  smaller  leaves  of  different 
shape,  slightly  rolled  inwards  at  the  edges, 
olive-green  above  and  dull  reddish  below. 
The  flowers  are  smaller,  fuller,  and  more 
refined,  with  broader  and  blunter  petals. 
It  blooms  early,  but  soon  goes  to  rest. 
With  so  short  a  season  it  spreads  slowly, 
is  averse  to  removal,  and  also  to  hot 
weather.  The  flowers  vary  from  pale 
pink  to  a  deep  magenta,  deepening  towards 
the  centre  of  the  flower  and  from  day  to 
day.  Seeds  freely,  but  the  seedlings 
mostly  revert,  only  the  tiny  slow-growing 
plants  coming  true.  Syns.  N.  Caspary 
and  N.  sphcerocarpa. 

N.  ANDREANA.  —  Bears  cup-shaped 
flowers  of  brick-red  colour  shaded  with 
orange,  and  held  well  above  the  water. 
The  leaves  are  blotched  with  chestnut- 
brown,  their  lobes  overlapping,  and  with 
such  long  stalks  that  they  float  out,  far 
apart.  The  flowers  come  so  freely  that  a 
score  or  more  are  sometimes  open  together 
on  one  strong  plant. 

N.  ARC-EN-CIEL. — A  distinct  hybrid  with 
blending  shades  of  pale  salmon  streaked 
with  rose,  and  crimson  spotted  sepals. 
The  leaves  are  variegated  in  white,  rose, 
and  shades  of  green  and  bronze. 

N.  ARETHUSA. — A  plant  of  strong  growth 
and  very  free,  coming  near  Laydekeri 
fulgens  in  its  bright  crimson  colour,  but 
larger  in  flower  and  more  robust. 

N.  ATROPURPUREA. — One  of  the  darkest 
of  all,  with  very  large  flowers  of  deep 
port-wine  colour,  with  pale  yellow  stamens 
and  petals  incurved  at  the  tips.  Of  good 
growth,  free,  with  dark  leaves  shaded  with 
red  on  their  under  surface. 

N.  AURORA. — So  named  from  its  chang- 
ing tints,  which  vary  from  a  pale  rosy- 
yellow  on  opening,  to  orange  or  reddish 


tones  on  the  third  day,  different  plants 
showing  much  variation  in  depth  of  colour. 

N.  CARRISBROOKI. — A  new  kind  raised  in 
California,  and  described  as  bearing  flowers 
of  bright  flesh  pink,  and  fragrant. 

N.  CHRYSANTHA. — A  handsome  kind  of 
medium  growth,  and  deep  yellow  flowers 
passing  to  orange-red,  with  a  cluster  of 
bright  red  stamens ;  leaves  edged  and 
marbled  with  bronze. 

N.  COLOSSEA. — Very  large  in  leaf  and 
flower,  blooming  with  the  earliest  and 
lasting  well  into  the  autumn.  Leaves 
rich  green  above  and  brown  beneath,  the 
fragrant  flowers  of  pale  pink,  the  outer 
segments  of  pale  olive-green,  and  pale 
yellow  stamens.  Thrives  in  open  water 
in  deep  pond  mud,  even  when  exposed  in 
large  lakes. 

N.  EI.LISIANA. — One  of  the  best,  rich 
in  colour  and  conspicuous  at  a  distance. 
Large  broad-petalled  flowers  of  reddish- 
crimson  with  orange  -  red  stamens.  A 
plant  of  robust  growth  and  free  in  flower. 

N.  FRCEBELI. — An  improved  form  of  the 
Swedish  Water-Lily  raised  at  Zurich,  and 
of  deeper  colour  and  stronger  growth. 
Of  good  size  and  fragrant,  its  flowers  are 
of  deep  crimson  with  orange  stamens, 
coming  freely  to  the  end  of  September. 
It  is  one  of  the  finest  dark  kinds,  thriving 
in  exposed  open  water,  and  effective  in 
the  distance. 

N.  FULVA. — Bears  medium-sized  star- 
shaped  flowers,  curiously  incurved  at  the 
tips  of  the  petals,  and  sweetly  scented. 
Its  colour  is  rose  upon  yellow,  with  yellow 
stamens,  the  red  growing  deeper  towards 
the  centre  and  brightening  with  age. 
Leaves  spotted  with  brown  above,  and 
suffused  with  red  beneath. 

N.  GLADSTONIANA. — Has  white  flowers 
of  great  size,  sometimes  8  inches  across. 
They  are  free  from  all  traces  of  colour, 
and  stand  well  above  the  water  on  stout 
stems,  the  whole  plant  being  of  free  and 
open  habit.  One  of  the  first  to  bloom 
in  spring,  and  the  last  flowers  are  only 
cut  down  by  autumn  frosts. 

N.  GLORIOSA. — Bears  massive  flowers 
7  inches  across,  rich  dark  red  with  orange- 
coloured  stamens,  and  fragrant.  Being 
slow  to  spread  and  difficult  of  increase, 
it  should  be  left  for  several  years  undis- 
turbed, and  while  of  strong  growth,  it 
sometimes  dies  off  suddenly.  The  flowers 
are  very  full,  and  floating,  the  lower 
petals  often  prettily  tipped  with  rosy- 
white  during  the  heat  of  summer,  becoming 
deeper  and  more  uniform  towards  the 
autumn.  This  is  the  only  kind  always 
bearing  five  sepals. 

N.  JAMES  BRYDON. — A  distinct  sort  with 
flowers  of  4  to  6  inches  wide,  of  a  soft 
rose-crimson  ;  petals  finely  rounded  and 
curving  inwards,  with  a  paler,  silvery 
sheen  beneath,  and  stamens  of  bright 
orange.  An  excellent  kind,  quite  hardy. 


NYMPH^A. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


NYMPH^A. 


593 


N.  LAYDEKERI  FULGENS. — A  flower  of 
fine  colour  and  cupped,  the  rounded  petals 
of  crimson-purple  showing  paler  within  and 
enclosing  a  cluster  of  vivid  red  stamens. 
Like  all  of  this  .group,  it  is  a  good  plant 
for  tanks. 

N.  LAYDEKERI  LILACEA. — Very  free  in 
its  small  flowers  of  soft  rosy-lilac  tipped 
with  clear  pink,  their  colour  deepening 
to  rosy-crimson  on  the  third  day.  They 
are  held  well  above  the  water,  shining  with 
an  almost  silvery  lustre  in  bright  sunlight, 
and  scented  like  a  tea-rose.  The  plant 
does  best  in  shallow  water,  and  is  one  of 
the  earliest  to  show  flower. 

X.  LAYDEKERI  PURPURATA. — A  telling 
flower,  larger  than  others  in  this  group, 
and  very  shapely  with  its  long  pointed 
petals.  They  are  early,  free,  and  fragrant, 
of  a  conspicuous  shade  of  wine-red  with 
orange-red  stamens. 

N.  LAYDEKERI  ROSEA. — One  of  the  most 
useful  of  hardy  Water-Lilies,  with  fragrant, 
pale  pink  flowers,  passing  through  several 
shades  to  deep  rose  as  they  fade  away. 
It  does  best  in  shallow  water  and  gives 
so  few  offsets  that  several  plants  should 
be  grouped  to  secure  the  full  effect  of  the 
changing  flowers. 

N.  LUCIDA. — With  massive  flowers  open- 
ing starwise  and  rosy-vermilion  in  colour, 
paling  towards  the  edges  and  the  tips  of 
the  petals  and  deepening  towards  the 
cluster  of  orange  stamens.  The  leaves, 
borne  upon  very  long  stems,  are  bold  and 
finely  blotched  with  chestnut-red  above 
and  reddish  streaks  beneath. 

N.  MARLIACEA  ALBIDA. — A  superb  plant, 
thriving  in  deep  water,  where  it  should  be 
sometimes  thinned  to  avoid  overcrowding  ; 
its  massive  white  flowers,  of  8  or  more 
inches  across,  are  pushed  well  above  the 
water,  and  last  into  October.  They  are 
of  glistening  purity,  fragrant,  and  very 
full  of  petals  guarding  the  cluster  of  golden 
anthers.  The  guard  petals  are  long  and 
broad,  but  inside  they  grow  shorter  and 
narrower  towards  the  centre.  In  large 
groups  its  general  effect  is  fine. 

N.  MARL.  CARNEA. — A  noble  hardy 
plant,  in  colour  a  soft  flesh-pink,  deepening 
towards  the  base  of  the  petals  and  paling 
gradually  to  white.  It  grows  well  in 
shallow  or  deep  water,  flowering  late,  and 
showing  its  vanilla-scented  flowers  well 
above  the  dark  leaves. 

N.  MARL.  CHROMATELLA. — The  first  yel- 
low kind  sent  out,  a  free  and  fine  plant,  but 
apt  to  get  crowded,  and  when  this  happens 
it  does  not  flower  so  well.  Being  vigorous, 
it  is  a  good  plant  for  deep  open  water, 
where  its  large  flowers  of  canary-yellow 
show  finely  against  the  dark  brown  leaves, 
and  remain  open  for  a  long  while  each 
day. 

N.  MARL.  FLAMMEA. — A  handsome, 
though  inaptly  named,  flower  of  medium 
size,  being  a  deep  wine-red  rather  than 


flame-colour,  with  red  stamens  and  petals 
flaked  with  white  towards  the  tips. 
Leaves  streaked  with  reddish-brown. 

N.  MARL.  IGNEA. — One  of  the  brightest 
in  its  uniform  carmine-red,  deepening 
slightly  towards  the  crown  of  vivid  orange- 
red  stamens  ;  sepals  pale  olive-green  edged 
with  rose  beneath,  and  paler  above. 
Though  not  large,  the  flowers  are  good 
in  colour,  composed  of  eighteen  cupped 
and  shapely  petals. 

N.  MARL.  ROSEA.  —  Another  stout 
grower,  thriving  in  deep  water,  to  which 
its  long  slender  stems  are  suited.  Flowers 
rose  colour,  changing  to  flesh  -  pink, 
broader  in  petal  and  fuller  than  in  M. 
carnea,  with  the  colour  deepening  towards 
the  tips.  Young  leaves  purplish-red, 
changing  to  deep  green. 

N.  MARL.  RUBRO-PUNCTATA. — Flowers  of 
great  size  borne  freely  and  through  a  long 
season.  Petals  rosy-purple,  tipped  and 
flaked  with  pink  ;  stamens  orange-red. 

N.  ODORATA. — The  white  American 
Pond-Lily,  common  in  the  eastern  States 
and  with  all  the  beauty  of  our  own,  and 
fragrant.  It  varies  much  in  size  and 
colour,  and,  being  of  moderate  growth,  is 
well  suited  to  tanks.  The  leaf  may  be 
anything  from  5  to  10  inches  across,  nearly 
round,  and  purplish  when  young,  chang- 
ing to  pure  green  and  reddish  beneath. 
Flowers  of  3  to  5  inches,  composed  of 
narrow  pointed  petals,  long  in  the  bud. 

N.  ODORATA  CAROLINIANA. — The  leaves 
are  green  above  and  red  beneath,  and 
though  nearly  a  foot  across  when  fully 
grown,  the  plant  is  only  of  moderate 
growth  and  not  too  vigorous  for  a  tank. 
Though  easily  divided,  the  plant  is  best 
left  alone  for  several  years,  gaining  in  size 
of  flowers,  which  become  6  or  more  inches 
across,  composed  of  very  narrow  pale  pink 
petals,  deepening  in  colour  towards  the 
centre.  The  flowers  vary  through  several 
shades  of  colour,  according  to  soil  and 
climate,  the  following  varieties  being  fairly 
constant : — nivea,  with  very  double  pure 
white  flowers,  narrow  petals  and  rich 
yellow  stamens ;  perfecta,  with  semi- 
double  flowers  of  the  small  narrow  petals, 
but  more  rounded  at  the  tip  and  deep 
flesh  or  salmon  in  colour  ;  and  salmonea, 
a  strong  form  with  flowers  of  decided 
salmon-pink. 

N.  ODORATA  EXQUISITA. — Finely-shaped 
rosy-carmine  flowers  of  medium  size,  with 
narrow,  pointed  petals  and  golden  sta- 
mens ;  they  are  the  darkest  of  this  group, 
and  stand  well  out  of  the  water.  Leaves 
green  above  and  intense  red  below. 

N.  ODORATA  GIGANTEA. — The  larger 
southern  form  of  odorata,  found  from 
N.  Carolina  to  Florida,  and  known  as 
the  Rice-field  Water-Lily.  It  is  of  great 
vigour,  delighting  in  deep  water  and  flow 
ering  early  in  the  season,  but  not  in 
the  autumn.  The  leaves  are  very  large, 

2  P 


594 


NYMPH^A. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


NYMPHJEA. 


sometimes  measuring  as  much  as  16  inches 
across,  and  dark  green  tinged  with  purple 
towards  the  edges,  which  are  often  partly 
rolled  inwards.  The  flowers  —  4  to  7 
inches  across — are  pure  white  with  green 
sepals,  slightly  incurved,  and  nearly 
scentless. 

N.  ODORATA  MINOR. — A  pretty  little 
plant  of  slow  growth,  and  one  of  the  best 
for  tanks  and  shallow  water.  The  starry 
white  flowers  are  2  to  3  inches  across, 
with  purplish  sepals  and  sweetly  scented, 
though  forms  occur  that  are  almost  with- 
out scent,  and  others  with  flowers  more 
or  less  incurved.  The  leaves  are  small, 
bright  green  above,  and  deep  red  beneath. 
A  native  of  the  shallow  bogs  of  New 
Jersey. 

N.  ODORATA  ROSACEA — A  good  form 
coming  near  exquisita  but  more  vigorous, 
with  bright  rosy  flowers  about  4  inches 
across,  paling  to  salmon-yellow  towards 
the  crown  of  golden  stamens  ;  petals  nar- 
row and  pointed. 

N.  ODORATA  ROSEA. — The  Cape  Cod 
Water- Lily — a  plant  of  moderate  vigour, 
with  petals  of  a  uniform  bright  rose  colour 
with  yellow  stamens,  and  fragrant.  It 
begins  early,  and  seeds  so  freely  that 
(unless  the  dead  flowers  are  kept  cut)  its 
season  is  short.  The  flowers  also  lose 
colour  quickly  when  fully  expanded,  and 
will  sometimes  burn  in  hot  sunlight. 
Leaves  rather  small,  deep  red  on  both 
sides  while  young,  becoming  dark  green. 
Massachusetts. 

N.  ODORATA  SULPHUREA. — A  beautiful 
plant,  distinct  from  all  other  kinds  in 
the  cactus-shape  of  its  flowers.  It  is  a 
plant  of  strong  growth,  forming  many 
crowns  and  a  profusion  of  clear  yellow 
vanilla-scented  flowers,  from  July  into 
the  autumn.  Though  not  much  above 
medium  size,  they  are  conspicuous,  rising 
well  out  of  the  water,  and  the  long  pointed 
buds  open  early  in  the  day.  The  leaves 
rest  on  the  water  unless  crowded,  and  are 
evenly  rounded,  and  finely  blotched  and 
marbled.  It  is  slow  in  starting  to  flower, 
hardly  beginning  until  July. 

N.  O.  SULPHUREA  GRANDIFLORA. A  fine 

form,  with  the  same  starry  cactus-shaped 
flowers,  but  much  larger,  fuller,  and  of 
paler  yellow.  Though  its  parent  is  one 
of  the  latest,  this  kind  is  the  first  in  bloom 
and  bears  the  largest  flower,  opening  out 
very  flat,  with  narrow,  crowded  petals 
of  elegant  effect.  It  is  free  in  flower  when 
well  established,  and  makes  many  crowns, 
with  bold  foliage  of  paler  green,  less 
mottled  above,  but  covered  beneath  with 
reddish  blotches. 

N.  ROBINSONI. — A  star-like  flower  of 
distinct  colour,  a  reddish-purple  deepening 
towards  the  centre,  which  shows  traces  of 
an  orange  ground,  paling  again  towards 
the  tips  of  the  petals.  The  flowers  are  of 
medium  size,  with  pointed  and  sharply 
tapering  petals,  and  they  last  longer  than 


almost  any  other  kind  when  open.  Leaf 
dark  green,  blotched  with  chestnut  above 
and  on  the  stems,  and  reddish  below. 

N.  SEIGNOURETI.— One  of  the  older 
hybrids,  its  colour  being  indistinct.  The 
flowers  are  dull  yellow  washed  with  rose, 
and  are  held  several  inches  above  the 
water.  A  compact  grower,  with  small 
but  dense  leaves,  finely  spotted. 

N.  Sioux. — This,  one  of  the  recent  gains 
given  to  us  by  the  late  M.  Latour  Marliac, 
has  handsome  copper-yellow  flowers.  The 
petals  are  pointed  and  sprinkled  with  red 
about  the  edges,  the  stamens  deep  yellow. 
The  leaves  are  of  a  rich  bronzy-green 
stained  with  deep  brown  on  the  upper  side 
and  reddish-brown  on  the  under  side. 

N.  TETRAGON  A. — The  smallest  of  Water- 
Lilies.  with  little  flowers  i£  to  2^  inches 
across  and  pure  white  with  yellow  stamens, 
opening  for  three  or  four  days  from  noon 
till  about  5  P.M.  The  leaf  is  as  large  as 
the  palm  of  the  hand,  and  shaped  almost 
like  a  horse-shoe,  with  the  lobes  wide 
apart  ;  coloured  dark  green  above  and 
reddish  below.  This  kind  and  its  forms 
thrive  well  in  tanks;  forming  no  offsets  and 
spreading  slowly,  though  free  to  flower 
from  May  to  the  end  of  September.  It 
is  grown  from  seed.  N.  Asia  and  parts  of 
N.  America. 

N.  TETRAGONA  VAR.  HELVOLA. — A  seed- 
ling with  pale  yellow  flowers  2  inches 
across,  open  during  the  afternoon  and 
slightly  raised  above  the  water.  The  leaf 
is  oval  and  yet  smaller  than  in  the  parent, 
and  freely  blotched  with  brown.  It  thrives 
in  shallow  water  with  a  long  season  of 
flower,  while  a  dozen  or  more  blooms  may 
often  be  counted  at  once  upon  a  strong 
plant.  In  hot  sunlight  they  sometimes 
come  flushed  with  rose. 

N.  TUBEROSA. — The  vigorous  Water-Lily 
of  the  United  States,  thriving  in  deep 
water,  lifting  its  flowers  high  out  of  the 
water,  and  spreading  rapidly  by  long 
tuberous  offsets.  It  should,  therefore,  be 
planted  by  itself  in  deep  water,  but  only 
flowers  freely  under  a  warm  sky  or  in 
hot  summers.  They  are  creamy  white, 
without  a  trace  of  colour  in  the  sepals  or 
petals,  which  are  longer  and  broader  than 
in  any  other  wild  kind,  and  scenttess. 
They  vary  from  4^  to  nearly  9  inches 
across,  and  bear  larger  seeds  than  any 
other  kind. 

N.     TUBEROSA    VAR.     MAXIMA. A    form 

found  in  Lake  Hopatkong,  New  Jersey, 
growing  in  deep  water,  and  supposed  to 
be  a  wild  cross  between  tuberosa  and  odor- 
ata.  It  is  of  smaller  growth  and  blooms 
later  than  the  parent,  with  cup-shaped 
pure  white  flowers,  prettily  shaded  with 
green  upon  the  outer  petals.  The  flower- 
stalks  bear  long  hairs  and  a  few  faint  brown 
streaks. 

N.    TUBEROSA    VAR.    RlCHARDSONI. An 

American  seedling  with  double  pure 
white  flowers  standing  well  out  of  the 


NYSSA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        CENOTHERA. 


595 


water  ;  they  are  of  finely  rounded  petals, 
curving  inwards,  the  outer  row  and  the 
sepals  slightly  drooping.  Its  subdued 
growth  and  distinct  globe-shaped  flowers 
make  it  one  of  the  most  distinct  of  white 
Water- Lilies. 

N.   TUBEROSA  VAR.   ROSEA. A  Supposed 

natural  cross  with  the  rosy  Cape  Cod 
Water-Lily.  It  is  nearly  as  vigorous  as 
its  parent,  with  large  pink  flowers  rising 
above  the  water,  and  opening  widely  to 
show  the  crown  of  bright  red  stamens. 
A  good  plant  for  deep  water. 

N.  WILLIAM  DOOGUE. — An  American 
hybrid  with  large  floweis  of  soft  pink, 
very  broad  in  petal,  much  cupped,  and 
evenly  coloured  throughout.  A  charming 
plant  and  quite  hardy. 

N.  WILLIAM  FALCONER. — A  flower  of 
striking  colour,  one  of  the  best  dark  Water- 
Lilies.  The  blooms  are  large  (6  or  7 
inches)  and  deep  crimson,  shaded  with 
purple,  and  yellow  in  the  centre.  The 
young  leaves  are  bright  red,  changing  to 
deep  green,  with  veins  of  reddish  purple. 

M.  Latour  Marliac  sends  me  a  list  of 
the  newest  varieties  of  these  beautiful 
plants  of  his  raising  : — Escarboucle,  (Sloire 
du  Temple-sur-Lot,  Indiana,  Marguerite 
Laplace,  Newton,  Mrs  Richmond,  Sirius, 
Sylphida. 

NYSSA  (Tupelo  Tree}.— A  small 
group  of  trees  little  planted,  but  hav- 
ing certain  good  qualities.  One  of  the 
most  brilliant  sights  I  remember  was 
a  Tupelo  tree  at  Strathsfieldsaye  in 
Hampshire  in  autumn — a  tall  slender 
tree,  in  splendid  colour  of  leaf.  The 
trees  are  mostly  natives  of  N.E. 
America,  a  very  cold  country,  so  that 
there  can  be  no  doubt  about  their 
hardiness;  and  the  fact  that  they 
grow  in  swampy  places  should  make 
them  easy  to  find  a  place  in  this  river 
and  estuary  veined  land. 

N.  AQUATIC  A  (Tupelo  Gum)  rises  some- 
times to  a  height  of  100  feet,  and  is  rather 
of  southern  and  western  distribution. 
The  two  first-named  species  are  the  most 
important  for  our  country. 

N.  BIFLORA  (Water  Tupelo)  is  a  some- 
what smaller  swamp  and  waterside  tree, 
of  N,  Jersey  and  southwards. 

N.  SYLVATICA  (Sour  Gum)  is  the  Tupelo, 
a  tree  over  100  feet  high  in  deep  swampy 
ground  in  Maine  and  Canada,  southwards 
and  westwards. 

CENOTHERA  (Evening  Primrose).— 
These  are  amongst  the  prettiest  of 
hardy  flowers,  and  are  easily  grown 
in  all  soils.  From  June  onward  they 
are  in  their  beauty.  They  have  large 
bright  yellow  or  white  flowers,  in 
many  kinds  freely  borne.  Their  name 
notwithstanding,  many  are  open  by 
day  ;  as  for  instance,  (E.  linearis, 


speciosa,  taraxacifolia,  and  trichocalyx. 
Many  of  the  finest  Evening  Primroses 
are  natives  of  States  west  of  Missis- 
sippi, such  as  California,  Utah,  Mis- 
souri, and  Texas.  They  all  bloom  the 
first  season  from  early  seedlings.  Some 
of  the  true  perennials,  and  particularly 
the  prostrate  ones,  are  shy  seeders,  but 
the  tall  ones  seed  freely.  Sowing 
themselves  freely,  they  are  apt  to 
become  too  numerous  and  somewhat 
"  starved,"  so  that  they  are  best 
grown  in  large  groups.  Amongst  them 
we  have  tall  erect  sorts  like  (E.  Lam- 
arckiana,  prostrate,  as  in  trichocalyx 


OEnothera  marginata. 

and  ccespitosa,  and  white  flowers, 
as  in  the  two  last  named,  while  coronopi- 
folia  and  speciosa  often  change  with 
age  to  pink  or  rose.  Few  plants  have 
finer  yellow  blooms  than  missouriensis  ; 
and,  moreover,  they  are  very  large — 
4  to  6  inches  across.  Neatly  all  are 
more  or  less  fragrant,  particularly 
ccespitosa,  marginata,  fragrans,  and 
eximia. 

CE.  BIENNIS. — A  handsome  biennial, 
3  to  5  feet  high,  with  large  bright 
yellow  flowers.  Its  variety  grandiflora  or 
Lamarckiana  should  always  be  preferred 
to  the  ordinary  kind,  as  the  flowers  are 
larger  and  of  a  finer  colour,  having  a  fine 
effect  in  large  masses,  and  it  is  well  suited 
for  the  wild  garden. 


596          CENOTHERA.          THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


OLEARIA. 


CE.  FRUTICOSA  (Sundrops). — This  and 
its  varieties  are  amongst  the  finest  of 
hardy  perennials,  i  to  3  feet  high,  with 
showy  yellow  blossoms.  There  are  about 
half  a  dozen  distinct  varieties,  the  best 
being  linearis,  or,  as  it  is  usually  called, 
riparia,  about  i£  feet  high,  bearing  an 
abundance  of  yellow  blossoms.  It  is 
always  prudent  to  lift  a  few  or  strike  a 
potful  of  cuttings  in  case  of  accident, 
though  in  spring  the  old  plants  may  be 
divided  to  any  extent.  Given  sandy 
loam,  these  plants  thrive  in  borders  or  in 
the  margins  of  shrubberies.  N.  America. 


An  Evening  Primrose  (CEnothera  Lamarckiana). 

CE.  GLAUCA. — A  handsome  N.  American 
species  similar  to  fruticosa.  It  is  of  sub- 
shrubby  growth,  becomes  bushy,  and 
bears  yellow  flowers.  The  variety  Fraseri 
is  a  still  finer  plant,  and  where  an  attrac- 
tive mass  of  yellow  is  desired  through  the 
summer  there  are  few  hardy  plants  of 
easy  cultivation  so  effective.  In  a  large 
rock  garden  a  few  plants  here  and  there 
give  good  colour,  and  the  plants  bloom 
long. 

(E.  MARGINATA. — A  dwarf  plant  with 
flowers  in  May,  4  to  5  inches  across,  from 
white  gradually  changing  to  a  delicate 
rose  ;  as  evening  approaches,  coming  well 


above  the  jagged  leaves,  retaining  their 
beauty  all  night,  and  emitting  a  Magnolia- 
like  odour.  It  is  a  hardy  perennial,  and 
is  increased  by  suckers  from  the  roots  and 
by  cuttings,  which  root  readily.  It  is 
excellent  for  the  rock  garden  and  for  bor- 
ders. CE.  trichocalyx,  a  similar  species, 
but  probably  only  an  annual,  is  a  beautiful 
plant  well  worth  growing. 

CE.  MISSOURIENSIS  (Prairie  Evening 
Primrose). — A  precious  herbaceous  plant 
from  N.  America,  with  prostrate  downy 
stems  and  clear  yellow  flowers,  sometimes 
5  inches  in  diameter,  and  borne  freely. 
There  is  no  more  valuable  border  flower, 
and  when  well  placed  in  the  rock  garden 
it  is  effective,  especially  if  the  luxuriant 
shoots  are  allowed  to  hang  down.  I  plant 
it  as  an  undergrowth  to  a  tea-rose.  As  a 
border  plant  it  does  not  grow  so  freely  in 
cold  clayey  soils  as  in  warm  soils.  The 
blooms  open  best  in  the  evening. 

(E.  ROSEA  (Rosy  Evening  Primrose). — 
There  are  several  forms  of  this  name  quite 
worthless,  but  there  is  also  a  very  beau- 
tiful perennial  rosy  form,  which  seems  to 
show  that  the  plant  may  vary  a  good  deal 
in  its  native  country.  The  one  I  have 
found  so  useful  is  less  than  i  foot  high 
and  of  easy  propagation  and  culture  in 
ordinary  soil. 

CE.  SPECIOSA  — A  handsome  plant,  with 
many  large  flowers,  at  first  white,  changing 
to  a  delicate  rose.  The  plant  is  erect  and 
its  stems  almost  shrubby,  14  to  18  inches 
high.  A  true  perennial,  valuable  for 
borders,  or  the  rougher  parts  of  the  rock 
garden  in  good  loam.  It  is  a  native  of 
N.  America,  and  is  increased  by  division, 
cuttings,  or  seeds,  but  does  not  seed  freely 
in  this  country.  Its  variety,  rosea,  is  also 
to  be  recommended. 

CE.  TARAXACIFOLIA  (Chilian  Evening 
Primrose). — One  of  the  finest,  of  a  low 
trailing  growth  and  large  blossoms,  which 
attain  their  full  size  towards  evening.  It 
has  a  fine  effect  in  rich  deep  soil  in  the 
rock  garden,  where  its  trailing  stems  can 
droop  over  the  ledge  of  a  block  of  stone. 
The  flowers,  2^  to  3^  inches  across,  are 
pure  white,  changing  to  a  delicate  pink. 

CE.  TRILOBA. — A  handsome  hardy  annual 
species,  dwarf,  with  large  and  showy 
yellow  blossoms.  Other  showy  annuals 
are  CE.  sinuata  and  its  variety  maxima, 
(E  macrantha,  odorata,  bistorta,  Veitchiana, 
and  Dvummondi.  These  are  all  worthy  of 
culture,  requiring  the  treatment  of  half- 
hardy  annuals,  and  ordinary  garden  soil. 

OLEARIA  (Daisy  Trees]  .—Pretty 
evergreen  bushes,  natives  of  Australia 
and  New  Zealand.  Their  only  fault 
is  in  not  proving  really  hardy,  ex- 
cept in  warm  localities  in  the  south- 
ern counties.  They  may  exist  in 
other  districts,  but  gardens  are  none 


OLEAUIA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


OLEARIA. 


597 


the  better  for  the  presence  of  shrubs 
not  really  hardy  in  them,  or  perhaps 
in  a  half-dead  or  flowerless  state, 
or  requiring  protection,  which  has  a 
tendency  to  make  gardens  needlessly 
ugly  for  half  the  year. 

O.  INSIGNIS. — The  plant  is  dwarf, 
branched,  the  branches  as  thick  as  the 
little  finger  ;  the  leaves  from  3  to  5  inches 


and  prettiest  of  the  composites  which  are 
found  in  New  Zealand.  It  is  a  native  of 
Middle  Island,  where  it  is  said  to  grow 
on  the  driest  rocks. 

O.  HAASTI. — This  is  pretty  hardy  in 
various  parts  of  England,  growing  to  a 
large  size  in  the  more  favoured  localities, 
and  if  planted  in  groups  it  has  a  good  effect 
when  covered  with  its  Aster-like  flowers, 


Olearia  Haasti. 


long,  2  inches  broad,  rounded  at  the 
ends,  thick  and  hard,  shining  green  on 
the  upper  surface.  With  this  exception 
the  whole  plant  is  covered  with  a  thick, 
felt-like  coating  of  pale  brownish  tomen- 
tum.  The  flowers  are  on  erect  peduncles, 
which  are  as  thick  as  a  goose-quill  and 
from  6  to  9  inches  long  ;  the  flower-heads 
are  a  little  over  2  inches  across  ;  remaining 
fresh  on  the  plant  for  about  six  weeks. 
This  plant  is  one  of  the  most  interesting 


and  even  out  of  bloom  it  is  attractive. 
In  New  Zealand,  where  it  is  found  at 
altitudes  of  about  4,000  feet,  it  forms  a 
small  shrubby  tree.  The  flowers  are  very 
numerous,  in  terminal  corymbs,  the  ray 
florets  \  inch  long,  white,  the  disc  yellow. 
The  plants  usually  bloom  in  August,  and 
remain  in  perfection  several  weeks.  Other 
kinds  grown  against  walls  and  on  warm 
soils  with  some  success  are  ramulosa, 
ilicifolia,  myvsinoides,  nitida,  macrodonta, 


598       OMPHALODES.        THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         ONOPORDON. 


stellulata,     Traversi,     Gunniuna,    dentata, 
argophylla,  insignis,  Fosteri 

OMPHALODES  (Navelworf).— Pretty 
dwarf  rock  or  mountain  plants  belong- 
ing to  the  Borage  order. 

O.  CAPPADOCICA. — A  new  and  brilliant 
addition  that  should  be  grown  by  all. 
Ths  plant  is  vigorous  habited,  forming 
foot-high  mounds  crowded  with  rich 
gentian-blue  flowers  like  a  glorified  Forget- 
me-Not.  Delights  in  cool  loam.  A  most 
beautiful  and  amiable  plant,  flowering  in 
spring. 

O.  LINIFOLIA. — A  distinct  Portuguese 
hardy  annual,  9  to  12  inches  high,  with 
glaucous-green  leaves  and  pure  white 
flowers  from  June  to  August ;  it  may  be 
grown  in  ordinary  soil,  the  seeds  sown  in 
April  or  in  September  and  October  ;  the 
plant  often  sows  itself. 


Oinphalodes  I^ucilite. 

O.  LUCILIJE. — A  lovely  rock  plant,  with 
flowers  a  pretty  lilac-blue,  and  glaucous 
grey  foliage.  It  is  hardy,  and  succeeds  in 
the  rock  garden,  but  the  soil  must  be 
thoroughly  drained,  for  though  the  plant 
requires  abundance  of  water  during 
growth,  it  suffers  from  stagnant  moisture. 
To  protect  it  against  slugs,  which  are  too 
fond  of  it,  strips  of  perforated  zinc,  about 
3  inches  wide,  bent  so  as  to  form  rings 
round  the  plants,  are  used.  It  is  best 
increased  by  seeds,  and  may  be  cultivated 
with  success  in  the  moraine,  and  grows 
well  in  sandy  loam  and  peat.  Asia  Minor. 


O.  VERNA  (Creeping  Forget- me-Not). — 
A  pretty  hardy  plant,  bearing  in  early 
spring  handsome  flowers  of  a  deep  clear 
blue  with  white  throats.  The  plant  is 
useful  for  borders  and  the  rock  and  spring 
garden  :  no  plant  is  more  worthy  of 
naturalisation  ;  in  cool,  thin  woods  it  runs 
about  like  a  native  plant,  and  in  any 
position  is  one  of  the  prettiest  plants. 
There  is  a  white  variety,  not  so  pretty  as 
the  blue. 

ONOCLEA  (Sensitive  Fern}. —  O. 
sensibilis  belongs  to  the  group  known 
as  "  flowering  Ferns,"  from  the  fertile 
frond  being  contracted  so  as  to  give  it 
the  appearance  of  an  unopened  spike 
of  flowers.  The  fronds  are  a  beauti- 
ful fresh  green,  especially  in  spring. 
Though  not  very  fastidious  as  to  soil, 
it  succeeds  best  in  a  cool  and  moist 
situation,  such  as  the  base  of  the  rock 
garden,  or  in  the  American  garden, 
especially  if  a  little  sheltered  by  neigh- 
bouring plants.  If  the  fronds  are 
allowed  to  remain  on  the  plants  until 
they  appear  to  be  ripe,  it  will  be  found 
that  the  spore-cases  are  open  and 
the  spores  shed,  as  they  drop  while 
the  fronds  look  quite  green,  therefore 
the  best  way  is  to  cut  off  the  frond  as 
soon  as  indications  of  bursting  are  per- 
ceived, and  to  lay  it  on  a  sheet  of  paper 
for  a  few  days,  when  all  the  spores  will 
drop  out.  N.  America. 

ONONIS  (Rest  Harrow).  — Hardy 
plants  of  the  Pea  family,  of  which  the 
wild  Liquorice  (O.  arvensis)  is  one  of 
the  prettiest  of  our  wild  plants,  and 
is  worthy  of  cultivation  on  banks  and 
in  the  rough  rock  garden,  forming 
dense  tufts  covered  in  summer  with 
racemes  of  pink  flowers.  It  is  distinct 
from  the  spiny  O.  campestris,  which 
has  stems  nearly  2  feet  high,  and  some- 
times more.  O.  rotundifolia  is  a  dis- 
tinct and  pretty  plant,  which  is  hardy, 
and  easily  cultivated,  flowering  in  May 
and  June  and  through  the  summer  ; 
it  attains  a  height  of  12  to  20  inches 
according  to  soil,  and  is  suitable  for 
the  mixed  border  of  the  rougher  parts 
of  the  rock  garden.  Seeds  or  division. 
Pyrenees  and  Alps.  These  are  the 
best  of  about  half  a  dozen  garden 
species,  which  also  include  O.  fruticosa, 
Natrix,  viscosa  and  aragonenis. 

ONOPORDON  (Cotton  Thistle}.  - 
Handsome  vigorous  Thistle-like  plants 
mostly  biennial,  and  valuable  for  their 
stately  port  and  showy  flowers.  They 
thrive  in  exposed  places  and  among 
shrubs  in  sheltered  ones,  and  may  be 
effectively  used  in  a  variety  of  ways. 


ONOSMA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN,         OPHRYS. 


599 


Moderation  in  their  use,  however,  is 
desirable,  as  in  some  situations  they 
seed  so  freely  as  to  require  judicious 
keeping  down.  O,  Acanthium  (Down 
Thistle)  is  a  bold  and  vigorous  native 
plant,  with  very  large,  stout  branching 
stems,  often  more  than  5  feet  high, 
covered  with  long,  whitish  web-like 
hairs,  and  bearing  large  heads  of 
purplish  flowers.  The  habit  of  O. 
illyricum  is  more  branching,  the  leaves 
and  stems  are  much  more  spiny,  the 
stems  are  stiffer  and  the  leaves  are 
greener  and  more  deeply  cut.  O. 
arabicum  is  8  to  10  feet  high,  is  erect 
and  very  slightly  branching,  and  both 
sides  of  the  leaves,  as  well  as  the 
steins,  are  covered  with  white  down. 
O.  grcecum  is  also  a  handsome  plant. 

ONOSMA  (Golden  Drop}. — O.  taurica 
is  an  evergreen  perennial,  6  to  12  inches 
high,  soon  forming  dense  tufts,  and 
bearing  in  summer  drooping  clusters 


Onosma  taurica  (Golden  Drop). 

of  clear  yellow  almond-scented  blos- 
soms. The  best  place  for  it  is  the 
rock  garden  in  a  sunny  position, 
drained,  with  a  good  depth  of  soil, 
so  that  the  plants  may  root  strongly 
between  the  stones,  the  soil  a  good 
sandy  loam,  mixed  with  broken  grit. 
It  is  impatient  of  disturbance  and 
abhors  rich  soils.  Seeds  are  rarely 
if  ever  produced  in  this  country. 
Cuttings,  if  secured  with  a  heel 
attached  when  quite  young  and  in- 
serted without  further  ado  in  sandy 
soil  in  a  handlight,  root  freely  in 
early  summer.  Greece.  O.  albo-roseum 
from  Asia  Minor,  and  O.  Bourgcei 
from  Armenia,  are  characterised  by 
woolly  leaves  and  are  dwarf er  habited. 
Their  larger  drooping  flowers  are 
coloured  rose  and  white.  All  respond 


to  the  same  method  of  increase  and 
similar  conditions  of  cultivation. 
They  are  among  the  choicest  of 
alpine  flowers. 

ONYCHITJM. — O,  japonicum,  an  ele- 
gant Japanese  Fern,  often  grown  in  the 
greenhouse,  is  hardy  in  the  outdoors 
fernery.  In  severe  winters,  however, 
some  common  Brake  may  be  thrown 
over  it.  The  fronds  are  finely  divided, 
an  intensely  dark  green,  from  i  to 
2  feet  high,  and  useful  for  bouquets, 
or  for  placing  loosely  in  vases  with 
cut  flowers. 


OPHIOGLOSSUM  (A  ddtr's-t 
—  O.  vulgatum  is  a  native  Fern  not 
often  seen  in  gardens  ;  found  in  moist 
meadows  ;  and  the  best  position  for 
it  therefore  is  in  colonies  in  the  hardy 
fernery  or  the  moist  stiff  soil  in  the 
rock  garden.  O.  lusitanicum,  a  dwarf 
variety,  is  interesting,  but  capricious 
and  difficult  to  cultivate. 

OPHIOPOGON  (Snake's  -  beard).  - 
Herbaceous  perennials,  about  ij  feet 
high,  the  flowers,  usually  small,  lilac, 
appearing  late  in  summer  and  in 
autumn  in  spikes,  2  to  5  inches  long, 
rising  from  grassy  tufts  of  evergreen 
foliage.  They  thrive  in  borders  or 
margins  of  shrubberies  in  sandy  loam, 
but  are  scarcely  ornamental.  O.  ja- 
ponicus,  Jaburan,  spicatus,  Muscari, 
and  longifolius  are  the  best  known, 
and  usually  in  botanical  collections. 
In  Italy  they  are  used  to  form  green 
turf,  in  lieu  of  grass,  which  perishes 
from  the  heat.  Division.  Japan  and 
India. 

OPHRYS. — Small  terrestrial  Orchids, 
singularly  beautiful,  and  among  the 
most  curious  of  plants.  Many  have 
been  in  cultivation,  but  these  being 
tender  plants,  chiefly  from  S.  Europe, 
they  must  have  protection,  and  require 
much  attention.  A  few  native  species, 
however,  can  be  grown  in  gardens,  and 
of  these  one  of  the  most  singularly 
beautiful  is  the  Bee  Orchis  (O.  apifera). 
This  varies  from  6  inches  to  more  than 
i  foot  in  height ;  it  has  a  few  glaucous 
leaves  near  the  ground ;  flowers 
in  early  summer,  the  lip  of  a  rich 
velvety  brown  with  yellow  markings, 
bearing  a  fanciful  resemblance  to  a. 
bee.  It  is  usually  considered  difficult 
to  grow,  but  it  may  be  easily  kept  on 
dry  banks  in  the  rock  garden  in  a 
firm  bed  of  calcareous  soil,  or  of  loam 
mixed  with  broken  limestone.  It 
thrive  >  best  if  the  soil  be  surfaced  with 
some  very  dwarf  plant,  or  with  an 


6oo 


OPUNTIA.          THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN 


OPUNTIA. 


inch  of  cocoa-fibre  and  sand,  so  as  to 
keep  it  moist  and  compact  about  the 
plants.  Other  interesting  species  for 
a  collection  of  hardy  Orchids  are  O. 
muscifera  (Fly  Orchis),  arachnites 
and  ar  an  if  era  (Spider  Orchis). 

OPUNTIA  (Prickly  Fig}.— There  are 
several  of  these  succulent  plants  in 
cultivation,  but  few  are  hardy  enough 
for  the  open  air  in  our  climate.  The 
hardiest  are  0.  vulgaris,  missouriensis, 
humilis,  brachyantha,  and  Rafinesquei  ; 
the  finest  being  O.  Rafinesquei,  an  ever- 
green well  worthy  of  culture,  bearing 
in  summer  large  showy  yellow  blossoms 
on  fleshy  branches.  It  thrives  in  a 
sunny  corner  of  the  rock  garden  in 
good  dry  soil,  sheltered  from  any  pass- 
ing danger  to  the  stems,  for  it  is 
rather  fragile,  and  anything  brush- 
ing against  it  would  injure  it,  but  by 
the  skilful  placing  of  a  few  rough 
stones  it  is  easy  to  prevent  injury 
without  shading  the  plant.  To  prevent 
splashings,  the  ground  might  be  sur- 
faced with  a  dwarf  mossy  Saxifrage 
or  Sandwort.  Snails  and  slugs  are 
fond  of  this  plant,  and  in  spring,  and 
even  in  mild  winters,  may  destroy  it. 
A  dressing  of  soot  will  keep  away 
these  pests.  To  increase  the  plant, 
the  cutting,  a  single  joint,  is  potted 
in  sandy  soil,  and  the  pot  placed  in 
a  sunny  airy  spot  under  glass  and 
watered  very  sparingly,  and  in  a  short 
time  it  will  form  roots,  and  commence 
to  push  out  young  shoots.  The  hardier 
kinds  are  from  N.W.  America,  where 
the  winters  are  severe. 

Recently,  the  German  traveller,  Dr 
Purpus,  and  various  American  botan- 
ists have  found  in  the  mountains  of 
Arkansas,  Texas,  Colorado,  and  Arizona 
a  rich  variety  of  hardy  Cacti  thriving 
at  elevations  of  5,000  to  8,000  feet. 
The  entire  collection  contains  upwards 
of  100  kinds  of  Cacti  (species  and 
variety)  of  proved  hardiness  through- 
out C.  Europe,  many  of  them 
plants  of  real  beauty  and  value  for 
our  rock  and  wall  gardens.  The 
Darmstadt  collection  fills  a  large  rock 
garden  formed  of  limestone  blocks, 
and  Dr  Purpus  considers  the  use  of 
limestone  essential  for  these  plants, 
all  being  found  on  soils  of  this  nature. 
In  many  botanical  gardens  in  Ger- 
many a  feature  is  made  of  these  hardy 
Cacti,  and  their  value  is  well  seen  at 
Giessen,  Jena,  Leipzig,  Magdeburg, 
Dusseldorf,  and  many  other  places. 
Many  of  the  Opuntias  produce  beau- 
tiful flowers  from  the  middle  of 


June  to  October,  which  in  many 
cases  are  remarkable  for  their  bright 
colour. 

The  following  kinds  may  be  con- 
sidered hardy  for  C.  Europe  : — 

O.  ARBORESCENS. — Tree-like  in  its  wild 
state,  with  a  stout  stem  30  feet  or  more 
in  height,  covered  with  clusters  of  sharp 
spines,  and  many  rose  or  rosy-purple 
flowers.  In  C.  Europe  it  spreads  on  the 
ground  instead,  and  is  the  least  hardy  of 
outdoor  kinds.  Opuntia  camanchica,  with 
its  seven  varieties,  some  so  distinct  that 
they  might  be  classed  as  separate  species. 
Thus,  albispina,  with  large  brown-yellow 
flowers  and  long  white  spines  upon  the 
joints ;  pallida,  with  very  pale  yellow 
flowers  ;  rubra,  a  beautiful  little  plant 
with  rosy  or  deep  pink  flowers,  and  golden 
stamens  ;  spinocentra,  with  large  yellow 
flowers ;  and  gigantea,  orbicularis,  and 
salwionea. 

The  O.  polyacantha,  or  missouriensis, 
bears  pale  yellow  flowers  upon  large  flat 
joints,  studded  with  fine  spines  set  in 
bunches  of  yellow  down.  It  is  a  creeping 
plant  in  cultivation  since  1814,  but  until 
lately  always  under  glass.  There  are  two 
beautiful  varieties  of  it  :  erythrostemma , 
with  yellow  flowers  and  red  stamens  ;  and 
salmonea,  with  salmon-pink  flowers.  O. 
fragilis  is  an  old  greenhouse  plant  of  droop- 
ing habit,  its  short,  rounded  joints  thickly 
set  with  white  spines  and  little  yellow 
flowers.  Its  variety  cczspitosa  is  more 
compact,  with  larger  yellow  flowers  shad- 
ing to  brown  in  the  centre,  and  bright  red 
stamens.  O.  mesacantha  is  a  little  tuft  of 
spreading,  spiny  growths,  with  bright 
yellow  flowers  in  summer.  O.  Greenii 
bears  beautiful  pale  lemon-yellow  flowers. 
O.  Rhodantha  and  xanthostemma  are,  per- 
haps, the  finest  of  all.  The  first  exists 
under  five  distinct  forms — 0.  Rhodantha, 
with  large  rosy-lilac  flowers  of  rich  silky 
texture,  the  stamens  bright  red,  and  the 
style  green  ;  var.  brevispina,  in  which  the 
joints  are  large  and  of  a  dark  grey-green, 
covered  with  short  spines  and  bearing  very 
large  flowers  of  intense  carmine  colour  ; 
flavispina,  with  smaller,  pale  green  joints 
and  with  larger  spines,  which  in  their 
early  stages  are  yellow  with  green  tips, 
the  flowers  large  and  rose-coloured  ;  pisci- 
formis,  so  called  from  the  fish-like  joints 
studded  with  flowers  of  pale  pink  with 
bright  red  stamens  ;  and  Schumanniance , 
with  the  largest  flowers  2  inches  or  more 
across  and  bright  crimson,  upon  erect 
growths  of  a  pretty  blue-green  colour.  O. 
xanthostemma  bears  flowers  of  carmine- 
purple,  which,  with  the  golden  stamens, 
are  striking  in  effect ;  it  also  exists  in 
several  varieties,  as  follows  :  elegans,  with 
large  rosy  glossy  flowers  glistening  when 
newly  expanded  ;  fulgens,  with  flowers  of 
glowing  carmine  ;  gracilis,  with  smaller 
pale  pink  flowers ;  orbicularis,  with 


ORCHIS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


ORCHIS. 


60 1 


rounded  growths  and  many  pale  pink 
flowers  of  2  to  3  inches  across  ;  and  rosea, 
with  numerous  blush  -  pink  blossoms. 
Other  kinds,  such  as  the  O.  arenaria, 
arkansana,  cymochila,  hybrida,  macrorhiza, 
and  phcBacantha,  have  now  lived  in  the 
open  air  for  several  seasons  ;  all  the  plants 
we  have  named,  with  others,  thrive  in  the 
open  air  with  complete  success.  To  do 


grown  if  placed  under  good  condi- 
tions at  first.  Some  of  our  native 
Orchids  are  worth  a  place,  but  few 
succeed  with  them,  chiefly  because  the 
plants  are  transplanted  at  the  wrong 
season.  The  usual  plan  is  to  trans- 
plant just  when  the  flowers  are  opening, 
but  at  this  period  of  growth  the  plant 


Orchis  foliosa  (Madeira  Orchis). 


well  they  must  have  a  sunny  spot,  as  open 
to  the  winds  as  their  own  mountain  tops, 
but  dry,  well  drained,  and  with  a  sufficient 
layer  of  limestone  soil. — H.  C. 

ORCHIS.— These  terrestrial  Orchids 
are  beautiful,  and  well  worth  culti- 
vation among  hardy  flowers.  For 
those  who  do  not  want  a  full  collection 
the  species  mentioned  below  are  easily 


is  forming  a  tuber  for  the  following 
year,  and  if  this  is  in  any  way  injured 
it  dies.  If,  instead,  the  plants  are 
marked  when  in  flower  and  allowed 
to  remain  until  August  or  September, 
when  the  tubers  are  matured,  the 
risk  of  transplanting  is  lessened, 
provided  the  plant  be  taken  up  with 
a  deep  sod.  The  ground  where  the 


602         OREOCOME.          THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


OROXTIUM. 


plants  grow  may  be  surfaced  with 
such  plants  as  the  Balearic  Sandwort, 
Lawn  Pearlwort,  and  the  mossy  Saxi- 
frages. The  situation  for  Orchids 
should  be  an  open  one,  and  the  soil  a 
deep,  fibry  loam  in  a  drained  border. 
The  following  are  the  kinds  most 
worthy  of  culture  : — 

O.  FOLIOSA. — A  handsome  Orchid,  one 
of  the  finest  of  the  hardy  kinds,  2  feet  or 
more  in  height,  with  long  spikes  of  rosy- 
purple  blossoms  in  May,  lasting  long  in 
bloom.  It  delights  in  moist  nooks  at  the 
base  of  the  rock  garden,  though  quite 
happy  in  deep  light  soil.  Plant  in  early 
autumn.  Madeira. 

O.  LATIFOLIA  (Marsh  Orchis). — A  fine 
native  kind,  i  to  i£  feet  high,  with  long 
spikes  of  purple  flowers  in  early  summer. 
It  thrives  in  damp  boggy  soil,  in  peat  or 
leaf-mould.  There  are  several  beautiful 
varieties,  the  best  being  prtecox  and  sesqui- 
pedalis  ;  the  last  being  one  of  the  finest  of 
hardy  Orchids,  about  i£  feet  high,  and  a 
third  of  the  stem  is  covered  with  purplish- 
violet  flowers. 

O.  LAXIFLORA. — A  pretty  species,  i  foot 
to  1 8  inches  high,  with  loose  spikes  of  rich 
purplish-red  flowers,  opening  in  May  and 
June,  and  thriving  in  a  moist  spot  in 
the  rock  garden.  Guernsey  and  Jersey. 
Division. 

O.  MACULATA  (Hand  Orchis). — One  of 
the  handsomest  of  British  Orchids,  finest 
in  rich  soil,  and  if  well  grown  in  moist  and 
rather  stiff  garden  loam  its  beauty  will 
surprise  even  those  who  know  it  well  in 
a  wild  state.  The  variety  superba  is  a 
fine  plant,  and  should  be  secured. 

Other  beautiful  kinds,  but  more  or  less 
difficult  to  establish  in  gardens,  are  O. 
papilionacea,  purpurea,  militaris,  mascula, 
pyramidalis,  spectabilis,  tephrosanthos,  and 
Robertiana. 

OREOCOME       CANDOLLEI.  —  An 

effective  plant  of  the  Fennel  order  for 
the  margins  of  shrubberies,  or  groups 
of  fine-leaved  hardy  plants.  It  grows 
5  feet  in  height,  with  large  leaves  finely 
divided,  of  a  fresh  green  colour,  and 
the  flowers,  which  rise  well  above  the 
foliage,  are  in  umbels,  and  white.  It 
grows  well  in  any  ordinary  garden  soil, 
and  is  quite  hardy.  Himalayas. 

ORIGANUM  (Dittany,  Hop  Plant}.— 
O.  Dictamnus  (Dittany  of  Crete)  is  a 
pretty  plant,  somewhat  tender,  and 
best  grown  under  glass  rather  than  in 
the  open  air,  though  during  mild 
winters  it  may  survive.  It  has  mottled 
downy  foliage,  and  small  purplish 
flowers,  in  heads  like  the  Hop,  hence 
the  name  Hop-plant.  O.  Sipyleum 
is  similar,  and  is  quite  as  pretty.  In 


the  open  air  these  plants  should  have 
a  warm  spot  in  the  rock  garden. 

ORIXA  JAPONICA—  A  very 
interesting  summer-leafing  shrub  of 
graceful  habit.  Native  of  China  and 
Japan.  Mr  Wilson,  who  saw  them  in 
China,  says  they  have  the  curious 
and  interesting  faculty,  when  ripe, 
of  shooting  out  the  seed  at  a  distance 
of  several  feet.  Mr  W.  J.  Bean 
( Trees  and  Shrubs)  has  seen  the 
shrub  at  Kew,  but  nowhere  else. 
He  says  the  leaves  have  a  pleasant 
spicy  odour  when  crushed.  The 
shrub  is  largely  used  by  the  Japanese 
as  a  hedge  plant. 

ORNITHOGALUM  (Star  of  Bethle- 
}. — Bulbous  plants,  some  of  them 
handsome,  others  not  very  distinct, 
but  all  useful  in  the  grass  and  in 
borders,  in  any  good  garden  soil — 
one  or  two  kinds  among  the  hardy 
species  important  for  choice  borders 
and  bulb,  beds,  i.e.,  pyramidale  and 
latifolium.  Among  other  kinds  worth 
growing  are  nutans  (free  in  grass), 
narbonnense,  sororium,  exscapum,  and 
umbellatum — natives  mostly  'of  S. 
Europe,  N.  Africa,  and  Asia  Minor. 

OROBUS  (Bitter  Vetch).— Often 
pretty  plants  of  the  Pea  order,  flower- 
ing usually  in  spring.  They  are  suit- 
able for  the  mixed  border,  for  the 
rock  garden,  or  for  naturalising. 

O.  AURANTIUS. — A  handsome  plant, 
1 8  to  24  inches  high,  with  orange-yellow 
flowers  in  early  summer.  O.  tauricus'is  a 
nearly-allied  species,  also  with  orange 
flowers.  Both  require  to  be  well  estab- 
lished before  they  bloom  freely. 

O.  LATHYROIDES. — A  lovely  border 
plant,  1 8  to  24  inches  high;  its  bright 
blue  flowers  borne  in  dense  racemes ; 
increased  freely  by  seeds,  and  thrives  in 
ordinary  soil. 

O.  VERNUS  (Spring  Bitter  Vetch).— One 
of  the  most  charming  of  border  flowers. 
From  black  roots  spring  healthy  tufts  of 
leaves  with  two  or  three  pairs  of  shining 
leaflets  ;  the  flower-buds  appearing  soon 
afterwards,  almost  covering  the  plant  with 
beautiful  purple  and  blue  blooms  in  April. 
There  are  varieties  of  which  cyaneus  is  the 
most  attractive,  with  its  larger  flowers 
and  strange  intermixture  of  colours. 

ORONTIUM  (Golden  Club}.—O. 
aguaticum  is  an  interesting  perennial 
of  the  Arum  family,  12  to  18  inches 
high  ;  in  early  summer  its  narrow 
spadix  is  densely  covered  with  yellow 
flowers.  The  plant  may  be  grown  on 


OSMANTHUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


OSMUNDA. 


603 


the  margins  of  ponds  and  fountain- 
basins,  or  in  the  wettest  part  of  the 
bog  garden.  N.  America. 

OSMANTHUS.  —  Handsome  ever- 
green shrubs,  few  hardy  in  our  islands  ; 
but  some  of  these  are  of  value  : — 

O.  AQUIFOLIUM. — Botanically  all  forms 
of  the  Osmanthus  in  Britain  are  of  this 
species.  They  can  scarcely  be  called 
varieties,  for  it  is  not  unusual  to  see  a 
plant  with  two  so-called  varieties  on  one 
branch.  For  convenience,  however,  and 
especially  as  they  keep  true  to  character 
in  the  majority  of  instances,  the  common 
nursery  names  are  given  here.  O.  aqui- 
folium  is  a  native  of  China  and  Japan.  In 
some  of  its  forms  it  is  curiously  like  the 
Holly,  and  is  frequently  mistaken  for  it, 
but  it  is  of  looser  growth  and  less  thickly 
furnished  with  leaves,  and  is  of  dwarfer 
and  more  shrubby  habit.  The  generally 
accepted  typical  form  of  this  species  is  the 
one  with  the  largest  and  broadest  leaves. 
In  this  the  leaves  are  3  to  4  inches  long, 
of  oblong  or  oval  shape,  pointed  or 
toothed,  but  not  so  deeply  as  the  smaller- 
leaved  forms  known  as  ilicifolius.  They 
are  a  deep  green  colour  and  very  firm 
texture.  This  plant  is,  according  to  my 
experience,  the  least  hardy  of  this  set.  It 
flowers  in  autumn,  and  the  blossoms  are 
fragrant. 

O.  DELAVAYI. — A  charming  species 
from  Yunnan,  China,  which  will  be  welcome 
should  it  prove  generally  hardy.  An 
evergreen  reaching  4  to  6  feet  high,  the 
branches  freely  furnished  with  dark 
leathery,  glossy,  small  green  leaves,  which, 
with  its  terminal  clusters  of  white  Bouvar- 
dia-like  fragrant  flowers,  distinguishes  it 
from  all  the  other  species  of  the  genus. 
Light  loamy  soils  in  warm  well-drained 
situations. 

O.  ILICIFOLIUS. — This  is  by  far  the  most 
common  and  useful  kind,  and  is,  more- 
over, a  valuable  shrub  for  town  planting. 
The  leaves  are  usually  much  smaller  than 
those  of  the  plant  just  described,  and  may 
be  easily  recognised  by  their  deep  lobing. 
The  largest  specimen  at  Kew  is  9  feet 
high,  with  a  spreading  base  and  foliage  of 
the  deepest  and  glossiest  green.  The 
leaves  average  i|  inches  to  2  inches  in 
length,  and  are  cut  half-way  to  the  mid- 
rib into  several  sharply-pointed  lobes. 
Some  of  them  are  quite  entire,  others 
lobed  on  one  side  only,  but  most  of  them 
have  the  upper  half  lobed,  the  lower  half 
entire. 

O.  PURPURASCENS. — The  young  leaves 
of  this  variety  are  tinged  with  purple, 
especially  on  the  under  side.  It  is  un- 
doubtedly the  best  of  all  the  Osmanthuses 
for  outdoor  work,  being  much  hardier  than 
the  variegated  forms.  At  Kew  there  is  a 
group  of  this  purple-leaved  variety  near 


the  Palm  House,  amongst  which  is  planted 
Lilium  candidum,  and  nothing  could  more 
happily  set  off  the  beauty  of  this  Lily. 

O.  MYRTIFOI.IUS. — There  is  this  Osman- 
thus at  Kew,  the  lower  part  of  which  is 
ilicifolius,  the  upper  part  myrtifolius.  It 
appears,  however,  to  be  itself  constant, 
and  when  grown  on  its  own  roots  I  have 
never  noticed  any  reversion.  It  makes  a 
neat  bush,  with  leaves  like  those  of  the 
Myrtle  in  shape,  but  larger  and  firmer  in 
texture. 

O.  ROTUNDIFOLIUS. — This  is  the  dwarf - 
est  and  one  of  the  most  distinct.  Its 
leaves  are  very  stiff  and  leathery,  and  dis- 
tinguish the  variety  by  their  more  or  less 
obovate  outline.  The  margins  are  not 
distinctly  serrated,  but  have  a  very 
shallow  irregular  lobing. 

The  Osmanthuses  may  all  be  propa- 
gated by  cuttings,  and  although  it 
takes  longer  to  obtain  plants  on  their 
own  roots  they  are  much  to  be  pre- 
ferred to  those  grafted  on  the  Privet. 
Cuttings  should  be  taken  in  August 
when  the  wood  has  become  firm,  and 
they  may  be  struck  in  a  cool  propa- 
gating frame. — W.  J.  B. 

OSMUNDA  (Royal  Fern}.— So- called 
' '  flowering ' '  Ferns  made  familiar  by 
our  native  Royal  Fern  (O.  regalis}, 
which  is  found  in  many  bogs  and 
marshy  woods,  and  is  well  worth 
cultivating,  as  it  is  the  largest  and 
most  striking  of  our  native  Ferns, 
sometimes  attaining  a  height  of  8  feet. 
It  should  be  planted  in  moist  peaty 
soil,  and  the  most  suitable  spots  are 
half-shady  places  on  the  banks  of 
streams  or  of  pieces  of  water.  When 
exposed  to  the  full  sun  it  does  well, 
with  its  roots  in  a  constantly  moist, 
porous,  moss-covered  soil,  if  sheltered 
from  strong  winds.  In  shady  positions 
and  in  deep  bog  soil  it  attains  a  great 
size.  A  gross  feeder,  revelling  in 
richly  manured  soils. 

The  various  N.  American  Osmun- 
das  may  be  associated  with  it.  O. 
cinnamomea  is  an  elegant  N.  Ameri- 
can Fern  with  pale  green  fronds ; 
the  variety  angustata  is  smaller,  and 
the  fronds  are  less  inclined  to  droop. 
This  species,  like  O.  regalis,  is  decidu- 
ous. O.  Claytoniana  is  another  deci- 
duous species,  and  has  vivid  green 
fronds,  2  to  3  feet  high.  O.  interrupta 
is  the  same.  O.  gracilis  is  a  native 
of  Canada,  somewhat  resembling  a 
dwarf  form  of  our  Royal  Fern,  the 
fronds  about  2  feet  high.  O.  specta- 
bilis  is  a  slender  form  of  O.  regalis  ; 
its  fronds  are  smaller,  and  the  young 
ones  come  up  reddish-purple.  These 


604 


OSTEOMELES.         THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


OXALIS. 


exotic  species  are  of  the  simplest  culture 
in  the  hardy  fernery,  in  moist  peaty 
soil.  N.  America. 

OSTEOMELES  ANTHYLIDIFOLIA. 
— A  small  evergreen  shrub  from  5  to 
6  feet  high,  mostly  grown  upon  walls 
in  this  country,  but  fairly  hardy  in 
the  south-west.  It  has  silvery  leaves 
divided  into  a  number  of  small  leaflets, 
and  clusters  of  white  flowers  like  the 
Hawthorn,  followed  by  red  -  brown 
berries.  Native  of  China  and  the 
N.  Pacific  islands. 

OSTROWSKYA  (Great  Oriental  Bell- 
flower). — O.  magnified  is  a  remarkable 
and  handsome  hardy  plant  found  by 
Dr  Regel  on  the  higher  mountains  of 
Chanat  Darwas,  in  E.  Bokhara,  and 
is  like  a  huge  Platycodon  in  aspect, 
but  distinct,  the  flowers  being  of  great 
beauty,  4  to  6  inches  across,  of  a 
delicate  purple,  veined,  and  varying 
from  seed  ;  the  leaves  are  in  whorls. 
The  plants  like  a  deep  sandy  loam,  as 
the  carrot-like  roots  when  of  full  size 
go  down  to  a  depth  of  2  feet.  They 
must  be  carefully  handled,  as  they  are 


Ostroiuskya.  ma.gnifi.ca. 

very  brittle.  The  Ostrowskya  does 
not  apparently  thrive  equally  in  all 
places,  and  is  often  disappointing. 
Seeds  germinate  readily  in  a  cold 
frame,  but  a  few  years  elapse  between 
sowing  and  flowering.  Unique  among 
perennials,  it  is  worthy  of  any  care 
to  make  it  a  success.  Plant  year-old 
seedlings  where  disturbance  is  un- 
necessary. 


0  S  T  R  Y  A  ( Hop  Hornbeam)  .— 
According  to  Mr  Bean  one  is  a  species 
common  to  Europe  and  Asia  Minor, 
another  is  of  E.  Asia,  and  there  is 
one  in  western  and  one  in  eastern 
N.  America.  They  are  summer- 
leafing  and  should  be  raised  from  seed  ; 
they  thrive  in  any  soil  of  good  or 
moderate  quality,  and  are  all  perfectly 
hardy. 

OTHONNOPSIS  (Barbary  Ragwort). 
—  O.  cheirifolia  is  a  distinct  Composite 
plant,  with  whitish-green  tufts,  8  inches 
to  i  foot  high,  or  on  rich  soils  perhaps 
more.  It  is  a  spreading  evergreen, 
flowering  sparsely  on  heavy  and  cold 
soil,  but  on  light  soils  often  blooming 
freely  in  May ;  the  flowers  yellow, 
about  i^  inches  across,  but  not  pretty. 
It  is  useful  from  its  distinct  aspect 
on  the  rough  rock  garden  or  in  the 
mixed  border.  Cuttings.  Perishes  in 
severe  winters  ;  at  least  on  clay  soils. 
Barbary. 

OURISIA. —  O.  coccinea  is  a  bright 
dwarf  Chilian  creeper,  bearing  in  early 
summer  scarlet  blossoms  in  slender 
clusters,  6  to  9  inches  high.  For 
years  this  brilliant  subject  was  reput- 
edly difficult  to  grow.  Experience 
proves,  however,  that  it  revels  in 
cool  rich  loam  and  leaf  soil,  and 
flowers  profusely  when  with  these 
are  associated  broken  sandstone,  over 
which  the  rhizomes  creep  and  flower. 
On  no  account  should  the  rhizomes 
be  buried.  Keep  them  level  with 
the  surface.  As  it  forms  a  perfect 
mat,  it  should  be  divided  and  replanted 
every  two  years. 

OXALIS  (Wood  Sorrel). — Dwarf  and 
often  pretty  perennial  or  annual  plants, 
for  the  most  part  more  happy  and 
free  in  temperate  countries,  but  some 
hardy  with  us  on  warm  borders  and 
on  the  rock  garden.  They  all  thrive 
best  in  a  sandy  soil  in  the  warmest  and 
driest  place  in  a  garden.  The  following 
are  the  best  kinds  for  our  gardens  : — 

O.  ACETOSELLA  (Stubwoit,  Wood  Sor- 
rel).— The  prettiest  of  all  the  kinds  known 
for  our  gardens  is  our  native  Wood  Sorrel, 
which  bore  in  old  times  the  better  name  of 
"  Stubwort  " — a  name  which  should  be 
used  always.  This  grows  in  such  pretty 
ways  in  woody  and  shady  places  that  in 
many  gardens  there  is  no  need  to  cultivate 
it.  Where  it  must  be  cultivated  it  will 
be  happy  in  the  hardy  fernery  or  in  shady 
spots  in  the  rock  garden,  or  under  trees, 
or  the  lawn,  or  in  any  shady  or  half -shady 
places  in  ground  not  dug. 


OXALIS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.          OXYTROPIS.          605 


There  are  other  species  worthy  of  a 
place,  especially  on  very  dry  sandy  soils, 
and  among  them  are  O.  Smithi,  rosea, 
Deppei,  speciosa,  arborea,  violacea,  versi- 
color,  incarnata,  telraphylla,  venusta,  and 
corniculata.  If  a  collection,  it  should  be 
borne  in  mind  that  it  is  very  difficult  to 
preserve  the  correctness  of  the  names,  for 
the  minute  bulblets  become  mixed  up 


Oxalis  Acetosellfi. 

with  the  earth,  and  the  elasticity  of  the 
seed-pots  permits  the  seeds  to  scatter  in 
all  directions. 

O.  ADENOPHYLLA. — A  very  beautiful 
new  species  from  the  Andes  rivalling  and 
even  eclipsing  in  beauty  the  better  known 
O.  Enneaphylla.  The  plant  is  vigorous 
habited,  quite  hardy,  and  grows  freely  in 
loamy  soils.  The  flowers  are  large  and 
coloured  rosy-white,  and  appear  in  early 
summer.  Rare  at  present,  it  is  one  of 
the  choicest  of  gems  for  the  rock  garden. 
Height,  4  to  6  inches.  Increased  by  divi- 
sion of  the  tubers  when  dormant. 

O.  BOWIEANA. — A  robust  species,  form- 
ing rich  masses  of  leaves,  6  to  9  inches  high, 
and  umbels  of  rose  flowers  continuously 
throughout  the  summer,  suitable  for  warm 
borders  at  the  foot  of  a  south  wall.  In 
cold  soils  it  seldom  flowers,  but  on  very 
sandy,  warm,  and  well-drained  soils  it 
flowers  abundantly,  and  where  it  does 
well  it  is  one  of  the  most  precious  of  hardy 
flowers.  Division.  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 

O.  FLORIBUNDA. — A  free-flowering  kind, 
hardy  in  all  soils  ;  for  months  in  succes- 
sion it  bears  numbers  of  dark- veined 
rose-coloured  flowers.  The  white-flowered 
variety  flowers  as  freely  as  the  rose- 
coloured  form,  and  both  are  very  useful 
for  the  rock  garden  and  for  margins  of 
borders,  and  are  easily  increased  by 
division.  America. 

O.  LASIANDRA. — A  distinct  and  beau- 
tiful kind,  with  large  dark  green  leaves, 
and  in  early  summer  umbels  of  bright 
rose-coloured  flowers,  and  useful  for  warm 
borders  and  the  rock  garden.  Mexico. 

O.  ENNEAPHYLLA.  —  A  lovely  plant 
from  the  Falkland  Islands,  producing 
handsome,  pure  white,  erect,  open,  bell- 
shaped  flowers  from  amid  pale  glaucous 


green  foliage.  The  plant  revels  in  cool 
rich  loam  and  leaf-mould,  and  in  such 
flowers  well  and  increases  rapidly.  Per- 
fectly hardy  and  quite  amiable.  Does 
not  object  to  thin  screening  shade.  June- 
July.  Increased  by  tuber  division  when 
dormant.  O.  e.  rosea  is  a  pretty  variety 
whose  flowers  are  delicately  tinted  rose. 

O.  LOBATA. — A  stemless  little  plant 
with  three  deeply-lobed  bright  green 
leaflets,  and  blossoms  about  |  inch  across, 
rich  yellow,  the  centre  delicately  pencilled 
with  chocolate.  A  free-flowering  bright 
little  plant  during  sunshine,  thriving  in 
warm  sandy  loam  on  well-drained  borders. 
Flowers  in  September-October.  Should 
be  planted  in  the  warmest  and  sunniest 
position.  Chili. 

O.  LUTEOLA. — One  of  the  prettiest, 
forming  a  compact  tuft ;  the  flower-buds 
£  inch  in  length,  and  a  soft  creamy-yellow, 
but  when  open  they  are  as  large  as  a  half- 
crown,  and  pure  white,  shading  to  yellow 
towards  the  centre  ;  it  is  not  hardy,  but 
in  light  sandy  soil  will  survive  a  winter  if 
protected. 

OXYDENDRUM  (Sorrel  Tree}.— A 
handsome  flowering  tree  reaching  a 
height  of  over  50  feet  in  its  native 
country,  with  rather  large  fine  leaves 
and  many  racemes  of  white  flowers  ; 
thriving  in  our  country,  at  least,  on 
peaty  soils,  and  flowering  freely  in 
summer.  Ohio  and  Pennsylvania  to 
Florida,  both  in  mountain  and  coast 
lands.  The  tree  is  as  yet  far  from 
common,  and  the  best  way  at  first  is 
to  group  it  with  the  American  shrubs 
in  peaty  and  free  soils.  I  have 
planted  it  in  rich  leafy  soil  in  most 
spots  in  woods,  where  even  small 
plants  so  far  hold  their  own  among 
the  stoutest  sedges. 

OXYTROPIS.— Plants    of    the    Pea 

family,  nearly  allied  to  Astragalus,  the 
best  of  which  is  O.  pyrenaica,  a  dwarf 
species,  with  pinnate  leaves  covered 
with  silky  down,  barely  rising  above 
the  ground,  the  flowers  a  purplish- 
lilac,  barred  with  white,  and  borne  in 
heads  of  from  four  to  fifteen  in  early 
summer.  Native  of  the  Pyrenees, 
rarely  in  gardens,  and  increased  by 
seed  or  division.  Plant  on  well- 
exposed  and  bare  parts  of  rock  gardens, 
in  firm,  sandy,  or  gravelly  soil.  O. 
Halleri  has  charming,  compact  flowers, 
of  as  deep  a  blue  as  that  of  the  Gentians, 
and  proves  a  manageable  plant  in 
the  rock  garden  in  deep  moist  loam. 
O.  uralensis,  a  dwarf  species  from 
the  Ural  Mountains,  has  rosy-blue 
flowers  in  compact  heads,  about 
4  inches  high.  Other  kinds  are — O. 


606        OZOTHAMNUS.         THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


P^ONIA. 


montana,  fcetida,  strobilacea,  campestris, 
and  its  several  varieties  ;  all  of  these 
are  dwarf,  and  thrive  in  sandy  loamy 
soil  in  open  spots  in  the  rock  garden. 

OZOTHAMNUS.  —  O.  rosmarini  - 
folius  is  a  neat  little  evergreen  shrub 
almost  hardy  in  the  south  and  coast 
districts,  with  small,  Rosemary-like 
leaves,  and  about  the  end  of  summer 
bears  dense  clusters  of  small  white 
flowers.  It  thrives  in  any  light  soil, 
and  should  be  planted  in  an  open 
sunny  spot  or  on  a  warm  bank. 
Tasmania. 

PACHYSANDRA  (Mountain  Spurge). 
— P.  procumbens  is  a  little  sub-ever- 


mountains  of  N.W.  America.  P. 
myrsinites,  the  only  kind  in  our 
gardens,  is  i  to  2  feet  high,  with  Box- 
like  leaves  and  inconspicuous  reddish 
flowers  followed  by  berries.  Well- 
drained  and  sunny  places  of  the  rock 
garden  in  full  sun.  Seeds,  layers,  or 
cuttings. 

P.3EONIA  (P  atony).  —  Among  the 
most  showy  of  hardy  perennial 
plants,  with  much  beauty  of  colour 
and  often  fragrance.  Though  there 
are  several  species  in  collections,  the 
most  important  are  the  hybrids  ob- 
tained by  inter-crossing.  Paeonies  are 
divided  into  two  groups — the  tree  or 


Ozothainnus  rosmarinifolius 


green  plant  from  the  rocky  woods  of 
N.  America,  6  to  12  inches  high, 
and  nearly  allied  to  the  Common  Box. 
Its  prostrate  stems  bear  deeply  toothed 
leaves  of  dull  green,  with  small  crowded 
spikes  of  white  or  purplish  flowers 
in  early  spring,  when  they  are  much 
sought  by  bees.  A  better  plant  is  P. 
terminalis  from  Japan.  This  is  a  true 
evergreen,  with  thick  glossy  dark 
green  leaves,  sometimes  variegated, 
and  forms  a  neat  carpet  in  the  rock 
garden.  Both  plants  are  hardy,  and 
mostly  do  best  in  a  moist  spot  and  in 
half -shade,  though  the  Japanese  kind 
will  also  grow  in  full  sunlight.  Easily 
increased  by  division. 

PACHYSTIMA.— A  group  of  low 
evergreen  shrubs,  like  the  Euonymus, 
the  two  best  known  being  from  the 


shrubby  kinds,  comprising  the  varieties 
of  P.  Moutan  ;  and  the  herbaceous 
kinds.  The  hybrid  sorts  have  been 
obtained  chiefly  from  P.  officinalis  and 
other  European  kinds,  together  with 
the  Chinese  species  albiflora,  sinensis, 
and  edulis.  The  European  varieties 
flower  early  and  the  Chinese  late,  so 
that  the  flowering  season  is  prolonged. 
Among  the  hybrid  Paeonias  there  is 
much  variety  of  colour — white,  pale 
yellow,  salmon,  flesh-pink,  and  numer- 
ous intermediate  shades  from  carmine 
to  brightest  purple.  Among  the  oldest 
varieties  the  most  remarkable  are — 
grandi flora,  double  white  ;  Louis  Van 
Houtte,  papaveriflora,  rubra  trium- 
phans,  sulphurea  plenissima,  rosea 
superba,  Zoe,  Mme.  Calot,  Gloria 
Patrice,  and  Prince  Troubetskoy. 
The  most  beautiful  of  recent  date  are — 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


P^ONIA 


607 


GOOD  SINGLE  KINDS  :  Argus,  Armida, 
Autumnus,  Bridesmaid,  Countess  of 
Warwick,  Duchess  of  Sutherland, 
Emily,  Frank  Bramley,  Giganteus, 
Miss  Ida  Chamberlain,  Mrs  J.  Gundry, 
Mrs  Templeman,  Philip  H.  Miller, 
Stanley,  The  King,  The  Queen. 
DOUBLE  KINDS  :  Agnes  Mar  Kelway, 
Arethusa,  Beaute  Franchise,  Canarie, 
Comte  de  Paris,  Coronation,  Dean 
Hole,  Dr  Bonavia,  Due  de  Wellington, 
Duchesse  de  Nemours,  Edulis  superba, 
Ella  Christine  Kelway,  Etendard  du 
Grand  Homme,  Festiva  Maxima,  Glory 
of  Somerset,  Henri  Demay,  Lady 
Alexandra  Duff,  Lady  Curzon,  Leonie, 
Queen  of  Roses,  Mme.  Vilmorin, 
Monsieur  Rousselon,  Octavie  Demay, 
Philomele,  Prolifera  tricolor,  Mme. 
Charming,  Mme.  Calot,  Mme.  Charles 
Leveque,  Queen  Victoria,  Reine  des 
Franchises,  Solfatarri  Virginie,  Souvenir 
de  Gaspar  Calot,  Triomphe  de  Paris, 
Venus.  Theie  are  many  others — for  ex- 
ample, the  forms  of  P.  officinalis  (such  as 
anemones  flora,  rubra,  and  Sabini,  and  the 
rosy,  crimson,  and  white  double-flowered 
varieties)  ;  also  P.  albiflora,  peregrina, 
paradoxa,  and  especially  the  small 
P.  tenui folia,  with  its  feathery  foliage 
and  large  deep  red  blossoms.  There 
is  a  double  form  of  this  species,  and 
a  variety  called  latifolia  with  broader 
foliage,  and  one  of  the  earliest  of 
Paeonies  to  flower.  Then  there  is 
P.  lobata,  with  fine  single  flowers 
of  salmon-scarlet ;  and  P.  corallina, 
a  native  plant,  with  single  reddish- 
purple  flowers  followed  by  hand- 
some pods  of  red  and  black  seeds. 
But  the  most  distinct  of  all  is  P. 
Wittmanniana,  with  single  pale  yellow 
flowers  early  in  May.  Until  recently 
this  was  the  only  known  Paeony  with 
yellow  flowers,  and  the  new  P.  lutea 
belongs  rather  to  the  Tree  Paeonies. 
These,  as  well  as  the  varieties,  are 
perfectly  hardy,  and  need  no  protec- 
tion against  frost,  however  severe. 

A  good  moist  loam,  enriched  with 
cow  manure,  is  the  soil  best  suited 
to  Paeonias.  The  best  season  for 
planting  is  September- October ;  the 
earlier  the  better.  New  roots  are 
in  course  of  formation  at  that  time, 
and  the  plants  more  quickly  become 
established.  In  any  case  the  planting 
should  be  completed  while  the  crowns 
remain  dormant.  To  divide  and 
transplant  in  spring  when  in  growth 
is  fatal  to  success,  equally  bad  being 
that  of  transplanting  large  specimens 
intact.  These  are  grave  fundamental 
errors.  Plants  having  three  or  five 


plump  crowns  are  by  far  the  best  for 
the  planter.  Have  the  ground  well 
prepared  by  manuring  and  by  trench- 
ing to  the  depth  of  about  3  feet, 
and  plant  them  at  least  4  feet  apart 
in  each  direction.  They  will  not 
flower  well  before  the  second  or  third 
year.  An  open  position  is  best.  The 
Paeony  revels  in  the  deepest  and 
richest  of  soils,  and  once  well  planted 
is  good  for  a  dozen  years  without 
disturbance.  When  established  apply 
liquid  manure  in  autumn  and  winter. 

Besides  their  value  for  the  garden 
proper,  there  are  few  plants  more  fitted 
for  the  wild  garden  ;  and  the  most 
brilliant  and  one  of  the  boldest  things 
in  wild  gardening  is  a  group  of  scarlet 
Paeonies,  or  any  of  the  hardy  species 
in  meadow  grass,  in  early  summer. 
This  may  be  managed  so  that  they 
come  into  the  garden  landscape,  so 
to  say,  and  are  seen  at  a  considerable 
distance  from  certain  points  of  view. 
So  placed,  they  could  not  be  in  the 
way  when  out  of  flower,  as  they  some- 
times are  in  the  mixed  border. 

P.  MOUTAN  (Tree  Paeony). — A  noble 
plant  of  great  beauty  for  its  varieties, 
which  are  very  numerous.  It  is  hardy, 
and  properly  planted  requires  little  care  ;  ' 
precious  also  for  borders  and  for  lawns. 
Its  blossoms  are  gorgeous  in  early  spring, 
and  its  young  leaves  assume  every  shade 
of  colour,  from  violet-crimson  to  green. 
Tree  Paeonies  are  not  particular  as  to  soil 
or  position,  they  grow  and  flower  well  in 
chalky  soils,  or  those  of  good  sandy  loam. 
Moutans  are  gross  feeders,  and  amply 
repay  generous  treatments  with  occasional 
top  -  dressings  of  half  -  decomposed  cow 
manure. 

September  and  October  are  the  best 
months  for  planting  Moutans,  but  if 
planted  from  pots  they  may  be  put  out 
in  spring,  when  all  danger  of  frosts  is  over. 
Good  plants  set  in  autumn  produce  many 
flowers  the  second  or  third  year  after 
planting,  and  soon  become  a  most  attrac- 
tive feature  of  the  garden.  They  flower 
the  first  of  any  Paeonies,  and  put  forth 
their  blooms  early  in  May.  When  plant- 
ing, because  of  their  early  flowering, 
positions  sheltering  them  from  north  and 
east  should  be  selected,  in  order  that  the 
young  tender  shoots  and  flowers  may 
escape  the  ill  effects  of  spring  frosts. 
Until  the  second  half  of  this  century  only, 
white,  rose,  salmon,  and  lilac  sorts  were 
known ;  and  we  are  indebted  to  Mr 
Fortune  for  his  Chinese  varieties,  most  of 
which  have  scarlet,  violet,  and  magenta 
flowers.  Von  Siebold,  too,  introduced  a 
number  of  Japanese  varieties,  which, 
however,  form  a  different  race,  and  are 
mostly  single  or  semi-double. 


6o8 


P^ONIA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         PANCRATIUM. 


The  following  list  contains  the  best 
varieties  of  single  and  double  kinds  : —   , 

SINGLE  TREE  PJEONIES. —  Beatrice 
Kelway,      Cecil      Rhodes,      Christine 
Keiway,      Ella      C.      Stubbs,      Henry 
Irving,  Jean  de  Reszke,  Julius  Caesar,    , 
Karl     Haag,     Lady     Sarah     Wilson, 
Miss  Beatrice  Jones,  Mrs  W.  Kelway, 
Princess  of  Wales,  Queen  Alexandra,    | 
Queen    of    Denmark.     DOUBLE    TREE   \ 
PEONIES  :    Bijou  du  Chusan,  Blanche   | 
Noisette,  Debugny,  Dr  Bowring,  Glory   I 
of    Shanghai,    James    Kelway    (semi- 
double),  La  ville  de  St  Denis,   Lilacea 


hardy  as  the  others,  and  responds  to 
identical  treatment.  In  all  probability 
it  will  prove  the  progenitor  of  a  new 
race  of  these  plants. 

PANAX  SESSILIFLORUM.  —  This 
really  belongs  to  Acanthopanax,  but 
is  sold  under  the  above  name.  It  is 
one  of  the  few  shrubby  Ar alias  hardy 
in  Britain,  coming  from  Manchuria, 
where  it  grows  as  a  tall  dense  shrub 
with  large  trifoliate  leaves  and  rounded 
heads  of  dull  purple  flowers.  The 
chief  beauty  of  the  plant  lies  in  the 


Pceonia  lutea. 


pallida,  Louise  Mouchelet,  Mme. 
Rattier,  Mme.  Stuart  Low,  Maxima 
plena,  Reine  Elizabeth,  Triomphe  de 
Vandermael,  Zenobia.  Some  of  the 
most  strikingly  beautiful  are  well 
worthy  of  glass  —  that  is,  having  a 
sash  or  two  put  over  them  in  spring 
to  save  them  from  late  frosts  and 
rainy  weather.  Plenty  of  air  must 
be  admitted,  and  the  flowers  gain  in 
an  astonishing  degree,  both  in  size 
and  colour 

P.  lutea,  a  new  plant,  has  lately  come 
from  the  mountains  of  China,  with  the 
woody  stems  of  a  Tree  Paeony  and 
handsome  yellow  flowers.  It  is  as 


glossy  black  berries,  which  hang  far 
into  the  winter.  Syn.  Acanthopanax 
sessiliflorum. 

PANCRATIUM.— Graceful  Lily-like 
plants  of  the  Amaryllis  order,  the 
only  really  hardy  kind  being  the  S. 
European  P.  illyricum,  i  to  2  feet 
high,  which  bears  in  summer  umbels 
of  large  white  fragrant  blossoms.  It 
thrives  in  a  warm  exposed  border  of 
sandy  loam  soil,  well  drained,  the 
bulbs  protected  by  litter  in  winter. 
These  plants  are  better  for  transplan- 
tation about  every  third  year,  as  soon 
as  the  leaves  are  decayed  in  autumn. 


PANICUM. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


PAPAVER. 


609 


Increased  by  offsets.  P.  maritimum  is 
also  hardy  in  the  south,  if  planted  at 
the  foot  of  a  warm  wall  in  light  soil 
its  large  white  flowers,  in  clustered 
heads,  are  very  fragrant  and  semi- 
transparent  in  texture.  The  hardiest 
of  the  other  species  are  P.  parviflorum, 
littorale,  and  rotatum,  but  these  only 
succeed  on  warm  soils  in  mild  locali- 
ties, and  are  best  in  a  frame  or  a 
cool  greenhouse. 

PANICUM. — Grasses,  chiefly  tropical, 
though  a  few  are  hardy  enough  for 
outdoor  cultivation,  and  easy  to  grow 
in  ordinary  garden  soils. 

P.  ALTISSIMUM  is  a  handsome  hardy  per- 
ennial grass,  forming  dense  erect  tufts,  3 
to  6£  feet  high,  according  to  climate  and 
soil,  the  flowers  being  a  dark  chestnut-red. 

P.  BULBOSUM. — A  stout  kind,  with  a 
free  and  beautiful  inflorescence,  about 
5  feet  high  ;  the  flowers  spread  gracefully. 
It  is  suited  for  grouping  near  the  margins 
of  shrubberies. 

P.  CAPILLARE. — A  hardy  annual,  growing 
in  tufts  from  1 6  to  20  inches  high,  pretty 
in  full  flower,  the  tufts  being  then  covered 
with  large  pyramidal  panicles  of  graceful 
airy  form  and  purplish  in  colour.  It 
grows  in  any  soil,  often  sows  itself,  and 
is  suited  for  borders  or  beds,  being  one 
of  the  most  graceful  of  grasses. 

P.  VIRGATUM. — A  handsome  hardy  grass, 
4  to  6  feet  high,  forming  close  tufts  of 
leaves  i  to  3  feet  long,  with  graceful 
branching  panicles  of  dull  purple,  the 
spikelets  drooping  and  curiously  twisted. 
Admirable  for  borders  or  for  isolation  in 
the  picturesque  flower  garden  or  pleasure 
ground.  Its  colour,  though  quiet,  is 
pretty  throughout  the  autumn,  and  not 
without  effect  even  in  winter.  Division. 

PAPAVER  (Poppy).— Some  of  the 
most  brilliant  of  hardy  flowers,  and  of 
the  simplest  culture.  There  are  a  few 
good  perennials,  but  the  majority  are 
annual  and  biennial.  They  range  from 
the  tiny  alpine  Poppy  to  the  stately 
Eastern  Poppy  and  its  varieties.  All 
are  easily  'raised  from  fresh  seeds. 
Most  Poppies  re-sow  themselves,  and 
sometimes  too  freely,  and  these  self- 
sown  plants  are  always  the  first  to 
flower.  Where  seed  is  not  wanted,  the 
pods  should  be  removed  as  fast  as  they 
form,  to  prolong  the  show  of  flowers. 
The  following  are  the  best  garden 
kinds  : — 

P.  ALPINUM  (Alpine  Poppy). — A  plant 
of  dwarf  habit  from  the  limestone  rocks  of 
the  Alps,  about  6  inches  high,  with  finely 
cut  grey-green  leaves  and  large  white 
flowers  of  silky  texture,  yellow  at  the 
centre,  with  sometimes  a  green  spot  at 
the  base  of  each  petal.  When  in  good 


condition,  from  May  to  September,  this 
little  plant  is  charming,  but  it  is  apt  to 
perish,  unlike  a  true  perennial,  especially 
if  disturbed.  It  does  best  in  the  rock 
garden,  in  rather  poor  soil,  with  good 
drainage  and  full  sunlight,  and  will  thrive 
in  walls  and  rocky  clefts  ;  it  will  sometimes 
"  sow  itself,"  coming  easily  from  seed. 
It  varies  much  in  colour,  with  scarlet,  pale 
rose,  and  yellow  forms,  and  one  in  which 
the  petals  are  fringed. 

P.  NUDICAULE  (Iceland  Poppy). — A 
dwarf  robust  kind,  with  leaves  deeply 
lobed,  and  large  rich  yellow  flowers  on 
stems  of  12  to  15  inches.  It  thrives  in  rich 
light  soils,  and  is  useful  for  cutting,  if 
young  flowers  are  gathered  early  in  the 
day.  Though  a  perennial,  it  is  a  short- 
lived one,  and  worth  little  after  its  second 
season.  Coming  readily  from  seed  and 
blooming  in  its  first  year,  it  is  more  often 
grown  as  an  annual,  flowering  from  May  to 
October  if  kept  from  seeding.  The  flowers 
give  many  pretty  shades,  from  orange  to 
pale  red,  yellow,  and  white,  the  petals 
with  a  satin  sheen  and  crumpled. 

P.  ORIENTALE. — The  most  showy  of 
Poppies,  and  among  the  noblest  of  hardy 
plants,  being  robust,  long  -  lived,  with 
stout  hairy  leaves  and  stems,  and  of  easy 
increase  by  seeds  or  division.  A  fine 
distinct  form  of  P.  orientate  is  P.  brac- 
teatum,  and  the  two  have  been  freely 
crossed  with  good  results.  Bracteatum  is 
the  better  plant,  rising  with  masses  of 
luxuriant  foliage  and  huge  blood-red 
flowers  with  bold  dark  blotches,  6  to  9 
inches  across,  and  carried  on  stout  stems 
with  blooms  set  among  large  leafy  bracts, 
the  flowers  coming  a  little  earlier  and 
lasting  longer.  Other  forms  are  concolor, 
an  unspotted  variety ;  and  triumphans, 
of  dwarf  habit.  The  named  garden 
hybrids  in  red,  orange,  salmon,  pale  pink, 
purple,  and  maroon,  with  many  inter- 
mediate shades,  are  useful  for  bold  effects. 

NAMED  HYBRIDS.  —  The  best  of 
these  are  Blush  Queen,  Loveliness,  and 
Medusa,  in  carmine  and  pale  pink  ;  with 
Psyche,  Vesta,  and  Silver  Queen  coming 
nearest  white.  Rosea,  Rose  Queen,  and 
The  Shah  are  fine  shades  of  deep  rose 
approaching  crimson  ;  with  Pride  of 
Livermere,  an  immense  flower  of  blood- 
red,  and  Waterloo,  a  dark  crimson  suffused 
with  violet,  the  leaves  remarkably  woolly. 
Salmon  Queen,  Lady  Roscoe,  Brightness, 
and  Hesperia  give  charming  shades  of 
salmon-red,  and  Prince  of  Orange,  Mogul, 
Fire-King,  Trilby,  and  Duke  of  Teck 
flowers  of  crimson  or  scarlet.  Mahony 
and  Darkness  are  in  shades  of  deep 
maroon  ;  Distinction  is  rosy-lilac  shading 
to  maroon ;  the  Princess  of  Wales  a 
peculiar  satin-grey  tint  shot  with  pink. 
There  are  now  many  seedlings  in  such 
soft  "  art  shades,"  and  though  not  pleasing 
to  all  tastes,  these  flowers  gain  in  value 
for  decoration  by  their  milder  poppy 

2    Q 


6io 


PAP AVER. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


PAPAVER. 


smell,  this  being  a  serious  fault  with  the 
more  showy  kinds.  Other  distinct  varie- 
ties are  Grenadier  and  semi-plenum  with 
duplicate  petals ;  Fringed  Beauty,  in 
which  the  crimson-scarlet  petals  are  deeply 
cut ;  Tulip,  with  long  taperirg  buds  of 
lasting  character  ;  and  Mrs  Marsh,  a  fine 
flower  with  a  showy  blending  of  scarlet 
and  white.  Dividing  is  best  done  after 
flowering  in  autumn,  and  the  choicer 


flowers  are  borne  very  freely,  several 
together  upon  a  stem  ;  they  are  about 
3  inches  across,  and  of  a  pretty  soft  shade 
of  reddish-buff,  with  a  pale  spot  at  the 
base  of  the  petals.  A  good  kind  for  group- 
ing on  dry  banks. 

P.  RH^EAS  (Field  Poppy). —  Annual 
flowers  raised  from  the  scarlet  Poppy  of 
our  fields,  in  varied  colours  ;  single  and 
double  forms,  some  self-coloured,  and 


White   Poppies. 


kinds  may  be  raised  from  root-cuttings, 
which  come  quite  true. 

P.  PAVONINUM  (Peacock  Poppy). — An 
annual  from  the  sandy  plains  of  Turkestan, 
where  it  makes  neat  little  tufts  of  about 
12  inches,  free  in  flowers  of  crimson- 
scarlet  with  an  inside  ring  of  black.  The 
flowers  are  peculiar  in  bearing  two  horns 
upon  the  sepals ;  the  brilliant  flowers 
and  compact  growth  of  the  plants  make 
this  one  of  the  best  of  annual  Poppies. 

P.  PILOSUM. — A  perennial  Poppy  from 
the  mountains  of  Greece,  with  tall  much- 
branched  stems  and  hoary  leaves.  The 


others  variegated  or  fringed.  A  well- 
known  strain  is  that  of  the  "  Shirley 
Poppy,"  now  much  varied  as  to  colour, 
the  latest  gains  being  pretty  salmon  tints. 
These  little  plants  should  be  sown  thinly 
in  light  rich  soil,  and  thinned  to  pre- 
vent crowding.  There  are  several  double- 
flowered  strains,  known  as  French,  Ger- 
man, and  Ranunculus  flowered  Poppies. 
A  new  variety,  japonicum,  from  Japanese 
gardens,  has  smaller  and  fuller  flowers, 
more  varied  as  to  shape 

P.  RUPIFRAGUM. — Little  hairy  plants  like 
a    perennial    Shirley    Poppy,    of   delicate 


PARNASSIA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


PARROTIA. 


appearance,  i  to  2  feet  high,  with  a  neat 
habit,  and  useful  for  cutting.  The 
flowers  are  2  to  3  inches  across  when 
fully  open,  and  a  soft  orange  or  terra- 
cotta colour.  Morocco  and  S.W.  Europe. 

P.  SOMNIFERUM  (Opium  Poppy). —  An 
annual  stately  and  showy  with  large 
flowers,  the  foliage  grey-green,  flowers 
variable  in  form  and  colour,  rank  in  smell 
and  useless  for  cutting,  but  of  good  effect 
when  grouped  boldly.  The  plants  mostly 
grow  2  to  3  feet  high,  with  single  flowers 
ranging  from  white  to  deep  crimson,  and 
double  ones  with  heavy  scarlet,  white,  or 
striped  flowers,  of  great  beauty.  Good 
single  kinds  are  Maid  of  the  Mist,  white 
with  finely  fringed  petals  ;  The  Bride, 
also  white  ;  Flag  of  Truce,  Miss  Sherwood, 
with  pale  pink  edges  ;  Danebrog,  a  very 
handsome  flower  in  scarlet  and  white  ; 
and  Mephisto,  scarlet  and  black.  The 
double  forms  are  yet  more  varied,  includ- 
ing those  known  as  the  Carnation  and 
Paeony-flowered  Poppies,  the  first  with 
fringed  petals,  and  the  second  with  very 
full  broad  ones.  Favourite  double  kinds 
coming  fairly-true  are  Mursellii  and  Mur- 
sellii  splendens  :  Mikado,  in  white  and 
crimson  ;  Mary  Campbell,  very  full  and 
finely  fringed  ;  White  Swan,  also  white  ; 
and  Cardinal,  with  fiery  red  flowers, 
very  large  and  full,  with  fringed  petals. 

P.  UMBROSUM. — A  brilliant  annual, 
about  2  feet  high,  like  the  common  field 
Poppy,  but  of  a  darker  red,  and  with  a  jet 
black  blotch  at  the  base  of  each  petal  con- 
spicuous both  inside  and  out,  making 
masses  of  this  plant  showy  in  early  sum- 
mer. A  compact  form  has  arisen  under 
cultivation,  and  one  with  double  flowers. 
Seeds  should  be  sown  in  autumn,  in  order 
to  secure  strong  plants  for  the  ensuing 
summer.  Caucasus. 

P.  ARENARIUM. — A  showy  annual  from 
the  Caucasus,  bearing  purple  flowers  with 
dark  spots.  Other  handsome  Poppies, 
such  as  Heldreichii  and  spicatum,  both 
from  Asia  Minor,  with  orange  and  brick- 
red  flowers  respectively,  are  perennials  of 
easy  culture. 

PARNASSIA  (Grass  of  Parnassus).— 
Pretty  perennials  for  the  bog  garden. 
In  our  moist  heaths  and  bogs  Parnassia 
palustris  is  frequent,  and  a  very  pretty 
plant  it  is — handsome  enough  to  cul- 
tivate in  moist  spots,  where  it  will 
grow  as  in  its  native  haunts.  Three 
other  kinds,  natives  of  N.  America, 
are  quite  as  showy.  P.  fimbriata  has 
large  flowers  with  peculiar  fringe-like 
appendages,  its  kidney-shaped  leaves 
resembling  those  of  P.  asarifolia, 
another  hardy  species,  about  9  inches 
high,  which  bears  similar  white  flowers 
without  fringes.  P.  caroliniana  differs 
from  P.  asarifolia  in  having  oval  or 
heart-shaped  leaves  ;  it  flowers  about 


the  same  time,  usually  from  the  begin- 
ning of  July  till  the  end  of  August. 
These  hardy  Parnassias  thrive  best  in 
a  moist  peaty  soil  or  a  spongy  bog. 
Seed,  division.  Saxifrage  order. 


Opium  Poppies  (Palaver  somniferuni). 

PAROCHETUS  (Shamrock  Pea}. — 
P.  communis  is  a  beautiful  little  creep- 
ing perennial  with  Clover-like  leaves, 
2  to  3  inches  high,  bearing  in  spring 
Pea-shaped  blossoms  of  a  beautiful 
blue.  It  is  of  easy  culture  in  warm 
positions  on  the  rock  garden  and  the 
choice  border,  and  where  the  climate 
is  too  cold  to  grow  it  in  the  open  air 
it  may  be  grown  in  a  cold  frame  or 
in  baskets  in  the  greenhouse.  Division 
or  seed.  Nepaul. 

PARROTIA  (Iron  Tree).  —  Low 
Hazel  -  like  trees,  natives  of  N. 
India  and  Persia,  less  remarkable  for 
their  beauty  of  flower  than  for  fine 
colour  in  autumn,  when  the  leaves 
give  a  mixture  of  crimson,  orange,  and 
yellow,  unique  among  hardy  trees. 
The  best  known  is  the  Persian,  P. 
persica,  which  is  hardy  at  least  in 


612 


PARRYA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         PELARGONIUM. 


S.    England.     It  is  quite  free   in  our 
Sussex  soils.     Seeds  or  layers. 

PARRYA. — A  small  group  of  dwarf 
perennial  herbs  from  high  mountain  or 
arctic  regions,  with  thick  root-stocks, 
narrow  leaves,  and  showy  flowers  in 
white,  rose,  or  purple,  and  rather  like 
a  dwarf  Hesperis  in  effect.  They  are 
easily  grown  in  the  rock  garden  in 
ordinary  soil,  and  increase  by  division. 
Very  few  kinds  are  in  cultivation, 
though  several  are  well  worth  growing, 
such  as  P.  integerrima,  with  pretty 
purple  flowers  in  April  and  May  ;  P. 
nudicaulis,  a  charming  plant  with 


Parnassiapalustris  (Grass  of  Parnassus). 

large  lilac  flowers  in  early  summer ; 
and  P.  Menziesii,  from  N.W.  America, 
with  soft  rosy  or  deep  purple  flowers 
in  spikes  of  6  inches. 

PASSIFLORA  (Passion-flower). — 
The  hardy  blue  Passion-flower,  P. 
c&rulea,  from  its  beauty  and  dis- 
tinctness deserves  to  be  grown  wher- 
ever the  climate  permits.  It  is  not 
so  suitable  for  arbours  or  trellises 
as  for  walls  ;  the  heat  from  the  walls 
aids  in  ripening  the  wood,  and  so 
enables  it  to  withstand  the  winter.  A 
southern  aspect  is  best  for  it,  though  it 
grows  against  west  or  east  walls,  only 
requiring  a  good  soil,  and,  perhaps,  a 
slight  protection  during  winter.  In 
places  where  it  fruits  freely  the  bright 


orange  colour  continued  far  into 
autumn  is  an  added  merit.  To  ensure 
fruiting,  several  plants  should  be 
planted  not  far  from  one  another.  The 
white  variety,  Constance  Elliot,  is  as 
hardy  as  the  older  kind.  No  other 
variety  of  P.  ccerulea  is  so  distinct, 
and  no  other  Passion-flower  is  hardy 
enough  for  outdoor  walls. 

PAULOWNIA. — P.  imperialis  is  a 
fine  flowering  tree  from  Japan,  not 
suitable  for  our  climate  generally, 
though  in  a  few  places  it  succeeds. 
It  comes  into  flower  and  leaf  so  early 
that  the  buds,  and  often  the  young 
leaves,  are  injured  by  late  frosts ; 
otherwise  there  may  be  a  lovely  bloom. 
It  is  fine  in  leaf  as  well  as  in  bloom  ; 
the  leaves  are  a  foot  in  length,  and 
have  even  exceeded  20  inches.  The 
flowers  are  in  erect  spikes,  and  shaped 
like  those  of  a  Bignonia  of  a  delicate 
mauve  purple,  blotched  inside  with 
a  deeper  tint.  In  countries  a  little 
warmer  than  Britain  this  tree  is  very 
beautiful,  and  much  used  in  public 
gardens  and  even  in  street  planting. 
At  maturity  the  Paulo wnia  assumes 
a  dense  rounded  head,  but  rarely 
exceeds  30  feet  in  height,  although 
in  some  south-coast  gardens  there  are 
trees  of  40  feet. 

If  the  young  trees  are  cut  back 
annually  they  make  strong  shoots 
bearing  enormous  leaves,  with  the 
advantage  of  being  much  hardier  than 
the  tender  greenhouse  plants  used 
in  summer  to  give  such  effects.  The 
tree  is  best  on  a  light  deep  loam. 

PELARGONIUM  (Stork's  Bill).— 
Nearly  all  Pelargoniums  are  natives 
of  the  southern  hemisphere,  or  have 
originated  as  cross-bred  va  tie  ties  in 
European  countries.  They  are  wrongly 
termed  Geraniums,  as,  although  allied 
to  that  family,  they  are  distinct 
from  it,  Geraniums  being  chiefly 
natives  of  the  northern  half  of  the 
globe,  and  all  of  them  hardy  plants. 
The  genus  Pelargonium  contains  many 
species,  which  botanists  have  divided 
into  sections,  and  many  kinds  will 
grow  and  flower  in  the  open  air  during 
summer,  although  unable  to  withstand 
our  winters. 

Of  all  the  varieties  of  the  flower 
garden  the  "  zonals "  are  the  most 
useful,  and  they  are  supposed  to  be 
descended  from  two  distinct  species, 
P.  zonale  and  P.  inquinans.  As 
bedding-out  plants  they  are  of  great 
value  ;  and  the  ease  with  which  they 
yield  improved  forms  has  led  to  the 


PELARGONIUM.        THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.     PELARGONIUM.       613 


introduction  of  many  beau- 
tiful varieties,  in  colours 
ranging  from  white  to  in- 
tense scarlet,  purple,  and 
violet.  On  account  of  the 
brilliancy  of  their  flowers, 
these  plants  have  some- 
times been  too  freely  used 
in  the  flower  garden,  but 
their  use  is  now  better 
understood.  Among  the 
Zonal  varieties  there  are 
many  with  variegated  and 
beautiful  foliage,  especially 
in  that  section  known  as 
Tricolors,  and  these,  on 
account  of  their  not  suc- 
ceeding well  in  all  soils, 
are  less  grown  out  of  doors 
than  they  deserve.  Where 
they  succeed,  however,  they 
form  very  attractive  beds, 
when  grown  for  the  sake  of 
their  foliage,  the  trusses 
of  bloom  being  removed 
from  time  to  time  as 
they  appear.  The  varieties 
known  as  "  bronze  zonals  " 
are  also  good  outdoor 
plants,  the  free  exposure 
intensifying  their  rich  tints. 

ISlo  plants  are  more  easily 
increased  than  these  :  cut- 
tings may  be  inserted  at 
any  time,  and  root  freely 
in  sandy  soil,  in  the  open 
air  during  summer  and 
autumn,  and  under  glass 
during  winter  and  spring. 
But  the  principal  stock  of 
plants  is  got  by  cuttings 
inserted  in  pots,  pans,  or 
boxes  in  the  open  air  during 
the  early  autumn,  and 
such  make  the  best  plants. 
During  winter  the  protec- 
tion of  glass  and  the  exclu- 
sion of  frost  are  essential. 

Zonal  Pelargoniums  from 
seed  may  also  be  treated 
as  annuals,  and  will  bloom 
in  less  than  ten  months 
from  the  time  of  sowing  ; 
but  the  seed  should  be 
sown  as  soon  as  it  is  ripe, 
say  during  August.  Enough 
seed  can  always  be  had  by 
retaining  a  few  plants  for 
the  purpose  in  front  of  a 
greenhouse,  in  any  light, 
airy  spot.  If  new  varieties 
are"  sought,  there  should  be 
artificial  fertilisation  :  but 


Passiflora  Constance  Elliot. 


614 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        PELARGONIUM. 


this  is  unnecessary  if  the  plants  are 
merely  for  planting  out  in  the  parterre. 
If  the  plants  used  for  seed  be  all  of 
the  same  sort,  the  seedlings  will  be 
tolerably  true — i.e.,  the  same  variety 
as  the  parent.  The  pots  should  be  of 
convenient  size  (say  6  inches  in  dia- 
meter), and  filled  to  within  £  inch  of 
the  rims  with  light  turfy  soil ;  the 
seed  may  be  sown  rather  thickly, 
gently  pressed  into  the  soil,  and 
slightly  covered  with  it.  Water  with 
a  fine  rose,  cover  the  pots  with  a  piece 
of  glass,  and  place  them  in  a  tempera- 
ture of  about  65°  ;  the  seeds  will  soon 
vegetate,  and  the  piece  of  glass  should 
then  be  removed  ;  the  plants  when 
large  enough  should  be  pricked  off 


this  form  they  are  sometimes  effective, 
for  the  drawing  of  sustenance  through 
a  slender  stem  induces  a  very  free- 
flowering  habit.  Strong  stakes  are 
needed  to  support  the  heavy  heads, 
and  the  principal  branches  should  be 
secured  to  circular  hoops.  Single  varie- 
ties may  also  be  grown  into  standards, 
and  in  their  case  seedlings  are  likely 
to  form  specimens  sooner  than  plants 
from  cuttings.  Before  frost,  all  stan- 
dards should  be  well  cut  back,  taken 
up,  and  repotted  in  pots  not  larger 
than  may  contain  the  roots ;  they 
should  be  staked  and  afterwards  placed 
in  a  temperature  not  under  60°  until 
they  root.  Treated  thus  annually, 
such  plants  are  often  in  perfect  health 


Pelargonium  Dr  Andre. 


into  seed-pans  and  kept  near  the  glass 
in  a  reduced  temperature  during  the 
winter.  Early  in  the  following  March 
they  should  be  potted  singly  into 
3-inch  pots  and  placed  in  a  cold  pit, 
or  a  similar  structure  where  frost  is 
excluded,  until  the  time  arrives  when 
they  may  be  safely  planted  out. 
During  the  first  part  of  the  season  such 
plants  may  bloom  less  freely  than 
those  from  cuttings,  but  their  neat 
habit  and  healthy  foliage  will  com- 
pensate for  this. 

Many  sorts  remarkable  for  their  fine 
flowers  are  so  poor  in  habit  as  to  be 
useless  for  bedding-out ;  and  few  of 
the  many  beautiful  double  varieties  of 
Zonals  can  be  recommended  for  out- 
door culture,  unless  as  standards,  with 
clean  stems,  2|  to  3  feet  in  length.  In 


even  when  twelve  or  fourteen  years 
old. 

Next  in  importance  to  the  Zonals  for 
outdoor  culture  are  the  Ivy-leaved 
kinds,  or  the  varieties  of  P.  lateripes. 
More  particularly  is  this  the  case 
since  their  crossing  with  the  Zonal 
varieties,  which  has  produced  many 
beautiful  sorts  useful  for  outdoor 
culture.  They  should  be  treated  like 
the  Zonals,  but  being  rather  more 
tender  they  need  a  little  more  warmth 
in  winter. 

The  following  are  a  few  of  the  many 
Zonal  varieties  suited  for  outdoor 
culture  or  for  massing  in  the  flower 
garden  or  elsewhere  :  Beckwith's  Pink, 
Crimson  Crampel,  Salmon  Crampel, 
Comber's  Pink,  Maxime  Kovalesky, 
Henry  Jacoby  Improved,  King  Edward 


PENNISETUM.        THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         PENTSTEMON.      615 


VII.,  King  of  Bedders,  Lady  Bailey, 
Mons.  Myriel,  Mrs  Holford,  Mrs  R. 
Cannell,  Omphale,  Paul  Crampel, 
Phyllis,  Queen  of  Whites,  Sam  Jacoby, 
Snowdrop,  Surprise,  Swanley  White, 
Vesuvius,  and  West  Brighton  Gem. 
These  are  all  with  single  flowers,  but 
a  few  of  the  double  kinds  are  also 
useful,  such  as  Double  Jacoby,  Hermi- 
one,  F.  V.  Raspail,  Gustav  Emich, 
Jean  Viaud,  King  of  Denmark,  and 
Ville  de  Poitiers.  Several  of  these 
are  also  excellent  for  blooming  under 
glass  during  the  winter,  among  the 
best  in  this  way  being  Countess  of 
Dudley,  Carmaina,  Aldenham,  Helen 
Countess  of  Radnor,  Mrs  Lawson, 
F.  V.  Raspail  Improved,  Hall  Caine, 
Hermione,  King  of  Denmark,  King 
Edward  VII.,  Lady  Roscoe,  Mary 
Beaton,  Mrs  Chas.  Pearson,  Mrs  Law- 
rence, Prince  of  Orange,  Sirdar,  and 
Ville  de  Poitiers. 

Of  the  -Ivy-leaved  sorts  and  their 
hybrid  varieties  the  following  are 
useful  as  bedding  plants  for  their 
double  flowers  of  fine  colour  :  Achieve- 
ment, Col.  Baden-Powell,  Galilee,  Her 
Majesty  the  Queen,  Mme.  Crousse, 
Mrs  Hawley,  Souvenir  de  Chas.  Turner. 
Bridal  Wreath  and  Dolly  Varden  are 
older  single-flowered  kinds,  and  Duke 
of  Edinburgh  and  Aureum  margina- 
tum  varieties  with  variegated  leaves. 
These  Ivy-leaved  sorts  are  invaluable 
for  vases,  balconies,  and  for  pegging 
down  on  the  surface  of  beds.  There 
is  now  coming  out  a  new  series  of 
hybrids  combining  the  fine  glossy 
foliage  and  bright  flowers  of  the  ivy- 
leaved  kinds  with  the  sturdy  erect 
habit,  and  often  the  distinct  leaf- 
marking  of  the  zonal  section.  As  yet 
one  cannot  say  much  as  to  their 
garden  value,  but  such  kinds  as  Ching- 
foid  Beauty,  belonging  to  this  class, 
seem  to  promise  well  for  the  future. 

PENNISETUM. — P.    longistylum    is 

one  of  the  most  elegant  of  grasses,  i  to 
1 1  feet  high  ;  the  flower-spikes,  borne 
on  slender  stems,  are  from  4  to  6  inches 
long,  of  singular  twisted  form,  and 
enveloped  in  a  purplish  feathery  down. 
It  is  useful  for  cutting,  as  it  lasts  a 
long  time,  is  perennial  and  hardy, 
growing  in  free  garden  soil.  Easily 
raised  from  seed,  or  root  division  in 
early  spring.  P.  fimbriatum  is  a 
similar  species,  equally  desirable.  P. 
japonicum  is  a  taller  kind  with  long 
narrow  leaves  and  a  dense  rounded 
spike.  P.  macrourum,  like  a  miniature 
Pampas  Grass,  is  a  tall  perennial  from 


the  mountains  of  S.  Africa,  with  spikes 
of  flower  a  foot  long.  P.  latifolium 
from  S.  America  is  a  noble  plant  in  the 
summer  garden,  but  will  not  stand 
our  winters  in  the  open. 

PENTSTEMON  (Beard  Tongue].— 
For  their  varied  colour,  profuse  flower- 
ing, and  graceful  habit,  Pentstemons 
have  a  high  value  for  our  flower-beds, 
especially  as  their  beauty  covers  five 
months,  commencing  in  June  with  the 
charming  blue  P.  procerus,  and  finish- 
ing with  the  endless  varieties  of  P. 
Hartwegi  in  shades  of  rose,  scarlet, 
and  crimson,  whose  beauty  holds  its 
own  even  in  November,  after  more 
fragile  plants  have  perished. 


Pelargonium  "Pretty  Polly." 

As  regards  culture,  the  species  have 
the  reputation  of  being  difficult  to 
manage,  as  some  of  the  shrubby  section 
die  when  apparently  in  health.  To 
ensure  success,  drainage  is  often  essen- 
tial, as  they  fear  moisture  at  the  roots 
more  than  cold.  The  best  soil  is  friable 
loam,  with  a  mixture  of  well-decayed 
leaf  mould  and  sharp  sand.  It  is  well 
to  have  a  few  plants  in  cold  frames, 
to  fill  any  gaps  in  the  borders.  They 
may  be  grown  from  cuttings  or  seeds. 
Seed  should  be  sown  in  February 
or  March  on  a  gentle  hot-bed  under 
a  frame,  in  seed-pans  well  drained 
with  broken  plaster  and  filled  with  a 
compost  of  peat  soil  and  sand.  In 
April  the  seedlings  should  be  pricked 
out  under  a  frame,  and  these,  planted 


6i6 


PENTSTEMON. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        PENTSTEMON. 


out   in   May,    will   usually   flower   by 
autumn. 

The  following  are  the  cultivated 
species.  Some  are  not  sufficiently 
hardy  for  border  culture,  though  they 
succeed  well  enough  against  a  warm 
wall.  It  is  a  very  large  genus  in  the 
vast  range  of  its  own  country,  so  here 
are  given  a  selection  best  for  our 
climate. 

P.  ACUMINATUS. — A  pretty  plant  growing 
rigidly  erect  to  12  or  1 8  inches,  with  thick 
greyish  leaves  clasping  the  stem  and  a 
compact  spike  of  mauve  or  violet  flowers, 
wide  at  the  throat  and  nearly  an  inch 
long. 

P.  AZUREUS. — A  beautiful  plant  form- 
ing a  neat  tuft  of  narrow  grey  leaves 
and  loose  spikes  of  azure-blue  flowers 
shading  to  reddish-purple  at  the  base. 
N.  California.  Jaffrayanus. — One  of  the 
best  dwarf  forms,  about  a  foot  high,  with 
redish  stems  bearing  large  flowers  of  rich 
blue  in  showy  clusters  of  three  to  five 
blossoms. 

P.  BARBATUS. — A  tall,  erect  plant,  very 
showy  in  a  dry  season,  and  one  of  the  best 
and  hardiest  kinds.  Its  spikes  of  narrow 
tubular  flowers,  varying  from  light  pink 
to  bright  carmine,  rise  from  a  dense 
spreading  tuft  of  bright  green  leaves.  A 
flesh-coloured  form  is  known  as  carneum, 
and  there  is  also  a  white  form.  Other 
varieties  are  Torreyi  with  deep  scarlet 
flowers,  longer  in  the  lip  and  coming 
rather  later  than  in  the  parent ;  and 
Antwerpensis,  of  looser  procumbent  habit, 
the  stems  rooting  where  they  touch  the 
ground,  and  bearing  small  flowers  of  vivid 
scarlet.  Syn.  Chelone  Barbata. 

P.  C^RULEUS. — A  dwarf  kind  rarely 
exceeding  9  inches,  with  large  flowers 
varying  from  light  blue  to  lilac  and 
white,  or  more  rarely  flushed  with  rose. 
The  plant  is  sub-shrubby  in  habit  with 
grey  foliage,  and  is  one  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful for  the  rock  garden. 

P.  CAMPANULATUS. — A  Mexican  species 
of  about  2  feet  with  diffuse  spreading  habit, 
branching  freely  from  a  woody  base ; 
stemless  leaves  narrowing  from  a  broad 
base  and  much  toothed.  Long  narrow 
spikes  of  flowers  variously  shaded  in  pink 
and  violet,  and  borne  during  a  long 
season.  Comes  freely  from  seed. 

P.  CONFERTUS. — A  distinct  plant  with 
short  erect  stems  rising  from  a  carpet  of 
dark  green  shining  leaves,  at  times  finely 
toothed.  Small  flowers  of  pale  yellow  or 
creamy  white  in  dense  crowded  spikes. 
A  much  prettier  variety  of  this  is  P. 
c&ruleo-purpureus,  with  compact  heads  of 
deep  violet  blue,  appearing  earlier  than 
any  other  kind.  Syn.  P.  procerus. 

P.  CORDIFOLIUS. — A  useful  shrubbery 
plant  of  semi-climbing  habit,  flowering 
from  early  summer  to  late  autumn.  Its 
growths  are  leafy,  the  long  slender  stems 


loaded  with  tubular  scarlet  flowers  about 
an  inch  long.  S.  California.  Being 
tender,  this  handsome  kind  needs  shelter 
in  winter. 

P.  GLABER.— A  handsome  plant,  and  one 
of  the  best,  with  several  fine  seedling 
forms.  Dwarf  erect  growths,  often  less 
than  a  foot  high  and  slender  in  habit,  with 
long  narrow  leaves,  smooth  and  wavy. 
Profuse  in  fleshy  flowers  of  an  inch  or 
more,  wide  at  the  mouth  and  borne  in 
clusters  of  six  or  seven  ;  colour,  bright 
blue  shading  to  violet  or  purple.  Banks 
of  the  Spokane  River  in  N.W.  America. 
Among  its  many  good  forms  are  alpinus,  a 
dwarf  robust  kind  with  dense  clusters  of 
clear  azure  blue  ;  cyanthus,  a  form  from 
the  Rocky  Mountains,  with  taller  and 
greener  stems,  broader  in  leaf,  with  dense 
clusters  of  blue  ;  hybridus,  stouter  and 
more  vigorous  with  large  heads  of  blue 
and  rosy-purple  ;  speciosus,  a  narrow- 
leaved  form  with  beautiful  bright  blue 
flowers  shaded  purple  ;  and  splendens,  a 
tall  plant  with  flowers  of  rich  dark  blue. 
Seed  should  be  sown  early*  in  spring. 
Syns.  P.  speciosus  and  preanihera. 

P.  HETEROPHYLLUS.- — A  lovely  little  sub- 
shrub,  12  to  15  inches  high,  with  narrow 
leaves  of  grey-green,  and  slender  branching 
stems  of  clear,  bright  blue  flowers,  with  a 
rosy  flush  deepening  to  purple,  and  often 
much  varied  upon  the  same  plant.  July. 
Thrives  best  in  warm  sheltered  spots  and 
light  soil,  and  it  is  best  to  winter  a  reserve 
of  cuttings  under  glass.  California. 

]?.  MENZIESII. — A  shrubby  kind  found 
by  Douglas  in  the  Rocky  Mountains.  It  is 
a  good  rock  plant  for  a  sunny  corner  in  dry 
sandy  soil,  with  freely  spreading  stems  of 
less  than  12  inches,  and  pretty  rose-purple 
flowers  of  brilliant  hue.  Increased  by 
cuttings  in  sandy  soil.  Its  several  forms 
are  :  Douglasi,  wi-*  •  cmall  thick  leaves 
and  lilac  or  rosy-i  trple  flowers;  New- 
berryi,  forming  a  graceful  bush  .  '  ^ink 
or  rosy-purple  flo  <:rs  ;  and  Scouleri,  a 
taller  and  earlier  f  cring  form 
habit,  rooting  at  1^.0  joints,  and  hardier 
than  most,  its  flowers  ui  i>; 
violet-purple.  Oregon. 

P.  OVATUS. — A  pretty  mountain  A 
from  the  limestone  summits  of  Idaho,  with 
slender  erect  stems  of  3  feet,  bearing  bright 
green  leaves  and  loose  spikes  of  blue 
flowers  changing  to  rosy-purple.  It  is 
best  grown  from  seed  at  frequent  intervals, 
old  plants  perishing. 

P.  SECUNDIFLORUS. — A  distinct  plant  of 
free  growth,  with  narrow  grey-green  leaves 
and  bluish  flowers  suffused  with  bronze 
where  touched  by  sunlight.  They  are  an 
inch  or  more  long,  very  broad  and  bell- 
shaped  towards  the  mouth,  and  carried 
in  long,  narrow,  one  -  sided  racemes. 
Colorado. 

Hybrid  Pentstemons  are  supposed 
to  have  come  from  P.  gentianoides, 


PENTSTEMON.         THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        PERNETTYA.       617 


but  more  largely  from  the  pretty  P. 
Hartwegi.  P.  Cobcea,  too,  has  prob- 
ably come  in  somewhere,  for  some 
varieties  bear  a  strong  resemblance  to 
it.  Whatever  their  parentage,  they 
are  beautiful  plants,  and  much  use 
should  be  made  of  them,  as  they  are 
valuable  in  autumn  and  carry  their 
beauty  into  winter  ;  at  least,  in  wes- 
tern and  seaside  gardens. 

They  succeed  in  any  good  soil,  such 
as  a  good  loam  enriched  with  manure 
and  leaf-soil.  They  can  be  planted 
out  as  groups  in  beds,  or  in  the  mixed 
border,  where  their  various  colours 
blend  charmingly,  ranging  from  white 
to  scarlet,  with  intermediate  shades  of 
pink,  rose,  purple,  carmine,  and  pur- 

Elish-lilac.  If  good  plants  be  put  out 
y  the  end  of  April,  they  will  bloom 
about  the  middle  of  June,  and  yield 
flowers  until  winter.  They  are  in- 
creased both  by  cuttings  and  by  seeds. 
The  Pentstemon  is  a  free  seeder, 
and  there  is  no  difficulty  in  obtaining 
seed.  It  should  be  taken  from  only 
the  finest  varieties  showing  distinct 
or  novel  character — and  such  varieties 
can  scarcely  fail  to  yield  something 
worthy  of  cultivation.  The  seed 
should  be  sown  in  February  or  early 
in  March  in  a  gentle  heat :  it  will 
quickly  germinate,  and  when  the 
plants  are  large  enough  to  handle,  they 
should  be  pricked  off  into  shallow 
boxes,  and  after  a  time  hardened  off 
in  a  cold  frame.  Here  they  can 
remain  till  the  end  of  May  or  later, 
according  to  size,  and  they  should 
then  be  planted  out  in  well-prepared 
beds.  When  they  flower,  which  they 
will  do  by  August  and  September, 
any  especially  good  varieties  should 
be  marked  for  increase.  If  the  bed 
of  seedlings  be  allowed  to  stand  for 
another  season  (and  this  is  often  a 
good  plan),  the  seed-stalks  should  be 
cut  away  as  soon  as  ripe,  and  the  bed 
cleaned,  top-dressed  with  leaf-soil  and 
short  manure  in  spring,  and  there  will 
be  a  plentiful  harvest  of  flowers  the 
following  summer.  Seedlings  should 
be  protected  by  a  cold  frame  during 
winter,  and  planted  out  in  April  in 
good  soil  in  a  sunny  spot. 

Good  garden  forms  of  Pentstemons 
are  :  Arthur  J.  Ward,  Countess  of 
Tweeddale,  Dr  Baine,  Dr  Barrie, 
Edwin  Beckett,  Emile  Rodigas, 
George  Home,  James  Robertson,  Jane 
Dieulafoy,  John  A.  Elliot,  John  Forbes, 
John  Jennings,  Joseph  Chamberlain, 
Joseph  Kent,  Lady  Arthur,  Lord 
Lister,  Lord  Rothschild,  Marconi,  Miss 


Stewart  Peter,  Miss  Talbot,  Mrs  Forbes, 
Mrs  J.  Chamberlain,  Mrs  Oliver,  Mrs 
Jennings,  Mrs  Younger,  M.  Deherain, 
Peter  Readman,  Simon  Campbell,  and 
Walter  Thomson.  The  above  are 
remarkable  for  the  large  size  and 
brilliant  colour  of  their  flowers,  but  a 
variety  that  for  massing  is  as  good  as 
any  is  Newberry  Gem.  In  this  the 
blooms  are  small  and  graceful,  very 
freely  carried  during  many  weeks  on  a 
plant  of  neat  compact  habit,  their 
glowing  crimson  colour  rendering  great 
effect  in  the  border  or  in  massed  beds. 
It  is  hardier,  too,  than  the  others, 
and  in  many  gardens  quite  a  good 
perennial. 

PERAPHYLLUM  RAMOSISSIMUM. 

— A  shrub  of  the  Rose  family,  summer- 
leafing,  inhabiting  dry  hillsides  in 
California  and  other  parts  of  the 
western  United  States.  Its  blossoms, 
pure  white  and  each  about  three- 
quarters  of  an  inch  wide,  are  followed 
by  round,  yellowish  edible  berries 
about  half  an  inch  in  diameter.  The 
foliage  is  a  greyish-green.  The  chief 
thing  to  remember  in  its  cultivation  is 
that  it  needs  as  sunny  a  position  as 
possible. 

PERILLA. — P.  nankinensis  is  a  half- 
hardy  annual,  with  dark  vinous-purple 
foliage.  Seed  should  be  sown  about 
the  middle  of  February  in  pans  or 
boxes  in  heat ;  the  seedlings  should 
be  transplanted  into  boxes  in  soil  not 
over-rich,  and  after  being  gradually 
hardened  off  they  should  be  planted 
out  about  the  end  of  May.  To  those 
who  cannot  give  it  artificial  heat  in 
spring  it  is  worth  little,  as  it  needs 
heat  to  reach  a  fair  size  for  planting. 
It  has  never  had  a  place  in  my  garden. 
Much  used  in  bedding-out,  and  often 
with  the  worst  effect. 

PERIPLOCA  (Silk  Vine).—P.graca 
is  a  hardy  shrubby  climber  of  the 
Stephanotis  order,  excellent  for  walls, 
arbours,  trellises,  and  the  like,  but 
owing  to  the  somewhat  unpleasant 
odour  of  its  flowers  should  not  be 
planted  against  a  dwelling-house.  Its 
long  slender  stems  and  branches 
form  a  dense  mass,  and  at  midsummer 
are  covered  with  brownish-red  velvety 
flowers.  Seeds  or  layers.  S.  Europe. 

PERNETTYA  (Prickly  Heath).  — 
Evergreen  shrubs  of  the  Heath  family, 
from  S.  America.  At  one  time 
several  of  the  wild  kinds  were  grown, 
but  none  proved  satisfactory  until  by 
crossing  and  selection  a  race  of  seed- 


6i8 


PEROWSKIA.         THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


PETASITES. 


lings  was  obtained  from  Ps.  mucronaia 
and  angustifolia.  These  seedling  forms 
of  mucronata  are  among  the  most 
beautiful  of  berried  shrubs,  bearing 
dense  clusters  of  berries  varying  in 
size  from  a  small  Pea  to  a  small  Cherry, 
and  in  colour  from  white,  pale  pink, 
and  lilac,  to  crimson,  purple,  and 
nearly  black.  The  plants  differ  in 
habit,  some  being  nearly  prostrate, 
and  others  erect  or  drooping,  though 
the  largest  are  not  much  over  2  feet 
high  ;  their  fruits  also  vary  in  density 
and  texture.  They  are  often  borne 
so  freely  that  little  plants  of  a  few 
inches  high  will  be  loaded  down  with 
them,  but  in  some  gardens,  and  for 
no  apparent  reason,  not  many  are  set. 
The  plants  do  best  grouped  together 
in  sunny  places,  where  they  shade  each 
other's  roots,  and  where  the  atmo- 
sphere is  moist  and  the  ground  cool, 
and  the  soil  rich  in  peaty  or  vegetable 
matter.  They  succeed  well,  however, 
in  stiffer  soils,  such  as  clay  and  lime- 
stone marl,  especially  if  given  a  little 
good  soil  at  the  outset,  and  soon  make 
dense  masses,  spreading  by  suckers. 
They  grow  fairly  well  even  in  shade, 
but  fruit  less  freely,  and  only  fail  in 
hot,  sandy,  or  chalky  soils,  or  where 
there  is  much  lime.  Otherwise  they 
are  fully  hardy,  free  from  insect  pests, 
and  move  readily,  though  averse  to 
disturbance.  The  small  sharply  - 
pointed  deep  green  leaves  are  always 
neat,  and  the  numerous  bell-like  white 
flowers  expanding  in  May,  and  in 
pretty  contrast  with  the  bright  red  of 
the  new  shoots,  render  these  little 
shrubs  worth  growing  for  their  spring- 
tide beauty  alone. 

PEROWSKIA       ATRIPLICIFOLIA 

(Silvery  Sage}. — A  beautiful  silver-grey 
half-shrubby  plant  of  the  Sage  order, 
with  a  pungent  odour,  growing  3  to  5 
feet  high,  with  blue  and  white  flowers 
in  July  and  August.  The  effect 
of  the  numerous  flowering  shoots  and 
the  grey  foliage  is  good,  and  the  plant 
is  worth  a  place  in  the  choicest  garden 
for  its  graceful  habit  and  long  season 
of  beauty,  and  the  value  of  its  slender 
panicles  for  cutting.  It  does  best  in  a 
sunny  spot,  and  is  hardy — at  least  in 
the  south.  Cuttings.  Afghanistan. 

PETALOSTEMON  (Prairie  Clover).— 
Pretty  clover-like  perennials,  mostly 
from  the  western  states  of  America, 
and  not  much  grown,  though  well 
worthy  of  cultivation  in  warm  open 
soils,  coming  readily  from  seed.  The 
best  species  are  P.  candidus,  with  white 


flowers  on  stems  of  i  to  2  feet ;  P. 
oligophyllum,  with  spike-like  white 
heads  on  slender  stems  ;  P.  tenui- 
folium,  with  narrow  silvery  down- 
covered  foliage,  and  spikes  of  rosy- 
purple  flowers  ;  and  violaceus,  forming 
a  neat  tuft  of  finely-cut  foliage  and 
showy  spikes  of  deep  violet  flowers. 
All  are  better  for  a  dry  place. 

PETASITES  (Winter  Heliotrope).— 
P.  fragrans  is  a  rampant  weed  bloom- 
ing in  December  and  January,  unless 
the  weather  is  very  severe.  The 
flowers,  deliciously  fragrant  and  of  a 
pale  dingy  lilac,  are  gathered  in  short 


The  Winter  Heliotrope  (Fetasites  fragran*). 

panicles  upon  stems  of  4  to  12  inches. 
It  is  unfit  for  garden  culture,  as  it  runs 
very  much  at  the  root  and  becomes  a 
weed,  and  should  be  planted  on  rough 
banks  and  in  hedgerows,  as  it  is  very 
useful  for  winter  bouquets,  and  may 
carpet  a  small  clump  of  shrubbery 
where  it  can  be  conveniently  gathered. 
It  is  not  a  hardy  plant,  and  is  cut  down 
by  severe  frost.  S.  Europe.  Another 
species,  P.  vulgaris  (Common  Butter- 
bur),  is  a  native  plant,  2  to  2^  feet 
high,  closely  allied  to  the  common 
Coltsfoot,  but  having  great  Rhubarb- 
like  leaves.  The  flowers  appear  in 
spring  before  the  leaves,  and  are  a  dull 
pinkish-purple.  Exotic  plants  with 
less  effective  leaves  than  this  have  been 
used  in  gardens  ;  but  it  should  not  be 
allowed  to  come  nearer  to  the  garden 


PETROCALLIS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         PHACELIA.         619 


than  the  margin  of  some  adjacent 
stream  or  moist  bottom.  An  allied 
plant,  P.  japonica  gigantea,  has  re- 
cently come  to  us  from  the  Far  East, 
where  the  great  rounded  leaves,  as 
large  as  a  small  sunshade  and  used  as 
such  by  Japanese  children,  rise  on 
stout  fleshy  stems  as  high  as  a  man.  It 
makes  a  stately  waterside  plant,  and 
coming  from  the  island  of  Saghalien 
it  should  prove  fully  hardy  in  this 
country.  Its  flowers  come  in  early 
spring,  before  the  leaves.  Division. 

PETROCALLIS  (Rock  Beauty}. — P. 
pyrenaica  is  a  beautiful  little  alpine 
plant,  forming  dense  cushions  2  to 
3  inches  high,  resembling  a  mossy 
Saxifrage,  with  fragrant  pale  lilac 
flowers,  faintly  veined,  coming  in  April. 
Though  hardy,  it  is  fragile,  and  hap- 
piest on  the  rock  garden,  in  sandy 
fibry  loam,  in  level  sunny  spots,  where 
it  can  root  freely  in  moist  soil  mingled 
with  broken  stones.  It  may  also  be 
grown  in  pots  plunged  in  sand  in  the 
open  air,  and  in  frames  in  winter,  but 
it  becomes  "  drawn "  and  delicate 
under  glass.  Increase  by  seed  or 
careful  division.  Alps  and  Pyrenees. 
P.  fenestmta  is  a  newer  kind,  of  similar 
habit  but  with  white  flowers. 

PETTERIA    RAMENTACEA 

(Dalmatian  Laburnum}. — A  deciduous 
tree-like  shrub  allied  to  Laburnum 
and  Cytisus.  Introduced  in  the  middle 
of  the  last  century,  but  not  common 
in  gardens.  It  is  quite  hardy,  flowering 
in  May  and  June.  The  seeds  are 
poisonous.  Dajmatia  and  Montenegro. 

PETUNIA.  —  In  certain  positions, 
some  of  these  showy  half-hardy  plants 
of  the  Solanum  order  produce  a  good 
effect.  The  spots  chosen  for  Petunias 
should  be  open  and  sunny,  and  the  soil 
deep  and  rich,  for  in  low  damp  situa- 
tions' they  perish  with  the  first  cold 
nights  of  autumn.  A  pleasing  variety 
may  be  quickly  raised  from  seeds  of  a 
good  strain.  Sown  in  heat  in  February 
or  March,  good  plants  may  be  had  for 
putting  out  at  the  end  of  May,  but  it 
is  not  safe  to  plant  them  out  earlier. 
Seedlings,  too,  are  now  so  good  that 
they  are  frequently  planted  in  mixed 
borders  for  cutting. 

PHACELIA. — A  group  of  sun-loving 
annuals  with  showy  flowers,  mainly 
from  the  western  states  of  N. 
America.  Some  are  only  a  few  inches 
high  and  spread  along  the  ground  ; 
others  are  several  feet  in  height, 
bearing  bell-shaped  or  tubular  flowers, 


blue,  mauve,  purple,  or  white,  and 
carried  in  curved  racemes  which 
straighten  as  they  expand.  Only  two 
or  three  kinds  have  been  grown  in  our 
gardens,  but  others  are  well  worth  a 
place  as  they  become  better  known. 
They  are  of  easy  culture  as  annuals, 
some  kinds  preferring  sandy  soils  and 
others  something  stiffer.  The  tall 
kinds  should  be  planted  fairly  close, 
and  the  trailers  farther  apart,  and  most 
kinds  will  begin  to  flower  in  about 
ten  weeks  from  sowing.  Nearly  all 
are  more  or  less  hairy,  and  like,  most 
hairy  plants-  they  like  a  dry  place, 
and  then  bloom  freely  and  through  a 
long  season.  Seeds  may  be  raised  in 
heat,  and  the  seedlings  planted  out  in 
clumps,  but  this  needs  care,  for  all 
Phacelias  dislike  moving.  They  may 


/»**•», 

ir- 


Petrocallis  pyrenaica. 

be  sown  in  the  open  during  April. 
August  sowings  may  also  be  made, 
to  be  wintered  under  glass,  and 
flower  in  early  spring.  Few  plants  are 
more  valuable  to  bee-keepers.  The 
best  kinds  are  : — 

P.  BIPINNATIFIDA. — A  bushy  plant  of 
i  to  2  feet,  with  dissected  leaves  irregu- 
larly lobed  and  toothed,  and  covered  with 
downy  hairs.  The  flowers,  opening  in 
succession  from  July  and  September,  are 
small  but  very  numerous,  and  arranged 
as  in  the  Heliotrope.  The  buds  are  white 
and  the  open  flowers  bright  blue  with 
prominent  stamens.  Pretty  for  cutting. 
Found  in  Ohio  and  Alabama,  much  farther 
east  than  other  kinds. 

P.  CAMPANULARIA  (Gentianelle) . — The 
best  kind,  free  in  its  fine  dark  blue  flowers, 
spotted  with  white  in  the  throat ;  they 
last  a  long  while,  and  the  plant  makes  a 
pretty  carpet  in  sunny  places. 

P.  DIVARICATA. — A  showy  kind,  abound- 
ing on  the  shores  of  the  Bay  of  San  Fran- 
cisco. Its  fragile  stems  spread  freely, 


62O 


PHALARIS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


PHILADELPHUS. 


bearing  oval  leaves  curving  upwards  at 
the  edges,  and  loose  spikes  of  pale  violet 
flowers  three-quarters  of  an  inch  across. 

P.  DOUGLASII. — A  neat  spreading  plant 
with  the  habit  and  appearance  of  Nemo- 
phila  insignis,  its  hairy  and  much-cut 
leaves  gathered  near  the  base  of  the 
stems,  and  the  bell-shaped  flowers  half 
an  inch  across. 

P.  HUMILIS. — An  alpine  species,  coming 
from  a  height  of  5,000  to  6,000  feet  in  the 
mountains  of  California.  Though  of  erect 
habit,  it  is  only  a  few  inches  high,  branch- 
ing freely  from  the  base.  The  leaves  are 
spoon-shaped,  and  the  rich  indigo-blue 
flowers  carried  freely  as  locse  spikes. 

P.  MENZIESII. — Of  erect  habit  and  9  to 
12  inches  high,  covered  with  rough  grey 
hairs  ;  leaves  long,  narrow,  and  stemless. 
The  flowers  come  freely  in  clusters  of 
bell-shaped  deep  violet  or  white  blossoms, 
half  to  three-quarters  of  an  inch  across, 
rich  and  lasting.  A  good  and  easily 
grown  kind. 

P.  PARRYI. — From  S.  California,  is  a 
compact  plant  of  6  to  12  inches,  with 
oval  leaves,  hairy  on  both  sides  and  some- 
what sticky.  The  flowers  are  shaped 
like  a  shallow  bell,  with  a  spreading  mouth 
an  inch  across,  their  prevailing  rich  purple 
colour  relieved  by  five  pure  white  spots. 
This  with  me  was  almost  as  pretty  as  the 
Gentianelle. 

P.  SERICEA. — A  perennial  species  from 
Colorado,  with  leafy  stems  of  6  or  8  inches, 
leaves  cut  into  narrow  leaflets,  and  dense 
heads  of  violet-purple  flowers.  A  pretty 
plant,  best  suited  to  the  warm  soils  of 
pur  southern  shore  gardens,  proving  tender 
in  colder  soils  and  inland. 

P.  VISCIDA. — From  open  spaces  near  the 
Pacific  coast ;  is  a  hairy,  gum-covered 
plant  of  i  to  2  feet,  with  rounded  and 
toothed  leaves  i  £  to  3  inches  long ;  the 
flowers  are  deep  blue  or  purple  with  a 
white  centre.  Syn.  Eutoca  viscida. 

P.  WHITLAVIA.  —  A  loosely-branched 
plant  of  I  to  2  feet,  with  angular  toothed 
leaves,  and  large  rich  blue  flowers  nearly 
an  inch  across,  the  corolla  divided  into 
five  spreading  lobes.  There  is  a  white 
form  and  a  variety  gloxinioides,  in  which 
the  flowers  are  spotted. 

PHALARIS  (Ribbon  Grass). — Gar- 
den grasses  useful  in  the  wild  garden 
or  beside  water,  where  the  spreading 
roots  can  do  no  harm.  The  forms 
commonly  grown  are  those  striped 
with  yellow  or  creamy-white,  and 
known  as  arundinacea  variegata  and 
elegantissima.  These  grow  about  4  feet 
high,  and  are  best  in  rather  poor  soils, 
but  are  not  particular,  doing  well 
almost  anywhere,  and  also  in  shallow 
water.  The  Canary  Grass,  P.  canari- 
ensis,  is  a  pretty  annual  kind,  with 


graceful  variegated  seed  spikes.      Syn. 
Digraphis. 

PHELLODENDRON  (Eastern  Cork 
Tree) . — Hardy  summer  -  leafing  trees 
about  50  feet  high,  from  China  and 
Japan,  spreading  in  habit,  and  with 
large  leaves  cut  into  many  leaflets. 
Of  quick  growth,  they  soon  make  a 
low  round  head,  and  thrive  in  all  save 
wet  soils.  The  bark  is  thick,  light 
grey,  and  corky.  They  are  being  used 
in  America  for  street  planting,  but  are 
little  known  in  this  country.  Increase 
by  seeds  and  root-cuttings  rooted  in 
sand.  The  Chinese  P.  amurense  is  the 
hardier  and  more  vigorous  kind,  P. 
japonicum  being  perhaps  a  form  of  it, 
and  P.  sachalinense,  a  promising 
kind,  the  last  to  come. 

PHILADELPHUS  (Mock  Orange). — • 
Beautiful  flowering  shrubs  from  the 
temperate  regions  of  the  northern 
hemisphere,  summer-leafing,  and  with 
few  exceptions  hardy.  There  are 
several  wild  kinds  so  much  alike  in 
flower  that  some  confusion  of  name  has 
arisen,  and  no  garden  need  contain 
more  than  the  best  kinds,  which  are 
now  fairly  well  known.  Of  more  im- 
portance than  the  natural  species  are 
the  new  hybrid  forms,  valuable  for 
their  neat  habit  and  the  fact  that  they 
bloom  in  a  small  state,  whereas  the 
wild  kinds  seldom  flower  well  until 
large.  These  tall  kinds  are  of  fine 
effect  when  allowed  to  take  their 
natural  form  as  masses  of  15  to  20 
feet,  loaded  with  white  flowers  in 
May,  June,  or  early  July.  By  growing 
several  kinds  we  secure  a  succession  of 
flower.  They  do  best  in  light  and 
rather  dry  soils,  and  some  do  not 
bloom  freely  in  rich  moist  land.  Some 
kinds  thrive  in  partial  shade,  and  all 
are  good  town  plants,  but  they  are 
finest  when  well  exposed,  and  such 
kinds  as  microphyllus,  Coulter  i,  and 
mexicanus  enjoy  a  hot  place,  the  last 
two  being  tender,  save  upon  a  wall. 
All  should  have  plenty  of  room  to 
spread  and  droop,  and  if  they  grow  too 
large  it  is  better  to  cut  them  to  the 
ground  and  start  afresh  than  to  cut 
them  into  ugly  forms.  There  is  a 
golden-leaved  form  of  the  Common 
Mock  Orange,  which  retains  its 
colour  well  and  does  not  burn  if 
planted  where  it  gets  a  little  shade 
at  mid-day.  Increase  is  by  suckers, 
layers,  or  cuttings  of  soft  wood  rooted 
under  glass  during  summer,  or  ripened 
stems  inserted  in  the  open  during 


PHILADELPHIA.        THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.     PHILADELPHIA.     621 


autumn ;  these  last,  however,  take 
about  a  year  to  root.  The  best  kinds 
are  as  follows  : — 

P.  CORONARIUS  (Mock  Orange). — This 
kind,  with  its  twiggy  growth  and  heavy 
perfume,  is  well  known,  but  less  planted 
now  than  formerly,  or  banished  to  distant 
parts  of  the  garden,  where,  under  good 
conditions,  it  will  reach  a  height  of  10  feet, 
flowering  early  in  May.  Some  of  its  gar- 
den varieties  are  distinct  and  useful :  foliis 
aureis  is  the  Golden  Philadelphus  ;  nanus 
is  a  dwarf  plant,  but  too  shy  in  flower  to 
be  of  value  ;  Satsumi  is  a  graceful  Asiatic 
form  ;  while  there  are  varieties 
with  variegated  foliage,  and 
others  known  as  flore-pleno, 
primulcBflorus ,  and  dianthiflorus, 
with  double  or  semi-double 
flowers. 

P.  COULTERI. — A  nearly  ever- 
green kind  from  N.  Mexico,  of 
fine  habit,  and  distinct  in  its 
waxy  flowers  with  a  rosy-purple 
flush  at  the  base  of  each  petal, 
forming  an  inner  zone  of  colour. 
It  is  somewhat  tender,  and  does 
not  flower  freely,  but  by  crossing 
it  has  given  the  new  hybrid  P. 
purpureo-maculatus,  a  hardy 
and  free-flowering  kind,  differ- 
ing from  anything  hitherto  seen 
in  this  family. 

P.  FALCONERI. — A  graceful 
plant,  1 6  feet  high,  of  un- 
certain origin,  but  probably 
from  Japan.  Its  pure  white 
fragrant  flowers,  of  waxen  tex- 
ture, and  with  sharply  -  pointed 
petals,  are  borne  freely  in  June 
upon  wand-like  arching  stems 
that  droop  gracefully  under  the 
heavy  clusters. 

P.  GORDONIANUS. — From  N. 
America,  where  it  is  common 
near  the  Columbia  River.  It 
grows  10  to  15  feet,  is  of  graceful 
habit,  with  a  profusion  of  large 
faintly-scented  flowers  in  July. 
This  kind  will  do  well  with  a 
little  shade,  and  its  great  value 
is  its  late  blooming. 

P.    GRANDIFLORUS. The    best 

large-flowering  kind,  and  one  of 
the  finest  of  hardy  shrubs, 
reaching  a  height  of  15  to  20 
feet.  Its  numerous  flowers 
measure  2  inches  or  more  across, 
of  a  good  white,  and  either  scentless 
or  faintly  fragrant.  There  are  many 
forms  and  slight  variations  of  this  plant, 
differing  little  in  general  character, 
and  running,  one  into  the  other.  The 
forms  known  as  floribundus,  latifolius, 
and  Zeyheri  are  all  good,  and  especially 
laxus,  a  loosely  spreading  plant  of  graceful 
outline,  and  not  very  tall-growing.  These 
forms  flower  in  June. 


P.  HIRSUTUS. — Less  showy  than  most 
kinds,  the  flowers  being  small  and  mostly 
solitary,  but  they  are  scattered  so  freely 
that  a  well-flowered  plant  of  4  to  5  feet  is 
pretty,  and  its  effect  distinct  from  the 
other  kinds. 

P.  INODORUS. — Much  like  P.  laxus,  but 
more  erect  and  vigorous,  with  large  scent- 
less flowers,  useful  for  cutting  where  the 
odour  of  other  kinds  is  an  objection.  It 
is  a  plant  that  forces  well,  but,  coming 
from  the  southern  States,  it  is  a  little 
tender  in  cold  districts. 


Philadelphus  nricrophyllus. 

P.  LEMOINEI. — A  hybrid  from  micro- 
phyllus  crossed  with  coronarius — a  beau- 
tiful shrub,  flowering  in  the  latter  half 
of  June,  its  abundant  pure  white  flowers 
about  i£  inches  across,  and  with  a  pleasant 
fruity  fragrance.  Of  neatly  compact 
habit,  it  reaches  a  considerable  size  at 
maturity.  Its  form  erectus  differs  only 
in  its  more  rigidly  erect  habit.  From  this 
first  cross  has  sprung  a  race  of  shrubs  of 


622      PHILADELPHIA.        THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         PHILLYRAEA. 


fine  habit,  refined  fragrance,  and  much 
freedom  of  flower,  the  value  of  which  is  as 
yet  hardly  shown  in  our  gardens.  One  of 
the  newest  and  best  is  P.  purpureo- 
maculatus — quite  a  distinct  break  in 
colour. 

P.  LEWISII. — From  the  Pacific  coast  of 
N.  America,  and  nearest  hirsutus  in  its 
hair-fringed  leaves.  The  flowers  are  a 
little  smaller,  scentless,  opening  at  the 
end  of  June  and  early  in  July.  P.  califor- 
nicus  is  a  pretty  but  rather  tender  form 
of  this  plant. 

P.  MEXICANUS. — A  beautiful  plant  and 
nearly  evergreen,  but  tender  save  in 
the  warmest  parts  of  the  south-west  of 
England  and  Ireland,  where  it  occasionally 
covers  warm  walls  near  the  sea  to  a  height 
of  15  feet.  The  flowers  are  large  and 
deeply  cupped,  of  waxy  texture,  and  either 
creamy- white  or  faintly  flushed  with  rose. 
Their  strong  spicy  perfume  is  agreeable, 
and  unlike  that  of  any  other  kind. 

P.  MICROPHYLLUS.  —  From  Colorado, 
California,  and  N.  Mexico  ;  hardy  with 
us  and  richly  beautiful  in  warm  soil  and 
a  place  where  its  wood  is  well  ripened. 
The  flowers  are  small  and  solitary,  but 
freely  produced  towards  the  end  of  June, 
milk-white,  and  with  a  fruity  fragrance. 
It  is  the  tiniest  of  the  genus,  rarely  reach- 
ing 3  feet  in  height,  with  slender  stems  and 
small  glossy  green  leaves  the  size  of  Box, 
and  greyish,  with  hair  on  the  underside. 

P.  NORMA. — A  beautiful  garden  form  of 
Mock  Orange.  The  flowers,  which  are 
borne  for  some  distance  along  the  grace- 
fully arching  shoots,  are  each  fully  2  inches 
in  diameter,  and  single,  except  in  a  few 
cases  where  there  is  a  tendency  to  an 
increased  number  of  petals.  They  are  of 
the  purest  white,  with  bright  yellow 
anthers. 

P.  SATSUMI. — From  Japan,  with  freely- 
branched  slender  stems  of  4  to  6  feet,  long 
narrow  leaves,  and  rather  small  pure  white 
flowers,  in  pairs  or  loosely  clustered. 

HYBRID    KINDS. 

P.  AVALANCHE. — Flowers  large  with  a 
pleasing  odour,  and  so  numerous  that  the 
branches  are  weighed  down  with  them. 

P.  BOULE  D' ARGENT. — A  dwarf  spread- 
ing plant  with  double  flowers  and  very 
fragrant. 

P.  BOUQUET  BLANC. — Pure  white  double 
flowers  borne  in  profusion. 

P.  CANDELABRE.  —  A  dwarf  -  growing 
form,  with  flowers  larger  than  those  of 
P.  Lemoinei,  and  with  undulated  petals. 
Very  pretty  in  the  rock  garden. 

P.  CONQUETE. — A  free-flowering  form, 
whose  branches  arch  over  with  the  weight 
of  blossoms.  These,  which  are  large  and 
double,  have  almost  a  Tulip  shape,  and 
are  fragrant. 

P.  FANTAISIE. — From  the  seed-bearing 
parent  this  inherited  a  slight  pink  tinge 


towards  the  centre  of  the  flower,  and  for 
hybridising  it  has  proved  to  be  valuable. 

P.  GERBE  DE  NEIGE.  —  Pure  white 
single  flowers  nearly  a  couple  of  inches  in 
diameter  and  prettily  cup-shaped. 

P.  MANTEAU  D'HERMINE.  —  A  general 
favourite  which  forms  a  compact  specimen 
thickly  clothed,  when  at  its  best,  with 
double  creamy-white  blossoms. 

P.  MONT  BLANC. — This,  which  reaches 
a  height  of  4  to  5  feet,  is  of  rather 
upright  growth,  with  large,  sweet-scented 
flowers. 

P.  NUEE  BLANCHE. — This  has  large 
shining  green  leaves,  and  regularly  shaped 
round  blossoms,  deeply  cupped. 

P.  PERLE  BLANCHE. — The  finest  double 
Philadelphus,  with  very  large  flowers  of 
the  purest  white,  and  borne  in  great 
profusion. 

P.  PURPUREO-MACULATUS. — This  was 
given  a  first-class  certificate  by  the 
R.H.S.,  which  was  well  deserved,  not  only 
for  its  merit,  but  also  for  the  possibilities 
it  opened  up  of  quite  a  new  race  of  these 
beautiful  shrubs,  whose  blossoms  hitherto 
have  been  white,  or  nearly  so,  whereas 
those  of  the  newcomer  have  on  each  petal 
a  distinct  blotch  of  purple-rose. 

ROSACE.  —  This  bears  large  double 
flowers,  consisting  of  two  or  three  rows 
of  petals,  at  first  creamy-white,  but  after 
expansion  becoming  pure  white. 

PHILESIA  (Pepino).—P.  buxifolia 
is  an  exquisite  dwarf  shrub,  with 
large  carmine-red  Lapageria-like  bells 
(2  inches  long)  nestling  among  and 
suffusing  with  their  rich  colour  the 
sombre  evergreen  foliage.  It  is  a 
precious  shrub  for  the  cooler  parts  of 
the  rock  garden  and  succeeds  admir- 
ably in  the  more  favourable  coast 
gardens,  and  in  moist  peat  or  turfy 
loam.  At  Abbotsford  it  is  in  specimen 
form  2  feet  high  and  6  feet  across, 
and  flowers  profusely  all  the  summer. 
May  be  increased  by  suckers  from  the 
base,  but  in  a  plant  of  such  slow 
growth  these  should  only  be  removed 
from  strong  and  well-established  roots. 
S.  America. 

PHILLYRAEA  (Jasmine  Box).— 
Distinct  shrubs  from  the  south  of 
Europe,  at  one  time  among  our  best 
evergreens  in  the  south.  Farther 
north  they  are  tender  in  hard  winters. 
The  newest  kind,  and  the  hardiest 
and  best,  is  Vilmorin's  Jasmine  Box 
(P.  decora),  with  laurel-like  leaves  and 
fragrant  white  flowers  in  early  spring. 
Coming  from  the  mountains  of  Asia 
Minor,  this  will  withstand  severe  frost, 
is  free  from  insects  and  disease,  and 
quite  at  home  in  town  gardens.  The 
flowers  are  sometimes  fo  lowed  by 


PHLOMIS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.          PHLOMIS.         623 


black  fruits  like  a  sloe,  containing  seed 
by  which  the  plant  is  readily  increased . 
Nurserymen  have  found  that  the 
Phillyraea  unites  readily  with  Privet, 
so  that  nearly  all  their  stock  is  grafted, 
and  the  plants  die  out  just  as  they 
should  be  in  full  beauty.  This  has 
helped  to  give  the  group  a  bad  name, 
but  for  shore  gardens  of  light  soil 
there  are  few  better  shrubs. 

The  kinds  from  the  Mediterranean 
are  classed  as  three  species,  but  they 
vary  so  much  from  seed  and  are  so 
closely  connected  by  intermediate 
forms  as  to  be  better  treated  as  one 
variable  kind.  There  is  first  the 
Narrow-leaved  Phillyraea  (P.  angusti- 
folia),  15  feet  or  so  in  height,  with  long 
narrow  leaves  which  may  be  small 
and  narrow,  as  in  rosmarinifolia,  a  fine 
dwarf  evergreen  from  Italy.  P.  lati- 
folia  reaches  the  size  of  a  small  tree 
of  30  feet,  with  rigidly  spreading 
branches,  a  compact  habit  of  growth, 
and  broad  deep  green  leaves.  To  it 
belong  several  forms — the  Holly-leaved 
(P.  ilicifolia),  which  is  one  of  the  best 
known ;  laevis,  with  rounded  leaves 
and  saw-like  edges  ;  spinosa,  in  which 
the  edges  are  more  sharply  toothed  ; 
and  rotundifolia,  with  broadly  rounded 
leaves.  Between  angustifolia  and  lati- 
folia  comes  P.  media,  intermediate  in 
size  and  vigour  as  well  as  in  its  leaves. 
Strangely  enough,  it  is  also  the  most 
tender,  many  plants  having  been  cut 
to  the  ground  or  killed  outright  in  the 
winter  of  1880.  This  also  has  several 
forms,  such  as  buxifolia,  with  short 
rounded  leaves ;  olecejolia,  in  which 
they  are  longer  and  narrower  ;  and 
pendula,  with  a  diffuse  habit.  All  do 
best  in  light  open  soils  and  in  full  sun, 
and  all  are  of  fine  habit  without  much 
pruning,  though  they  will  bear  this  if 
necessary  and  make  thick,  handsome 
hedges.  All  the  kinds  bear  greenish- 
white  flowers,  but  only  in  P.  decora 
are  they  large  enough  to  attract. 

PHLOMIS  (Jerusalem  Sage}.  —  A 
group  of  old-fashioned  shrubs  and 
perennial  plants  belonging  to  the  Sage 
family,  and  interesting  because  so 
unlike  most  other  plants.  There  are 
now  not  many  kinds  in  cultivation, 
but  even  these  show  much  beauty  and 
diversity  of  form  and  habit.  The 
leaves  of  many  kinds  are  wrinkled, 
woolly,  or  hoary,  becoming  smaller  up 
the  stems,  while  the  handsome  hooded 
flowers  are  yellow,  purple,  or  white, 
and  borne  in  clusters  around  the  stem, 
tier  above  tier.  The  perennial  kinds 


are  easily  suited  as  to  soil,  and  will 
take  care  of  themselves  in  the  wild 
garden  or  rougher  parts  of  the  pleasure 
grounds.  The  shrubby  species  are 
best  in  light  and  dry  soils  where  their 
growth  is  not  too  vigorous  and  the 
wood  well  ripened.  All  are  easily 
increased,  the  shrubby  kinds  from 
seed,  or  cuttings  of  the  young  shoots 
put  in  under  glass  in  spring  or  sum- 
mer ;  the  herbaceous  kinds  by  seed, 
or  division  in  spring  or  autumn. 
The  best  kinds  are  : — 

P.  ARMENIACA. — With  down-covered 
silvery  leaves  and  stems  crowded  with 
whorls  of  rosy  flowers,  several  of  which 
are  in  good  condition  at  the  same  time. 
A  good  rock  plant.  Armenia. 

P.  CASHMERIANA. — At  its  best  a  striking 
plant,  about  2  feet  high,  with  densely 
woolly  stems  and  leaves,  and  heavily 
crowded  whorls  of  pale  lilac  or  rosy-purple 
flowers,  from  the  end  of  July.  Newly 
reintroduced,  doing  best  in  light  soils  and 
in  warm  gardens  near  the  sea.  N.  India. 

P.  FRUTICOSA  (Jerusalem  Sage).  —  A 
shrubby  kind,  hardy  in  warm  dry  soils, 
with  evergreen  stems  at  times  reaching 
6  to  8  feet,  but  mostly  3  or  4  feet  high, 
and  clothed  with  evergreen  woolly-grey 
leaves  of  wrinkled  texture.  The  flowers 
are  showy,  coming  as  whorled  heads  of 
bronzy-yellow  from  June  to  August,  and 
lasting  well  on  the  plant,  or  when  cut. 
S.  Europe. 

P.  HERBA-VENTI. — Handsome  perennial 
from  Spain,  needing  a  warm  dry  soil  and 
some  protection  if  grown  far  inland.  It 
makes  a  bold  spreading  mass  of  2  to  3  feet, 
with  hairy  green  or  purple  stems,  and  long 
green  leaves  which  are  rough  on  the  upper 
side  and  hoary  beneath  ;  flowers  violet- 
purple,  from  July  to  September.  It  is  a 
good  perennial  of  easy  culture. 

P.  LUNARIFOLIA. — A  fine  border  plant, 
free  in  its  bright  yellow  flowers.  The 
white  woolly  leaves  and  stems  render  it 
conspicuous  even  when  out  of  flower. 

P.  PURPUREA.- — From  S.  Europe,  low 
and  shrubby,  with  much-wrinkled  oblong 
or  triangular  leaves,  covered  with  down, 
and  rosy-purple  flowers  in  July. 

P.  SAMIA. — For  warm  soils,  free  in  its 
pale  yellow  and  orange  flowers,  sometimes 
shading  to  pink.  A  pretty  plant,  blooms 
in  May  and  June.  Mountains  of  N.  Africa. 

P.  TUBEROSA. — In  good  soils,  3  to  5  feet, 
with  handsome  dark-green  leaves  and 
dense  whorls  of  rosy-purple  flowers  in 
summer,  partly  fringed  with  white  hairs. 
The  foliage  is  good,  and  the  plant  of  easy 
increase  by  its  fleshy  tubers.  East  of 
Europe  and  Siberia. 

P.  VISCOSA  (also  P.  Russelliana) . — A 
rather  clammy  plant  of  3  feet,  with  bold 
wrinkled  leaves,  green  above  and  downy 


624 


PHLOX. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


PHLOX. 


beneath,    and    numerous    bright    yellow 
flowers  of  fine  effect. 

PHLOX. — For  the  most  part  showy 
garden  perennials  ;  but  the  annual  P. 
Drummondi  alone  has  produced  distinct 
varieties  enough  to  furnish  a  garden 
with  almost  every  shade  of  colour. 
The  perennials  are  numerous,  and  pre- 
sent such  variety  in  habit  that  for  the 
garden  they  may  be  divided  into  three 
distinct  groups.  One  is  alpine  in 
habit ;  of  this  the  beautiful  P.  subu- 
lata,  or  Moss  Pink,  is  the  best  known, 
but  there  are  many  others  in  the 
Rocky  Mountains  and  westward,  some 
of  them  more  truly  alpine.  Next  to 
these  are  several  that  may  be  grouped 
as  running  or  creeping  Phloxes,  peren- 
nial, but  with  prostrate  stems.  Lastly, 
there  are  the  well-known  herbaceous 
Phloxes,  which  are  invaluable  for  the 
garden. 

Early  or  summer-flowering  Phloxes 
have  chiefly  come  from  P.  suffruticosa. 
They  include  many  varieties,  from 
2  to  2£  feet  in  height,  varying  princi- 
pally in  colour,  and  flowering  during 
June  and  July.  They  grow  in  any 
good  border  or  bed,  and  if  the  sub-soil 
be  too  wet,  it  must  be  drained  and 
enriched  with  good  old  manure.  In 
the  south  of  England,  and  especially 
on  warm  dry  soils,  these  early  Phloxes 
often  do  best  in  partial  shade,  being 
more  sensitive  to  fierce  sun  heat  than 
the  later  kinds.  In  dry  seasons  a 

?Dod  surface  mulching  is  a  great  help, 
he  following  are  some  of  the  finest : 
Attraction,  Burns,  Charles  Downie, 
Conqueror,  Duke  of  Athole,  James 
Hunter.  John  Fairband,  Lady  Napier, 
.Miss  Robertson,  Mrs  Craven,  Mrs 
Duncan,  Mrs  Forbes,  Mrs  J.  Hope, 
Mrs  Leckie,  Mrs  Miller,  Nettie  Stewart, 
Perfection,  Snowdon. 

Herbaceous  Phloxes  have  been 
obtained  by  hybridising  and  selecting 
from  various  N.  American  species, 
principally  P.  paniculata  and  its 
varieties  acuminata,  decussata,  and 
pyramidalis,  which  are  stronger  and 
taller  than  the  early  Phloxes,  and 
immediately  succeed  them  in  flower, 
thus  prolonging  the  season.  Within 
the  last  few  years  there  has  been 
great  advance  in  these  plants,  both 
in  habit  and  freedom  of  flower.  They 
are  now  bright  and  varied  in  colour, 
including  all  shades  from  rich  vermilion 
to  pure  white,  the  old  dingy  purples 
and  magentas  having  disappeared. 
These  Phloxes  are  gross  feeders  and 
repay  generous  treatment  and  rich 
soils.  Being  great  surface  rooters, 


too,  they  are  much  benefited  during 
the  growing  and  flowering  season  by 
a  mulching  of  old  manure  or  loam 
with  artificial  manure  added,  and 
by  copious  waterings  of  weak  liquid 
manure  or  water.  Saturating  the 
beds  once  each  week  is  the  most 
satisfactory  way,  and  to  make  this 
effective  it  were  better  that  the 
surface  of  the  beds  be  slightly  below 
that  of  the  surrounding  level.  For 
large  beds,  and  to  get  bold  masses  oi 
distinct  colour,  the  following  are  the 
most  effective,  and  can  be  used 
according  to  the  shades  of  colour 
required,  viz.  :  Mrs  Jenkins,  Frau 
Ant.  Buchner  and  Sylphide,  white  ; 
Etna,  orange-red  ;  Eclaireur,  carmine 
and  salmon  ;  Coquelicot,  rich  ver- 
milion, but  not  always  easy  to  grow  : 
Boule  de  feu,  scarlet  with  a  dark  eye 
Eclatante,  crimson  shaded  orange  ; 
Crepuscule,  silvery  mauve  with  crimson 
centre ;  Aubrey  Alder,  pale  salmon- 
carmine  eye  ;  Aurora,  salmon-rose  ; 
Baron  von  Dedem,  brilliant  scarlet, 
best  of  its  colour  ;  Elizabeth  Campbell, 
handsome  light  salmon,  indispensable  ; 
Dr  Konigshofer,  orange-scarlet,  very 
brilliant;  Eugene  Danzauvilliers,  lilac 
and  white  ;  General  van  Heutz, 
brilliant  salmon-red.  Iris,  Le  Mahdi, 
and  Widar  are  of  shades  of  violel 
or  heliotrope.  They  are  very  beauti- 
ful and  distinct.  The  varieties  named 
vary  from  2|  to  3!  feet  in  height. 

Phloxes  are  propagated  in  various 
ways  :  by  seeds,  cuttings  of  the  young 
shoots  in  spring,  by  division,  and  by 
root  cuttings  in  autumn  and  winter. 
The  first  and  last  should  be  left  to 
the  commercial  man.  Propagation  by 
cuttings  in  spring  is  best  effected  by 
early  lifting  the  plants  and  placing 
them  in  a  frame,  the  resulting  growth 
rooting  more  quickly  and  certainly 
than  shoots  taken  direct  from  plants 
in  the  open.  In  a  frame  or  in  gentle 
heat  cuttings  of  the  freshly  made 
shoots  root  in  about  three  weeks. 
Cutting  propagation  is  necessary 
periodically  in  order  to  maintain 
vigour,  the  plants  giving  their  best 
spikes  when  from  two  to  four  years 
old.  Propagation  by  division  is  easy. 
The  only  pieces  of  value,  however, 
are  the  young  vigorous  ones  around  the 
outside  of  the  clump,  and  in  particular 
those  which  run  out  at  a  short  distance 
from  the  clump.  The  solid  woody 
portion  of  the  clump  is  useless  and 
should  be  rejected. 

The  leaves  also  strike,  but  this  is  a 
very  slow  way.  As  regards  division, 


PHLOX. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


PHLOX. 


625 


this  consists  in  taking  the  old  plant 
and  cutting  it  into  small  pieces.  The 
habit  of  the  plant  should  be  strong  and 
erect,  with  plenty  of  broad  and  healthy 
foliage,  and  not  exceed  3  or  4  feet. 

P.  DIVARICATA. — A  handsome  plant 
from  N.  America,  larger  than  either  the 
Creeping  Phlox  (P.  reptans]  or  the  Moss 
Pink  (P.  subulata},  and  about  i  foot  high, 
with  large  lilac-purple  blossoms  in  sum- 
mer, while  the  leaves  are  rounded  at  the 
base,  and  are  egg-shaped  or  lance-shaped. 
There  is  a  good  pure  white  form,  and  a 
new  garden  variety  Laphamii,  with  larger 
flowers  of  deeper  colour  and  of  much 
stronger  growth,  reaching  1 8  or  20  inches. 
Its  great  value  is,  however,  the  fact  that 
it  flowers  considerably  later.  Rock  gar- 
den in  good  soil.  Increased  by  cuttings 
and  division. 

P.  DRUMMONDI. — One  of  the  best  of 
half-hardy  annuals,  varied  and  brilliant 
in  colour.  Seed  should  be  sown  about 
the  first  week  in  March  in  shallow  pans  or 
boxes,  in  a  light  rich  soil,  and  a  warm  and 
rather  moist  temperature.  Prick  off  the 
seedlings  when  fit  to  handle  in  boxes,  or 
a  bed  in  a  warm  house  in  a  temperature  of 
50°  to  60°.  Here  they  will  soon  grow,  and 
place  them  out  in  the  shade  to  harden  as 
the  weather  gets  warm.  Those  growing 
in  a  bed  should  be  again  transplanted  to 
a  prepared  bed  in  a  cold  frame,  kept 
covered  for  a  few  days,  and  hardened 
gradually.  When  the  plants  are  3  to 
4  inches  high,  pinch  out  the  main  shoot, 
to  induce  bushy  growth  and  prolong  the 
flowering  period.  The  bed  should  be 
fully  exposed  to  the  sun,  and  if  good  moist 
soil,  the  plants  will  be  uninjured  even  in 
the  hottest  weather.  Varieties  are  end- 
less, and  some  very  distinct  named  sorts 
differ  from  the  type  not  only  in  colour, 
but  in  growth  and  the  shape  of  their 
flowers. 

P.  OVATA  CAROLINA. — A  handsome 
plant,  about  i  foot  high,  with  slender 
stems  terminated  by  a  cluster  of  large 
showy  deep  rose  flowers  very  useful  for 
cutting.  P.  ovata  has  broader  leaves, 
while  P.  nitida  is  also  handsome.  P. 
glaberrima  is  far  less  important.  These 
kinds  flower  in  summer,  in  ordinary  soil 
and  an  open  spot.  Cuttings  or  division. 

P.  PILOSA. — A  pretty  plant  i  to  2  feet 
high,  large  flat  clusters  of  white,  pink,  or 
purple  flowers,  \  to  f  inch  in  diameter, 
appearing  from  June  to  August.  It  is 
one  of  the  rarest  of  cultivated  Phloxes, 
though  a  spurious  kind  is  sometimes  sold 
for  it.  The  true  plant  reminds  one  of 
P.  Drummondi.  Another  rare  species  is 
the  true  P.  bifida,  an  elegant  plant,  the 
flowers  bluish-purple. 

P.  REPTANS  (Creeping  Phlox). — This  is 
a  beautiful  little  plant,  sending  up  numbers 
of  stems  from  4  to  6  inches  at  the  end  of 
April  or  beginning  of  May,  each  bearing 
from  five  to  eight  deep-rose  flowers  Of 


mat-forming  habit  and  easiest  culture,  it 
thrives  best  in  moist  loam  and  cool  situa- 
tions, and  is  readily  increased  by  division. 
Syn.  P.  verna  and  P.  stolonifera. 

P.  SETACEA. — Sometimes  considered  the 
same  as  P.  subulata,  but  its  leaves  are 
longer  and  farther  apart  on  its  trailing 
stems,  the  whole  plant  being  less  rigid. 
The  flowers  are  of  a  charming  soft  rosy- 
pink,  and  have  delicate  markings  at  the 
mouth  of  the  tube.  P.  5.  violacea  is  a 
handsome  Scotch  variety,  more  lax  in 
growth  and  with  deeper  coloured  flowers, 
almost  crimson.  Both  the  variety  and 
the  type  are  lovely  plants  for  the  rock 
garden,  where,  with  roots  deeply  seated 
among  the  fissures  and  enjoying  coolness 
and  moisture^  they  thrive  luxuriantly  in 
any  amount  of  sunshine. 

P.  STELLARIA. — This  little  plant  is  often 
confused  with  P.  subulata,  but  is  quite 
distinct,  with  much  longer,  narrow,  pale 
green  leaves,  and  white  flowers.  There 
are  several  fine  garden  varieties  belonging 
here,  with  lilac  or  mauve  flowers  on  dark 
wiry  stems,  their  petals  set  starwise. 
They  flower  in  May  and  June,  and  are 
exceedingly  beautiful  in  masses,  but  they 
do  not  hug  the  ground  like  the  more 
mossy  forms  of  subulata.  The  form  called 
lilacina  in  particular  is  so  strong  that  it 
is  best  used  by  itself,  or  its  stems  overrun 
the  dwarfer  kinds.  Its  leaves  are  beauti- 
fully clean-looking  and  healthy,  and  the 
charming  pale  mauve  flowers  are  carried 
in  profusion. 

P.  SUBULATA  (Moss  Pink). — A  moss-like 
little  evergreen,  the  flowers  pinkish-purple 
or  rose-colour,  with  a  dark  centre,  and  so 
dense  as  to  completely  hide  the  plant. 
The  stems,  though  4  inches  to  i  foot  high, 
are  always  prostrate,  so  that  the  dense 
matted  tufts  are  seldom  more  than 
6  inches  high  ;  but  in  moist,  sandy,  and 
well-drained  soil,  when  the  plant  is  fully 
exposed,  the  tufts  attain  a  diameter  of 
several  feet  and  a  height  of  i  foot  or  more. 
P.  frondosa  is  a  vigorous  form,  and  in 
light  garden  soil  its  trailing  branches  will 
soon  cover  almost  a  square  yard  of  surface. 
P.  nivalis  is  as  trailing,  but  smaller,  and 
with  shorter,  more  densely  arranged 
leaves.  Its  flowers  are  snow-white.  P. 
Nelsoni  is  a  hybrid  between  P.  subulata 
and  its  forms,  as  it  possesses  foliage  of  an 
intermediate  character  ;  the  flowers  pure 
white  with  a  charming  pink  eye. 

The  dwarf  Phloxes  are  so  closely 
allied  that  general  cultural  remarks 
will  suffice.  Well  -  drained  ordinary 
garden  soil  and  sunny  exposure  are 
essential.  Though  perfectly  hardy, 
the  damp  atmosphere  of  mild  winters 
is  fatal,  and  as  the  plants  do  not 
seed  freely,  they  must  be  increased 
by  cuttings.  Inch-long,  young  un- 
flowered  shoots  make  the  best  cuttings, 
and  root  with  greater  certainty.  Heel 

2   R 


626 


PHORMIUM. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


PHUOPSIS, 


cuttings,  too,  with  the  lowest  leaves 
removed,  are  also  excellent.  Insert  in 
very  sandy  soil  June  to  August,  placing 
cutting  pots  in  handlight  in  frame  or 
greenhouse.  They  will  soon  root,  and 
become  good  flowering  plants  the 
following  season.  With  large  patches, 
the  readiest  way  is  to  sprinkle  sandy 
soil  over  the  entire  plant  and  to  work 
the  same  gently  amongst  the  branches 
with  the  -hand.  If  this  be  done  during 
the  summer  or  the  early  autumn,  the 
trailing  branches  will  form  roots  the 
following  season,  and  may  be  planted 
elsewhere.  These  Phloxes  are  charm- 
ing in  spring,  hardy,  and  form  gay 
cushions  on  the  level  ground,  or  pen- 
dent sheets  from  the  tops  of  crags  or 
from  chinks  in  the  rock  garden. 
Rocky  hills  and  sandy  wastes  in  N.. 
America. 

PHORMIUM  (New  Zealand  Flax}.— 
Fine-leaved  plants  from  New  Zealand, 
like  giant  Iris  in  foliage,  their  tough 
broadly  sword-shaped  leaves  rising 
to  a  height  of  many  feet  in  the 
more  vigorous  kinds,  and  of  stately 
effect  at  the  waterside  mingled 
with  Bamboos,  Pampas  Grass,  and 
Gunneras.  In  hard  winters  even 
strong  plants  may  be  injured  or  cut 
to  the  ground,  but  the  roots  seldom 
perish,  and  by  selection  hardier  forms 
are  now  available  than  those  first 
introduced.  In  the  most  favoured 
districts  one  well  -  grown  plant  of 
Phormium  will  spread  into  a  mass 
30  or  40  feet  in  circumference  and 
8  to  10  feet  high,  with  flower-stems 
rising  several  feet  above  this.  The 
reddish-brown  flowers  are  more  curious 
than  beautiful,  but  when  borne  freely 
they  give  character  to  the  plant.  In 
cold  districts  the  roots  should  be 
well  protected,  or  the  plants  can  be 
grown  in  tubs  and  moved  to  the 
conservatory,  after  a  time  on  the 
lawn  or  terrace  during  summer.  P. 
tenax  is  the  common  green  -  leaved 
kind,  and  is  a  noble  plant  of  very 
vigorous  growth,  but  tender.  Some 
of  its  forms  are  more  resistant,  the 
hardiest  of  all  being  the  Powerscourt 
variety,  with  a  narrower  and  more 
glaucous  leaf  of  erect  growth,  and 
about  6  feet  long.  A  form  with  dark 
leaves  is  atro-purpurea,  with  a  deep 
purplish  zone  along  the  edges  of  the 
leaf,  and  in  some  plants  wholly 
suffusing  it.  P.  Cookianum  is  hardier 
than  P.  tenax  and  a  much  smaller 
plant,  with  leaves  of  only  3  to  4  feet 
and  yellow  flowers ;  it  also  has  a 


variegated  variety.  P.  Colensoi  is 
another  fairly  hardy  kind  from  the 
mountains  of  New  Zealand,  with 
a  spreading  and  graceful  way  of 
growth  and  narrow  leaves.  Of  this 
there  is  a  distinct  garden  form  called 
compacta,  very  dwarf,  neat,  and  hardy, 
with  quite  narrow  leaves.  Increase  by 
seed  and  root-division,  seed  from  one 
plant  yielding  a  variety  of  forms.  The 
Phormiums  like  a  deep  soil  with  abun- 
dance of  sunlight  and  moisture,  and 
where  there  is  nothing  to  fear  from 
frost  they  do  well  treated  as  water- 
side plants. 

PHOTINIA.— A  group  of  handsome 
shrubs,  mostly  evergreen,  and  too 
tender  for  our  gardens,  where  even 
the  hardiest  kind,  P.  serrulata — known 
as  the  Chinese  Hawthorn — is  rarely 
seen  except  along  the  south  coast, 
though  quite  hardy  enough  for 
sheltered  places  inland.  This  is  one 
of  the  best  of  seaside  shrubs,  making 
dense  masses  20  or  more  feet  in  height 
and  width.  The  foliage  is  handsome, 
glossy  like  that  of  a  Portugal  Laurel, 
and  of  a  fine  red  colour  in  spring. 
These  young  leaves  come  so  early  as 
to  risk  injury  from  late  frosts,  and  to 
escape  this  the  plant  is  mostly  grown 
against  walls  when  away  from  the  sea, 
and  is  very  handsome  in  this  way, 
bearing  heads  of  small  white  flowers 
in  May  and  June. 

Another  hardy  kind  from  China  and 
Japan  is  P.  variabilis,  which  loses  its 
leaves  in  winter,  but  retains  its  bright 
scarlet  berries  long,  and  the  leaves 
themselves  turn  a  fine  crimson  before 
falling  when  the  plant  is  grown  in  an 
open  and  sunny  place  and  in  dry  soil. 
To  do  well  with  us  the  Photinias 
should  have  a  light,  well-drained  soil, 
shelter,  and  sunshine. 

PHRAGMITES  (Great  Reed).— P. 
communis  is  a  most  graceful  plant  in 
all  open  waters,  by  which  it  forms 
excellent  covert  for  duck.  It  grows 
to  a  height  of  6  feet,  with  drooping 
heads  of  brownish  -  purple  flowers  in 
autumn. 

PHUOPSIS  (Crosswort).—  A  pretty 
little  hardy  perennial  of  trailing  habit, 
with  heads  of  pale  rosy  flowers  in 
early  spring.  The  individual  blooms 
are  small,  but  clustered  in  dense  heads, 
their  one  fault  being  a  somewhat 
unpleasant  smell.  There  are  garden 
forms  with  deep  crimson  and  with 
purple  flowers.  Increase  by  seed,  or 
division  in  early  spring.  Old  tufts 


PHYGELIUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        PHYTEUMA.      627 


should  be  trimmed  with  scissors  or  a 
pair  of  shears  from  time  to  time,  and 
soon  push  out  afresh.  Easily  grown 
in  any  soil,  on  open  banks  or  sunny 
places  in  the  rock  garden.  Caucasus. 
Syn.  Crucianella  stylosa. 

PHYGELIUS  (Cape  Figwort).—P. 
capensis,  a  Cape  plant  of  some  beauty, 
3  or  4  feet  high,  and  bearing  racemes  of 
brilliant  scarlet  flowers,  which  open 
in  May  and  June  and  continue  far 
into  autumn.  It  is  hardy  near  London, 
though  it  does  not  flourish  so  well 
in  the  open  as  on  a  wall,  where  it  will 
stand  any  amount  of  sun  -  heat  and 
even  long  periods  of  drought.  Readily 
increased  by  cuttings  or  portions 
of  the  root-stock,  the  bases  of  the 
stems  being  furnished  with  rootlets. 

PHYLLODOCE. — A  dwarf  ever- 
green mountain  shrub  with  pretty 
bell  flowers,  thriving  only  in  cool 
parts  of  a  good  rock  garden.  A 
British  species  thrives  in  fine  soil 
about  Edinburgh.  P.  Breweri  is  found 
in  vast  areas  of  the  Sierra  Nevada, 
California. 

PHYSALIS  (Winter  Cherry}.  — P. 
Alkekengi  is  a  handsome  and  curious 
S.  European  plant  with  ample  downy 
leaves,  bearing  in  autumn  bright 
orange-red  bladder-like  calyces,  en- 
closing Cherry-like  fruits  of  a  pleasant 
acid  flavour,  and  perfectly  wholesome 
either  raw  or  preserved.  It  is  a  hardy 
perennial,  requiring  a  warm  border  ; 
i  to  ij  feet  high.  Division  or  seed. 
Solanaceae. 

P.  FRANCHETI. — A  splendid  new  hardy 
plant  from  Japan,  possibly  a  variety  of 
P.  Alkekengi,  but  so  distinct  as  to  merit 
special  attention.  It  is  larger  altogether 
than  the  old  kind  both  in  foliage  and  calyx, 
which  is  brilliant  coral-red  in  colour, 
though  varying  a  little  in  shade,  sometimes 
touched  with  orange,  and  generally 

3  inches  in  length  with  a  circumference  of 
7  or  8  inches.     The  plant  grows  18  inches 
high  and  requires  a  similar  position  to 
P.  Alkekengi,  spreading  strongly  by  under- 
ground stems.     The  dried  fruits  are  beau- 
tiful in  winter  bouquets.     P.  Bunyardi  is 
a,  hybrid,  a  vigorous  and  good  kind. 

PHYSOSTEGIA  (False  Dragon' s- 
Head) .  —  Vigorous  perennials,  best 
for  grouping  with  the  bolder  kinds 
of  hardy  plants.  P.  virginiana,  i  to 

4  feet    high,    has    flesh-coloured    or 
purple    flowers    crowded    in    terminal 
racemes.     There  are  pretty  white  and 
pink    forms,    alba    and    rosea,    and    a 
more     vigorous     one,     speciosa,     with 
larger  flowers  of  deeper  purple  colour. 


These  are  all  very  pretty  for  cut  work, 
or  grouped  in  the  border.  P.  imbricata 
from  Texas  has  higher  and  more 
slender  stems,  broader  leaves,  and 
larger  flowers  of  a  deeper  colour.  P. 
denticulata  is  similar  to  P.  virginiana, 
but  rarer  and  less  showy.  All  these 
kinds  flower  in  summer,  and  thrive  in 
any  ordinary  soil.  Division. 


Physalis  Alkekengi  (Winter  Cherry). 

PHYTEUMA  (Rampiori).—The  Ram- 
pions  are  neat,  pretty,  and  interesting 
plants  of  the  Bellflower  order,  with 
small  flowers  in  profusion.  They  enjoy 
a  sunny  position,  and  some  of  them 
are  good  rock  plants.  P.  orbicular e  is 
a  rare  and  desirable  native  Rampion, 
i  to  2  feet  high,  and  is  best  among 
rock  plants,  where  it  would  be  free 
from  the  destructive  effects  of  the 
hoe  and  rake.  It  flourishes  in  a  dry 
position  in  a  mixture  of  limestone 
grit,  peat,  sand,  and  loam,  and  has 
violet  -  blue  flowers  in  July.  It  is 
extremely  impatient  of  removal  or 
division,  and  should  be  raised  from 
seed  sown  in  autumn  in  a  cool  frame. 
P.  Sieberi  is  neat  for  the  rock  garden, 
requiring  a  moist,  sunny  situation, 
and  a  mixture  of  leaf  -  mould,  peat, 
and  sand.  It  forms  cushion-like  tufts, 


628         PHYTOLACCA.       THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


PICEA. 


and  in  May  and  June  has  dark  blue 
flower-heads,  on  stems  4  to  6  inches 
long.  Division.  P.  humile  is  a  neat 
tufted  plant  for  the  rock  garden,  where 
it  can  get  a  dry  sheltered  position  in 
winter  and  plenty  of  water  in  summer. 
The  flowers  are  blue,  and  produced 
in  June  on  stems  6  inches  high. 
Division.  P.  comosum  is  very  slow- 
growing,  and  must  be  particularly 
guarded  against  slugs.  It  is  a  true 
rock  plant,  suitable  for  a  fissure, 
vertical  or  sloping  to  the  sun,  and 
does  best  amongst  a  mixture  of  a 
little  loam,  peat,  sand,  or  grit,  where 
it  can  root  to  the  depth  of  2  feet.  It 
bears  almost  stalkless  heads  of  dark 
purple  flowers,  has  Holly-like  leaves 
in  June  and  July,  and  comes  best 


Phyteuma  comosum. 

from  seed.  P.  Charmeli  and  P. 
Scheuchzeri  are  much  alike,  P.  Scheuch- 
zeri  being  dwarfer.  It  bears  pretty 
blue  flowers,  on  stems  from  6  to  12 
inches  in  height,  and  is  evergreen. 
A  new  kind,  P.  campanuloides,  is  one 
of  the  best,  with  tall  much-branched 
spikes  of  deep  violet-blue  flowers,  very 
freely  produced.  Sow  seed  in  autumn, 
and  do  not  expect  too  much  the  first 
year. 

PHYTOLACCA  (Virginian  Poke). — 
This  N.  American  perennial,  P. 
decandra,  is  from  5^  to  nearly  10  feet 
high,  with  reddish  stems  and  flower 
stalks.  The  flowers,  on  cylindrical 
spikes,  are  at  first  white,  but  after- 
wards change  to  a  delicate  rose.  In 
autumn  the  colour  of  the  leaves  is  in 
rich,  contrast  to  the  purplish-black 
berries,  closely  set  on  columnar  spikes. 
It  grows  in  almost  any  kind  of  soil, 
and  is  raised  from  seed  or  division. 


It  is  scarcely  refined  enough  in  leaf 
for  the  flower  garden,  but  is  effective 
near  the  rougher  approaches  of  a 
hardy  fernery,  in  open  glades  near 
woodland  walks,  or  in  any  like  posi- 
tion. There  is  a  garden  form  in 
which  the  leaves  are  variegated  with 
rose  and  white.  P.  acinosa,ihe  Indian 
Poke,  comes  from  the  Himalayas,  and, 
while  much  resembling  P.  decandra, 
is  a  little  less  tall,  with  its  berries  in 
drooping  clusters  instead  of  held  erect. 
P.  icosandra  is  a  bushy  plant,  2  to 
3  feet  high,  the  leaves  similar  to  those 
of  a  Hydrangea.  It  has  rather  long 
spikes  of  creamy  -  white  flowers, 
succeeded  by  fruit-clusters  similar  in 
size  and  shape  to  Indian  Corn,  but 
composed  of  ripe  Blackberries.  Should 
have  the  same  treatment  and  position 
as  P.  decandra. 

PICEA  (Spruce  Fir}.  —  Usually 
stately  evergreen  cone  -  bearing  trees 
of  the  northern  world  and  mountains, 
including  among  them'  the  common 
Norway  Spruce  and  the  Douglas  Fir, 
usually  doing  best  in  moist  valley 
soils.  Trees  that  were  once  included 
under  this  head  are  now  placed  under 
Abies  and  also  Pinus,  to  which  the 
reader  should  refer  for  trees  he  seeks 
which  are  not  placed  under  this  head- 
ing. As  regards  grouping  and  other 
matters,  what  has  been  said  of  Pinus 
and  A  bies  may  be  considered  as  apply- 
ing to  a  great  extent  to  these  trees 
also. 

P.  AJANENSIS.  —  The  finest  of  the 
Japanese  Spruces,  distinguished  from  all 
others  by  the  bluish  silver  tint  of  the 
young  branches  on  the  undersides,  but 
which  are  upturned  so  that  the  whole 
tree  has  a  silvery  appearance.  It  is  very 
hardy,  and  thrives  best  in  a  stiffish  soil. 
It  should  not  be  in  a  too  sheltered  place, 
or  it  will  commence  growth  too  early 
and  be  liable  to  injury  by  late  frosts. 

P.  DOUGLASI  (Douglas  Fir). — Among 
the  noblest  trees  of  the  west  American 
forests,  this  is  one  of  the  best  trees  ever 
introduced,  both  for  ornament  and  timber. 
It  should  be  planted  only  where  the  soil 
and  situation  are  suitable,  and  not  in 
exposed  places,  as  it  thrives  best  in  shel- 
tered valleys  or  woods,  but  it  will  live  in 
various  soils.  There  are  several  varieties 
of  the  tree,  that  known  as  the  Colorado 
variety  being  considered  the  hardiest. 
The  glaucous  form  is  a  handsome  tree, 
more  rapid  in  growth  than  any  other 
silvery  conifer.  Varieties  of  this  tree  are 
of  slight  value,  the  best  being  the  natural 
form  from  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

P.  EXCELSA  (Norway  S.). — Is  a  quick- 
growing  tree,  but  too  short-lived  to  be  of 


PICEA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


PIERIS. 


629 


great  value  for  ornament.  It  is  a  mistake 
to  plant  it  on  high  exposed  places  or  in 
hot  sandy  soil.  In  most  sheltered  valleys 
it  is  a  beautiful  tree  when  seen  in  masses. 
There  are  many  forms  of  it,  a  good  number 
of  which  are  mere  monstrosities  not  worthy 
of  the  garden,  especially  the  so-called 
golden  and  silvery  varieties. 

P.  SITCHENSIS. — In  places  where  this 
Spruce  thrives  it  is  a  very  beautiful  tree, 
because  of  the  bluish  silvery-grey  tone  of 
its  needle-like  leaves.  In  a  damp  climate 
where  the  soil  is  deep  and  moist  it  thrives, 
but  in  dry  soils  soon  in  a  wretched 
condition.  It  grows  well  and  rapidly 
with  me,  and  is  the  best  of  trees  for  wet 
soils.  Alaska  to  N.  California. 

P.  MORINDA. — No  other  Spruce  has  such 
gracefully  drooping  branches  as  this 
Himalayan  tree,  which  is  also  known  well 
by  its  other  name,  P.  Smithiana.  It  is 
worthy  of  a  place  among  the  finest  orna- 
mental trees,  but  must  have  a  deep  moist 
soil,  more  heavy  than  light,  and  the  posi- 
tion not  too  sheltered.  Under  these  con- 
ditions it  flourishes  in  the  bleakest  parts 
of  the  eastern  counties,  where  some  of 
the  finest  examples  of  it  exist. 

P.  OMORICA  (Servians.). — A  recent  intro- 
duction which  promises  to  be  a  good 
addition  to  the  Spruces  notable  for  orna- 
mental planting.  It  has  somewhat  the 
appearance  of  P.  orientalis  in  its  growth, 
and  very  dark  green  foliage,  but  the  leaves 
are  larger,  flat,  and  decidedly  silvery 
beneath. 

P.  ORIENTALIS. — This  Caucasian  Spruce 
has  somewhat  the  appearance  of  the  Nor- 
way Spruce,  but  it  is  a  smaller  growing 
tree  with  much  shorter  leaves  and 
branches,  and  is  more  suitable  as  a  garden 
tree,  as  it  is  of  denser  growth  and  retains 
its  lower  branches.  It  is  of  a  deep  glossy 
green,  and  on  this  account,  and  its  dwarfed 
growth,  is  especially  suitable  for  grouping 
with  the  larger  conifers.  It  is  very 
hardy,  and  thrives  best  in  moist  soils. 

P.  POLITA  (Tiger-tail  S.). — This  is  one  of 
our  newer  Japanese  trees,  but,  judg- 
ing by  the  largest  trees  in  various  parts 
of  the  country,  it  is  a  Spruce  that  will 
thrive  in  these  islands.  It  is  of  handsome 
outline,  and  with  leaves  the  stiffest  and 
sharpest  of  all,  which  renders  it  cattle 
proof.  It  stands  exposure  well,  and  is  a 
tree  for  high  windy  places. 

P.  PUNGENS.  —  An  American  Spruce 
most  valuable  for  this  country,  hardy, 
standing  exposure  in  high  places  better 
than  any  other.  It  is  generally  known  in 
gardens  by  the  variety  glauca.  It  is 
largely  raised  from  seed  in  order  to  select 
from  the  seedlings  silvery  plants.  This 
Spruce  is  confused  with  another  Cali- 
fornian  Spruce  called  P.  Engelmanni, 
P.  commutata,  or  P.  Parryana,  but  which 
is  quite  inferior  to  P.  pungens. 


PIERIS. — Evergreen  shrubs  of  Japan, 
China,  and  America.  Their  effect  is 
precious  among  Magnolias,  Rhodo- 
dendrons, and  the  choicer  evergreen 
shrubs,  and  the  same  soil  usually 
suits  them.  They  may  also  be  grouped 


Picea  JHorinda. 

as  bold  rock  garden  shrubs  in  moist 
peaty  or  leafy  soils,  thriving  all  the 
better  for  partial  shade  at  mid-day. 
The  following  are  the  best  kinds : — 

P.  FLORIBUNDA. — A  close-growing  ever- 
green shrub  from  N.  America,  with  nar- 
row oblong  leaves  and  white  urn-shape 
flowers  in  dense  one-sided  racemes,  formed 
in  the  autumn  and  opening  in  spring. 
They  will  do  so  much  earlier,  however, 
and  come  much  whiter  too,  if  put  in  gentle 
heat  under  glass,  or  even  cut  and  placed 
in  water  in  a  warm  room.  The  plant  is 
hardy  in  most  soils,  but  thrives  best  in 
those  of  a  sandy  and  leafy  nature.  It 
never  grows  high,  and  may  be  grouped 
with  the  choicer  evergreen  shrubs. 

P.  FORMOSA. — A  beautiful  and  tall  ever- 
green shrub,  only  hardy  in  the  west  and 
south  of  England,  suffering  injury  at 
times  even  in  the  Thames  Valley.  It 
bears  dark  green  leathery  leaves,  finely 
toothed  at  the  edges,  and  drooping  clus- 


630       PINGUICULA.        THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


PINUS. 


ters  of  white   bells,   6  inches   in   length, 
expanding  in  April  and  May.     Nepaul. 

P.  JAPONICA. — A  beautiful  evergreen 
shrub  with  long  drooping  clusters  of  white 
flowers,  giving  almost  a  lace-like  effect 
to  freely  flowered  plants.  It  is  hardy, 
and  grows  much  larger  than  floribunda, 
but  is  slow  and  poor  on  cold  or  loamy 
soils,  and  only  luxuriant  in  peaty  or  leaf 
beds  that  are  well  drained  and  free  from 
lime.  It  will  grow  in  shade  and  in  full 
sun,  but  a  moist  half-shaded  place  is  what 
it  likes  best.  The  flowers  open  from 
January  to  March,  according  to  season, 
and  last  a  long  time,  whether  cut  or  in 


Flowers  of  Pieris. 

the  open  air.  There  are  some  dwarf 
garden  forms,  and  one  with  variegated 
leaves.  Japan. 

The  increase  of  all  these  shrubs  is  slow, 
but  not  difficult.  Cuttings  from  forced 
plants  root  most  readily,  those  made  from 
ripened  shoots  in  August  taking  many 
months  to  start  in  a  greenhouse ;  the 
same  applies  to  layers,  so  that  these  ways 
are  seldom  used,  except  to  increase  fine 
seedlings.  Seeds  ripen  freely,  and  should 
be  treated  like  those  of  Azaleas  and 
Rhododendrons. 

PINGUICULA  (Butterworf).— These 
interesting  dwarf  bog-plants  are  pretty 
in  the  bog  garden  or  moist  spots  in 
the  rock  garden.  There  are  about 
half-a-dozen  kinds,  all  resembling  each 
other  and,  except  P.  vallisnerics folia, 
natives.  P.  grandiflora  (Irish  Butter- 
wort)  is  the  finest.  Its  flowers  are 


large  and  blue  -  purple,  the  leaves 
broad,  spreading  fiat  upon  the  rock 
or  soil.  It  prefers  the  shady  side  of 
a  moist  mossy  rock,  where  the  face  is 
steep  and  the  narrow  chinks  are  filled 
with  rich  loam.  If  planted  in  earth 
alone,  where  the  drainage  is  imperfect, 
it  usually  perishes  in  winter.  P.  alpina 
differs  from  all  other  kinds  in  having 
white  flowers,  marked  more  or  less 
with  lemon  -  yellow  on  the  lip,  but 
sometimes  tinted  with  pale  pink.  It 
roots  firmly,  by  means  of  strong  woody 
fibres,  and  prefers  peaty  soil  mingled 
with  shale  or  rough  gravel,  and  shady 
humid  positions,  such  as  are  afforded 
by  a  high  rock  garden  with  a  north 
aspect,  or  by  the  shelter  of  a  north 
wall.  P.  vulgaris  grows  freely  in  any 
sunny  position  in  rich  moist  peat  or 
peaty  loam.  A  small  form,  with  leaves 
like  those  of  P.  alpina,  both  in  form 
and  colour,  is  found  in  alpine  bogs  in 
the  north  of  England.  P.  htsitanica, 
found  on  the  west  coast  of  Scotland 
and  in  Ireland,  is  smaller  than  any 
of  the  preceding,  and  has  pale  yellow 
flowers.  It  grows  in  peaty  bogs  ex- 
posed to  the  sun.  P.  vallisnericefolia 
from  the  mountains  of  Spain  differs 
from  others  in  its  clustered  habit  of 
growth.  Its  leaves  are  pale  yellowish- 
green,  and  sometimes  almost  trans- 
parent, becoming  4  or  5  inches  long, 
and  occasionally  even  7  inches  towards 
the  end  of  the  season.  The  flowers 
are  large,  soft  lilac  colour,  with  con- 
spicuous white  or  pale  centres. 

PINUS  (Pine) .  —  Noble  evergreen, 
cone -bearing  trees  of  northern  and 
temperate  regions,  of  highest  beauty 
and  use,  some  of  them  admirably 
suited  for  the  climate  of  the  British 
Islands  and  giving  finest  evergreen 
shelter.  When  the  Mexican  and 
Californian  Pines  were  first  introduced 
and  much  talked  of,  little  care  was 
taken  in  discriminating  between  the 
hardy  and  tender  kinds,  so  that  the 
Pines  of  Mexico  and  S.  California 
got  as  good  a  chance  in  our  pleasure 
grounds  as  the  most  precious  of 
the  hardy  ones ;  but  if  we  want 
to  make  the  best  use  of  the  Pines 
we  must  plant  only  the  best  of  the 
hardy  ones  and  those  likely  to  endure 
and  be  useful  and  beautiful  in  our 
climate.  Nurserymen  seldom  take  the 
trouble  to  see  these  trees  in  their 
native  beauty  on  their  native  moun- 
tains, and,  assuming  that  the  nursery 
or  infant  state  of  the  tree  is  the 
natural  form,  make  ceaseless  efforts 


PINUS. 


TtiE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


PINUS.          631 


to  keep  the  trees  always  in  this  form, 
whereas  the  nature  of  the  Pine  is 
generally  to  shed  its  lower  branches, 
and  hence  we  get  that  wonderful 
dignity  of  the  Pine  as  seen  on  the 
mountains,  both  in  the  new  and 
old  worlds,  lovely  pillars  crowding 
all  over  the  northern  mountains. 
I  have  seen  Pines  condemned  because 
they  began  to  assume  this  habit  of 
shedding  their  lower  branches  and 
taking  their  true  character.  Like 
other  important  families  of  trees,  these 
have  numerous  garden  and  other 
varieties  which  are  generally  best  left 
out  if  we  seek  to  get  the  full  expression 
of  the  natural  beauty  of  the  trees ; 
but,  as  usual,  the  practice  of  pro- 
fessional planters  generally  is  rather 
against  us.  Ugly,  contracted,  and 
monstrous  forms  are  always  in  cata- 
logues, which  should  be  let  alone 
there.  While  such  varieties  are  often 
worthless,  natural  varieties,  especially 
of  kinds  inhabiting  vast  regions  of  the 
earth,  like  the  Scotch  Pine  in  northern 
Europe,  and  the  Western  Yellow  Pine 
in  America,  may  be  important  in 
giving  us  hardier  varieties,  or  those 
of  special  use,  like  the  Russian  form 
of  the  Scotch  Fir.  Synonyms  are 
numerous,  and  unfortunately  lead  to 
confusion  in  the  nomenclature,  but 
among  Pines,  if  anywhere,  what  is 
not  worth  knowing  is  not  worth  grow- 
ing, and  all  the  great  Pines  are  so 
distinct  in  form  that  those  who  care 
about  them  will  soon  know  them  by 
heart,  and  the  showy  labelling  method 
of  the  "pinetum"  is  not  necessary  in 
any  good  way  of  planting. 

The  "pinetum"  which  we  see  in 
many  country  places  is  not  by  any 
means  the  best  way  of  growing  the 
trees.  The  isolation  of  specimens 
in  the  turf  allows  the  grass  in  dry 
seasons  to  take  away  all  the  moisture 
from  the  tree,  while  the  effect  of  this 
dotting  about  of  trees  is  far  from 
artistic.  The  true  pinetum  is  a  wood 
of  Pines  chosen  for  their  perfect 
hardiness  in  any  given  district,  shel- 
tering each  other,  promoting  the  true 
growth  of  the  Pine  by  their  close 
planting,  especially  in  early  life,  shad- 
ing the  ground  and  keeping  the 
moisture  in  it.  In  such  a  pinetum  the 
trees  should  be  planted  in  groups  and 
colonies,  not  necessarily  rigidly  separ- 
ated by  hard-and-fast  lines,  but  some- 
times those  of  like  regions  running 
together  as  the  European  cone-bear- 
ing trees  do  in  the  mountains  of  C. 
Europe. 


The  advantage  of  grouping  and 
massing  the  Pines  in  a  natural  way 
is  that  they  not  only  protect  them- 
selves from  the  sun,  but  the  leaves 
and  dead  branches  of  the  trees  help 
to  nourish  the  ground.  The  roots  are 
very  near  the  surface,  and  they  get  a 
source  of  nourishment  which  fails  them 
in  the  ordinary  pinetum. 

In  places  where  there  is  not  room 
enough  to  make  a  Pine-wood  even,  we 
should  get  a  better  effect  by  grouping 
the  Pines  than  by  scattering  them 
about  as  they  are  often  seen,  where 
there  is  little  room. 

In  making  the  "  pinetum,"  the 
richest  ground  is  often  taken,  and  large 
holes  are  made  and  filled  with  rich 
soil,  whereas  I  think  the  better  way 
would  be  to  choose  true  Pine  soil,  if 
we  have  it — that  is,  rocky  or  poor 
ground  of  little  use  for  anything  else, 
and,  by  rightly  choosing  and  plant- 
ing the  trees,  thus  doing  away  with 
the  need  of  costly  and  special  prepara- 
tion. Rich  soil  and  preparation  give 
a  rapid  growth  at  first,  but  no  means  of 
testing  the  value  of  any  Pine  in  the 
natural  soil  of  the  place.  The  rapid 
growth  is  often  followed  by  weak- 
ness of  wood,  and  often  by  too  early 
destruction  from  storms,  while  the 
timber  of  such  trees  is  always  inferior 
to  that  grown  in  poor  or  rocky  ground. 
We  have  the  clearest  evidence,  on 
the  mountains  of  Europe,  California, 
Scotland,  and  elsewhere,  that  very  fine 
Pines  may  be,  and  are,  grown  naturally 
on  very  poor  rocky  soils,  and  we  should 
take  this  lesson  and  make  our  Pine- 
wood  in  such  a  soil,  or  one  as  near 
as  we  can  approach  to  it.  In  some 
places,  we  may  wish  for  the  effects  of  a 
Pine-wood  in  a  given  situation,  and  in 
that  way  we  must  take  the  soil  as  it 
comes. 

The  habit  of  planting  "  specimen  " 
trees,  common  in  our  present  day 
pinetums,  is  a  costly  and  not  a  good 
way.  The  best  way  in  all  cases  is  to 
plant  little  trees,  never  over  i  foot 
high.  I  have  often  planted  them  much 
smaller  with  perfect  success;  they 
have  a  struggle  at  first,  but  the  growth 
is  quicker  and  cleaner  than  that  of 
larger  trees,  the  specimens  of  the 
ordinary  nursery  having  a  very  hard 
time  in  dry  seasons. 

In  the  following  enumeration  of  the 
finer  Pines  I  have  omitted  those  of 
doubtful  hardiness  or  fitness  for  our 
climate  from  any  cause  : — 

P.  AUSTRIACA  (Austrian  Pine). — One  of 
the  best  and  hardiest  pines  ;  distinct  in 


632 


PINUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


PINUS. 


form  and  colour,  attaining  a  maximum 
height  of  nearly  100  feet,  of  close,  dense 
growth  when  young,  thriving  on  calcareous 
and  poor  stony  or  rock  ground  and  on 
clay  soils  (but  not  on  poor  sands).  Owing 
to  its  close  "  covert  "  and  habit  it  nour- 
ishes the  ground  beneath  it  so  well  with 
its  fallen  leaves  that  it  is  self-supporting 
and  gives  precious  shelter.  It  is  often 
planted  in  Britain,  but  generally  set  out 
in  the  usual  specimen  way,  so  "that  the 
tree  is  slow  to  take  its  true  form  as  it 
does  when  grouped  as  trees  should  be. 
The  final  form  of  the  tree,  which  so  far 
we  hardly  ever  see  in  our  grounds,  is  very 
picturesque,  with  a  free  open  head,  but, 
bsing  a  free  grower  and  giving  valuable 
wood,  however,  grouped  or  massed  it 
should  be  freely  thinned  so  as  to  allow 
of  its  full  development. 

In  books  this  Pine  is  sometimes  classed 
as  a  variety  of  the  Corsican  Pine,  but, 
from  a  planter's  point  of  view,  the  trees 
are  as  distinct  as  any  other  Pines  in  colour 
and  form.  Being  a  native  of  the  moun- 
tains of  Lower  Austria,  Styria,  and  Carin- 
thia,  sometimes  also  growing  on  the  low 
hills  and  even  plains,  it  would,  I  think, 
be  distinctly  hardier  than  the  Corsican 
in  the  case  of  very  severe  winters  and 
their  effects  in  low  ground. 

P.  CEMBRA  (Swiss  P.). —  A  hardy 
northern  Pine  of  distinct,  close-growing 
form,  and  a  very  slow  grower  in  our 
country,  as  well  as  in  its  native  land  on 
the  mountains  of  C.  Europe  or  in  Siberia, 
where  it  attains  a  maximum  height  of 
100  feet. 

P.  COULTERI. — A  Californian  tree,  not 
so  large  as  other  kinds  from  that  great 
country  of  Pines,  but  remarkable  for  the 
great  size  of  its  cones,  which  are  often 
20  inches  long  and  weighing  10  Ib.  in  its 
own  country.  In  our  country  this  tree 
should  be  planted  only  under  the  most 
favourable  conditions,  in  sheltered  valleys 
and  on  warm  soils. 

P.  EXCELSA  (Himalayan  P.). — A  hand- 
some tree,  much  planted  in  Britain,  with 
long,  slender,  drooping  leaves  and  pen- 
dent cones.  It  is  a  native  of  the  Hima- 
layas and  of  very  wide  distribution  in 
Asia,  and  also  in  another  form  inhabits 
the  mountains  of  Greece  and  S.E. 
Europe  on  high  elevations.  In  our  coun- 
try it  thrives  in  warm  and  well-drained 
soils. 

P.  HALEPENSIS  (Jerusalem  P.). — A  dis- 
tinct and  very  useful  Pine  throughout 
the  rocky  parts  of  Greece  and  its  islands, 
also  Crete,  Asia  Minor,  Syria,  and  Pales- 
tine. When  one  travels  in  those  countries 
the  hills  seem  very  bare  until  you  get 
near  their  slopes,  when  the  welcome  growth 
of  this  pine  appears,  a  frequently  graceful 
and  stately  tree.  Coming  from  such  a 
hot  country,  it  is  not  likely  to  be  so  useful 
with  us,  except  in  warm  districts. 


P.  RADIATA  (Monterey  P.). — A  beau- 
tiful Pine  of  the  seashore  of  California, 
grass  green  in  colour,  and  often  thriving 
very  well  in  the  southern  and  western 
parts  of  our  country,  but  in  inland  places 
suffering  in  hard  winters,  although  on 
high  ground  in  the  home  counties  healthy 
trees  may  be  seen.  Syn.  P.  insignis. 

P.  LAMBERTIANA  (Sugar  P.).  —  A 
noble  tree  of  California  and  Columbia 
River,  reaching  a  maximum  height  of 
300  feet,  and  sometimes  60  feet  in  girth 
of  stem.  We  cannot  omit  such  a  tree 
here,  but  could  not  expect  it  to  make  such 
progress  as  in  its  own  genial  climate,  and 
where  planted  with  us  it  is  usual  to  do  so 
in  sheltered  situations  and  in  free,  warm 
soils.  The  cones  are  each  sometimes  over 
2  feet  long. 

P.  LARICIO  (Corsican  P.). — The  tallest 
Pine  of  Europe,  reaching  160  feet  high, 
and  over  in  Calabria  and  its  own  country, 
Corsica,  and  of  very  rapid  growth  in  our 
country,  as  I  have  raised  woods  of  it  in 
ten  years.  The  tree,  if  one  raises  it  from 
seed,  as  we  should  in  planting,  shows  a 
great  variety  of  habit  and  even  foliage, 
and  if  one  liked  to  do  anything  so  foolish 
one  could  give  Latin  names  to  several 
forms  found  in  one  wood.  The  Calabrian 
variety  is  a  more  vigorous  tree,  especi- 
ally in  poor  soils. 

P.  MONTANA  (Mountain  P.) — A  dwarf, 
very  hardy  Pine,  which  clothes  the 
mountains  of  many  parts  of  C.  Europe 
with  a  low  bushy  growth  not  much  larger 
than  the  Savin  or  Furze,  but  under  better 
conditions  getting  into  a  larger  state, 
sometimes  into  a  low  tree.  In  our  country 
it  is  often  called  mughus  and  pumilio,  but 
the  best  name  for  the  species  is  the  one 
given  here.  It  is  a  useful  and  distinct 
Pine  for  clothing  banks  and  giving  cover 
between  taller  trees. 

P.  MONTICOLA  (Western  White  P.). — A 
Pine  of  the  higher  mountains  of  California, 
Oregon,  and  Montana,  reaching  a  maxi- 
mum height  of  80  feet,  with  a  girth  of 
9  feet.  It  is  considered  a  western  repre- 
sentative of  the  great  White  Pine  of 
Canada,  and,  as  it  is  found  at  elevations 
of  10,000  feet,  is  hardy  in  our  country 
and  better  worth  planting  than  many 
of  the  trees  of  greater  size. 

P.  PARVIFLORA. — A  medium  sized  and 
pretty  tree,  with  dense  foliage,  cultivated 
much  in  Japan,  and  a  native  of  the  nor- 
thern islands,  therefore  a  hardy  tree  with 
us,  thriving  in  deep  soil. 

P.  PINASTER  (Cluster  P.). — A  beau- 
tiful Pine  of  pleasant  green  colour,  70  feet 
or  more  high,  native  of  the  Mediterranean 
region,  often  by  the  seashore,  and  useful  in 
our  country  near  the  sea,  but  often  thriving 
in  inland  places,  best  in  free  and  sandy 
soils.  It  is  also  used  much  in  France  as 
a  protection  against  the  encroachment 
of  the  sea. 


Corsican  Pine. 


634 


PIN  US. 


THE  ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 


PINUS. 


P.  PINEA  (Stone  P.). — A  distinct  and 
picturesque  Pine,  old  trees  attaining  a 
height  of  70  to  75  feet.  This  very  char- 
acteristic Pine  of  Italy  is  not  hardy  in 
our  country.  It  has  been  often  planted 
here,  but  does  not  survive  hard  winters, 
and  should  not  be  planted  except  in  the 
most  favoured  parts  of  the  south.  It  is 
a  native  of  sandy  and  rocky  places  by 
the  seashore  in  Greece,  Syria,  and  Asia 
Minor. 

P.  PONDEROSA  (Western  Yellow  P.). — 
A  very  noble  tree,  reaching  nearly  300  feet 
with  a  trunk  girth  of  over  45  feet,  but  in 
the  arid  regions  found  much  smaller. 
Sometimes  one  may  see  trees  branchless 
for  over  100  feet,  but  in  quite  healthy 
condition.  It  inhabits  Montana,  British 
Columbia,  W.  Nebraska,  and  N.  Cali- 
fornia, and  is  hardy  in  Britain.  There 
is  a  form  found  on  the  eastern  side 
of  the  American  continent  which  is 
hardier.  P.  Jeffreyi  (Black  Pine)  is  now 
supposed  to  be  a  variety,  also  scopularia, 
but  it  does  not  grow  quite  so  tall  as  the 
others.  This  P.  Jeffreyi  is  found  1,500 
feet  high  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  this  answering  for  its  hardiness. 

P.  PYRENAICA  (Pyrenean  P.). — A  fine, 
rapid-growing  tree,"  with  bright  green 
foliage.  A  native  of  the  Pyrenees  and 
Spanish  mountains,  and  also  in  the  south 
of  France  ;  60  feet  to  80  feet  high.  P. 
Brutia  is  supposed  to  be  a  form  of  this. 

P.  RESINOSA  (Red  P.). — A  tall  Pine, 
100  feet  to  150  feet  high,  Newfoundland 
to  Manitoba,  and  southwards  through  the 
New  England  States.  From  its  northern 
area  of  habitation  this  should  be  a  hardy 
and  thriving  Pine  in  Britain. 

P.  RIGIDA  (Torch  P.). — A  forest  Pine 
reaching  a  height  of  80  feet  on  sandy  and 
rocky  places  in  Canada,  Kentucky,  Vir- 


Pinus  rigida. 


P.  SABINIANA  (Grey-leaved  P.). — A  very 
interesting  Calif ornian  Pine,  inhabiting 
the  dry  and  warm  hills  and  the  coast 
ranges  and  foot  hills  of  Sierra  Nevada  ; 
not  often  a  very  high  mountain  tree.  The 
grey  foliage  gives  the  wild  trees  the 
appearance  of  clouds  in  the  distance. 


ginia,  and  the  eastern  states.  This  Pine 
is  hardy  and  a  rapid  grower  in  Britain, 
growing  in  moist  places  less  likely  to  suit 
the  greater  Pines. 


Old  tree.  Scotch  Fir. 

P.  STROBUS  (White  P.). — One  of  the 
noblest  forest  trees  of  the  northern 
world,  sometimes  reaching  a  height 
of  over  170  feet,  with  a  girth  of  trunk 
of  30  feet,  though  often  found  much 
smaller.  Owing  to  the  cutting  of  the 
woods  in  Canada  and  N.  America  it 
is  seldom  seen  in  its  native  dignity  in 
the  settled  parts.  It  forms  dense  forests 
in  Newfoundland  and  Canada,  and  west- 
wards and  southwards  along  the  moun- 
tains. Among  the  many  trees  I  have 
planted  at  Gravetye  as  evergreen  woods, 
this  only  has  failed.  It  is  cool,  heavy 
soil;  but  in  rocky  soils  and  free  there 
are  some  fine  trees  in  Wales.  It  is  there- 
fore mainly  a  question  of  soil. 

P.  SYLVESTRIS  (Scotch  P.). — Our  native 
Pine,  and,  in  its  old  state,  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  and  useful  we  can  ever 
have.  It  is  of  very  wide  distribution 
in  northern,  Arctic,  and  mountain  regions, 
and  also  on  the  mountains  of  Italy  and 
Greece.  The  Russian  variety  is  con- 
sidered a  more  erect  and  stronger  grower. 
A  great  number  of  varieties  are  men- 
tioned in  books  and  catalogues,  and  some 
hybrids,  compact  and  dwarf  varieties, 
including  variegated  ones,  none  of  any 
value  compared  to  the  wild  tree. 
Pine  sows  itself  freely  in  rough  heaths 
and  sandy  ground,  and  thrives  there. 


PIPTANTHUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.       PLATANUS. 


635 


PIPTANTHUS  (Nepaul  Laburnum}. 
—  P.  nepalensis  is  a  Pea  -  flowered 
shrub,  with  large  deep  green  leaves  like 
those  of  the  Laburnum.  It  is  hardy 
enough  for  walls,  and  in  southern  and 
warm  localities  withstands  our  winters 
without  even  this  protection,  but  is 
not  the  most  desirable  of  plants.  It 
has  evergreen  foliage,  and  in  early 
summer  long  dense  clusters  of  large 
bright  yellow  flowers  similar  to  those 
of  the  Laburnum,  but  larger.  It 
succeeds  best  in  light  soils,  and  is 
easily  increased  by  seeds,  layers,  or 
cuttings  of  the  ripened  shoots  in 
autumn.  Himalayas. 

PISTACIA  (Mastic  Trees}.— 
Summer-leafing  and  evergreen  trees, 
generally  not  hardy  enough  in  our 
country  to  be  of  much  value  in  our 
gardens.  Mr  Bean  mentions  P.  Tere- 
binthus  and  P.  Chinensis  as  adapted 
to  our  climate.  The  latter  is  rarely 
seen  thriving.  These  two  may  be 
grown  in  the  open  ground.  P.  Lenticus, 
an  evergreen  shrub,  or  small  tree, 
occasionally  15  to  20  feet  high,  is  a 
native  of  the  Mediterranean  region, 
and  produces  the  resinous  substance 
known  as  mastic.  It  is  tender  in 
our  country,  needing  the  protection 
of  a  warm  wall. 

P.  VERA. — A  small  summer-leafing 
tree,  20  feet  high,  with  reddish  oval  fruit, 
is  a  native  of  the  Levant  and  W.  Asia. 
It  needs  the  protection  of  a  warm  wall, 
and  even  then  is  occasionally  injured  by 
cold. 

PITTOSPORUM.— Evergreen  shrubs, 
natives  of  New  Zealand,  Australia,  and 
China,  few  of  them  in  cultivation  and 
those  usually  only  seen  in  southern 
gardens  or  else  in  sheltered  places 
near  the  sea,  where  they  form  ever- 
green bushes  and  trees  of  some  beauty 
and  distinctness  of  form.  P.  tobira  is 
a  good  white  flowering  shrub  in  some 
southern  gardens,  and  is  among  the 
plants  worth  growing  in  tubs  or  vases 
for  placing  out  in  the  summer.  P. 
undulatum  is  a  graceful  evergreen,  and 
P.  Mayi  and  P.  Colensoi  are  also  very 
pretty  at  Castlewellan  and  other 
gardens  in  districts  with  a  climate 
allowing  of  the  cultivation  of  the  half- 
hardy  evergreens. 

PLAGIANTHUS.  —  Handsome, 
flowering  shrubs  of  the  Mallow  order, 
most  of  which  belong  to  Australia,  and 
are  tender,  but  three  kinds  come  from 
the  mountains  of  New  Zealand,  and 
succeed  against  walls  in  the  milder 
parts  of  Britain.  The  best  is  P.  Lyalli, 


with  woolly  leaves  of  a  long  heart-shape 
and  large  pure  white  flowers  with  a 
bunch  of  golden  stamens,  drooping 
gracefully  in  clusters  upon  long  stems 
from  the  tips  of  the  previous  season's 
growth.  They  open  in  June,  when  the 
plant  resembles  nothing  so  much  as  a 
beautiful  large-flowered  Cherry.  After 
flowering  the  stems  should  be  cut  back 
and  trained,  and  free  growth  encour- 
aged, which  lasts  far  into  autumn  ;  in 
fact,  the  leaves  often  hang  nearly  all 
winter.  In  our  warmest  gardens  P. 
Lyalli  is  hardy  without  a  wall,  but 
seldom  flowers  so  well  in  the  open.  It 
needs  a  warm,  well-drained  soil  and 
rich  feeding,  and  is  safest  screened 
from  the  morning  sun.  Increase  by 
layers  and  cuttings.  P.  Lampeni  is 
also  grown  against  walls,  where  it 
bears  a  profusion  of  fragrant,  creamy- 
white  flowers,  but  it  is  tender,  and 
probably  now  confined  to  collections. 
P.  betulinus  is  also  rare,  but  appears 
hardier  than  the  last,  and  has  grown 
very  rapidly  to  a  height  of  20  feet  at 
Castlewellan.  It  makes  a  graceful, 
birch-like  tree  of  50  to  60  feet  in  New 
Zealand,  with  small  leaves  and  clusters 
of  whitish  flowers. 

PLANERA  (Water  Elm}.— At  one 
time  the  Zelkowas  were  classed  with 
Planera,  but  botanists  now  recognise 
only  one  kind,  P.  aquatica,  a  tree  of 
the  second  size,  seldom  exceeding 
50  feet  in  height,  and  rare  even  in  its 
own  country — the  southern  part  of 
the  United  States.  It  is  hardy  in 
Britain,  thriving  best  in  sandy  soils 
beside  water,  but  it  will  grow  almost 
anywhere  except  in  hot,  dry  places. 
It  makes  a  rounded,  much-branched 
head  of  slender,  dark  grey  shoots, 
bearing  small,  Elm-like  leaves,  and 
inconspicuous  reddish  flowers,  which 
appear  at  the  same  time  in  early  spring. 
The  seeds  are  leathery  and  nut-like, 
not  winged  as  in  the  Elm.  Increase 
by  seeds  or  layers,  and  not  by  grafting 
on  the  Elm,  as  is  too  often  done. 

PLATANUS  (Plane). — Stately  sum- 
mer -  leafing  trees  of  the  East  and 
America,  of  rapid  and  vigorous  growth 
and  high  value  in  the  warmer  parts  of 
our  islands  as  shade,  lawn,  or  avenue 
trees ;  thriving,  too,  in  the  centre 
even  of  smoke-polluted  cities,  as  in 
many  of  the  squares  in  west  and 
central  London,  and  not  merely  exist- 
ing, as  most  trees  do  in  such  condition, 
but  attaining  much  beauty  of  form 
and  dignity  there,  as  in  Berkeley 
Square  and  Lincoln's  Inn  Fields, 


636        PLATANUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.       PLATYSTEMON. 


Here  the  great  trees,  getting  out  of 
the  gardeners'  way,  or  any  attack  of 
primers  or  self-appointed  tree-archi- 
tects, assume  their  true  and  natural 
form,  and  are  fine  at  all  seasons. 
Where  the  Plane  is  used  in  the  streets 
of  London,  and  on  the  Thames  Embank- 
ment, the  costly  and  wasteful  labour 
of  pruning  the  trees  to  one  ugly  shape 
is  carried  out.  The  Planes  are  easily 
increased  by  cuttings  and  layers,  but 
planters  should  in  all  cases  avoid 
them,  as  they  cannot  expect  from  such 
beginnings  the  fine,  rapid,  natural 
growth  and  true  form  of  the  tree. 
The  Plane  which  thrives  best  in 


Platanus  Orientatis.         * 

London,  or  what  is  often  called  the 
London  Plane,  is  not  (as  it  used  to  be 
thought)  the  American  or  Western 
Plane,  but  the  Eastern  Plane  or  one 
of  its  forms,  of  which  the  accepted 
name  is  now  acerifolia,  a  name  with 
many  synonyms.  The  true  Western 
Plane,  P.  occidentalis,  is  rarely  seen  in 
Europe  outside  of  botanical  gardens, 
and,  when  it  is,  it  has  little  of  the 
beautiful  vigour  of  the  Oriental  Plane 
in  our  country.  The  name  Orientalis 
is  still  kept  up  for  a  deeply-cut  leaved 
form  of  Plane,  but  it  is  not  really 
distinct  as  a  species  from  the  London 
Plane.  P.  cuneata  is  an  Eastern 
species  with  deeply-cut  leaves,  but  it 
may  be  taken  for  all  planting  ends 
that  the  vigorous  London  Plane  is  the 
Eastern  Plane,  no  matter  by  what 
name  it  is  called.  The  Plane,  being  a 
tree  of  vast  distribution  in  the  East, 
accounts  for  the  origin  and  distribution 
of  the  various  forms,  mainly  differing 
in  the  shape  and  lobing  of  the  leaves. 
While  the  tree  attains  its  greatest 


growth  in  S.  Italy  and  S.E.  Europe 
generally,  it  is  a  noble  tree  in  the 
southern  parts  of  England,  attain- 
ing its  best  size,  height,  and  form 
in  good  valley  soils,  and  there  are 
many  fine  examples  of  it  in  the  Thames 
Valley.  There  is  a  peculiarity  of  the 
bark  in  scaling  off  in  large  irregular 
patches,  which  leads  to  rather  a  striking 
effect,  and  is  in  no  way  harmful  to  the 
tree.  The  Greeks  and  Romans  used 
it  much  as  a  shade  tree  near  their 
public  buildings,  and  from  all  recorded 
time  it  has  been  much  planted  in 
Persia. 

PLATYCODON  (Great  Bell-flower}. 
—Perennials,  allied  to  the  Bell-flowers. 
P.  grandiflora  is  a  handsome  Siberian 
perennial,  hardy  in  light  dry  soils,  but 
impatient  of  damp  and  undrained 
situations,  where  its  thick  fleshy 
roots  decay.  Sometimes  this  begins 
below  and  spreads  upward,  but  it 
generally  begins  above  and  spreads 
downward,  the  plant  rotting  off  at 
the  neck.  The  flowers  are  2  to  3 
inches  across,  deep  blue  with  a  slight 
slaty  shade,  and  in  clusters  at  the  end 
of  each  branch.  A  rich  loamy  soil 
and  an  open  situation  are  best  for  it. 
Propagate  by  seeds,  which  can  be 
readily  procured.  The  young  shoots, 
if  taken  off  when  about  3  inches  long, 
in  spring,  and  placed  in  a  gentle  bottom- 
heat,  will  strike,  but  not  freely.  The 
plant  is  a  bad  one  to  divide — division 
often  resulting  in  failure — and  if 
attempted  must  be  carried  out  in  May, 
when  the  growth  has  just  commenced. 
P.  autumnale,  or  chinense,  from  China 
and  Japan,  is  taller  and  more  robust 
than  P.  grandiflorum,  with  narrower 
leaves,  but  more  dense,  and  its  flowers, 
though  smaller,  are  pretty  evenly 
distributed  along  the  upper  half  of 
the  stems.  Besides  a  white  variety, 
it  has  a  tendency  to  become  semi- 
double,  by  a  sort  of  "  hose-in-hose  " 
re-duplication  of  the  corolla,  similar 
to  what  occurs  in  many  of  our  Cam- 
panulas. The  dwarf,  Marie  si,  from 
Japan,  is  distinct  in  habit,  with  rich 
blue  flowers. 

PLATYSTEMON.— P.  californicus  is 
a  pretty  Californian  hardy  annual 
Poppywort,  forming  a  dense  tuft, 
studded  thickly  in  summer  with 
sulphur  -  yellow  blossoms.  It  merely 
requires  to  be  sown  in  ordinary  soil 
in  the  open  border  either  in  autumn 
or  spring  ;  but  the  seedlings  should 
be  well  thinned  out. 


PLUMBAGO.         THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.     PODOPHYLLUM.      637 


PLUMBAGO  (Leadwort),  syn.  Cera- 
tostigina  plumb  aginoides.  —  An  inter- 
esting family  of  graceful  perennials 
and  half-shrubby  plants,  the  hardiest 
being  P.  Larpentts,  the  blue-flowered 
Leadwort,  from  China.  P.  capensis, 
usually  grown  under  glass,  may  be 
planted  out  in  summer,  bearing  its 
lovely  pale  blue  flowers  continuously. 
The  plants  should  be  specially  prepared 
for  out  of  doors,  young  ones  being 
best  for  edgings,  though  taller  ones 
may  be  used  in  certain  positions.  P. 
capensis  is  used  with  good  effect  in 
German  gardens.  P.  Larpentce  is 
perfectly  hardy,  its  wiry  stems  forming 
neat  and  full  tufts,  varying  from  6  to 


Platystenwn  californicus. 

10  inches  high,  according  to  soil  and 
position.  In  September  these  are 
nearly  covered  with  flowers,  arranged 
in  close  trusses  at  the  ends  of  the 
shoots,  and  of  a  fine  cobalt  -  blue, 
changing  to  violet ;  they  usually  last 
till  the  frosts.  A  warm  sandy  loam 
or  other  light  soil  and  a  sunny  warm 
position  should  be  given.  Increased 
by  division  of  the  roots  during  winter 
or  early  spring. 

POA. — Perennial  and  annual  grasses, 
few  worth  cultivating.  P.  fertilis 
has  dense  tufts  of  long,  soft,  smooth, 
slender  leaves,  10  to  18  inches  high, 
and  arched  gracefully  on  every  side. 
In  the  flowering  season  they  bear 
airy,  purplish  or  violet-tinged  panicles, 
rising  to  twice  the  height  of  the  tufts. 


Isolated  on  lawns  the  plant  is  effective, 
and  if  in  good  soil  gives  no  trouble. 
P.  aquatica  is  a  stout  native  grass, 
4  to  6  feet  high,  usually  occurring  in 
wet  ditches,  by  rivers,  and  in  marshes. 
It  is  one  of  the  boldest  and  handsomest 
of  hardy  grasses  for  the  margins  of 
artificial  water  or  streams,  associated 
with  such  things  as  the  Typhas, 
Acorus,  Bulrush,  and  Water  Dock.  It 
increases  rapidly. 

PODO CARPUS.— Evergreen  trees  of 
the  Yew  tribe,  tender  in  Britain  save 
in  the  mildest  parts.  P.  chilina  is  a 
handsome  tree  which  has  reached  a 
fair  size  in  a  few  sheltered  gardens, 
and  P.  japonica  and  P.  macrophylla 
from  Japan,  and  P.  Totara  from  New 
Zealand,  may  prove  more  or  less  hardy 
along  the  South  Coast  when  older  and 
well  established.  P.  alpina,  from  the 
mountains  of  Tasmania,  is  probably 
the  hardiest  of  the  group,  but  is  only 
a  Yew  -  like  shrub  of  semi  -  prostrate 
habit,  more  interesting  than  beautiful. 

PODOPHYLLUM  (May  Apple}. — 
Distinct  perennial  herbs,  three  of  which 
are  from  Asia  and  one  from  N. 
America.  The  best  known  is  P. 
Emodi,  from  the  Himalayas,  a  plant 
6  to  12  inches  high,  with  large  leaves 
cut  into  wedge-shaped  lobes,  their 
whole  surface  a  fine  bronzy  red  in 
early  spring.  The  flowers  are  large, 
white  or  pale  rose,  and  followed  in 
August  by  fruits  of  a  brilliant  red  as 
large  as  a  hen's  egg,  and  edible,  though 
of  mawkish  flavour.  The  plant  suc- 
ceeds in  the  moist  peaty  soil  of  wood- 
lands, especially  in  wet  places  and  in 
partial  shade,  and  where  the  leaves  are 
sheltered  from  cold  winds.  Increase 
by  division  of  the  creeping  root-stock, 
or  seed  sown  in  cold  frames  as  soon  as 
ripe.  This  is  a  handsome  plant  for 
shady  plots  of  deep  moist  soil  in  the 
wild  garden  or  the  margins  of  peat 
borders,  but  it  dies  away  quite  early 
in  summer,  so  must  be  grouped  with 
other  things  for  autumn  effect.  P. 
peltatum  is  from  rich  woods  of  the 
eastern  United  States,  with  poisonous 
roots  and  leaves,  though  the  fruits  are 
harmless.  It  is  not  so  handsome  as 
Emodi,  but  will  grow  in  drier  places, 
and  its  glossy,  wrinkled  leaves,  borne 
umbrella-like  on  a  long  bare  stem,  are 
distinct  and  interesting.  The  waxy- 
white  cup-like  flowers  come  in  May, 
and  give  place  to  yellowish  -  green 
fruits  like  a  wild  Apple — whence  the 
name  May  Apple.  P.  pleianthum  is 
from  China,  its  spreading  leaves  rising 


638     POHLIA  PLATENSIS.      THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.       POLYGALA. 


to  nearly  2  feet  in  height,  with  large 
drooping  bunches  of  purple  flowers  and 
heavy  grey-green  fruits  turning  purple 
when  fully  ripe. 

POHLIA  PLATENSIS.  — A  pretty 
little  bulbous  plant  from  S.  America, 
allied  to  Iris,  and  with  several  other 
names,  but  mostly  known  under 
this  one.  The  flowers  appear  in  sum- 
mer, and  are  shaped  like  those  of  a 
Tigridia,  of  a  rich  blue  colour  blotched 
with  white  and  yellow  towards  the 
centre.  The  plant  needs  the  same 
treatment  as  Tigridias,  and  is  so 
beautiful  that  when  better  known  it 
will  be  much  grown  in  light  warm 
soils. 

POINCIANA. — P.  Gilliesii  is  a  beau- 
tiful sub-tropical  tree  which  thrives 
against  walls  in  the  Isle  of  Wight.  The 
late  Rev.  H.  Ewbank  wrote  of  it  in  The 
Garden  as  follows  : — "  The  foliage  gives 
it  very  much  the  look  of  an  Acacia  at 
a  little  distance,  and  it  is  often  mistaken 
for  one  of  them.  But  no  Acacia  that 
I  have  ever  seen  has  such  splendid 
blossoms.  My  great  surprise  has  been 
in  its  well  doing  to  such  an  extent  in 
the  open  ground  that  I  have  now  no 
fear  for  it  at  all,  and  during  the  worst 
frost  we  have  had  here  during  the  last 
twenty  or  thirty  years  it  was  entirely 
uninjured.  A  very  great  recommen- 
dation for  it  in  my  eyes  is  the  time  of 
year  when  it  is  accustomed  to  blossom. 
All  spring  things  have  gone  by,  and  the 
wealth  of  flowering  shrubs  and  trees 
has  become  exhausted  when  this  very 
beautiful  object  makes  full  compen- 
sation for  any  loss  that  has  been  sus- 
tained." 

POLEMONIUM  (Greek  Valerian). — 
A  small  family  of  Phloxworts,  mostly 
from  N.  America.  A  few  of  them 
are  familiar  in  gardens,  and  among  the 
best  are  the  following : — 

P.  CCERULEUM  (Jacob's  Ladder). — Be- 
sides the  original  blue-flowered  species, 
there  is  a  variety  with  white  blossoms,  a 
second,  acutiflorum,  in  which  the  petals 
are  narrow  and  pointed. 

P.  CONFERTUM. — This  is  one  of  the  finest 
of  all,  with  slender  deeply-cut  leaves  and 
dense  clusters  of  deep  blue  flowers  on 
stoutish  stems  about  6  inches  high.  It 
requires  a  warm  spot  in  the  rock  garden 
and  a  well-drained,  deep,  loamy  soil. 
Though  it  requires  plenty  of  moisture  in 
summer,  excessive  dampness  about  the 
roots  in  winter  is  hurtful.  Rocky  Moun- 
tains. 

P.  HUMILE. — A  truly  alpine  plant  with 
pale  blue  flowers  on  stems  a  few  inches 


high.  In  a  dry  situation  and  a  lighl 
sandy  soil  it  is  hardy,  but  on  a  damj 
subsoil  not  so.  P.  mexicanum  is  similai 
but  larger,  and  being  only  of  biennia 
duration  is  scarcely  worth  cultivating 
There  is  a  garden  form,  Richardsonii,  o: 
much  stronger  growth  and  with  far  large] 
flowers,  as  many  as  a  score  of  deep  blue 
bells  with  a  yellow  eye  sometimes  coming 
in  one  cluster.  N.  America. 

P.  REPTANS. — An  American  alpine 
plant,  and,  though  far  inferior  in  beaut} 
to  P.  confertum,  is  worth  growing.  It< 
stems  are  creeping,  and  its  slate-blue 
flowers  form  a  loose  drooping  panicle  6  01 
8  inches  high.  Snails  devour  it  raven- 
ously, especially  the  scaly  root-stocks 
during  winter.  P.  sibiricum,  grandiflorum 
and  foliosissimum  much  resemble  P.  cceru- 
leum,  but  are  more  vigorous,  with  largei 
flowers. 

POLIANTHES  (Tuberose] .—P '.  tube- 
rosa  is  a  native  of  the  East  Indies, 
but  strong  imported  bulbs  of  this  deli- 
ciously  fragrant  plant,  if  inserted  in 
warm  soil,  will  flower  well  in  the  open 
air  during  August.  In  the  neighbour- 
hood of  London  we  have  seen  the 
Tuberose  flowering  freely  in  the  open 
border,  the  bulbs  in  a  light,  sandy, 
well-drained  soil,  in  which  they  had 
remained  all  the  winter,  slightly  pro- 
tected during  severe  weather  by  ashes 
or  other  dry  material. 

POLYGALA  (Milkwort).—The  hardy 
Milkworts  are  neat  dwarf  plants,  with 
flowers  much  resembling  those  of  the 
Pea  family.  P.  Chamcebuxus  (Box- 
leaved  Milkwort)  is  a  little  creeping 
shrub  from  the  Alps  of  Austria  and 
Switzerland,  where  it  often  remains 
quite  tiny.  In  gardens,  on  peaty 
soil  and  fine  sandy  loams,  it  spreads 
out  into  compact  tufts  covered  with 
cream-coloured  and  yellow  flowers. 
The  variety  pur  pure  a  is  prettier ; 
the  flowers  are  a  lovely  bright  magenta- 
purple,  with  a  clear  yellow  centre. 
It  succeeds  in  any  sandy,  well-drained 
soil.  P.  paucifolia  is  a  handsome  N. 
American  trailer,  3  to  4  inches  high, 
with  slender  prostrate  shoots  and 
concealed  flowers.  From  these  shoots 
spring  stems,  bearing  in  summer  one 
to  three  handsome  flowers  about  three- 
quarters  of  an  inch  long,  generally 
rosy-purple,  but  sometimes  white. 
It>  is  suited  for  the  rock  garden,  in 
moist  leaf -mould  and  sand.  The  finest 
of  the  American  kinds  is  lute  a,  with 
bright  yellow  flowers,  but  this  is 
still  very  scarce  with  us.  Some  of 
the  British  Milkworts,  especially  P. 
calcarea  and  vulgaris,  are  interesting 


POLYGONATUM.          THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.      POLYGON ATUM.     639 


and  easily  grown  in  sunny  chinks  of 
the  rock  garden  if  in  calcareous  soil. 
They  form  neat  dressy  tufts  of  blue, 
purple-pink,  and  white  flowers.  Seed 
may  be  gathered  from  wild  plants  and 
sown  in  sandy  soil. 

POLYGONATUM  (Solomon's  Seal}.— 
Graceful  tuberous  perennials,  distri- 
buted chiefly  in  the  north  temperate 
regions,  and  with  very  few  exceptions 
quite  hardy  with  us.  They  thrive  in 
almost  any  position  in  good  sandy  soil 
and  with  an  occasional  dressing  of  leaf 
soil.  It  is  in  shady  nooks  of  the  wild 
garden,  however,  under  deciduous 
trees,  that  they  are  seen  to  the  best 
advantage.  They  are  increased  by 


leaves  bright  green  ;  flowers  large,  two  to 
five  in  a  bunch  from  the  axils  of  the  leaves, 
greenish-white,  in  July.  N.  America. 

P.  MULTIFLORUM  (Solomon's  Seal). — 
This  is  the  common  Solomon's  Seal.  It 
grows  from  2  to  3  feet  high,  glaucous 
green  ;  the  flowers  are  large,  nearly  white, 
one  to  five  in  a  bunch  in  the  axils  of  all 
the  leaves.  It  is  a  very  free-growing 
species,  and  its  arching  stems  and  drooping 
flowers  are  very  attractive.  There  are 
several  garden  varieties,  notably  a  double- 
flowered  one.  P.  Broteri  is  a  variety  with 
much  larger  flowers ;  P.  bracteatum,  a 
form  in  which  the  bracts  at  the  base  of 
the  flowers  are  well  developed,  flowering 
throughout  the  summer. 

P.  OPPOSITIFOLIUM. — Confined  to  tem- 
perate regions  of  the  Himalayas  and  hardy, 


W/vmM, 

Polygonatum  multiflorum  (Solomon's  Seal). 


seeds,  which,  sown  as  soon  as  gathered 
in  autumn,  germinate  in  early  spring  ; 
the  creeping  root-stocks  may  also  be 
divided,  and  in  good  soil  soon  form 
nice  tufts. 

P.  BIFLORUM. — A  pretty  species  from 
the  wooded  hillsides  of  Canada  and  New 
Brunswick,  of  slender,  graceful  growth, 
the  arching  stems  i  to  3  feet  in  height,  the 
small  flower-stems  jointed  near  the  base 
of  the  flowers,  which  are  greenish- white, 
two  or  three  together  in  the  axils  of  the 
leaves. 

P.  JAPONICUM. — A  distinct  plant,  native 
of  Japan,  hardy  in  this  country,  flowering 
in  early  April,  growing  about  2  feet  in 
height,  the  leaves  of  a  very  firm  leathery 
texture,  the  flowers  white,  tinged  purplish. 

P.  LATIFOLIUM.  —  It  is  a  native  of 
Europe.  A  fine  robust  species,  the  stems 
being  from  2^  to  4  feet  high,  arching,  the 


although  usually  given  as  a  greenhouse 
species.  It  will  doubtless  do  best  in  a 
sheltered  spot,  but  even  in  the  open  it  has 
given  me  no  trouble,  and  it  is  a  good  plant 
for  shady  spots  on  the  rock  garden,  the 
habit  graceful,  2  to  3  feet  in  height,  leaves 
glossy  green  ;  the  flowers  white,  marked 
with  reddish  lines  and  dots,  are  borne  in 
bunches  of  from  six  to  ten  in  the  axils  on 
both  sides  in  late  summer.  The  fruit  is 
red  when  ripe. 

P.  PUNCTATUM. — From  the  temperate 
Himalayas,  where  it  is  found  at  altitudes 
of  7,000  to  11,000  feet,  and  hardy  in  our 
gardens  ;  about  2  feet  in  height,  the  stem 
angular,  with  hard  leathery  leaves,  flowers 
white,  with  lilac  dots,  two  to  three  in  a 
bunch,  in  late  summer. 

P.  ROSEUM. — This  appears  to  vary  con- 
siderably in  the  length  and  breadth  of  its 
leaves,  in  their  being  more  or  less  whorled, 


640         POLYGONUM.        THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        POLYGONUM. 


and  also  in  the  size  of  its  flowers.  It  grows 
2  to  3  feet  in  height,  the  leaves  in  whorls 
of  three  or  more  ;  the  flowers,  in  pairs  in 
the  axils  of  the  leaves,  are  clear  rose- 
coloured  and  very  pretty  amongst  the 
narrow  green  foliage.  N.  Asia. 

P.  VERTICILLATUM. — From  the  temper- 
ate Himalayas,  and  general  in  the  northern 
hemisphere.  It  was  found  in  Perthshire, 
Scotland,  in  1792,  and  appears  to  have 
been  cultivated  by  John  Tradescant,  jun., 
as  early  as  1656  ;  2  to  3  feet  high  under 
cultivation,  the  leaves  four  to  eight  in  a 
whorl  ;  the  flowers,  two  to  three  in  a 
bunch  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves,  are  green- 
ish-white. The  fruits  are  red  when  ripe, 
and  remain  hanging  after  the  leaves  have 
fallen. 

POLYGONUM  (Knotweed}.  —  K 
vast  family,  comprising  150  species  of 
world- wide  distribution,  the  majority 


Polygonum  sachalinense. 

insignificant  weeds,  but  with  several 
noble  plants  well  worth  considering  for 
their  beauty  of  form.  They  thrive  in 
any  soil ;  those  of  a  bushy  habit 
should  be  allowed  plenty  of  space. 
Confinement  mars  their  beauty,  which 
lies  in  the  many  flower-spikes  rising 
above  a  gracefully  developed  mass  of 
foliage  reaching  to  the  ground. 


P.  AFFINE. — An  alpine  plant  of  the 
Himalayas,  where  it  grows  on  the  wet  river 
banks  and  meadows,  and  hangs  in  rosy 
clumps  from  moist  precipices.  In  culti- 
vation it  is  6  to  8  inches  high,  with  rosy-red 
flowers  in  dense  spikes  borne  freely  in 
September  and  October.  P.  Brunonis  is 
similar  and  as  desirable  ;  the  flowers,  of 
a  pale  rose  or  flesh  colour,  borne  in  dense 
erect  spikes  nearly  18  inches  high,  and 
continuing  more  or  less  through  the 
summer. 

P.  BALDSCHUANICUM. — A  plant  of  value 
for  draping  low  trees  and  bushes.  Its 
sprays  of  rose-flushed  flowers  come  in 
quantity  with  pretty  effect  during  summer 
and  autumn.  Too  often  it  is  set  to  climb 
an  upright  pillar,  but  is  prettier  left  to 
grow  freely  among  shrubs  or  along  a 
stretch  of  sunny  fencing,  finding  its  own 
way  gracefully.  Its  rosy  fruits  as  well  as 
its  flowers  make  it  a  bright  object  for 
weeks  together.  C.  Asia. 

P.  CILINODE. — A  climbing  kind  from 
N.  America,  of  great  vigour,  a  single 
plant  covering  many  square  yards  in  a 
season,  with  myriads  of  small  white 
flowers  of  charming  effect  in  autumn. 
For  covering  trees,  thrusting  its  way 
through  bushes,  or  to  adorn  a  hedgeside, 
this  is  one  of  the  best,  not  being  averse 
to  shade. 

P.  CUSPIDATUM  (Japan  Knotweed). — 
Of  fine  graceful  habit,  its  creamy-white 
flowers  borne  in  profusion.  It  should  be 
grown  apart  on  the  turf  or  in  the  wild 
garden.  It  is  easier  to  plant  than  to 
get  rid  of  in  the  flower  garden  ;  a  rank 
weed,  right  in  copse  or  pond  side. 

P.  MULTIFLORUM.— A  tuberous-rooted 
kind  from  China  and  Japan,  with  shining 
deep-green  leaves  and  loosely  spreading 
bunches  of  tiny  white  flowers  on  reddish 
stems.  Its  chief  merit  is  its  great  vigour 
in  rough  places  of  the  wild  garden,  or  to 
hide  unsightly  objects  in  a  short  time. 

P.  ORIENTALE  (Persicary). — An  annual 
kind,  easily  raised  from  seed,  and  some- 
times self  -  sown  in  old  gardens.  It  is 
mainly  useful  for  bold  temporary  planting, 
reaching  a  height  of  several  feet  within  a 
few  weeks,  and  its  white  or  rosy-purple 
flowers  are  of  some  effect  in  autumn. 

P.  POLYSTACHYUM. — A  Himalayan  plant 
much  confused  with  P.  molle,  to  which  it  is 
superior.  It  never  grows  high,  and  from 
late  in  September  carries  a  mass  of  spread- 
ing plume  -  like  sprays  of  white  flowers, 
with  a  scent  of  honey,  and  lasting  for 
several  weeks.  It  needs  quite  a  sharp 
November  frost  to  check  it,  and  its  stout 
leafy  stems,  with  their  olive-green  leaves 
threaded  with  red  veins,  are  neat  all  the 
summer,  and  its  roots  do  not  run. 

P.  SACHALINENSE. — A  huge  perennial 
with  bright  green  leaves  upwards  of  a  foot 
in  length,  the  flowers  greenish-white,  in 
slender  drooping  racemes.  It  thrives  in  a 
moist  soil  near  water,  where  it  is  effective, 


POLYPODIUM.       THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        PONTEDERIA.        641 


and  it  makes  a  fine  feature  on  the  turf  or 
in  a  spot  where  it  can  run  about  freely. 
Sachalien. 

P.  SPHAEROSTACHYUM.  —  One  of  the 
dwarfest  and  prettiest  of  the  group,  but 
not  always  easy  to  grow.  From  a  tuber- 
ous root  rise  short  semi-prostrate  stems 
with  narrow  leaves  and  drooping  spikes 
of  blood-red  flowers,  continued  through  a 
long  season  on  a  healthy  plant.  It  in- 
creases very  slowly,  and  thrives  best  in 
an  open  place  in  the  rock  garden,  where 
it  can  enjoy  moisture  in  summer  and  yet 
be  dry  in  winter.  Himalayas. 

P.  VACCINIFOLIUM. — Very  distinct  in 
aspect,  quite  hardy,  and  thrives  in  almost 
any  moist  soil,  but  is  best  seen  where  its 
shoots  can  ramble  over  stones  or  tree 
stumps.  Under  favourable  conditions  it 
grows  rapidly,  and  produces  a  profusion 
of  Whortleberry  -  like  leaves  and  rosy 
flowers  in  September  and  October,  when 
it  is  valuable  in  the  rock  garden.  Hima- 
layas. 

POLYPODIUM  (Polypody] .  —  This 
large  family  of  Ferns  contains  several 
good  hardy  kinds,  the  principal  being 
the  common  P.  vulgare,  which  has 
about  a  score  of  cultivated  varieties 
differing  more  or  less  widely  from  each 
other.  The  most  distinct  and  beau- 
tiful as  well  as  the  freest  in  growth 
are  cambricum,  elegantissimum,  pul- 
cherrimum,  and  trichomanoides.  P. 
Barrowi  and  P.  Prestoni,  plumous 
forms  of  P.  cambricum,  are  handsome 
and  ornamental  forms.  Though  pre- 
ferring shade,  they  only  need  a  good 
supply  of  water  at  the  root  during 
summer,  and  will  thrive  even  exposed 
to  the  full  rays  of  the  sun.  Plant  them 
in  fibry  loam  and  tough  and  fibry  peat, 
with  a  liberal  admixture  of  leaf-mould 
and  well -decayed  woody  matter,  to 
which  add  a  thin  top-dressing  of  similar 
material  every  autumn.  The  ever- 

freen  Polypodiums  associate  well  with 
owering  plants  that  do  not  require 
frequent  removing,  and  they  may  be 
made  to  cover  bare  spaces  beneath 
trees,  or  to  overrun  stumps.  A  beau- 
tiful effect,  too,  is  got  by  their  use  as  a 
carpet  or  setting  to  some  of  the  plants 
in  the  rock  garden.  Besides  P.  vulgare 
and  its  varieties,  there  are  several 
deciduous  kinds,  such  as  P.  dryopteris 
(Oak  Fern) ,  of  which  P.  d.  plumosum  is 
the  best  form,  and  P.  phegopteris  (Beech 
Fern),  well  known  to  all  Fern  loveis. 
They  thrive  best  in  peat,  loam,  and 
sharp  sand,  with  some  broken  lumps  of 
sandstone,  and  prefer  a  dry  situation 
in  the  rock  garden,  or  any  situation 
which  is  not  fully  exposed  to  the  sun. 
A  slightly  shaded  spot  should  be 


selected,  where  they  might  be  planted 
among  flowering  plants  suitable  for 
the  same  treatment  and  affording  the 
needed  shelter.  P.  Robertianum  (Lime- 
stone Polybody)  is  a  beautiful  de- 
ciduous species  somewhat  difficult 
to  manage  ;  it  should  have  a  dry 


Polygonum  vaccinifoliui::. 

sheltered  position,  does  not  mind 
sunshine,  and  prefers  a  mixture  of 
sandy  and  fibry  loam,  with  a  plenti- 
ful addition  of  pounded  limestone. 
P.  alpestre  resembles  the  Lady  Fern, 
with  fronds  dark  green,  and  sometimes 
exceeding  2  feet  in  length.  It  may 
with  advantage  be  grouped  with  Lady 
Ferns,  as  it  flourishes  under  similar 
treatment.  P.  hexagonopterum,  a 
native  of  N.  America,  is  hardy  in 
sheltered  positions,  and  has  elegant 
tapering  dark  green  fronds  about  i 
foot  in  height. 

Polystichum.     See  ASPIDIUM. 

PONTEDERIA  (Pickerel  Weed}.— P. 
cordata  is  one  of  the  handsomest 
water  plants,  combining  grace  of  habit 
and  leaf  with  beauty  of  flower.  It 
forms  thick  tufts  of  almost  arrow- 
shaped,  long-stalked  leaves,  from  i£ 
to  over  2  feet  high,  crowned  with 
spikes  of  blue  flowers.  P.  angustifolia 
has  narrower  leaves.  Both  should 
be  planted  in  shallow  pools  of  water. 
Division  of  tufts  at  any  season.  N. 
America. 

2    S 


642 


POPULUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


POTENTILLA. 


POPULUS  (Poplar).-— Usually  forest 
trees  of  northern  and  temperate  coun- 
tries, often  of  rapid  growth,  mostly 
hardy,  in  our  country,  some  giving 
very  fine  effects  in  the  landscape,  and 
others  of  value  in  wet  woodlands. 
Among  the  best  are  the.  white,  or 
the  Abele  Poplar  (P.  alba),  and 
its  variety  Bolleana  nivea,  which 
is  whiter  in  the  foliage  than  the  wild 
tree ;  the  great  P.  momlifera  of  N. 


um  dryopteris). 


America,  grown  under  various  names 
in  our  gardens,  and  the  most  rapid 
grower  of  Poplars  ;  the  Balsam  Poplar 
(P.  balsamifera)  ;  Fremont's  Poplar 
(P.  Fremonti)  ;  P.  grandidentata  ;  P. 
heterophylla  of  N.  America,  of  which 
there  is  a  pendulous  variety  ;  P. 
laurifolia  of  Siberia  ;  the  Black  Poplar 
(P.  nigra),  a  native  tree  which  has  one 
or  two  varieties,  one  the  Lombardy 
Poplar  ;  P.  Sieboldi  of  Japan  ;  P. 
Simoni  of  China  ;  P.  suaveolens  of 
N.W.  India  ;  P:  tremuloides  of  N. 
America,  and  P.  trichocarpa,  one  of 
the  finest,  and  P.  lasiocarpa,  a  native  of 
C.  China,  with  large  and  handsome 
leaves  :  a  tree  for  the  moist  woodland, 
hardy,  and  of  promise  for  our  British 
woods. 

The  true  Aspen  is  one  of  our  native 
trees  we  may  see  here  and  there  wild, 
in  woodland  places,  often  grouping 
itself  very  prettily.  I  know  nothing 


more  attractive  than  a  group  of  the 
Aspen  by  the  waterside  or  in  almost 
any  position.  In  Ireland,  and  on  warm 
limestone  soils  elsewhere,  the  leaves 
become  a  lovely  colour  in  autumn,  but 
not  on  cold  soils. 

PORTULACA  (Purslane}.— This 
bright  little  annual,  P.  grandiflora,  has 
been  introduced  many  years  from  its 
native  home  in  Chili,  and  few  Chilian 
plants  have  spread  so  widely  all  over 
the  world.  It  seems  as  happy  under 
a  tropical  sun  as  in  an  English  gar- 
den, where  no  other  annual  excels  it 
in  brilliancy,  delicacy,  and  diversity  of 
colour.  It  is  at  home  as  well  on  a 
dry,  poor  bank  as  in  a  rich  border 
among  taller  things.  One  can  see 
by  its  growth  that  it  is  a  child  of 
the  sun,  and  that  is  why  one  finds  it 
so  fine  in  gardens  in  the  parched  plains 
of  India  and  Egypt,  as  well  as  through- 
out N.  America.  The  colours  vary 
from  crimson  and  white  through  every 
shade  to  pure  yellow.  Seeds  of  the 
Portulaca  should  be  sown  thinly 
during  the  month  of  April  in  pans  in  a 
frame,  and  the  seedlings  be  planted 
out  early  in  June.  They  can  be  also 
sown  in  the  open  ground  in  May. 
The  best  plants  are  got  when  the 
seedlings,  as  soon  as  they  are  large 
enough  to  handle,  are  pricked  out  into 
small  pots  of  rich  soil  and  kept  in  an 
airy  frame.  The  seed  is  best  sown  in 
light  soil,  and  only  just  covered. 
In  planting  out,  choose  the  sunniest 
and  warmest  spots  in  the  garden. 

POTENTILLA  (CinquefoiT). — A  large 
family,  many  hardy  herbs  and  alpine 
flowers  among  them.  The  most  im- 
portant are  the  fine  hybrid  varieties 
got  by  crossing  showy  Himalayan 
species  such  as  P.  insignis  and  P. 
atro-sanguinea,  a  form  of  P.  argyro- 
phylla.  These  two  species  are  well 
worth  growing.  The  first  has  clear 
yellow  and  the  other  has  deep  velvety 
crimson  flowers.  Other  useful  tall- 
growing  kinds  are  glandulosa  from 
California,  a  good  plant  for  very  dry 
places,  where  the  large  golden  flowers 
come  freely  for  several  weeks  during 
the  hottest  weather.  It  is  fully  hardy, 
and  with  leaves  deeply  cut.  Other 
plants  for  just  such  a  position  are  P. 
hippiana,  with  laige  leaves  of  a  decided 
grey,  and  P.  crinata,  with  silvery- 
white  leaves,  the  flowers  bright  yellow 
in  both  kinds.  One  of  the  best, 
however,  is  P.  nepalensis  (or  formosa), 
from  the  Himalayas,  with  stems  of 
1 8  inches,  and  fine  bright  red  flowers 


POTENTILLA.        THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


POTERIUM. 


643 


shading  to  crimson.  The  most 
brilliant  of  all,  however,  is  Gibson's 
Scarlet,  than  which  no  member  of 
the  race  has  flowers  of  so  dazzling  a 
scarlet.  It  is  also  very  profuse  and 
quite  an  indispensable.  It  is  probably 
allied  to  P.  argyrophylla  atro-sanguinea, 
the  species  hailing  from  the  Himalayas. 
P.  Miss  Willmott  is  also  a  valuable 
modern  sort  with  rosy  or  cherry- 
carmine  coloured  flowers.  As  a  com- 
parison to  this,  though  somewha  t  taller, 
is  P.  Hopwoodiana,  of  hybrid  origin, 
with  large  flowers  in  blending  shades 
of  rose,  buff,  and  yellow.  These  single 
kinds  are  easily  grown,  and  never  fail 
to  flower  well.  The  hybrid  double 
kinds  of  garden  origin  are  most  showy, 
lasting  longer  in  perfection  both  on  the 
plants  and  when  cut  than  the  single 
sorts.  There  are  many  distinct  named 
kinds  to  be  had  from  hardy  plant 
nurseries,  and  these  varieties  represent 
every  shade  of  size  and  colour.  The 
culture  of  Potentillas,  like  that  of 
most  hardy  flowers,  is  simple.  They 
luxuriate  in  a  light  deep  soil  and 
exposed  positions.  Best  increased  by 
division  and  cutting  in  spring  as  new 
growth  commences.  Old  clumps  divided 
moderately  well,  though  an  even  better 
method  of  increasing  is  by  means 
of  cuttings,  which  if  stripped  off  by 
the  heel  and  inserted  without  more 
ado  in  a  handlight  in  sandy  soil 
will  root  to  almost  cent  per  cent. 

Among  the  dwarf  alpine  species  there 
are  some  very  beautiful  plants  for  the 
rock  garden.  Of  these  the  following 
are  the  best : — 

P.  ALBA  (White  Cinquefoil). — The  leaves 
of  this  pretty  plant  from  the  Alps  and 
Pyrenees  are  quite  silvery,  and  have  a 
dense  silky  down  on  the  lower  sides.  It 
is  very  dwarf,  and  not  rampant ;  its  white 
Strawberry-like  flowers  nearly  I  inch 
across,  with  a  dark  orange  ring  at  the 
base.  Easily  grown  in  ordinary  soil ; 
blooming  in  early  summer.  Division. 

P.  ALPESTRIS  (Alpine  Cinquefoil).— 
Closely  allied  to  the  spring  Potentilla, 
forming  tufts  nearly  i  foot  high,  with 
bright  yellow  flowers  about  i  inch  across. 
Though  not  common,  it  is  found  on  rocks 
and  dry  banks,  in  several  parts  of  the 
country.  A  more  vigorous  form  of  this 
plant,  from  the  central  and  southern  Pyre- 
nees, is  pyrenaica,  with  larger  flowers  of 
a  deeper  yellow. 

P.  AMBIGUA. — A  dwarf  compact  creeper, 
with  in  summer  large  clear  yellow  blos- 
soms on  a  dense  carpet  of  foliage  ;  is 
perfectly  hardy,  requiring  only  a  good, 
deep,  well-drained  soil  in  an  open  position 
in  the  rock  garden.  Himalayas. 


P.  FRUTICOSA  (Shrubby  Cinquefoil).— A 
pretty  neat  bush,  2  to  4  feet  high,  bearing 
in  summer  clusters  of  showy  golden-yellow 
flowers.  It  is  suited  for  the  rock  garden 
or  the  dry  bank.  Its  variety  humilis  is  a 
tiny  miniature,  of  charming  effect  in  the 
rock  garden,  and  the  form  davurica  (per- 
haps a  hybrid)  is  quite  prostrate. 

P.  NITIDA  (Shining  Cinquefoil). — A 
beautiful  little  plant  from  the  Alps,  a 
couple  of  inches  high,  its  silky  silvery 
leaves  seldom  with  more  than  three 
leaflets  each.  The  flowers  are  pretty  and 
delicate  rose.  It  is  well  worth  a  good 
place  in  the  rock  garden,  and  needs  a 
little  more  care  than  other  kinds. 

P.  TONGUEI. — A  charming  plant  for  the 
rock  garden,  and  unlike  any  other  kind 
in  its  orange  and  terra-cotta  coloured 
flowers.  It  is  of  hybrid  origin,  and  only 
rises  3  or  4  inches  above  the  soil. 

P.  TRIDENTATA. — A  spreading  carpet- 
like  plant  from  N.  America,  rarely  rising 
above  4  inches,  its  dark  evergreen  foliage 
prettily  spangled  with  white  flowers  in 
June  and  July.  It  does  best  in  a  moist, 
fairly  rich  place,  and  will  bear  partial 
shade.  Easily  increased  by  division. 

P.  VEITCHI. — Finer  in  every  way  than 
P.  fruticosa,  P.  Fredrichseni,  and  the  few 
others  of  fruticose  habit,  while  the  flowers 
are  larger  and  prettier.  It  grows  3  or 
4  feet  high,  is  evergreen,  and  has  handsome 
sprays  of  nearly  pure  white  flowers  from 
May  onwards. 

POTERIUM.— A  small  group  of 
herbs  or  shrubby  plants  of  the  Rose 
order,  confined  to  north  temperate 
regions,  and  worthy  of  some  attention 
for  the  rougher  parts  of  pleasure 
grounds,  and  for  the  wild  garden, 
their  dense  spikes  of  flower  being 
attractive  and  useful  for  cutting.  P. 
canadense  is  a  good  back-row  plant 
for  the  border,  4  to  5  feet  high,  with 
deeply-cut  grey-green  foliage  and  long 
spikes  of  creamy-white  flowers  from 
the  tip  of  every  shoot  during  autumn. 
Several  plants  should  be  grouped  to 
make  a  good  bush  -  like  mass.  P. 
sitchense  is  much  shorter,  rarely  exceed- 
ing 2  feet,  and  bearing  purplish  flowers  ; 
this  grows  best  in  damp  ground.  P. 
tenuifolium,  with  spikes  of  white 
flowers,  is  also  worth  growing,  while 
P.  Sanguisorba,  or  Salad  Burnet,  is  a 
pretty  native  plant  with  green  or 
purple  flowers,  growing  in  dry 
places. 

P.  OBTUSUM  (Japanese  Burnet). — From 
the  garden  standpoint,  this  new  species  is 
an  acquisition.  Vigorous  habited  and 
attaining  3  feet  high,  it  flowers  in  July, 
producing  numerous  arching  branched 
spikes  of  rosy-crimson  flowers.  In  cool 
soil  and  thin  screening  shade  it  is  most 


644 


PRATIA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


PRIMULA. 


effective.     Few  plants  are  more  desirable. 
Japan. 

PRATIA.— P.  angulata  is  a  pretty 
plant  for  the  rock  garden,  creeping 
over  the  soil  like  the  Fruiting  Duck- 
weed ;  the  flowers  white,  and  like  a 
dwarf  Lobelia,  numerous  in  autumn, 
giving  place  to  violet- coloured  berries 
about  the  size  of  Peas.  It  is  fairly 
hardy,  and  grows  best  in  moist  dis- 
tricts, with  a  mild  winter,  such  as 
Cornwall,  where  charming  carpets  of 
this  little  plant  are  not  uncommon  in 
shady  places.  New  Zealand.  Syn. 
Lobelia  littoralis.  A  second  kind,  P. 
begonifolia,  is  from  the  Himalayas, 
and  is  larger  in  all  its  parts,  with 
downy  leaves  and  purple  berries. 


Pratia  angulata. 

P.  ARENARIA. — An  interesting  addition 
to  these  little  plants.  The  flowers  are 
about  the  size  of  those  of  the  old  ones,  and 
the  growth  is  a  little  larger.  All  these 
dwarf  things  are  now  very  welcome  when 
everybody  is  making  a  rock  garden. 

PRIMULA  (Primrose}.— There  is  so 
much  charm  and  beauty  among  Prim- 
roses that  no  garden  is  complete  without 
them,  and  there  is  scarcely  a  species 
not  worth  cultivating.  They  have  a 
great  diversity  of  habit  and  growth. 
Some  are  at  home  on  the  sunny  slopes 
of  the  rock  garden,  others  in  shade, 
many  make  excellent  border  flowers, 
and  a  few  exotic  species  are  at  home 
in  the  woodland  with  our  common 
Primrose.  The  family  contains  nearly 
a  hundred  different  sorts,  and  we  have 
therefore  confined  ourselves  to  the 
most  distinct  and  desirable  kinds. 
There  is  so  much  confusion  among 
certain  sections,  particularly  in  the 
alpine  and  the  Himalayan  species, 
that  we  have  not  attempted  to  deal 
with  these  exhaustively  ;  while  others, 
such  as  P.  nivalis,  are  too  little  known 
in  gardens  to  render  it  necessary  for 
us  to  speak  of  them. 


P.  AMCENA  (Caucasian  Primrose)  is  allied 
to  our  common  Primrose,  but  is  distinct. 
The  corolla  is  purplish  lilac  in  bud  or  when 
recently  expanded,  but  turns  bluer  after 
a  few  days,  and  the  blooms  come  out 
before  the  snow  has  left  the  ground.  It 
is  so  much  earlier  than  the  common  Prim- 
rose, that  while  that  species  is  in  flower, 
amasna  has  finished  blooming,  and  has 
sent  up  a  strong  tuft  of  leaves  very  much 
like  that  sent  up  by  the  common  Primrose 
after  its  own  flowers  are  faded.  It  is  one 
of  the  best  plants  for  the  spring  garden 
and  the  rock  garden.  Division  of  the 
root.  Caucasus. 

P.   AURICULA   (Common  Auricula). — In 
a  wild  state  this  is  one  of  the  many  charm- 
ing Primulas  that  rival  Gentians,  Pinks, 
and  Forget-me-Nots  in  making  the  alpine 
fields  so  exquisitely  beautiful.     Possessing 
a  vigorous  constitution  and  sporting  into 
many  varieties  when  raised  from  seed,  it 
attracted  early  attention  from  lovers  of 
flowers ;     its    more    striking    forms    were 
fixed    and    classified,    and    it    became    a 
"  florists'   flower."     Its   cultivated   varie- 
ties   may    be    roughly    thrown    into    two 
classes — first,    self-coloured    varieties,    or 
those   which  have   the   outer   and   larger 
portion   of   the   flower   of  one   colour   or 
shaded,  the  centre  or  eye  white  or  yellow, 
and  the  flowers  and  other  parts  usually 
smooth,  and  not  powdery  ;    second,  those 
with  flower    and    stems   thickly  covered 
with  a  white  powdery  matter  or  "  paste." 
The    handsomest   of   the   first   kinds   are 
known  by  the  name  of  "  alpines,"  to  dis- 
tinguish them  from  the  florists'  varieties, 
and  are  the  hardiest  of  all.     The  florists' 
favourites  are  distinguished  by  the  dense 
mealy  matter  with  which  the  flowers  are 
covered.     They  are  divided  by  florists  into 
four    sections — green-edged,     grey-edged, 
white-edged,   and  selfs.     In  the   "  green- 
edged  "  class  the  throat  of  the  flower  is 
usually  yellow  or  yellowish  ;    this  is  sur- 
rounded by  a  ring,  varying  in  width,  of 
white  powdery  matter,  and  this  again  by 
another  ring  of  some   dark  colour,    and 
beyond  this  a  green  edge,  which  is  some- 
times \  inch  in  width.     The  outer  portion 
of  the  flower  is  really  a  monstrous  develop- 
ment of  the  petal  into  a  leaf-like  substance 
identical  in  texture  with  the  leaves.     The 
"  grey-edged  "  varieties  have  the  margin 
of  a  green  leafy  texture,  but  this  is  so 
thickly    covered    with    powder    that    the 
colour    cannot   be    distinctly    seen.     The 
same  occurs  in  the  "  white-edged  "  kinds, 
the  difference  being  in  the  thickness  and 
hue  of  the  powdery  matter.     In  fact,  the 
terms  "  green-edged,"  "  grey-edged,"  and 
"  white-edged  "  are  simply  used  to  indi- 
cate   slight    differences    between    flowers 
having  an  abnormal  development  of  the 
petals  into  leafy  substance.     It  is  a  curious 
fact  that  between  the  white  and  the  grey 
the  line  of  demarcation  is  imaginary,  for 
both  classes  occasionally  produce  green- 


PRIMULA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        PRIMULA. 


645 


edged  flowers.  The  "  selfs "  are  really 
distinct,  since  the  outer  portion  of  the 
corolla  is  of  the  ordinary  texture,  though 
a  ring  of  powdery  matter  surrounds  the 
eye. 

The  classification  of  such  slight  differ- 
ences merely  tends  to  throw  obstacles  in 
the  way  of  the  general  growth  and  enjoy- 
ment of  the  flower  in  gardens.  Let  the 
florists  enjoy  these  fine  distinctions  ;  those 
who  merely  want  to  embellish  their  gardens 
with  the  prettier  varieties  need  not  trouble 
themselves  with  named  sorts  at  all.  The 
florists'  kinds  are  the  most  delicate  and 
difficult  to  cultivate.  The  curious  de- 
velopments of  powdery  matter,  green 
margins,  etc.,  tend  to  enfeeble  the  plant. 
They  are  variations  that  in  nature  would 
have  little  or  no  chance  of  surviving  in 
the  struggle  for  life.  The  general  grower 
will  do  well  to  select  the  free  sorts — alpines, 
and  good  varieties  of  the  common  border 
kinds.  The  special  merit  of  these  is  that 
they  may  be  grown  in  the  open  air  on  the 
rock  garden  and  in  borders,  while  the 
florists'  kinds  must  be  grown  in  frames. 

Their  culture  is  very  simple,  light  vege- 
table soil  and  plenty  of  moisture  during  the 
growing  season  being  the  essentials.  In 
many  districts  the  moisture  of  our  climate 
suits  the  Auricula  to  perfection,  and  great 
tufts  of  it  are  grown  in  gardens  without 
any  attention.  In  others  it  must  be  pro- 
tected against  excessive  drought  by  stones 
placed  round  it,  and  cocoa-fibre  and  leaf- 
mould  are  also  useful  as  a  surfacing. 
However,  as  none  but  good  varieties  of 
the  alpine  section  deserve  this  trouble,  we 
would  prefer,  wherever  practicable,  that 
they  should  be  placed  in  the  rock  garden 
on  spots  where  they  would  have  some 
shelter  and  could  root  freely  into  rich 
light  soil.  They  would  cause  no  trouble 
beyond  taking  up,  dividing,  and  replant- 
ing. This  should  be  done  every  second  or 
third  year,  or  as  often  as  they  become  too 
crowded  or  lanky.  The  very  common 
kinds  may  be  planted  as  edgings  or  in 
beds  in  the  spring  garden,  but  wherever 
the  plant  is  free,  naturally  improved 
varieties  should  be  substituted  for  the 
common  old  border  kinds.  There  are  a 
few  good  kinds  already  in  the  trade,  most 
of  them  in  shades  of  yellow,  such  as 
Alexandra,  Celtic  King — a  very  good 
one — Erin's  Queen,  Miss  Davis,  and  Yel- 
low Queen — also  known  as  Golden  Gem. 
Purple  Bedder  is  crimson-purple  ;  Chame- 
leon, with  yellow,  brown,  and  striped 
flowers  on  the  same  plant ;  and  Sulphurea 
with  pale  fragrant  trusses. 

Auriculas  are  easily  propagated  by 
division  in  spring  or  autumn,  but  best  in 
early  autumn.  They  are  also  easily  raised 
from  seed.  Seed  ripens  in  July,  and  is 
usually  sown  in  a  gentle  heat  in  the  follow- 
ing January.  It  should  be  sown  thinly 
in  pans.  The  plants  need  not  be  disturbed 
till  they  are  big  enough  to  prick  into  fine 


rich  light  soil  on  a  half-shady  border.  It 
is  most  desirable  to  raise  seedlings,  as  in 
this  way  many  beautiful  varieties  may  be 
obtained,  and  if  a  desirable  variety  is 
noticed,  it  should  be  marked,  placed  under 
the  best  conditions,  and  propagated  by 
division  as  fast  as  possible. 

As  to  the  florists'  varieties,  the  essential 
points  may  be  summed  up  thus  :    They 
require  protection  in  frames  or  pits  during 
winter  and  spring,  and  may  be  placed  in 
the  open  air  in  summer  and  early  autumn. 
While  inside  they  should  be  very  near  the 
glass,    the   lights   being   left   off   in    mild 
weather,  and  air  being  given  at  all  times 
day   and   night,   except  in   severe  frosts. 
The  pit  or  frame  may  be  the  usual  one 
for  the  winter  months,  but  as  the  plants 
show  flower  they  ought  to  be  removed  to 
one  with  a  northern  exposure,   so  as  to 
prolong  the  bloom.     In  such  a  place,  with 
abundance  of  air,   they  are  not  without 
beauty  .through  April  and  the  first  weeks 
of  May.     After  flowering  they  should  be 
potted  in  May,  and  kept  shaded  till  they 
have     recovered.     The     potting     usually 
consists  of  carefully  shaking  away  all  the 
soil  and  putting  the  plant  in  fresh  com- 
post ;    and  the  practice  is  a  good  one,  for 
this  plant  and  its  wild   allies  put  forth 
young   roots   higher   up   the   stem   every 
year,    and    the    encouragement    of    these 
young  roots  is  sure  to  have  a  good  result. 
The  pots  generally  used  (the  4-inch  size) 
are   quite   large   enough   for   this   annual 
potting,  one  sucker  of  a  kind  being  placed 
in  the  centre  of  each  pot.     The  wisdom  of 
potting  every  plant  in  this  way  is  doubtful, 
and  it  is  better  to  select  those  that  have 
sound  roots  and  are  set  firmly  and  low  in 
the  earth,  and,  while  disturbing  the  ball 
but  little,  to  give  them  a  careful  shift  into 
a  5 -inch  pot.     In  growing  the  alpine  kinds 
in  pots — and  they  are  as  worthy  of  it  as 
the  other  kinds — growers  should  put  five 
or  six  plants  in  a  6-inch  pot,  one  in  the 
centre  and  four  or  five  round  the  side,  so 
as  to  form  a  good  group.     The  same  prin- 
ciple  may  be   carried   out  in  pans,    and 
applied  to  the  free-growing  florists'  varie- 
ties as  well  as  the  alpines.     In  summer  all 
the  plants  should  be  placed  in  the  open 
air  on  boards  or  slates  or  a  bed  of  coal- 
ashes,    to   prevent   the   entry   of   worms. 
Some   careful   growers   guard   the   plants 
from  heavy  rains,  but  this  is  unnecessary 
if  the  pots  are  perfectly  drained  and  every- 
thing else  is  as  it  ought  to  be.     The  florists 
rarely  plunge  the  pots  ;    but  if  plunged  in 
a  bed  of  clean  sharp  sand,  or  in  any  like 
material  on  a  well-drained  bottom,   and 
free  from  earthworm,  they  will  be  safer 
and  less  troublesome,  because  free  from 
many  risks  which  attend  plants  exposed 
in  a  fragile  porous  shell  containing  but  a 
few  inches  of  soil.     Some  pot  their  plants 
in  August,  but  the  best  time  is  just  after 
the  flowering,  as  if  disturbed  in  the  autumn 
the  plants  have  less  strength  for  flowering. 


646 


PRIMULA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


PRIMULA. 


The  compost  for  these  tender  florists' 
kinds  is  one-third  of  good  turfy  loam, 
one-third  leaf-mould,  and  one  of  well- 
decayed  cow  manure,  and  silver  or  sharp 
river  sand.  Although  we  have  given  such 
full  directions  in  regard  to  the  culture  of 
the  florists'  varieties,  we  again  earnestly 
advise  all  who  care  for  the  flower  to  culti- 
vate the  free  and  hardy  forms  that  thrive 
in  the  open  air.  It  is  a  good  plan  to 
select  bright  or  delicate  self  or  other 
colours  that  please  one.  Such  kinds 
should  be  increased,  so  that  definite  effects 
may  be  worked  out  with  each  colour. 

HYBRIDS. — Primula  auricula  has 
been  freely  crossed  with  other  species, 
and  with  excellent  results,  though 
many  of  these  hybrids  are  as  yet  little 


Primula  cashmiriana 

known.  One  of  the  best  is  P.  arctotis, 
a  cross  with  hirsuta,  in  which,  how- 
ever, the  relation  to  auricula  is  at  once 
apparent.  It  is  a  stout  little  plant, 
its  compact  leaves  almost  hidden  in 
flowers.  It  is  hardy  and  easy  to  grow, 
and  one  of  the  earliest  to  bloom  in 
spring.  P.  discolor  is  a  natural  cross 
between  auricula  and  cenensis,  and 
probably  one  parent  of  our  garden 
Auriculas  ;  P.  Portce,  with  the  same 
parentage,  differs  from  discolor  in  its 
large  wine  -  red  flowers,  free  of  the 
mealiness  of  that  kind.  P.  Gcebelii  is 
a  natural  cross  with  P.  villosa,  bearing 
brownish- violet  flowers,  and,  like  all 
the  other  auricula  hybrids,  quite  easily 
grown.  A  second  cross  with  villosa, 
known  as  P.  Kerneri,  comes  nearer 
that  kind  in  its  covering  of  dark 


hairs ;  the  pretty  flowers  are  rosy- 
lilac  with  a  yellow  throat.  P.  Peyrit- 
schii  is  a  beautiful  cross  between 
auricula  and  viscosa,  but  it  comes  so 
near  the  latter  as  often  to  be  called 
viscosa  major.  P.  venusta,  a  cross  with 
P.  carniolica,  is  a  stout  little  plant 
of  3  or  4  inches,  forming  rosettes  of 
glossy  leaves  and  large  purple  flowers. 
P.  Balbisii,  with  large  white-throated 
golden  flowers,  is  an  Auricula  in  all 
but  name,  differing  only  in  its  more 
rounded  leaves,  quite  free  of  powder. 
A  cross  between  this  and  auricula  has 
given  P.  similis,  a  little  plant  just 
intermediate,  with  bright  yellow 
flowers  and  slightly  mealy  foliage. 

B.  BEESIANA. — A  new  and  vigorous 
growing  species  from  W.  China.  The  rich 
velvety  purple  flowers  are  produced  in 
whorls  on -strong  erect  scapes  2  to  3  feet 
high,  the  flowers  appearing  from  May  to 
July.  It  is  a  plant  of  fine  ornament  and 
constitution  and  withal  a  good  perennial. 
Revels  in  deep  rich  loam  and  cool  and 
moist  places.  In  conjunction  with  P. 
Bulleyana  it  has  given  rise  to  a  remarkable 
race  of  hybrids  equally  hardy  and  vigor- 
ous as  the  originals,  in  which  rose,  salmon, 
and  many  intermediate  shades  are  found. 

P.  BULLEYANA. — A  mountain  meadow 
species  from  W.  China,  where  it  is  said  to 
cover  vast  areas.  As  an  epoch-marking 
kind  it  ranks  with  P.  japonica  and  P.  rosea, 
equalling  the  former  in  robust  constitu- 
tion, vigour,  and  simple  cultural  needs. 
It  revels  in  rich  soils  and  moisture,  and 
attains  to  2^  feet  high  when  well  grown. 
The  flowers  are  produced  in  whorls  on 
stout  erect  scapes.  Orange-scarlet  in  bud, 
buff-orange  and  apricot  tones  are  revealed 
as  the  flowers  expand.  Seeds  are  pro- 
duced abundantly,  and  if  allowed  to  fall 
on  the  moist  ground  where  the  plants 
have  flowered,  seedlings  will  appear  by  the 
hundred.  Splendid  for  naturalising  on  a 
large  scale.  Already  in  conjunction  with 
P.  Beesiana  it  has  given  rise  to  a  new  and 
glorious  hybrid  race  whose  varied  beauty 
and  colour  richness  are  beyond  praise. 

P.  CAPITATA. — One  of  the  finest  of 
Primroses,  it  is  very  distinct  as  a  garden 
plant,  with  a  tuft  of  sharply-toothed  pale 
green  leaves  and  dense  heads  of  flowers  of 
the  deepest  Tyrian  purple.  It  cannot  be 
termed  a  good  perennial,  as  it  is  apt  to 
go  off  after  flowering  well,  and  it  is  well  to 
raise  seedlings.  This  is  easy,  as  the  plant 
seeds  freely  in  most  seasons,  and  the  seed- 
lings flower  in  the  second  year.  An  open 
position  with  a  north  aspect  in  good  loamy 
soil  free  from  lime,  and  well  watered 
in  dry  weather,  suits  it  best.  Himalayas. 

P.  COCKBURNIANA. — A  new  species  from 
the  mountains  of  W.  China,  and  in  its 
orange-red  flowers  quite  unlike  anything 
previously  seen  in  this  group.  It  grows  in 


PRIMULA.  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.          PRIMULA.         647 


wet  upland  meadows  at  elevations  of 
many  thousand  feet,  forming  a  tuft  of 
wrinkled  leaves  not  unlike  those  of  our 
wild  Primrose,  and  slender  stems  of 
12  inches  high,  with  sparse  whorls  of 
flowers  nearly  an  inch  across.  It  may 
become  freer  in  flower  under  cultivation, 
otherwise  it  can  hardly  be  called  a  showy 
kind,  its  great  value  perhaps  being  the 
new  colour  for  our  hybridists.  Best 
regarded  as  a  biennial. 

P.  CORTUSOIDES. — A  distinct  species 
bearing  clusters  of  deep  rosy  flowers  on 
stalks  6  to  10  inches  high.  Of  tall  free 
habit,  it  is  liable  to  injury  if  placed  in  an 
exposed  spot  or  open  border,  and  should 
therefore  be  put  in  a  sheltered  position, 
such  as  a  sunny  nook  in  the  rock  garden, 
where  it  is  surrounded  by  low  shrubs,  etc., 
or  in  any  place  where  it  is  not  exposed  to 
cutting  winds,  and  at  the  same  time  not 
shaded  to  its  injury.  It  is  a  charming 
ornament  for  the  rock  garden,  for  a  sunny 
sheltered  border  near  a  wall  or  a  house, 
or  for  the  margin  of  the  choice  shrubbery. 
The  soil  should  be  light  and  rich,  and  a 
surfacing  of  cocoa-fibre  or  leaf-mould  is 
beneficial  in  dry  positions.  It  is  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  of  Primulas,  being 
readily  increased  from  seed,  and  hardy  in 
any  well-drained  and  suitable  position. 
Siberia.  Near  to  this  comes  P.  Veitchii, 
newly  introduced  from  W.  China.  The 
new  plant  is  yet  more  robust,  with  broader 
leaves  and  larger  flowers  of  a  deeper  rose 
colour,  and  comes  from  open  and  sunny 
places  at  an  elevation  of  many  thousand 
feet. 

P.  DEFLEXA. — An  attractive  little  plant 
recently  come  to  us  from  inland  China, 
where  it  grows  in  mountain  woods  at  a 
great  elevation.  Its  stout  scapes  rise 
from  a  rosette  of  hairy  leaves  to  a  height 
of  1 2  or  more  inches,  bearing  a  dense  head 
of  small  rosy-purple  flowers  which  point 
downwards,  and  thus  account  for  the 
specific  name. 

P.  DENTICULATA. — A  pretty  Himalayan 
Primrose,  of  robust  growth,  8  to  10  inches 
high.  It  has  large  tufts  of  broad  foliage, 
and  produces  in  spring,  on  stout  erect 
stems,  large  dense  clusters  of  lilac  blos- 
soms. It  is  a  most  variable  plant,  and 
some  of  its  more  distinct  forms  have 
received  garden  names,  of  which  the 
principal  are  mentioned  below.  It  is 
paler  in  colour  than  any  of  its  varieties, 
and  its  foliage  and  flower-stalks  are  not 
mealy.  An  excellent  pure  white  variety 
is  P.  d.  alba.  P.  pulcherrima  is  a  great 
improvement  on  the  original.  It  grows 
from  10  to  12  inches  high,  and  has  a  more 
globular  flower-truss,  which  is  of  a  deep 
lilac  colour.  The  stalks  are  olive-green, 
and,  like  the  leaves,  are  slightly  mealy. 
It  is  very  beautiful  when  in  flower.  P. 
cashmiviana  is  by  far  the  finest  variety. 
The  flowers  are  of  a  lovely  dark  lilac, 
closely  set  in  globe-like  heads  on  stalks 


over  i  foot  high.  They  last  from  March 
till  May.  The  foliage  is  beautiful,  and, 
like  the  stalk,  is  thickly  powdered  with 
meal.  A  new  garden-raised  variety, 
Queen  of  Purples,  is  very  handsome,  with 
large  flowers  of  an  intense  deep  purple. 

All  the  varieties  are  hardy,  though  the 
flowers  are  liable  to  be  injured  by  early 
spring  frosts.  They  may  be  placed  either 
in  the  rock  garden  or  in  an  ordinary  bor- 
der, and  will  grow  vigorously  in  a  deep, 
moist,  loamy  soil,  enriched  by  manure. 
They  prefer  a  shady  situation,  with  a 
clear  sky  overhead,  and  delight  in  an 
abundance  of  moisture  during  warm 
summers.  All  the  forms  of  P.  denticulata 
are  admirably  suited  for  grouping  or 
naturalising  in  cool  moist  woodland  spots, 
and  for  this  purpose  seedlings  should  be 
raised  by  the  hundred.  Sow  the  seeds  as 
soon  as  ripe,  preferably  on  damp  or  moist 
soils,  in  which  the  plant  revels.  On  con- 
sistently moist  soil  the  seedlings  virtually 
carpet  the  ground  in  a  short  time  if  sown 
as  soon  as  ripe,  and,  while  growing  more 
vigorously,  cost  nothing  for  the  raising. 

P.  DEORUM. — A  rare  plant  from  the 
mountains  of  Bulgaria,  growing  in  damp 
grassy  places  just  under  the  snow-line. 
Its  leaves  are  rather  fleshy,  forming  a 
•tufted  rosette,  from  which  springs  a  stout 
stem  of  8  or  9  inches  with  a  massive  truss 
of  violet-purple  flowers.  It  is  hardy  on  the 
north  side  of  the  rock  garden,  thriving  in 
sandy  loam  and  in  a  moist  position,  such 
as  the  foot  of  a  broad  flat  stone,  which 
gathers  the  rain  and  conducts  it  to  the 
root.  It  should  be  shielded  from  heavy 
winter  rains  by  a  tilted  pane  of  glass. 

P.  FARINOSA  (Bird's-eye  Primrose). — A 
pretty  native  Primrose  with  small  rosettes 
of  silvery  leaves  ;  the  flowers,  borne  in  a 
compact  umbel  in  early  summer,  are  lilac- 
purple  with  a  yellow  eye.  They  vary  a 
little  in  colour,  there  being  shades  of  pink, 
rose,  and  deep  crimson.  In  our  gardens 
it  loves  a  moist  vegetable  soil,  and  in 
moist  and  elevated  parts  of  the  country 
it  flourishes  in  the  rock  garden  and  in 
slightly  elevated  beds  without  any  atten- 
tion ;  but  in  most  districts  more  care  is 
necessary.  In  the  rock  garden  it  thrives 
in  a  moist  crevice,  filled  with  peaty  soil  or 
fibry  sandy  loam.  In  the  drier  districts 
it  would  be  well  to  cover  the  soil  with 
broken  bits  of  sandstone  to  protect  the 
surface  from  being  baked  and  from  exces- 
sive evaporation.  A  dainty  plant  for 
colonising.  Should  be  raised  from  seeds 
sown  while  quite  fresh.  P.  f.  acaulis  is 
a  very  diminutive  variety  of  the  preced- 
ing. The  flowers  nestle  in  the  hearts  of 
the  leaves,  and  both  flowers  and  leaves 
are  very  small.  When  a  number  of  plants 
are  grown  together  they  form  a  cushion 
of  leaves  and  flowers  not  more  than  \  inch 
high.  Being  so  small,  the  plant  should 
have  greater  care,  whether  it  is  grown  in 
the  rock  garden  or  in  pots. 


648 


PRIMULA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


PRIMULA. 


P.  FORRESTII. — A  remarkable  species 
from  the  Alps  of  Yunnan  in  China.  The 
rich  golden-yellow  flowers  are  produced  in 
drooping  clusters,  and,  in  common  with  the 
foliage,  possess  the  fragrance  of  ripe  fruit. 
Though  of  high  ornament,  it  is  unfortun- 
ately not  hardy  in  the  open  in  England. 

P.  FRONDOSA. — A  plant  of  the  Balkans, 
and  related  to  the  common  Bird's-eye 
(P.  farinosa),  but  with  larger  leaves  of  a 
different  shape,  and  larger  rosy-purple 
flowers  during  May  and  June.  The  plant 
is  thickly  covered  in  all  its  parts  with  a 
fine  white  powder. 


Q    '    Primula  farinosa  (Bird's-eye  Primrose). 


P.  GLUTINOSA.  —  A  distinct  little  Prim- 
rose, rare  in  gardens.  On  mountains  near 
Gastein  and  Salzburg,  in  the  Tyrol,  and 
in  Lower  Austria,  it  flourishes,  in  peaty 
soil,  at  a  height  of  7,000  to  8,000  feet.  It 
is  3  to  5  inches  high,  bearing  one  to  five 
blossoms  of  a  peculiar  purplish-mauve, 
with  divisions  rather  deeply  cleft.  Suit- 
able for  the  rock  garden,  or  for  pots  in 
moist  peat  or  very  sandy  soil.  It  should 
be  grown  in  clusters,  being  almost  certain 
to  die  out  if  isolated.  Similar  to  P.  gluti- 
nosa  are  P.  tirolensis,  Floerkiana,  Allioni, 
and  others,  all  natives  of  the  Alps. 

P.  GRANDIS.  —  A  distinct  species  from 
the  Caucasus,  remarkable  only  for  its  large 
foliage  and  the  smallness  of  its  flowers. 

P.  INTEGRIFOLIA.  —  A  diminutive  Prim- 
rose, easily  recognised  by  its  smooth 


shining  leaves,  which  lie  quite  close  to  the 
ground,  and  by  its  handsome  rose  flowers, 
which  are  borne  one  to  three  on  a  dwarf 
stem,  and  are  often  large  enough  to 
obscure  the  plant.  There  is  no  difficulty 
in  growing  this  plant  on  flat  exposed  parts 
of  the  rock  garden,  if  the  soil  be  firm,  but 
moist  and  free.  The  best  way  is  to  form 
a  wide  tuft,  by  dotting  six  to  twelve  plants 
over  one  spot,  and  in  a  dry  district  scatter 
between  them  a  few  stones  or  a  little 
cocoa-fibre  mixed  with  sand,  so  as  to 
prevent  evaporation.  P.  Candolleana  is 
another  name  for  this  plant.  P.  glau- 
cesens,  spectabilis,  Clusiana,  and  Wulfeni- 
ana,  all  natives  of  the  Alps,  are  of  a  similar 
character.  Division  or  seed.  P.  Heerii 
is  a  wild  cross  between  this  kind  and  P. 
hirsuta  found  in  Switzerland  ;  it  makes 
neat  low  tufts  bearing  loose  clusters  of 
purple  flowers. 

P.  INTERMEDIA. — A  charming  hybrid 
between  P.  ciliata  and  P.  auricula.  In 
habit  it  closely  resembles  some  of  the 
dwarf  alpine  Auriculas,  and  its  purplish- 
crimson  flowers  have  a  conspicuous  yellow 
eye,  and  are  borne  on  stout  erect  scapes. 
On  sheltered  portions  of  the  rock  garden 
its  richly-tinted  blossoms  are  seen  to 
advantage.  It  is  delicately  fragrant. 

P.  JAPONICA. — A  handsome  Primrose 
whose  true  home  is  in  moist  shady  spots 
or  wet  ditches,  where  in  rich  loam  it  grows 
vigorously,  throwing  up  flower-stems  2  feet 
or  more,  and  unfolding  tier  after  tier  of  its 
crimson  blossoms  for  several  weeks  in 
succession.  It  may  be  grown  in  the  rock 
garden,  and  is  an  excellent  water-side 
plant,  thriving  almost  anywhere  and  sow- 
ing itself  freely.  Given  congenial  con- 
ditions self-sown  seedlings  appear  in  their 
hundreds  beside  woodland  walks  or  like 
places,  where  uniform  coolness  or  moisture 
is  not  unknown,  and  the  fact  should  drive 
home  the  lesson  to  every  gardener  who 
wishes  to  succeed  with  one  of  the  best  and 
most  amiable  species  of  the  genus.  Cod- 
dling the  seeds  in  pans  in  frames  is  a  mis- 
take. Sow  them  when  ripe  in  the  cool 
moist  places  in  which  the  species  delights, 
and  for  once  let  Nature  be  the  teacher. 

P.  JULI.E. — A  dwarf  early-flowering, 
deciduous,  amiably-disposed  species  of 
carpeting  habit.  The  rosy  -  crimson 
flowers  issue  from  the  rhizomes  a  dozen 
or  so  in  sessile  clusters,  presently  rising 
amid  the  roundish  ovate  leaves  on  solitary 
stems,  like  the  common  Primrose,  which 
they  approximate  to  in  form  and  size. 
Less  than  6  inches  high,  it  is  a  most 
charming  plant,  and  flowers  with  great 
freedom.  Rich  light  loam,  leaf-soil,  and 
manure  in  cool  spots.  Easily  increased 
by  division.  Caucasus. 

P.  KEWENSIS. — A  hybrid  of  the  Himala- 
yan P.  floribunda  and  the  Abyssinian  P. 
verticillata.  A  delightful  plant  of  amiable 
disposition  producing  fragrant  yellow 


PRIMULA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        PRIMULA. 


649 


flowers  in  whorls.  Admirable  for  the 
conservatory  or  greenhouse,  but  of  no 
value  for  the  open-air  garden. 

P.  LATIFOLIA. — A  handsome  Primrose, 
with  from  two  to  twenty  violet  flowers  in 
a  head.  It  is  less  viscid,  but  larger  and 
more  robust  than  its  alpine  congener,  the 
better-known  P.  viscosa.  Its  leaves  some- 
times attain  a  height  of  4  inches  and  a 
breadth  of  nearly  2  inches,  and  it  grows  to 
a  height  of  4  to  8  inches.  Its  fragrant 
flowers  appear  in  early  summer,  and  in 
pure  air  it  thrives  on  sunny  slopes  of  the 
rock  garden,  if  it  has  sandy  peat,  plenty 
of  moisture  during  the  dry  season,  and 
perfect  drainage  in  the  winter  months. 
Like  P.  viscosa.  it  will  bear  frequent  divi- 
sion, and  may  be  easily  grown  in  cold 
frames  or  pits.  Alps. 

P.  LITTONIANA. — In  a  genus  rich  in 
beauty  and  variety  no  species  is  more 
remarkable  than  this.  It  is,  indeed, 
unique.  Bright  red  calyces  and  rich 
purple  flowers  are  in  sharp  contrast,  and 
these,  in  conjunction  with  the  red-tipped, 
attenuated,  spire-like  outline  of  the  floral 
parts,  are  responsible  for  an  effect  sugges- 
tive of  an  Orchid  glorified.  The  scapes 
are  2  feet  or  so  high,  leaves  narrow, 
ascending,  woolly,  and  covered  with 
silvery  hairs.  Excellent  for  colonies  in 
the  cool  parts  of  the  rock  garden,  or  for 
naturalising  on  a  worthy  scale.  Quite 
happy  in  cool  loam  and  leaf-soil,  and 
seeds  freely.  From  the  mountain 
meadows  of  W.  China.  June- July. 

P.  LUTEOLA. — One  of  the  handsomest  of 
the  yellow  Primroses,  and  a  noble  plant 
when  well  grown.  The  flower-stems  are 
often  i£  to  2  feet  high,  though  they  are 
usually  under  i  foot  in  height.  They 
sometimes  become  fasciated,  and  thus 
carry  a  huge  cluster  of  flowers  4  to  6  inches 
across.  These  flowers  are  like  those  of  a 
Polyanthus  or  an  Auricula,  but  they  are 
borne  in  more  compact  heads.  It  likes 
a  moist  situation  in  full  exposure,  and  if 
put  out  in  rich  borders  of  rather  moist 
soil,  or  on  the  lower  banks  of  the  rock  gar- 
den, or  in  a  copse  with  a  good  bed  of  leaf- 
soil,  it  will  soon  repay  the  planter.  Cauca- 
sus. 

P.  MALACOIDES. — A  charming  species, 
remarkable  for  its  elegant  habit  of  growth 
and  freedom  of  flowering.  Not  hard 
enough  for  growing  in  the  open  air,  it  is 
favoured  by  amateur  and  professional 
gardener  alike  for  its  adaptability  to  pot 
cultivation  and  as  a  room  plant.  Florist 
decorators  also  employ  it  freely.  Rather 
less  than  a  foot  high,  the  lilac  or  mauve- 
coloured  flowers  are  produced  in  whorls, 
a  dozen  or  more  scapes  issuing  from  quite 
an  ordinary  sized  plant.  Seeds  are  pro- 
duced abundantly  and  germinate  freely 
if  sown  soon  after  ripening.  May  be 
treated  as  an  annual  or  biennial.  China. 

P.  MARGINATA. — One  of  the  most 
attractive  of  the  alpine  Primroses,  and 


distinguished  by  the  silvery  margin 
of  its  greyish  leaves  and  by  its  soft 
violet-rose  flowers  in  April  or  May. 
It  is  of  the  aborescent  class  and  should  be 
catered  for  as  such.  When  the  stems 
become  long,  and  emit  roots  above  the 
ground,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  divide  the 
plants,  and  to  insert  each  portion  firmly 
down  to  the  leaves.  If  this  be  done 
biennially  the  plants  will  be  reinvigorated 
and  will  flower  in  greater  freedom.  Alps. 

P.  MEGASE^EFOLIA. — A  rare  and  distinct 
species  from  Rhazistan,  having  large 
roundly  cordate  leathery  leaves  which 


Primula  pubescens  alba. 


assume  reddish  or  bronzy  tints  in  autumn. 
The  flowers  are  rose  with  magenta  shade. 
Flowering  in  winter  it  is  not  a  success  in 
the  open,  and  should  be  grown  in  the  green- 
house. Even  in  the  unheated  alpine 
house  it  is  rarely  seen  in  presentable  con- 
dition. 

P.  MINIMA  (Fairy  Primrose). — One  of 
the  smallest  of  European  Primroses. 
Usually  there  is  only  one  flower,  which 
is  generally  rose-coloured,  and  some- 
times white,  and  appears  in  summer. 
The  plant  is  only  an  inch  or  so  high, 
but  its  single  flower  is  nearly  I  inch 
across,  and  almost  covers  the  tiny  rosettes 
of  foliage.  Bare  spots  in  firm  open 
parts  of  the  rock  garden  are  the.  best 
places  for  the  plant,  but  the  soil  should 
be  very  sandy  peat  free  from  lime,  and 
must  never  become  too  dry.  It  is  peculi- 
arly suited  for  association  with  the  very 
dwarf est  and  choicest  of  alpine  plants. 
Division  or  seed.  Mountains  of  S.  Europe. 
P.  Flcerkiana  is  much  like  it,  and  probably 
is  only  a  variety,  since  the  sole  differ- 
ence is  that  it  bears  two,  three,  or  more 
flowers,  instead  of  only  one.  It  enjoys 
the  same  treatment  in  the  rock  garden. 
Austria.  Of  both  kinds  it  is  desirable 
to  establish  wide-spreading  patches  on 
firm  bare  spots,  scattering  half  an  inch 
of  silver  sand  between  the  plants  to  keep 
the  ground  cool. 

P.  MUNROI. — This  grows  at  very  high 


650 


PRIMULA. 


THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN. 


PRIMULA. 


elevations  on  the  mountains  of  N.  India, 
in  the  vicinity  of  water.  Its  smooth 
green  leaves  are  2  inches  long,  from  them 
arising  flower-stems  5  to  7  inches  high, 
bearing  sweet  creamy-white  flowers-  with 
a  yellowish  eye,  an  inch  across,  from 
March  to  May. 

P.  PALINURI. — This  is  quite  different 
from  other  cultivated  Primroses,  inasmuch 
as  it  seems  to  grow  all  to  leaf  and  stem, 
while  many  of  the  other  kinds  often  hide 
their  leaves  with  flowers.  In  April  its 
yellow  flowers  appear  in  a  bunch  at  the 
top  of  a  powdery  stem,  and  it  emits  a 
Cowslip-like  perfume.  It  thrives  as  a 
border  plant  in  light  soil.  Division.  S. 
Italy. 

P.  PARRYI. — A  pretty  Primrose,  bearing 
about  a  dozen  large,  bright,  purple, 
yellow-eyed  flowers  nearly  i  inch  across. 
These  flowers  are  borne  on  stems  about 
i  foot  high.  Though  an  undoubted 
alpine,  and  growing  on  the  margins  of 
streams  near  the  snow-line,  where  its 
roots  are  constantly  bathed  in  ice-cold 
water,  it  has  succeeded  in  the  open  border 
in  moist,  deep,  loamy  soil  mingled  with 
peat ;  it  is  hardy,  and  requires  partial 
shade  from  extreme  heat  rather  than 
protection  from  cold.  N.  America. 

P.  PUBESCENS. — A  hybrid  of  P.  auricula 
and  P.  hirsuta.  A  perfectly  hardy  plant 
of  easy  cultivation.  Dwarf  habited,  the 
clusters  of  rosy  crimson,  white-eyed 
flowers  appear  in  May  and  June.  Rich 
gritty,  well-drained  loam.  Its  most  im- 
portant variation  is  P.  p.  alba,  the  plant 
not  infrequently  such  in  gardens  as  P. 
nivalis,  though  quite  distinct  from  the 
true  plant  of  that  name.  The  clusters 
of  snow-white  flowers  appear  in  May  and 
June.  It  responds  to  cultivation  in  rich, 
well-drained  soils  and  is  not  averse  to 
manure.  Rarely  exceeds  4  inches  high. 
A  gem  for  the  rock  garden  in  cool  spots. 
Seed  and  division. 

P.  PULVERULENTA. — For  combined 
stature  and  flower  freedom  no  modern 
introduction  equals  this  imposing  species 
from  W.  China.  A  true  bog  plant  in 
nature,  it  occurs  at  high  elevations  in 
moist  open  meadows,  the  moisture  suiting 
it  equally  in  cultivation  in  lowland  gardens, 
where  it  will  attain  to  4  or  even  5  feet 
high.  It  is  valuable  also  for  cool  moist 
spots  in  any  position  responding  to  rich 
well-manured  soils.  The  genus  contains 
no  species  of  greater  magnificence,  well- 
developed  examples  producing  six  to 
eight  strong  flowering  scapes  and  tier  upon 
tier  of  rich  wine-red  to  crimson  flowers. 
It  is  one  of  the  most  amiably  disposed  of 
the  whole  race.  It  seeds  as  it  flowers 
with  great  freedom.  Seeds  if  allowed  to 
fall  on  the  wet  soil  will  yield  strong 
seedlings  by  the  hundred,  an  object  lesson 
of  high  import  which. gardeners  would  do 
well  to  note.  For  such  vigorous  wildlings 
raising  seedlings  in  frame  or  greenhouse 


is  wrong.  It  is  perfectly  hardy,  its  pale- 
coloured  variety  Mrs  Berkeley  much  less 
so,  and  certainly  also  less  desirable. 
June-July. 

P.  PURPUREA. — A  handsome  Primrose, 
with  purple  flowers  borne  in  heads  about 
3  inches  across.  Sheltered  and  warm 
but  not  very  shady  positions,  either  in 
the  rock  garden  or  in  the  open  parts 
of  the  hardy  fernery,  will  best  suit  it  if 
the  soil  is  a  light,  deep,  sandy  loam, 
and  well  enriched  with  decomposed 
leaf-mould.  It  never  thrives  so  well 
as  in  nooks  at  the  base  of  rocks,  where 
it  enjoys  more  heat  than  it  would  if 
exposed.  It  must  not  be  confused  with 
the  variety  of  P.  denticulata  commonly 
called  by  the  same  name  of  P.  purpurea. 

P.  ROSEA  (Rosy  Himalayan  P.)  is  a 
bright  Primrose,  with  flowers  of  the 
loveliest  carmine-pink.  Its  pale  green 
leaves  form  compact  tufts,  and  the 
flower-stems,  4  to  9  inches  high,  appear 
in  early  spring.  It  is  hardy  and  grows 
vigorously  in  almost  any  soil,  preferring, 
however,  a  deep  rich  loam  in  a  moist 
shady  part  of  the  rock  garden.  Often  a 
non-success  if  given  true  bog  conditions, 
and  in  such  cases  the  plants  should  be  so 
raised  above  the  water-level  that  the 
root-fibres  only  reach  moisture.  In 
partial  shade  and  rich  sandy  soils, 
heavily  dressed  with  old  cow  manure,  it 
is  often  more  vigorous  and  free  flowering 
than  in  conditions  constantly  wet,  hence 
a  plant  for  experiment.  Easily  raised 
from  seeds  it  is  the  most  brilliantly 
flowered  perennial  kind  of  its  race.  Good 
garden  forms  are  grandiflora,  with  larger 
blooms,  and  splendent,  with  flowers  of  an 
intense  colour. 

P.  SCOTICA  is  a  native  plant,  and  requires 
similar  treatment  to  P.  farinosa.  The 
flowers,  which  show  in  April,  are  rich 
purple  with  a  yellow  eye,  and  are  borne 
on  stems  a  few  inches  high.  Native  of 
damp  pastures  in  the  northern  counties 
of  Scotland.  There  is  also  a  beautiful 
pure  white  form  of  farinosa  found  upon 
Ingleborough,  but  this  is  very  scarce. 

P.  SECUNDIFLORA. — A  vigorous  species 
having  the  habit  of  growth  of  P.  sikkim- 
ensis,  but  of  a  rich  wine-red  colour  and 
greater  flower  freedom  than  that  kind. 
The  flowers,  too,  are  sweet  scented.  Full 
of  promise  and  distinction,  quite  hardy 
and  of  easy  cultivation,  it  should  be 
planted  in  cool  or  moist  places  in  rich 
loamy  and  vegetable  soils  where  good 
drainage  is  present.  Easily  raised  from 
seeds.  June-July.  W.  China. 

P.  SIBIRICA. — A  pretty  little  plant  of  a 
few  inches  high,  akin  to  the  pale-flowered 
P.  involucrata.  It  carries  rather  deeply- 
cut  leaves  and  small  clusters  of  three  to 
five  pale  rosy-red  flowers  encircled  by 
long  bracts.  Arctic  regions  of  Asia  and 
N.  America. 

P.     SIEBOLDI. — This     is     one     of     the 


PRIMULA. 


THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         PRIMULA.        651 


showiest  of  the  Primulas,  and  is  as 
easy  to  grow  and  as  hardy  as  many 
others.  Since  its  introduction  from 
Japan  numerous  beautiful  varieties  have 
been  raised,  some  of  the  most  distinct 
being  clarkiceflora,  lilacina  -  marginata, 
fimbriata  oculata,  vincceflora,  ccerulea-alba, 
Mauve  Beauty,  Lavender  Queen,  laciniata, 
and  maxima.  These  possess  a  great 
diversity  of  colour,  and  some  have  the 
petals  beautifully  fringed.  One  of  the 
chief  merits  of  these  Primulas  is  that 
they  bloom  early,  flowering  about  the 
month  of  April,  when  other  flowering 


Sieboldi  is  a  hardy  herbaceous  perennial, 
which  loses  its  leaves  in  autumn  and 
winter,  when  it  goes  to  rest,  and  starts 
again  early  in  spring. 

P.  SIKKIMENSIS. — This  is  a  beautiful 
tall  Primrose  species,  herbaceous  in 
our  climate,  and  quite  distinct.  It 
throws  up  strong  flower-stems,  15  to 
24  inches  high,  bearing  numerous  bell- 
shaped  flowers  of  a  pale  yellow,  and 
having  an  agreeable  perfume.  Some 
of  the  stems  bear  a  head  of  more  than 
five  dozen  buds  and  flowers,  and  each 
flower  is  nearly  i  inch  long  and  more 


Primula   rosca. 


plants  are  rare  ;  and  another  is  that 
they  are  remarkably  free  bloomers, 
throwing  up  successive  flower  -  stems, 
and  lasting  a  long  time  in  perfection. 
Their  cultivation  also  is  easy.  This 
species  and  its  varieties  delight  in  rich 
soils  and  moisture,  and  given  these 
may  be  grown  to  perfection.  In  well- 
manured  soils  the  plants  will  attain 
to  2  feet  high,  assuming  a  vigour  and 
freedom  of  flowering  surprising  to  those 
who  believed  in  the  fallacious  notion 
that  moisture  was  opposed  to  its  well- 
being.  A  deciduous  species  and  rooting 
from  the  upper  parts  of  the  rhizome,  it 
should  be  planted  2  inches  deep,  prefer- 
ably when  dormant.  Readily  increased 
by  division  at  the  same  period.  P. 


than  |  inch  across.  It  starts  into  growth 
in  April  or  early  in  May,  and  should 
have  a  shady  position  when  in  bloom, 
as  its  delicate  blossoms  suffer  from 
cutting  winds  and  bright  sunshine.  It 
is  hardy,  and  loves  deep,  well-drained, 
and  moist  ground ;  but  spots  in  the 
lower  parts  of  the  rock  garden  near 
water,  or  situations  in  deep  boggy  places, 
suit  it  best.  It  is  readily  increased 
by  seeds  sown  in  summer  as  soon  as  they 
are  ripe,  giving  the  best  results  when 
treated  as  a  biennial.  This  Primrose 
is  said  to  be  the  pride  of  all  the  Primroses 
of  the  mountains  of  India,  inhabiting 
wet  boggy  soil  at  elevations  of  from 
12,000  to  17,000  feet,  and  covering  acres 
of  ground  with  its  yellow  flowers. 


652          PRIMULA.          THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER    GARDEN.  PRIMULA. 


P.  STUARTI  (Stuart's  P.). — A  noble 
and  vigorous  yellow  Primrose,  about 
1 6  inches  high.  It  has  leaves  nearly 
i  foot  long,  and  many-flowered  umbels. 
A  light  deep  soil,  never  allowed  to  get 
dry  in  summer,  suits  it  well ;  but  the 
most  suitable  place  for  it  is  some  per- 
fectly drained  and  sheltered  slightly 
elevated  spot  in  the  rock  garden.  It 
may  be  planted  against  the  base  of 


sheltered  and  well-drained  niche  of  the 
rock  garden. 

P.  UNIQUE. — A  magnificent  hybrid  of 
P.  Cockburniana  and  P.  pulverulenta, 
and  one  of  the  finest  of  the  whole  genus. 
Combining  the  perennial  character  and 
vigour  of  the  last  named  with  the  rich 
cinnabar-red  flowers  of  P.  Cockburniana, 
the  flowers  are  produced  in  whorls  on 
tall  graceful  stems  in  early  summer. 


Primula.  Sicboldi. 


rocks,  to  shelter  it  from  cutting  winds, 
though,  when  sufficiently  plentiful,  this 
precaution  is  unnecessary.  Mountains  of 
India. 

P.  SUFFRUTESCENS. — A  plant  growing  in 
small  tufts  on  the  heights  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  with  narrow  spoon-shaped 
leaves  and  large  flowers  of  rosy-purple 
with  a  yellow  eye,  carried  in  small  clusters 
during  April  and  May.  It  is  best  in  a 


When  in  flower  a  group  of  it  constitutes 
a  glorious  picture.  ^  Rich  soils  in  cool 
situations.  Easily  raised  from  seeds. 

P.  VILLOSA. — A  lovely  little  Primrose. 
The  leaves  have  close-set  teeth,  and  are 
covered  with  glandular  hairs,  and  are 
viscid  on  both  sides.  Its  flower-stems, 
also  viscid,  barely  elevate  the  sweet 
blooms  above  the  foliage.  It  is  well 
adapted  for  the  rock  garden,  in  which 


PRIMULA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN, 


PRIMULA. 


653 


it  may  be  grown  in  any  position,  but 
it  requires  light,  peaty,  or  spongy  loam, 
about  one-half  being  fine  sand,  and  its 
roots  should  be  kept  moist  during  the 
dry  season.  It  is  easily  increased  by 
division,  and  may  be  raised  from  seed. 
Varieties  are  sometimes,  but  rarely, 
found  with  white  flowers.  It  is  some- 
times grown  under  the  name  of  P.  viscosa. 
It  is  of  very  easy  culture,  and  may  be 
grown  either  in  pots  or  in  the  rock  garden, 
a  light  free  soil,  and  plenty  of  water  during 
the  warm  season.  It  flowers  in  April 
and  May.  Alps.  Similar  to  P.  villosa 
are  P.  ciliata,  Steini,  hirsuta,  pubescens, 
rh:~tica,  pedemontana,  oenensis,  and  Diny- 


P.  WINTERI. — The  genus  contains 
nothing  more  exquisite  than  this  lovely 
Himalayan  kind,  albeit  it  is  not  a  general 
success  and  requires  the  protection  of 
the  alpine  house  or  miniature  caves  or 
recesses  in  the  rock  garden  which  would 
protect  it  from  wet  and  frost.  Lowly 
habited  like  our  common  Primrose,  and 
with  grey-green  leaves  covered  with  a 
whitish  meal,  the  florin  large,  clear  mauve, 
white-eyed  flowers  are  freely  produced 
on  well-grown  plants.  Requires  careful 
cultivation  in  rich  loam  and  leaf  soil. 
Rare  at  present  it  should  be  raised  freely 
from  seeds,  the  seedlings  affording  not 
a  little  colour  variation. 


An  Alpine  Primrose. 


ana,  charming  little  species  from  the 
Alps.  All  thrive  under  the  same  con- 
ditions as  P.  villosa. 

P.  VISCOSA. — A  plant  of  the  granite 
soils  of  the  Alps  and  Pyrenees,  and  so 
near  P.  villosa  that  the  two  are  often 
regarded  as  one,  though  kept  distinct 
by  botanists.  This  differs  mainly  in 
the  longer  tube  of  the  flowers  and  their 
longer  stems,  though  there  are  other 
small  differences.  It  develops  a  thick 
stem  of  several  inches  high,  often  branched 
like  a  tiny  shrub.  The  leaves  are  large, 
covered  with  hairs,  and  fringed  at  the 
edges,  and  the  flowers,  which  come 
in  large  bunches  during  April  and  May, 
are  of  rosy-lilac  with  a  white  centre. 
The  plant  is  easily  grown  in  peaty  soil 
between  sandstone  rocks,  but  it  objects 
to  chalk  or  strong  limestone  soils.  It 
has  been  freely  used  in  crossing  with 
other  kinds,  especially  P.  auricula. 


P.  VULGARIS  (Common  P.). — Of  all 
the  Primula  family,  none  excel  our 
native  Primroses  in  loveliness. 

In  some  places  the  Common  Prim- 
rose varies  a  good  deal  in  colour. 
Some  of  the  prettiest  of  the  wild 
varieties  are  worthy  of  being  intro- 
duced into  shrubberies  and  copses. 
For  shrubberies  and  by  woodland 
walks  single  varieties  will  always 
prove  more  useful  than  the  old  double 
kinds,  because  more  vigorous  in  spring 
after  the  flowering  period.  Named 
or  distinct  varieties  are  readily  in- 
creased by  division  or  by  seeds, 
which  are  produced  in  abundance. 
As  soon  as  they  are  parted,  plant 
them  in  the  kitchen  garden  or  in 
some  by- place.  The  more  rich  and 
moist  the  soil  the  better  they  will 
grow,  especially  if  the  position  be 


PRIMULA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


PRIMULA. 


a  half-shady  one.     Good  varieties  are  :    j 
Cecil  Rhodes,  dark  ruby-red,   the  best   I 
of  its  class  ;  Evelyn  Ark-bright,   only 
differing    from    the    wild    kind    in    its 
immense     flowers,     2     to     i\    inches 
across  ;    Miss    Massey,  dark    maroon- 
crimson  with  a  golden  eye  ;  Munstead    | 
Early    White,    white    with    a    golden   I 
centre,  early  in  flower  ;  Novelty,  large   , 
flowers  of  a  pretty  tender  green  shade  ;    i 
Oakwood    Blue,    a    good    blue    kind, 
which  in  turn  has  given  other  shades    | 
known  as  Wilson's  New  Blue   Prim-    I 
roses. 

The    forms    most   precious    for    the   ; 
garden   are   the   beautiful   old   double 
kinds.       No     prettier     flowers      ever 
warmed  into  beauty  under  a  northern 


extreme  north,  where  the  climate  is 
at  once  moist  and  temperate,  they  grow 
almost  with  luxuriance.  Increased  by 
division  preferably  after  flowering. 

The  Rev.  P.  Mules,  a  good  grower 
of  the  Double  Primroses,  wrote  to 
the  Field  about  them  :  "  Unless  these 
flowers  have  been  seen  at  their  best, 
and  that  can  only  be  under  the  favour- 
able conditions  of  suitable  soil,  pure 
air,  and  great  experience  in  culture, 
no  one  can  imagine  their  beauty. 
I  have  had  a  bed  of  fifty  plants  of 
the  double  white  carrying  at  one 
time  4,000  fully  expanded  blooms, 
averaging  ig  inches  in  diameter.  So 
also  Pompadour,  with  blooms  of  still 
larger  size,  which  has  flowered  without 


Primrose  Munstead  Early  White. 


sun  than  their  delicately-tinted  little 
rosettes.  Once  they  were  in  every 
garden,  but  the  day  came  when, 
like  many  hardy  flowers,  they  were 
cast  aside  to  make  way  for  gaudier 
things.  The  best  known  and  most 
distinctly  marked  are  the  double 
lilac,  double  purple,  double  sulphur, 
double  white,  double  crimson,  and 
double  red.  The  double  kinds  are 
slower  in  growth  and  more  delicate 
than  the  single  ones,  and  require 
more  care,  and  the  development 
of  healthy  foliage  after  flowering 
should  be  the  object  of  those  who 
wish  to  succeed  with  them.  In  the 
double  kinds  the  deeper  the  hue  the 
less  robust  the  plant.  The  rich  crim- 
sons and  the  deep  purples  are  usually 
most  difficult  to  cultivate,  but  in  the  I 


intermission  since  October,  throwing 
its  rich  crimson  blossoms  well  above 
the  succulent  green  foliage,  and  pre- 
senting a  fine  picture  of  form  and 
colour.  Then  we  have  double  rose, 
double  mauve,  double  dark  lilac, 
double  cerise,  double  sulphur,  double 
yellow,  and  double  rose  white  mottled. 
Besides  these  are  some  bright  crim- 
sons, making  a  combination  of  colours 
which  lend  themselves  to  many  varie- 
ties of  garden  and  house  decoration. 
Some — the  sulphur  and  the  dark  lilac — 
occasionally  throw  up  corymbose  heads 
Polyanthus-wise  ;  but  this  is  not  un- 
common with  many  Primroses,  and 
is  the  result  of  high  cultivation,  and 
occurs  towards  the  end  of  the  flowering 
period.  The  reason  that  the  rarer 
varieties  are  difficult  and  expensive  to 


PRIMULA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


PRIMULA. 


obtain  is  because  their  culture  is  not 
understood,  and  stocks  once  allowed 
to  die  out  can  scarcely  be  replaced. 
Their  reproduction,  as  they  have  no 
seed,  is  impossible,  and  one  has  to 
depend  on  division  alone  for  their 
increase.  Like  all  perennials,  there  is 
a  tendency  to  natural  deterioration, 
and  unless  they  be  kept  in  the  highest 
vigour  by  change  of  soil  and  locality 
and  breaking  up,  nothing  can  keep 
them. 

"  The  secret  of  growing  double  Prim- 
roses differs  little,  if  at  all,  from  that 
of  the  more  delicate  perennials,  two 
points  being  specially  to  be  observed — 
protection  from  cutting  and  strong 


our  spring  gardens.  It  would  require 
pages  to  describe  even  the  good 
varieties.  At  one  time  the  Polyanthus 
was  highly  esteemed  as  a  florists' 
flower,  and  none  in  existence  better 
deserved  the  attention  and  regard  of 
amateurs  ;  but  nearly  all  the  choice 
old  kinds  are  now  lost,  and  very  few 
florists  really  pay  any  attention  to 
the  flower.  Thanks  to  the  great 
facility  with  which  varieties  are  raised 
from  seed,  nobody  need  be  without 
handsome  kinds,  especially  as  raising 
them  will  prove  interesting  amuse- 
ment for  the  amateur. 

Polyanthuses     should     be    seen    in 
strong    colonies    in    shrubberies    and 


"  Bunch  "    Primrose 


winds,  and  that  they  be  grown 
together  in  beds  massed,  not  dotted 
through  the  herbaceous  border.  Be- 
yond this  only  such  knowledge  is 
required  as  can  be  obtained  by  ex- 
perience in  the  management  of  this 
class  of  plants." 

THE  POLYANTHUS.  —  Though  the 
origin  of  this  beautiful  old-fashioned 
flower  is  somewhat  obscure,  it  is  con- 
sidered to  be  a  form  of  the  common 
P.  vulgaris  with  the  stems  developed. 
Polyanthuses  are  not  at  all  sufficiently 
appreciated,  considering  the  wonderful 
array  of  beauty  they  present,  and  that 
for  rich  and  charmingly  inlaid  colour- 
ing they  surpass  all  other  flowers  of 


borders.  Their  cultivation  is  almost 
as  simple  as  that  of  meadow  grass. 
They  grow  vigorously  in  almost  any 
garden  soil,  but  best  in  a  soil  that 
is  somewhat  rich  and  moist ;  and 
though  they  thrive  in  the  full  sun, 
they  enjoy  best  a  partially  shaded 
and  sheltered  position,  and  are  some- 
what impatient  of  heat  and  drought. 
When  grown  for  bedding  they  are, 
like  the  Primroses,  removed  in  early 
summer  from  the  flower  garden  to 
the  kitchen  garden  or  nursery,  and 
replaced  there  when  the  summer  bed- 
ding plants  have  passed  away. 

There  have  been  lately  raised  some 
varieties,  a  good  deal  larger  in  their  parts 


PRUMNOPITYS.       THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


PRUNUS. 


than  the  type,  and  these  are  very  easy  of 
culture  and  very  vigorous.  There  are 
very  few,  if  any,  double  varieties, 
but  some  varieties  are  curious  and 
interesting  from  the  duplication  of  the 
calyx  or  corolla  ;  these  are  popularly 
known  as  "  hose-in-hose  "  Polyanthus. 
They  grow  with  the  same  facility  as  the 
others.  The  beautiful  Gold-laced  Poly- 
anthuses are  much  prized.  The  best 
are  those  raised  years  ago,  such  as 
Cheshire  Favourite,  George  the  Fourth, 
Formosa,  Duke  of  Wellington,  Black 
Prince,  Lancashire  Hero,  and  others, 
and  they  are  mentioned  in  most  florists' 
catalogues  of  hardy  plants.  The  com- 
mon Oxlip  is  a  hybrid  more  or  less  inter- 
mediate between  the  Cowslip  and  the 
Primrose. 

Where  soil  is  prepared  for  the 
choicer  varieties,  any  good  loam 
with  a  free  addition  of  sand,  well- 
rotted  leaf  -  mould,  and  decomposed 
cow  manure  will  form  an  admirable 
compost.  The  Polyanthus  may  easily 
be  raised  from  seed,  which  should  be 
sown  as  soon  as  ripe,  say  about  the  end 
of  June.  It  will  also  grow  well  if  the 
seed  is  not  sown  till  the  following  spring, 
but  by  sowing  immediately  nearly  a 
year  is  gained.  With  choice  kinds  it  is 
better  to  sow  the  seed  in  pans  or  rough 
wooden  boxes,  but  for  ordinary  pur- 
poses a  bed  of  finely-pulverised  soil  in 
the  open  air  will  suffice.  Sowings  in 
early  spring  are  better  made  in  pans  or 
rough  shallow  boxes,  placed  in  cold 
frames,  as  time  will  be  gained  thereby. 

PRUMNOPITYS  ELEGANS  (Plum- 
fruited  Yew). — An  evergreen  tree  from 
Chili,  allied  to  the  common  Yew,  of 
dense  growth  and  cheerful  green  colour. 
It  is  hardy  over  a  great  part  of 
Britain,  easily  suited  as  to  soils,  and 
readily  transplanted.  Is  a  good  lawn 
tree,  thiiving  in  towns  better  than 
most  conifers  ;  it  also  bears  cutting 
without  injury,  though  naturally  of 
a  fine  pyramidal  habit.  In  its  own 
land  it  reaches  a  height  of  50  feet, 
but  our  best  trees  do  not  yet  exceed 
one  half  this  height.  In  severe  winters 
young  trees  are  injured  or  even  killed, 
but  when  well  established  it  endures 
severe  cold.  It  is  an  excellent  seaside 
shrub,  well  adapted  for  hedges  and 
screens.  I  think  it  is  of  doubtful 
hardiness,  and  never  gave  it  a  place. 
Syn.  Podocarpus  andina. 

PRUNELLA  (Self-heal).— This  hand- 
some and  vigorous  plant  P.  grandi- 
flora  is  readily  distinguished  by  its 
large  flowers.  There  is  a  white  and 


a  purple  variety,  both  handsome 
plants,  thriving  in  almost  any  soil. 
In  winter  they  are  apt  to  go  off  on  the 
London  clay,  at  least  on  the  level 
ground,  but  are  well  suited  for  mixed 
borders,  banks,  or  copses.  P.  Web- 
biana  is  a  good  garden  form,  making 
a  thick  green  carpet,  with  spikes  of 
rosy-purple  flowers.  Europe. 

PRUNUS  (Plum,  Almond,  Peach, 
Apricot,  Cherry,  Bird  Cherry,  Cherry  - 
Laurel). — Bentham  and  Hooker  in  the 
"  Genera  Plantarum "  united  under 
Prunus  the  whole  of  the  species  which 
had  at  an  earlier  date  been  known  under 
one  or  other  of  the  following  names  : 
A  mygdalus,  Persica,  A  rmeniaca,  Prunus, 
Cerasus,  Padus,  and  Laur o  -  cerasus. 
This  arrangement,  which  was  necessary 
from  the  fact  that  no  well-defined  line 
could  be  drawn  between  them,  has 
given  rise  to  some  confusion.  And  we 
may  see  in  consequence  two  Apricots, 
maybe,  growing  side  by  side,  the  older 
one  called  Armeniaca,  the  newer  one 
Prunus.  In  the  following  notes  the 
whole  of  the  species  dealt  with  are 
considered  as  Prunus  and  are  arranged 
alphabetically  ;  and  some,  not  of  much 
garden  value,  or  those  not  hardy  in 
Britain,  are  excluded.  But  it  will  be 
well,  perhaps,  to  first  show  the  section 
to  which  each  belongs. 

THE  ALMONDS  AND  PEACHES— AMYGDAI.US. 
P.  Amygdalus,  P.  Davidiana,  P.  incana,  P.  iiantn 
P.  orientalis,  P.  Persica,  P.  Sintoni. 

THE  APRICOTS — ARMENIACA. 

P.  Anneniaca,  P.  brigantiaca,  P.  dasycarpa,  P 
Mume,  P.  sibirica,  P.  tomentosa,  P.  triloba. 

THE  PLUMS — PRUNUS. 

P.  alleghatiiensis,  P.  americana,  P.  angustifolia, 
P.  cerasifera,  P.  cerasifera  var.  atro-purpurea,  P. 
communis,  P.  cominunis  var.  pruneauliana,  P.  tiiv- 
aricata,  P.  insititia,  P.  spinosa,  P.  trijlora,  P. 
Watsoni. 

THE  CHERRIES  — CERASUS. 

P.  acida,  P.  Avium,  P.  Besseyi,  P.  Cerasus,  P. 
Pkamcecerasus,  P.  humilis,  P.  Jacquemonti,  P. 
japonica,  P.  maritima,  P.  Maxinwwiczi,  P.pendula, 
P.  pennsylvanica,  P.  prostrata,  P.  pseudo-Cerasus, 
P.  Puddum,  P.pumila,  P.  serrulata,  P.  sub/tirteUn, 
P.  tomentosa. 

THE  BIRD  CHERRIES— PADUS. 

P.  Capollin,  P.  cornuta,  P.  demissa,  P.  Maackii, 
P.  Mahaleb,  P.  mollis,  P.  Padus,  P.  serotina,  P. 
virginiana. 

THE  CHERRY-LAURELS— LAURO-CERASUS. 
/'.  ilicifolia,  P.  Lauro-cerasus,  P.  lusitanica. 

P.  ACIDA. — One  of  the  species  from 
which  the  Cherries  of  gardens  have  been 
derived  ;  small,  dark  green,  shining  leaves 
of  firm  texture  and  nearly  glabrous.  A 
variety  is  semperflorens,  of  drooping  habit, 
and  bearing  white  flowers  (sometimes 
double)  from  May  to  September,  and 
often  carrying  flowers  and  fruit.  A  dwarf 
tree,  usually  grafted  standard  high. 


PRUNUS. 


THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         PRUNUS. 


657 


P.  ALLEGHANIENSIS. — Usually  a  shrub 
from  4  to  6  feet  high,  but  sometimes  a 
small  tree  three  or  four  times  that  height. 
The  flowers,  ^  inch  across,  at  first  pure 
white  changing  to  pink,  are  followed  by 
handsome  fruits,  which  are  blue  -  purple, 
nearly  globular,  and  valued  for  preserving. 
Pennsylvania. 

P.  AMERICANA  (Wild  Red  Plum). — A 
handsome  tree  found  in  North  America  to 
the  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  one 
of  the  hardiest.  It  is  a  tree  20  feet  or 
more  high,  of  graceful  habit,  bearing  at  the 
end  of  April  or  the  beginning  of  May  many 
pure  snowy  white  blossoms  ;  fruits  red  or 
yellowish-red,  the  species  being  cultivated 
in  the  United  States  on  their  account. 
The  Canada  Plum,  P.  nigra,  a  form  of  this, 
is  yet  more  showy  and  earlier  in  flower,  but 
runs  into  americana  through  intermediate 
forms. 

P.  AMYGDALUS  (the  Common  Almond). 
— One  of  the  earliest  of  trees  to  bloom,  and 
reaching  its  best  before  hardy  trees  have 
done  more  than  show  signs  of  reviving  life. 
There  are  several  named  varieties  in 
cultivation:  Amara  (Bitter  Almond). — 
flowers  slightly  larger  than  those  of  the 
common  Almond,  petals  almost  white 
towards  the  tips,  deepening  into  rose  at 
the  base.  Dulcis  (Sweet  Almond). — This 
has  leaves  of  a  grey-green  colour,  and  is 
one  of  the  earliest  to  flower.  Macrocarpa. 
— This  is  a  strong-growing  tree  with 
larger,  broader  leaves  than  the  type  ;  the 
flowers,  too,  which  are  rose-tinted  white, 
are  larger.  This  tree  is  hardy  and  vigorous 
in  our  country.  There  are  also  double- 
flowered  and  pendulous  varieties  culti- 
vated under  names  denoting  these  char- 
acters, and  pretty  dwarf  forms,  pink  and 
white,  known  as  nanas,  and  charming 
in  the  rock  garden.  Syn.,  Amygdalus 
communis. 

P.  ANGUSTIFOLIA  (Chickasaw  Plum). — 
In  Britain  this  is  a  shrub  4  to  6  feet  high, 
but  in  America  it  is  a  small  tree  20  to  25 
feet  high ;  the  leaves  3  inches  long ; 
flowers  in  clusters  of  one  or  two  pairs, 
white,  sometimes  with  a  creamy  tint,  one- 
third  of  an  inch  in  diameter.  Several 
excellent  varieties  of  this  plum  are  grown 
in  the  United  States  for  their  bright  red 
fruits,  and  there  are  variegated  forms 
cultivated  in  Europe.  P.  Watsoni  (Sand 
Plum)  is  a  form  of  this,  reaching  about  6 
feet  in  height,  with  twiggy,  much-spined 
branches  and  abundant  sweet  white 
flowers  in  May.  The  orange  -  coloured 
fruits  are  small,  but  much  valued  in  the 
western  states  of  America. 

P.  ARMENIACA  (Common  Apricot). — The 
wild  bush  of  the  cultivated  Apricot  flowers 
in  February  or  early  March,  its  blossoms 
being  usually  of  a  pinkish-white,  but  there 
are  varieties  with  deeper-coloured  flowers, 
and  one  in  which  they  are  double.  N. 
China. 

P.  AVIUM  (the  Gean). — Wild  in  the 
British  Isles,  generally  as  a  tree  20  feet  to 


30  feet  high.  This  has  long  been  grown  as 
an  ornamental  tree,  and  there  are  three  or 
four  good  varieties.  None  is  more  beauti- 
ful than  the  double  form,  whose  pure  white 
flowers  are  borne  in  spring.  The  var, 
decumana  is  a  striking  tree  with  large 
leaves,  some  of  which  measure  6  inches  to 
8  inches  in  length.  The  var.  nana  is  a 
curious  dwarf  plant ;  var.  laciniata  has 
cut  leaves  ;  and  var.  pendula  is  of  weeping 
habit.  The  fruit  is  sweet  or  bitter  (not 
acid) . 


Cerasus  Watereri. 

P.  BESSEYI  (Western  Sand  Cherry). — A 
fine  dwarf  form  of  P.  pumila,  the  wild 
Cherry  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  It  is  as 
yet  little  known  in  our  gardens,  but  will 
make  a  pretty  bushy  shrub  for  dry  places 
in  poor  soil.  The  foliage  is  an  ashen  grey, 
the  flowers  white  in  clusters  of  two  to  five, 
and  the  fruits  cherry-red  on  short  stalks. 

P.  CAPOLLIN. — A  native  of  Mexico  and 
southwards,  where  it  ranks  as  a  fruit  tree  ; 
leaves  are  of  a  dark  glossy  green,  and 
hanging  loose  and  pendent,  as  in  some 
Willows  ;  flowers  in  erect  racemes,  white  ; 
fruits  round,  dark  red  and  like  small 
Cherries  ;  a  tree  30  feet  to  35  feet  high. 
This  is  now  regarded  as  a  willow-leaved 
form  of  P.  serotina,  the  wild  Black  Cherry 
of  America.  In  France  it  ripens  seed. 

P.  CERASIFERA  (the  Myrobalan). — The 
showiest  of  ajl  the  Plums,  flowering  whilst 
the  leaf-buds  are  as  yet  mere  tips  of  green, 


658 


PRUNUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.  PRUNUS. 


JDavii/Jaiiu. 


the  flowers  three-quarters  of  an  inch  to  i 
inch  in  diameter,  in  clusters  on  the  short 
twigs  ;  tree  round-headed  and  of  spreading 
habit,  20  feet  high.  Prunus  Pissardi  is  a 
variety  of  this  species  (var.  atro-purpurea, 
the  purple  Myrobalan),  a  variety  of  Persian 
origin.  Its  white  blossoms  are  followed  by 
the  beautiful  red-purple  young  leaves,  which 
assume  their  richest  tints  when  just  open- 
ing and  in  late  summer  and  autumn.  It 
fruits  in -favourable  seasons,  the  fruits  being 
coloured  like  the  leaves,  even  when  young. 
PW  CERASUS  (Wild  Cherry). — A  native 
of  Britain,  and  usually  a  small  tree  or  even 
a  shrub,  bearing  its  pure  white  flowers  in 
spring.  It  is  the  double-flowered  varieties, 
however,  that  give  this  kind  its  chief 
value  in  gardens.  A  very  old  and  beauti- 
ful Cherry  is  the  variety  known  as  persici- 
flora,  the  flowers  of  which  are  double  and 
tinged  with  rose.  One  of  more  recent 
origin  is  Rhexi  fl.-pl.,  whose  pure  white, 
long-stalked  flowers,  borne  in  May,  hang 
from  the  branches  in  great  abundance.  It 
is  a  small  tree,  and  one  of  the  prettiest  of 
all  the  Cherries.  Syn.,  Cerasus  vulgaris. 

P.  CHAM^CERASUS  (Siberian  Cherry). — 
A  dwarf  Cherry,  the  blossoms  white,  three- 
quarters  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  appearing 
in  May. 

P.  COMMUNIS  (Common  Plum).- — This 
species  is  believed  to  be  the  source  from 
which  the  cultivated  Plums  have  been  de- 
rived, although  in  a  less  degree  the  Bullace 
(P.  insititia]  and  the  Sloe  (P.  spinosa)  have 
each  most  probably  a  share  in  their  origin. 
It  has,  however,  some  value  as  an  orna- 
mental tree,  and  reaches  a  height  of  15 
to  20  feet,  'the  flowers  white.  Of  the 
varieties  cultivated  as  ornamental  trees, 
var.  pruneauliana  is  perhaps  the  most 
beautiful.  It  bears  in  April  many  white 
flowers,  not  large,  but  so  thickly  borne  as 
to  cover  the  twigs.  There  is  also  a  double- 
flowered  form  of  this  variety. 

P.  CORNUTA  (Himalayan  Bird  Cherry). — 
The  Himalayan  form  of  our  Bird  Cherry. 
Its  leaves  are  as  a  rule  larger,  broader, 
and  of  stouter  texture  than  those  of  our 
British  trees  ;  they  are  also  distinct 
in  having  red  stalks. 

P.  DAVIDIANA. — The  earliest  of  all 
the  Peaches  to  bloom,  in  mild  winters 
as  early  as  January.  Its  branches  are 
of  somewhat  erect  growth,  the  flowers 
individually  I  inch  across  and  completely 
covering  the  shoots  made  the  preceding 
year,  which  are  frequently  2  feet  long. 
The  petals  in  one  form  (alba)  are  of  a  pure 
white  ;  in  the  other  (rubra)  pink,  but  not 
so  freely  borne. 

P.  INSITITIA  (Bullace). — A  small  tree, 
often  wild  in  hedgerows,  which  bears 
its  white  flowers  in  pairs  during  March  and 
April ;  its  black  fruits  are  ripe  in  October. 
There  are  several  varieties,  amongst  which 
may  be  mentioned  that  with  double  flowers, 
another  with  yellowish-white  fruits,  and  a 
third  with  red  fri.its. 


PRUNUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


PRUNUS. 


659 


P.  JACQUEMONTI.  —  A  pretty  shrub, 
native  of  N.  India,  where  it  is  found 
at  altitudes  from  6,000  to  12,000  feet,  with 
flowers  of  a  bright  rosy  pink,  about  half  an 
inch  across,  and  borne  in  great  abundance 
on  the  growths  of  the  previous  summer. 
The  Chinese  P.  humilis  is  nearly  related  to 
this. 

P.  JAPONICA  (Double  Chinese  Plum). — 
This  is  one  of  the  most  lovely  of  spring- 
flowering  shrubs.  The  single  form  prob- 
ably not  in  cultivation  ;  the  double  one 
has  white  flowers  with  a  more  or  less  rosy 
tint,  some,  indeed,  of  a  distinct  rose  colour. 
It  can  be  struck  from  cuttings,  but  it  is 
better  to  layer  the  shoots  of  an  old  plant. 
In  that  way  nice  flowering  plants  can  be 
obtained  in  two  years.  Grafted  plants 
neither  grow  nor  flower  so  well,  and  a  con- 
stant watch  has  to  be  kept  for  suckers. 
Syn.,  P.  sinensis. 

P.  LAURO-CERASUS  (Cherry  Laurel). — A 
noble  evergreen  tree  often  overplanted  and 
misused,  and  where  this  is  so,  Cherry 
Laurels  have  to  be  continually  cut  back 
to  keep  them  within  bounds,  and  their 
hungry  roots  prevent  the  cultivation  of 
better  things  anywhere  near.  Several 
varieties  are  in  cultivation,  the  best  of 
which  are  colchica,  caucasica,  and  rotundi- 
folia,  all  with  broader,  larger  leaves  than 
the  common  Laurel  and  preferable  to  it 
on  account  of  their  hardier  constitution. 
Salicifolia,  angustifolia,  and  parvifolia  are 
narrow  -  leaved  varieties,  the  last  being 
often  grown  under  the  name  of  Havtoghia 
capensis.  A  new  variety  from  the  Shipka 
Pass  (shipkaensis)  is  said  to  bethe  hardiest 
of  all.' 

P.  LUSITANICA  (Portugal  Laurel).- — A 
noble  evergreen  rarely  seen  in  its  full 
beauty,  because  it  is  nearly  always  choked 
with  other  things  in  the  shrubbery.  It  is 
as  a  group,  and  allowed  full  freedom  of 
growth,  that  its  value  both  as  a  winter 
and  summer  shrub  is  seen,  though  like 
the  Cherry  Laurel  it  is  often  overplanted. 
Var.  myrtifolia  has  smaller  leaves  than  the 
common  forms,  and  its  branches  are  of 
more  erect  'growth.  Being  dwarf er,  it  is 
also  better  suited  for  shrubberies.  Var. 
azorica  has  much  larger  leaves,  and  fewer 
but  larger  flowers  on  the  raceme.  Spain, 
Portugal,  and  the  Azores. 

P.  MAH  ALEB  (Mahaleb) .  —  None  of 
the  European  Cherries  surpass  this  in  its 
springtide  beauty.  The  Mahaleb  is  a  native 
of  Central  and  Southern  Europe,  perfectly 
hardy  in  England,  reaching  a  height  of 
20  to  30  feet,  of  free  graceful  growth. 
Especially  is  this  the  case  with  the  variety 
pendula,  which,  although  not  strictly 
weeping,  is  of  looser,  laxer  habit  than  the 
type.  The  leaves  are  each  2  inches  long, 
and  the  pure  white  flowers  appear  in  rather 
flat  racemes  in  May. 

P.  MARITIMA  (American  Beach  Plum). — 
A  very  handsome  bushy  shrub,  new  to 


British  gardens.  Its  beauty  is  the  great 
profusion  of  its  early  flowers,  but  the  purple 
or  yellow  fruits,  covered  with  a  dense 
bloom,  though  rather  small,  are  edible. 
A  good  kind  for  sandy  shore  lands. 

P.  MUME. — Under  the  hands  of  Japanese 
cultivators  this  has  varied  into  numerous 
forms,  and  there  are  now  at  Kew  varieties 
with  flowers  red  and  white,  single  and 
double,  as  well  as  one  of  the  pendulous  habit. 
The  wood  resembles  that  of  the  common 
Apricot.  The  plant  is  leafless  at  the  time 


Frunits  japonica,. 

of  flowering.  It  has  been  in  cultivation 
for  some  years,  both  here  and  on  the  Con- 
tinent, but  disguised  under  other  names, 
one  of  which  is  Prunus  Myrobalana  fl.~ 
roseis.  Corea. 

P.  NANA  (Dwarf  Almond). — This,  a 
native  of  Southern  Russia,  is  one  of  the 
dwarfest  of  the  Almonds,  being  from  2  feet 
to  5  feet  high.  It  flowers  during  March  and 
April  when  the  leaf-buds  are  only  beginning 
to  burst,  the  flowers  being  of  a  lively  rose 
colour  and  about  three-quarters  of  an  inch 
across.  The  leaves  are  narrow,  smooth, 
dark  green,  and  glossy.  It  is  a  charming 
shrub,  and  can  be  .easily  and  quickly 
propagated  by  layering.  The  species  will 
thrive  in  a  dry  situation  better  than  most 
Almonds.  There  is  a  pretty  double  form. 

P.  PADUS  (Bird  Cherry). — This  beau- 
tiful tree,  a  native  of  Britain  as  well  as 
of  North  and  Central  Europe  and  Asia,  is 
often  40  feet  high,  the  flowers  being  borne 


66o 


PRIJNUS. 


tHE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEti. 


PRUNUS. 


in  drooping  racemes,  in  the  commonest 
form  being  4  inches  to  6  inches  long. 
There  are  varieties,  however,  finer  both  in 
the  flowers  and  racemes.  The  common 
Bird  Cherry  is  a  tree  rather  for  the  park 
and  woodland  than  the  garden  proper, 
but  the  Manchurian  and  double-flowered 
varieties  fully  deserve  a  place  among 
flowering  trees. 

P.  PENDULA  (Rose-bud  Cherry). — A 
beautiful  Japanese  Cherry  and  one  of  the 
earliest  to  come  into  flower,  commencing 
usually  towards  the  end  of  March.  Its 
pendent  growth  has  led  to  its  being 
commonly  worked  on  stocks  5  to  6  feet 
high,  but  it  comes  true  from  seed.  The 
leaves  are  much  like  those  of  the  common 
Cherry,  the  flowers  of  a  lovely  shade  of 
soft  rose  and  borne  in  profusion.  In  the 
United  States,  where  the  summers  are 
much  hotter,  it  thrives  better  than  in 
England,  and  it  should,  if  possible,  be 
planted  in  a  sunny  spot  sheltered  from  the 
north  and  east  Syn.,  Cerasus  pendula. 

P.  PERSICA  (Peach). — Although  neither 
so  free-growing  nor  so  hardy  as  the 
Almond,  the  Peach  in  various  forms  is 
beautiful,  and  in  positions  sheltered  from 
the  north  and  east  ought  to  be  planted 
freely.  There  are  now  varieties  at  the 
service  of  the  planter,  chiefly  single 
and  double  forms,  with  white  or  red 
flowers.  One  of  the  best  of  these  is 
camellitzflora,  with  large  single  or  double 
red  flowers.  There  is  also  one  with  purple 
foliage  known  as  foliis  rubris,  this  colour 
extending  also  to  the  fruit.  The  double 
Peaches  are  often  very  handsome  in 
warm  valley  soils.  Best  from  seeds  or 
layers,  the  grafting  on  the  plum  leading 
to  death  or  disease. 

P.  PROSTRATA  (Mountain  Cherry). — A 
rare  species,  and  one  of  the  most  lovely  of 
the  dwarf  Cherries,  a  native  of  the  moun- 
tains of  the  Levant,  and,  although  not 
strictly  prostrate  (at  least  in  cultivation), 
is  a  low  spreading  bush,  the  long,  slender 
branches  arching  outwards  and  down- 
wards to  the  ground.  The  flowers,  borne 
on  very  short  stalks,  are  of  a  beautiful 
lively  shade  of  rose,  are  half -an -inch  to 
three-quarters  of  an  inch  across,  and  so 
plentiful  as  to  almost  hide  the  branches. 

P.  PSEUDO-CERASUS  (Japanese  Cherry). 
— This  is  the  tree  whose  flowering  marks 
one  of  the  epochs  of  the  year  in  Japan. 
In  the  forests  of  N.  Japan  this  species 
becomes  a  large  timber  tree,  but  in 
England  it  is  not  often  seen  above  20 
feet  high,  and  it  is  the  double-flowered 
varieties  that  are  cultivated  in  England. 
They  are  of  various  shades  of  rosy  white, 
and  are  known  under  such  names  as 
Cerasus  Watereri,  C.  Sieboldi,  etc.  More 
so  perhaps  than  any  other  are  these  double- 
flowered  Cherries  worth  extensive  planting, 
never  failing  to  flower,  being  of  surpassing 
beauty  and  perfectly  hardy.  They  should 
be  grown  on  a  cool,  moist  bottom,  and  the 


effect  they  produce  in  spring  is  all  the 
greater  if  room  can  be  afforded  for  a  grove 
of  a  dozen  or  so  trees  with  a  backing  of 
Holly  or  other  evergreen. 

P.  SERRULATA.- — A  native  of  Japan, 
and  can  be  recognised  by  its  peculiar 
mode  of  branching.  The  main  stem 
is  erect  for  a  few  feet,  but  then  branches 
off  almost  horizontally  into  three  or 
four  divisions,  and  henceforth  ceases  to 
send  up  a  defined  lead.  It  is  picturesque, 
representing  one  of  the  modes  of  growth 
we  have  come  to  regard  as  essentially 
typical  of  Japanese  tree  vegetation,  and 
its  rosy-white  double  flowers  come  about 
a  fortnight  later  than  in  the  common 
Japanese  Cherry.  The  single  -  flowered 
form  is  not  in  cultivation. 

P.  SIBIRICA  (Siberian  Apricot) . — A  pretty 
little  shrub  now  becoming  better  known 
in  gardens,  where  it  is  valued  for  its 
early  white  or  pink  flowers  carried  in 
profusion. 

P.  SIMONI.— Has  leaves  of  about  the 
same  size  as  the  common  Almond,  but 
the  tree  itself  is  of  more  erect  habit  and 
frequently  resembles  the  Lombardy  Poplar 
in  form  of  growth.  The  flowers  are  white, 
and  appearing  in  February  and  March.  Its 
fruit  is  deep  purple,  and  ripens  early. 
China. 

P.     SPINOSA     FLORE-PLENO    (double    Sloe 

or  Blackthorn). —  This  flowers  at  the 
same  time  as  the  Sloe,  its  blossoms  white, 
about  half  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  not 
perfectly  double,  the  centre  of  the  flower 
containing  a  cluster  of  stamens.  The 
flowers  are  thickly  crowded  on  the  short 
spiny  branches,  the  black  colour  of  which 
serves  to  show  off  more  vividly  the  beauty 
of  the  flowers.  It  is  one  of  the  most 
charming  of  March  flowering  shrubs. 
There  is  a  neat  garden  form  in  which  the 
leaves  are  a  dark  purple  colour,  like  that 
of  P.  Pissardii. 

P.  TOMENTOSA. — A  pretty  and  very 
distinct  little  Cherry  from  China  and  Man- 
churia, its  dense  crown  unlike  other  kinds, 
and  of  beautiful  effect.  The  pink  flowers 
come  just  before  the  hairy  leaves,  solitary 
or  in  pairs,  and  with  very  short  stalks. 
The  round  fruits,  set  close  against  the 
branches,  are  a  pretty  bright  red. 

P.  TRIFLORA  (Japanese  Plum). — More 
commonly  grown  in  American  gardens 
than  with  us,  and  mainly  valued  for  its 
fruits.  These  are  not  equal  to  our  orchard 
plums,  but  are  very  abundant,  of  fine 
appearance,  and  keep  well,  and  the  trees 
are  singularly  free  of  disease. 

P.  TRILOBA  FL.-PL. — Perhaps  the  most 
lovely  of  all  the  dwarf  Prunus,  it  is  a 
native  of  China  and  was  introduced  by 
Fortune.  The  flowers  are  at  their  best 
in  early  April,  and  each  one  measures  i£ 
to  2  inches  in  diameter.  On  first  opening 
they  are  of  a  lovely  shade  of  delicate 
rose,  changing  with  age  to  an  almost 
pure  white.  It  is  hardy  and  will  thrive 


PTERIS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        PULMONARIA.     66 1 


as  a  bush  in  the  open,  although  not  so 
well  as  on  a  wall.  The  same  applies  to 
the  double-flowered  variety,  which  for 
forty  years  has  been  in  our  gardens. 
Within  the  last  year  or  two,  the  single- 
flowered  wild  type  has  been  introduced. 
It  has  smaller  rosy -white  flowers,  and 
leaves,  of  the  same  shape  as  Fortune's 
plant,  but  smaller. — W.  J.  B. 

PTERIS  ( Brake) .  —  The  Bracken 
Fern  (P.  aquilina) ,  the  only  thoroughly 
hardy  species  of  this  genus,  is  generally 
so  common  as  not  to  need  cultivation. 
In  introducing  it  where  it  is  scarce, 
to  transplant  it  successfully  large  sods 
containing  the  strong  creeping  roots 
must  be  dug  up,  and  planted  in  light 
soil  ;  if  peaty,  so  much  the  better. 
In  very  mild  localities  such  species  as 
P.  cretica  and  the  elegant  P.  scaberula, 
from  New  Zealand,  sometimes  thrive 
in  sheltered  nooks. 

PTEROCARYA  (Winged  Nut}.— 
Walnut-like  trees  of  fine  stately  form 
of  leaf  and  habit,  P.  caucasica  being 
hardy  in  our  country,  at  least  in  the 
southern  and  warmer  parts.  There 
are  good  trees  at  Claremont  and  other 
places,  and  one  in  Hyde  Park.  The 
foliage  is  very  glossy  and  large.  The 
tree  is  a  vigorous  grower,  and  should 
not  be  planted  near  shrubs  or  other 
plants  we  wish  to  have  a  fair  chance. 
The  trees  are  natives  of  temperate 
countries  in  Asia,  and  their  number  is 
likely  to  be  added  to  as  soon  as  more 
of  China,  Mongolia,  and  countries 
near  are  opened  up.  The  Caucasian  is 
the  best  known  species  —  others  are : 
rhio folia,  Japan,  stenoptera,  China,  and 
Delavayi,  Yun-Nan. 

PTEROCEPHALTJS. — P.  Parnassi  is 
a  Scabious-like  plant  of  dwarf  compact 
growth,  forming  a  dense  rounded  mass 
of  hoary  foliage,  which  in  summer  is 
studded  with  mauve-coloured  flower- 
heads.  It  is  a  most  desirable  plant, 
thriving  best  in  light  warm  soils,  and 
is  suited  either  for  the  rock-garden  or 
dry  banks.  Syn.,  Scabiosa  pterocephala. 
Greece. 

PTEROSTYRAX.— P.  hispidum  is 
a  Japanese  shrub,  and  quite  hardy 
enough  for  culture  as  a  bush.  It 
makes  a  capital  wall  shrub,  being  rapid 
in  growth,  handsome  in  foliage,  and 
very  beautiful  in  flower.  The  leaves 
are  heart-shaped,  about  6  inches  long 
and  3  inches  broad,  the  small  white 
flowers  borne  very  freely  in  drooping 
clusters  about  the  end  of  July.  Another 
Japanese  species,  P.  corymbosum,  is 
less  common,  though  d'esirable  for 


walls.  Its  flowers,  which  are  white  or 
faintly  tinged,  are  in  crowded  clusters. 
Both  species  are  8  to  12  feet  high  in 
this  country.  They  are  known  botani- 
cally  as  Halesia  hispida  and  H. 
corymbosa,  but  ever  since  their  intro- 
duction they  have  been  known  as 
Pterostyrax  in  gardens.  Increase  by 
seeds,  layers,  and  soft  cuttings. 

PUERARIA  (Kudsu).  —  P.  thunber- 
giana  is  a  remarkable  climbing  plant 
of  almost  tropical  vigour,  growing  up 
poles,  colonnades,  and  walls  to  a  great 
height  in  a  very  short  time.  It  belongs 
to  the  Pea  family,  and  is  a  plant  the 
Japanese  make  a  great  economic  use  of 


rterocefihalus   Parnassi. 


in  various  ways,  but  our  main  concern 
with  it  here  is  for  the  flower  garden, 
where  it  is  hardy  and  useful  as  a  rapid- 
growing  leafy  screen.  The  flowers  are 
a  dull  violet-purple  and  very  fragrant, 
but  only  come  towards  autumn,  when 
the  plant  is  well  established.  Increase 
by  seeds,  division  of  the  fleshy  roots, 
or  by  cuttings. 

PULMONARIA  (Lungwort).—  These 
are  vigorous  and  hardy  in  any  soil. 
Most  of  them  grow  well  under  the  shade 
of  trees,  and  all  succeed  best  in  shade. 
They  form  dense  tufts  of  foliage, 
generally  handsomely  blotched  and 
speckled  with  white,  and  make  pretty- 
groups  in  the  spring  garden,  or  in  semi- 
wild  places,  but  are  worthy  of  the  best 
places  in  the  flower  garden.  There  are 
about  half-a-dozen  kinds,  all  like  each 
other.  P.  officinalis  and  P.  angusti- 
folia  are  native  plants.  P.  officinalis 
(sometimes  called  P.  saccharata)  has 
rosy  flowers  turning  to  blue,  and  P. 
angustifolia  bears  blue  flowers.  P. 
mollis  is  intermediate  between  the  two, 
and  P.  grandiflora  is  somewhat]  similar 
to  P.  officinalis.  P.  azurea  fcas  rich. 


662 


PUNIC  A. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         PYRETHRUM. 


blue  flowers.  P.  arvernense,  with  deep 
blue  flowers,  is  of  refined  habit,  and 
well  suited  to  the  rock-garden.  There 
is  a  white-flowered  form  of  it.  Chiefly 
natives  of  Europe.  P.  dahurica  is 
sometimes  called  Mertensia  dahurica. 

P.  AZUREA. — Flower  stems  about  8 
inches  high,  flowers  a  full,  perfect  blue  in 
bunchy  heads,  what  botanists  call  a  "twin 
capitale  "  raceme.  Some  flowers  in  the 
head  stand  up  and  some  slightly  droop. 
Leaves  dark  green,  no  spots,  broad,  lance- 
shaped,  8  to  10  inches  long,  stand  up  in  a 
prosperous-looking  tuft  after  the  flowers 
are  over.  It  is  very  near  the  rare  native 
P.  angustifolia,  but  a  good  bit  better  as  a 
garden  plant.  Flowers  in  May,  and  a 
really  good  plant. 

PUNICA  (Pomegranate). — Like  the 
Myrtle,  the  Pomegranate,  P.  granatum, 
is  grown  as  a  wall  shrub,  the  walls  of 
some  old  houses  being  covered  with  it, 
and  it  makes  a  very  beautiful  covering 
with  its  dense  mass  of  tender  green 
foliage.  The  type  has  single  flowers  of 
a  brilliant  scarlet,  but  the  best  is  the 
double-flowered  sort  (flore-pleno] ,  which 
is  also  scarlet,  and  is  that  most  com- 
monly seen.  There  is  also  a  yellow- 
flowered  sort  and  a  white  or  almost 
white  kind  (albescens)  with  single  and 
double  forms,  but  these  are  rare.  The 
flowers  are  borne  freely  on  the  young 
slender  shoots  of  the  previous  year's 
growth,  and  in  pruning  these  must  be 
left  untouched.  Increase  by  cuttings 
of  dormant  wood,  rooted  under  glass 
with  some  heat. 


Puschkinia  scilloides. 

PUSCHKINIA  (Striped  Squill}. — P. 
scilloides  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of 
spring  bulbous  flowers.  In  its  growth 
it  is  like  some  of  the  Scillas,  but  its 
flowers  are  delicate  blue,  each  petal 
being  marked  through  the  centre  with 


a  darker  colour.  The  flower  spikes  are 
4  or  5  inches  high.  There  are  two 
forms  of  the  plant — the  ordinary  one 
and  P.  compacta.  Compacta  is  so 
called  from  its  denser  and  more  num- 
erous flowers,  and  is  therefore  the  hand- 
somer of  the  two.  The  soil  should  be 
light  and  friable,  and  about  i  foot  in 
depth  ;  and  the  bulbs  planted  about  4 
inches  deep.  P.  libanotica  is  a  taller 
and  more  vigorous  plant  of  easy 
culture  and  hardy.  Shady  situations 
in  sub-alpine  districts  of  Asia  Minor. 

PYRETHRUM. — Vigorous  perennial 
or  rock  -  plants,  by  far  the  most 
important  of  which  is  the  Caucasian 
P.  roseum,  which  has  yielded  the  in- 
numerable varieties,  both  single  and 
double,  that  have  now  become  such 
popular  border  flowers.  They  are 
showy,  hardy,  and  easy  to  grow,  little 
affected  by  sun  or  rain,  and  valuable 
as  cut  flowers.  The  blossoms  are  con- 
tinually becoming  more  varied  in 
colour  and  more  refined  in  shape. 
Though  Pyrethrums  are  in  their  fullest 
beauty  in  June,  they  are  seldom  alto- 
gether nowerless  throughout  the  sum- 
mer ;  and  a  succession  can  easily  be  kept 
up  by  judicious  stopping  and  thinning. 
They  are  valuable  for  autumn  decora- 
tion, for  if  cut  down  after  flowering 
in  June,  they  flower  again  in  autumn. 
Division,  March  or  April  and  in  July 
after  flowering.  Seed.  Take  the 
plants  up,  shake  off  all  soil,  pull 
them  to  pieces,  put  them  in  small  pots, 
and  place  them  in  a  cold  frame  for  a 
few  weeks  until  established,  but  not 
too  close,  as  they  are  apt  to  damp. 
When  established,  they  may  be  planted 
out.  A  good  rich  loam  suits  them 
best,  though  they  will  grow  and 
flower  freely  in  any  good  garden  soil, 
and  the  more  we  incorporate  well- 
rotted  manure  with  the  soil  the  better 
they  grow  and  flower.  Mulching, 
especially  in  dry  soil,  keeps  the  ground 
moist  and  cool.  The  varieties  are 
so  numerous  that  it  is  difficult  to  make 
a  selection,  and  as  they  vary  from 
year  to  year  it  is  best  to  take  them 
from  the  catalogues  of  the  day. 

P.  PARTHENIUM  (Feverfew}. — The  gol- 
den-leaved variety  of  this  plant  (P. 
aureum  or  Golden  Feather)  is  now  common. 
Of  this  there  are  several  forms.  One  is 
called  laciniatum,  and  is  very  distinct 
from  the  older  kind.  These  have  their 
uses  in  geometrical  borders,  where  they 
have  a  bright  effect.  Their  culture 
is  of  the  simplest.  Seed  is  sown  in  heat 
in  spring,  and  the  seedlings  are  pricked 


PYROLA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


PYRUS. 


663 


off  iii  pans,  and  when  large  enough 
transferred  to  open  borders,  and  there 
they  withstand  the  winter  unprotected. 
New  plants  should  be  raised  every  year, 
as  after  flowering  the  second  year  the  old 
plants  lose  their  neat  compact  growth. 

P.  TCHICHATCHEWI  (Turfing  Daisy). — 
A  Caucasian  plant,  retaining  its  verdure 
in  dry  weather  on  dry  banks  or  slopes 
where  few  plants  would  nourish ;  a 
dwarf  creeper,  quickly  forming  a  carpet 
of  green.  The  flowers  have  white  rays 
and  a  yellow  disc,  and  in  forming  turf 
of  the  plant  in  poor  dry  soils  they  should 
be  removed,  though  for  the  rock  garden 
of  the  rougher  kind  or  for  borders  the 
flowers  have  some  claim  to  beauty. 

P.  ULIGINOSUM  (Hungarian  Daisy). — 
One  of  the  finest  of  tall  herbaceous  plants, 
and  forms  tufts  5  to  7  feet  in  height. 
These  are  crowned  by  lax  clusters  of 
pure  white  flowers,  each  about  twice  the 
size  of  an  Ox-eye  Daisy.  It  is  excellent 
for  cutting,  and  its  blossoms  are  produced 
late  in  autumn  before  the  Chrysanthe- 
mums come  in.  It  is  a  stately  plant  for 
a  rich  border,  and  thrives  best  in  deep, 
moist,  loamy  soil.  It  may  be  natural- 
ised in  damp  places.  Division.  Syn., 
P.  serotinum.  Hungary. 

PYROLA  (Winter -green).  —  Little 
evergreen  plants  of  the  northern  woods 
and  boggy  or  sandy  places,  very  distinct 
and  attractive  both  in  leaf  and  flower. 

P.  ROTUNDIFOLIA  (Larger  Winter-green). 
— P.  rotundi folia  is  a  rare  native  plant, 
6  to  12  inches  high,  inhabiting  woods, 
shady,  bushy,  and  reedy  places.  It 
has  leathery  leaves,  and  its  erect  stems 
bear  long,  handsome,  and  slightly-droop- 
ing racemes  of  pure  white  flowers,  rather 
like  a  Lily-of-the-Valley,  half  an  inch 
across,  ten  or  twenty  of  which  are  borne 
on  a  stem.  They  have  a  sweet  scent. 
P.  r.  arenaria  is  a  very  graceful  plant, 
found  wild  on  sandy  seashores.  It 
differs  from  the  preceding  in  being 
smooth,  deep  green,  and  dwarfer,  and 
in  having  as  a  rule  several  empty  bracts 
below  the  inflorescence.  Both  the  type 
and  its  variety  are  beautiful  plants 
for  the  shady  mossy  flanks  of  the  rock 
garden  in  free  sandy  and  vegetable  soil. 
They  flourish  more  readily  in  cultivation 
than  any  other  species  of  the  family. 
In  America  there  are  varieties  with 
flesh-coloured  and  reddish  flowers,  but 
none  of  these  are  in  cultivation.  P. 
uni flora,  P.  media,  P.  minor,  and  P. 
secunda  are  also  interesting  British  plants, 
and  the  first-named  is  very  ornamental, 
besides  being  very  rare.  P.  elliptica,  a 
native  of  N.  America,  is  also  found  in  our 
gardens,  though  rarely.  Any  of  the 
Pyrolas  are 'worth  growing  in  thin  mossy 
copses  on  light  sandy  vegetable  soil, 
or  in  moist  and  half-shady  parts  of  the 
rock  garden  or  the  fernery,  where  they 


make  neat  evergreen  carpets,  flowering 
in  summer.  Increase  by  seeds  sown  as 
soon  as  ripe,  or  division  of  the  roots 
in  autumn  or  spring  ;  this  last  is  a  work 
of  care,  the  plants  being  somewhat 
averse  to  disturbance. 

PYRUS  (Pear  and  Apple). — Beauti- 
ful flowering  trees  and  bushes  of  which 
there  is  now  a  bewildering  number, 
since  botanists  have  classed  all  Apples, 
Pears,  and  their  allies  under  the  one 
family.  Here  it  will  be  convenient 
to  adhere  to  the  old  classification, 
which  places  Pears  under  Pyrus, 
Apples  under  Malus,  Beams  under  Aria, 
and  Mountain  Ashes  and  Service  Trees 
under  Sorbus.  No  one  is  likely  to 
confuse  one  with  another,  and  their 
names  are  more  easily  remembered 
when  so  classified.  These  old  genera 
are  now  placed  as  sections  of  Pyrus. 
The  finest  flowering  trees  are  those  in- 
cluded under  the  section  Malus,  the 
type  of  which  is  the  common  Crab  Apple 
(M.  communis).  There  is  a  beautiful 
flowering  variety  of  the  Crab  Apple 
called  the  Paradise  Apple,  having  large 
handsome  flowers,  but  it  is  seldom 
planted  for  effect,  although  in  com- 
mon use  as  a  stock  for  grafting.  The 
Chinese  and  Japanese  Crab  Apples 
include  the  finest  of  our  small  trees  that 
flower  in  early  summer.  The  Chinese 
double-flowered  Crab  (P.  M.  spectabilis) 
is  a  lovely  tree  15  to  25  feet  high,  with 
a  wide  -  spreading  head  of  branches 
abundantly  wreathed  with  large  semi- 
double  delicate  rose-pink  flowers.  It 
is  not  often  met  with,  except  in  old 
gardens.  The  varieties  of  P.  M. 
baccata  or  Berry  Apple  (so  called  from 
its  small  round  fruits)  are  known  as 
Siberian  Crabs.  They  are  graceful  in 
growth,  showy  in  flower,  and  have 
highly-coloured  fruits,,  which  add  much 
to  the  beauty  of  the  garden  in  autumn. 
The  Japanese  Crab  (P.  M.  Toringo)  has 
beautiful  flowers  and  fruits.  The 
flowers  are  white  and  pale  pink,  and  the 
very  small  fruits  are  hung  on  long 
slender  stalks.  Of  the  Toringo  Crab 
there  are  now  several  forms,  differing 
in  colour  of  flower  and  of  fruit.  It  is 
a  small  tree,  and  is  a  large  -  spreading 
bush  if  the  leaders  are  removed.  The 
finest  of  the  Eastern  Crab  Apples  is 
the  Japanese  P.  M.  floribunda.  Fully 
grown  it  makes  a  low  tree  with  a  dense 
wide-spreading  head  of  slender  branches 
loaded  every  May  with  a  profusion  of 
flowers  of  a  pale  pink  when  expanded, 
and  of  a  brilliant  crimson  in  the  bud, 
when  they  are  most  beautiful.  An- 
other new  mild  kind  from  C.  Asia  is 


664 


PYRUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


QUERCUS. 


P.  M.  niedwet~kyana,  known  as  the 
Red  Apple.  Not  only  are  the  flowers 
a  deeper  red  than  in  any  other  kind, 
but  the  fruits,  the  bark  of  the  twigs, 
and  even  the  leaves,  when  coming 
and  dying  away,  all  carry  deep  shades 
of  crimson  and  purple.  The  N.  Ameri- 
can Sweet-Scented  Crab  Apple  (P.  M. 
coronaria)  is  a  lovely  little  tree  with 
large  pink  deliriously  scented  flowers. 
There  are  other  ornamental  Apples 
in  the  section  Malus,  but  the  fore- 
going include  the  finest. 

Of  the  one  or  two  Pears  that  may 
be  planted  for  ornament  one  is  P. 
Bollwylleriana,  from  C.  Europe,  which 
produces  in  spring  an  abundance 
of  small  white  blooms  in  clusters  ;  and 
another  is  P.  salicifolia  (the  Willow- 
leaved  Pear),  which  is  well  worthy  of 
planting  on  account  of  its  distinct  and 
beautiful  foliage,  has  leaves  of  silvery 
whiteness.  P.  ol&agnifolia,  or  Oleaster- 
leaved  Pear,  is  another  Eastern  species 
with  hoary  leaves. 

Of  the  Sorbus  section  the  common 
Mountain  Ash  (P.  Aucuparia)  is  a 
familiar  example,  but  it  is  too  common 
to  need  description.  There  is  a  kind 
with  yellow  berries,  another  kind  with 
weeping  branches,  and  a  third  of 
erect  growth.  The  last  is  not  very 
ornamental,  as  the  variegation  is 
seldom  distinct.  Other  species  worthy 
of  attention  are  P.  S.  americana, 
the  American  Mountain  Ash,  which  is  a 
good  deal  like  our  own  Mountain  Ash  ; 
and  P.  S.  hybrida,  a  tree  of  very  dis- 
tinct growth,  with  a  dense  pyramidal 
head,  and  leaves  intermediate  between 
those  of  P.  S.  Aucuparia  and  "P.  Aria 
(the  White  Beam).  The  true  Service 
Tree,  P.  S.  domestica,  used  to  be  more 
frequently  planted  than  now.  It  is  a 
handsome  tree  with  elegant  foliage. 
Of  the  White  Beam  (P.  Aria]  there  are 
some  very  handsome  kinds.  Like 
the  Mountain  Ash,  it  is  also  one  of 
the  best  trees  for  planting  in  exposed 
places  on  poor  soil,  and  no  tree  thrives 
so  well  on  chalk.  Its  broad  silvery 
foliage  makes  it  show  in  the  landscape, 
and  it  is  a  valuable  park  tree.  Its 
allies  and  varieties  include  some  beauti- 
ful trees,  such  as  latifolia,  with  leaves 
Which  are  broader  than  the  type  and 
quite  as  silvery.  Hosti  is  a  good 
tree,  both  in  foliage  and  flower. 
Its  leaves  are  large  and  silvery, 
and  its  delicate  rose-pink  flowers  are  in 
broad  flat  clusters.  It  is  a  Central 
European  tree,  perfectly  hardy,  and 
about  10  feet  high.  The  Himalayan 
Beam  Tree,  P.  vestita  is  extremely 


fine,  but  is  not  hardy  everywhere.  Its 
very  large  leaves  are  like  those  of  the 
Loquat,  and  are  of  silvery  whiteness. 
Where  it  thrives  it  is  20  to  30  feet 
high. 

PYXIDANTHERA  (Pine  Barren 
Beauty}. — P.  barbulata  is  a  curious  little 
American  evergreen  shrub,  smaller  than 
many  Mosses,  flowering  in  May,  rose- 
coloured  in  bud,  white  when  open,  the 
effect  of  the  rosy  buds  and  the  white 
flowers  on  the  dense  dwarf  cushions 
being  singularly  pretty  :  it  is  plentiful 
in  the  sandy  dry  "  Pine  barrens  "  be- 
tween New  Jersey  and  North  Carolina, 
and  often  found  on  little  mounds  in  low 
but  not  wet  places.  It  is  a  charming 
plant  for  the  rock  garden,  planted  in 
pure  sand  and  leaf-mould,  and  fully 
exposed  to  the  sun.  Increase  by  care- 
ful division  of  old  plants,  or  seeds  sown 
in  a  cold  frame  as  soon  as  ripe. 

QUAMOCLIT. — Q.  coccinea  is  a  pretty 
Convolvulus  -  like  plant,  with  many 
small  scarlet  flowers  and  slender  stems 
of  rapid  growth,  attaining  a  height  of 
6  to  8  feet  in  a  few  weeks.  It  may  be 
treated  either  as  a  half-hardy  annual, 
and  sown  in  February  or  March  under 
glass  or  in  a  hot-bed,  but  it  requires  a 
warmer  climate  than  ours  to  do  well. 
Q.  hedercefolia  is  another  pretty  species. 
It  has  scarlet  flowers  and  lobed  foliage, 
and  requires  the  same  treatment. 
Both  are  excellent  plants  for  sheltered 
trellises,  as  they  give  abundance  of 
flowers  from  July  to  September. 

QUERCUS  (Oak}.— Noble  evergreen 
and  summer-leafing  trees  of  northern 
and  temperate  regions,  of  whose  beauty 
and  value  books  can  give  but  a  feeble 
impression.  If  we  think  of  our  own 
stately  Oak  and  its  variety  of  form  in 
different  situations,  even  within  the 
narrow  area  of  our  storm-tossed  isle, 
we  may  perhaps  get  some  idea  of  the 
value  of  the  several  hundred  known 
species  of  Oak.  The  evergreen  Oaks, 
though  of  vast  importance  in  more 
temperate  countries  (I  have  passed 
through  millions  of  acres  of  evergreen 
Oak  in  N.  Africa  alone),  are  of  less 
value  in  our  cold  climate,  but  we  have 
one  precious  kind  in  the  Ilex,  and 
other  kinds  may  be  grown  in  the  mild 
parts  to  a  limited  extent,  especially 
in  seashore  districts  where  evergreen 
shelter  is  welcome. 

From  the  point  of  view  of  effect,  the 
most  noble  of  the  summer-leafing  Oaks 
are  the  American  Oaks,  with  their  fine 


QUERCUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


QUERCUS. 


665 


colour  in  autumn.  No  trees  have  been  i 
more  talked  of,  yet  why  are  they  so  i 
rare  in  our  gardens  ?  The  answer  is,  j 
I  think,  because  of  our  ways  of  pro-  | 
curing  them,  by  plants  too  old,  from 
nurseries,  and,  most  of  all,  by  the 
habit  of  grafting  exotic  kinds  on  the 
common  Oak,  and  neglecting  the  natural  ; 
modes  of  increase,  which,  in  the  case  of 
Oaks,  is  certainly  by  seed.  If  we  were 
dealing  with  plants  of  a  tender  nature, 
for  which  some  hardy  stock  would  be 
necessary,  there  might  be  some  reason  ' 
for  this,  but  it  is  not  so,  because  these 
lovely  American  Oaks  inhabit  colder 
regions  than  our  own  country,  and  they 
are  absolutely  different  in  character 
from  ours,  some  of  them  living  on  dry, 
warm  soils,  whereas  our  Oak  is  usually 
best,  and  certainly  the  timber  is  best, 
on  soils  of  a  heavy  nature.  Therefore 
those  who  wish  to  have  the  American 
Oaks  in  their  beauty  should  work  from 
seed  sown  in  the  place  where  we  wish 
the  trees  to  grow,  or  raised  in  nurseries 
and  transplanted  early,  or  purchase 
young  and  healthy  plants  from  forest 
tree  nurseries,  and  in  that  way  secure 
the  vigorous  growth  of  the  seedling 
tree.  There  should  be  no  trouble  in 
our  nurserymen  raising  good  stock  from 
seed  of  all  the  more  essential  and  well- 
known  kinds,  but  acorns  from  America 
or  other  countries  should  be  sown  as 
soon  as  possible  after  coming  to  hand, 
and  it  is  best  to  have  them  packed 
tightly  in  moist  earth. 

As  a  rule  hybrids  in  this  family  are 
not  nearly  so  important  as  the  wild 
trees,  if  we  except  such  varieties  as 
occur  naturally  when  we  raise  the  tree 
from  seed.  The  common  European 
evergreen  Oak  gives  a  pretty  variety 
from  seed,  as,  indeed,  our  wild  Oak 
does,  evidence  of  which  we  may  see 
in  any  good  Oak  district  where  the 
trees  show  a  dozen  different  states  of 
leaf  and  colour. 

It  is  well  that  some  of  the  favoured 
shores  and  valleys  of  the  world  have 
evergreen  Oaks  which  we  may  grow 
in  our  country,  the  best  known  of 
these  being  the  Ilex  of  Italy,  happily, 
hardy  in  our  country.  It  is  at  home 
most  in  seashore  districts,  and  many 
places  both  in  England  and  Ireland 
have  fine  trees.  Old  trees  give  ex- 
cellent shade  and  shelter  for  the 
flower  garden. 

With  such  a  great  shore-line,  the 
opportunities  for  growing  the  evergreen 
Oaks  well  are  vastly  greater  than  in  a 
Continental  country  of  like  tempera- 
ture. Thickly  planted,  they  are  lovely 


shelter  trees  for  gardens  swept  by  sea 
winds,  as  we  may  see  at  St  Ann's,  near 
Dublin,  Holkar,  in  Norfolk,  and 
Tregothnan,  and  they  are  just  as 
good  in  inland  places  wanting  shelter. 
Sometimes  after  very  hard  winters 
the  trees  look  as  if  they  were  killed, 
but  afterwards  throw  off  the  injured 
leaves  and  grow  happily  again.  They 
should  be  transplanted  with  the 
greatest  care  when  young,  and  the 
best  way  is  often  to  raise  plants  from 
acorns  gathered  where  the  tree  grows 
well,  and  sown  as  soon  as  possible  after 
ripening. 

The  following  list  excludes  kinds  not 
likely,  from  their  inhabiting  warmer 
regions  or  other  reasons,  to  be  hardy 
and  vigorous  in  our  country  : — 

SUMMER-LEAFING  OAKS. 

Q.  ACUMINATA  (Chestnut  Oak). — A  tall 
tree  with  a  maximum  height  of  over  150 
feet,  with  grey  flaky  bark  and  chestnut- 
like  leaves,  shiny  on  the  upper  surface  and 
greyish  beneath.  This  should  be  a  very 
useful  Oak  in  certain  soils  in  Britain 
supposed  to  be  inimical  to  our  own  Oak. 
Eastern  States  and  Canada,  and  west- 
wards, in  dry  limestone  soil. 

Q.  ALBA  (White  Oak). — A  fine  forest 
tree,  sometimes  150  feet  high,  with  deeply- 
lobed  but  not  sharp-pointed  leaves,  and 
grey  bark  scaling  off  in  plates.  A  native 
of  Canada  and  the  more  northern  United 
States,  its  hardiness  need  not  be  doubted, 
and  the  wood  is  hard  and  tough  and 
good. 

Q.  CERRIS  (Turkey  Oak). — This  is  a  valu- 
able tree -for  garden  and  park.  Though 
not  unlike  the  common  Oak  in  growth  and 
branching,  it  is  readily  distinguished  by 
its  deeper  green  and  finely  cut  foliage,  and 
by  its  mossy -cupped  acorns.  It  is  also 
much  more  rapid  in  growth,  and  will 
flourish  in  light  and  varied  soils.  It 
retains  its  foliage  longer  than  most  other 
trees,  and  some  of  its  varieties  are  almost 
evergreen.  The  chief  of  these  is  the 
Lucombe  Oak,  a  tree  of  graceful  growth, 
which  rapidly  ascends  into  a  tall  cone  of 
foliage  and  retains  its  leaves  through  mild 
winters.  The  Fulham  Oak  is  a  similar 
tree  of  hybrid  origin.  It  is  also  partially 
evergreen,  and  differs  from  the  Lucombe 
Oak  chiefly  in  its  habit  of  growth  being 
more  spreading.  The  variety  known 
as  Q.  austnaca  sempervirens  is  a  form  of  the 
Turkey  Oak  sub-evergreen  in  character  and 
of  medium  growth,  and  useful  for  small 
gardens.  These  varieties  rarely  equal 
the  wild  tree  in  beauty  or  character, 
and  have  the  disadvantage  of  being 
increased  by  grafting,  which  bars  them 
from  ever  attaining  the  stature  arjcj 
dignity  of  the  wild  tree. 


666 


QUERCUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


QUERCUS. 


Q.  COCCINEA  (The  Scarlet  Oak). — A 
forest  tree,  in  its  native  country  growing 
to  1 60  feet  high,  and  one  of  the  best  N. 
American  Oaks.  It  is  a  beautiful  tree 
at  all  seasons,  but  particularly  so  in  the 


way.     It  is   a   good   Oak   to   plant   as   a 
tree   of   the   future,    as   it   is   very   hardy 
and    grows   well   in   almost   all   kinds   of  1 
soil. 

Q.    MACROCARPA    (Bur    Oak). — A   large 


An  Evergreen  Oak. 


autumn,  when  the  rich  scarlet  and 
crimson  hues  of  its  foliage  are  very 
handsome. 

Q.  CONFERTA  (Hungarian  Oak). — This  is 
a  noble  tree  in  its  own  country,  and  one  of 
the  quickest  growing  Oaks  in  cultivation. 
It  has  much  larger  leaves  than  the  common 
Oak,  and  they  are  cut  in  much  the  same 


forest  tree  of  a  maximum  height  of  160 
feet,  with  a  trunk  as  much  as  8  feet  in 
diameter,  and  rather  large,  thin,  deeply 
incised,  but  blunt-lobed,  leaves,  shiny  on 
the  upper  side  and  whitish  below.  The 
timber  is  good  and  tough.  A  native  of 
rich  soils  from  Nova  Scotia  to  Manitoba, 
and  also  southwards. 


QUERCUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


QUERCUS. 


667 


Q.  MINOR  (Post  Oak).— A  tall  tree,  some- 
times in  its  best  state  100  feet  high,  with 
rough  grey  bark  and  deeply  incised  but 
blunt  pointed  leaves.  The  wood  is  very 
hard  and  durable.  N.  America. 

Q.  NIGRA  (Water  Oak). — A  forest  tree, 
though  not  so  tall  as  other  Oaks — 80  feet. 
There  is  a  variety  of  it  in  cultivation 
named  nobilis,  which  has  leaves  9  inches 
or  more  in  length  of  a  rich  green.  It 
makes  a  handsome  small  tree.  In  wet 
and  swampy  ground,  E.  and  W.  United 
States,  also  southwards. 

Q.  PALUSTRIS  (Pin  Oak). — A  forest  tree 
with  a  maximum  height  of  120  feet. 
It  is  one  of  the  quickest  growing  Oaks, 
and  its  chief  beauty  is  the  tender  green, 
almost  yellow,  of  the  unfolding  foliage 
in  May  and  rich  autumn  tints.  It 
soon  makes  a  fine  tree,  and  is  one  of  the 
best  to  plant  in  marshy  places,  as  it 
grows  naturally  in  such  ground.  Leaves 
deeply  cut,  bright  green  and  smooth. 
N.  America. 

Q.  PEDUNCULATA  (British  Oak). — Most 
valuable  of  British  trees,  and  most 
beautiful  in  old  age  in  many  different 
states  alike  in  wood,  park,  chase,  by 
rivers,  and  in  pasture  land,  and  one  which 
comes  well  into  the  home  grounds  in 
its  old  state,  giving  noble  shade  and 
fine  beauty  of  form,  as  at  Shrubland 
and  in  many  other  places.  Botanists 
give  this  and  the  other  British  Oak 
under  the  general  term  of  Q.  Robur, 
but  they  are  wrong,  as  the  Oaks  are 
distinct  in  form  and  habit.  Of  the 
varieties  that  differ  from  the  type  in 
growth  the  most  distinct  are  fastigiata  or 
pyramidalis,  which  is  of  much  the  same 
style  of  growth  as  the  Lombardy  Poplar, 
but  does  not  grow  so  tall.  The  Weeping 
Oak  (var.  pendula]  is  as  weeping  as  the 
Weeping  Ash,  and  is  a  vigorous  grower 
and  a  beautiful  and  graceful  tree.  There 
are  several  forms  with  cut  leaves,  the  most 
distinct  being  those  namedfilicifolia,  or  the 
Fern-leaved  Oak,  heferaphylla,  and  scolo- 
pendrifolia,  which  has  leaves  like  a 
miniature  Hart's-tongue  Fern.  There  are 
variegated  forms  of  both  the  common 
type  and  of  the  Cypress  Oak,  but  they  are 
not  so  important  for  landscape  effect  as 
the  varieties  that  take  a  natural  colour. 
As  yet  we  have  never  seen  any  variety  of 
Oak  as  handsome  as  the  wild  tree.  It  is 
frequently  in  forests  over  100  feet  high, 
giving  a  great  quantity  of  valuable  timber. 
The  leaves  fall  earlier  than  those  of  the 
Durmast  Oak,  and  are  more  varied  in 
yellowish  and  brownish  colours  at  the 
commencement  of  growth. 

Q.  PHELLOS  (Willow  Oak). — A  forest  tree 
80  feet  high,  and  unlike  the  other  Oaks  in 
its  foliage,  narrow  and  long  like  that  of 
a  Willow  and  whitish  beneath,  giving 
the  tree  a  silvery  appearance  on  a  windy 
day.  It  is  not  a  common  tree,  though  it 
was  introduced  from  N.  America  in  the 


last  century.  It  is  of  slow  growth  in 
cold  places  and  soils,  and  thrives  well  and 
grows  rapidly  on  well-drained  light  soils, 
especially  in  a  gravelly  subsoil.  N. 
America. 

Q.  PLATINOIDES  (Swamp  White  Oak). — 
A  large  forest  tree  with  flaky  green  bark, 
and  in  its  best  state  reaching  a  height  of 
over  100  feet,  with  slightly  lobed  leaves 
and  the  acorns  on  rather  long  stalks.  It 
has  good,  tough,  closely  -  grained  wood, 
and  is  a  native  of  moist  and  swampy  soils 
in  Canada  and  west  to  Michigan. 

Q.  PRINUS  (Rock  Chestnut  Oak). — 
Sometimes  attains  a  height  of  100  feet, 
the  leaves  somewhat  chestnut-like,  and 
bearing  an  edible  acorn,  in  dry  soil. 
Eastern  States  and  Ontario  and  south- 
wards. 

Q.  RUBRA  (Champion  Oak). — A  noble 
forest  tree  with  a  maximum  height 
of  nearly  150  feet,  and  one  of  the  finest  of 
American  trees,  remarkable  for  the  rich- 
ness of  its  autumn  tints.  It  is  a  fine  park 
tree,  and  also  makes  a  beautiful  shade 
tree  for  lawns.  It  grows  best  on  a  free 
and  deep  soil,  and  is  much  more  rapid  in 
growth  on  moist  than  on  dry  soils.  Canada 
and  Eastern  States. 

Q.  SESSILIFLORA  (Durmast  Oak). — The 
second  species  of  British  Oak,  and  is  often 
included  with  Q.  pedunculata,  but  is  dis- 
tinct from  a  planter's  point  of  view,  not 
being  so  long-lived  or  quite  so  noble  a 
tree.  It  is  none  the  less  one  of  the  finest 
forest  trees  oi  northern  countries,  and  has  a 
straighter  and  more  cylindrical  stem  and 
form  of  tree  even  than  the  common  Oak, 
is  of  a  deeper  green,  denser  foliage,  and 
giving  better  covert  and  more  leaf  soil. 
The  leaves  a  little  longer  than  those  of 
our  other  native  Oak,  sometimes,  in  mild 
winters,  remain  on,  the  tree  until  the 
others  come.  Its  area  of  distribution  is 
slightly  different,  growing  less  in  plains 
and  valleys  than  our  other  Oak,  but 
inhabiting  plateaux  and  slopes  of  hills 
and  mountains,  rising  to  elevations  of 
3,000  to  4,000  feet,  and  also  different  from 
the  common  Oak  in  its  thriving  on 
gravelly,  sandy,  and  calcareous  soil.  The 
qualities  of  the  wood  of  the  two  kinds 
have  been  the  subject  of  much  discussion, 
perhaps  often  confused  by  the  influence 
of  soils.  The  wood  of  Q.  sessiliflora 
is  generally  thought  to  be  less  tough 
and  less  resisting  than  that  of  the  common 
Oak.  It  has  a  straighter  fibre  and  finer 
grain.  It  has  several  varieties  of  little 
value. 

Q.  VELUTINA  (Black  Oak). — A  tall  tree 
up  to  150  feet,  the  outer  bark  a  very  dark 
brown  with  deeply  cut  leaves  with  sharp 
points.  It  is  rare  with  us  and  worth 
a  trial  from  seed  sown  where  we  wish 
it  to  grow,  or  from  young  seedling  plants. 
Northern  United  States,  Canada,  and 
westwards,  and  also  in  the  soiithern 
states. 


668  QUERCUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.          RAMONDIA. 


EVERGREEN  OAKS. 

Q.  ACUTA. — Native  of  Japan,  with  dark 
leathery  leaves  about  the  size  of  those  of 
the  common  Cherry  Laurel.  It  has  not 
been  long  enough  in  the  country  to  enable 
one  to  judge  its  merits  as  an  adult  tree, 
but  even  as  a  bush  it  is  a  line  object.  Q. 
Buergeri  robusta  is  a  vigorous  large-leaved 
form. 

Q.  AGRIFOLIA. — The  Enceno  of  the  Cali- 
fornian  coast  is  a  distinct  Oak  rarely 
seen  in  gardens,  in  aspect  not  unlike  some 
forms  of  Q.  Ilex,  but  the  leaves  are  of  a 
different  shade  of  green.  Dr  Engelmann 
says  it  is  "a  large  tree,  with  a  stout,  low 
trunk,  often  8  to  12  feet,  sometimes  1 6  to 
21  feet,  in  circumference,  and  with  a 
spread  of  branches  of  120  feet." 

Q.  CHRYSOLEPIS  (Californian  Live  Oak). 
— Along  the  coast  ranges  and  along 
the  western  slopes  of  the  Sierra  Nevada, 
it  forms  a  tree  3  to  5  feet  in  diameter 
of  stem,  or,  at  higher  elevations,  is  reduced 
to  a  shrub.  It  has  pretty  spiny- toothed 
dark  green  leaves,  somewhat  golden  on 
the  under  surface,  and  in  its  native 
country  it  is  a  beautiful  evergreen  tree. 

Q.  COCCIFERA. — A  dense  bush  with  small 
spiny  dark  green  leaves  and  very  small 
acorns,  often  hardly  larger  than  a  pea, 
which  now  and  then  ripen  in  S.  England. 
S.  Europe. 

Q.  DENSIFLORA. — A  tree  50  to  60  feet 
high,  in  some  positions  often  a  shrub.  At 
Kew  it  grows  freely  in  rather  sheltered 
places,  and  produces  fine  leathery  leaves 
of  a  dark  green  colour,  in  outline  somewhat 
like  those  of  a  small  Spanish  Chestnut. 
Mountains  of  California. 

Q.  GLABRA. — A  Japanese  Oak,  with 
large  handsome  leaves,  the  acorns  borne 
in  upright  spikes.  -Several  varieties  are 
mentioned  in  catalogues,  but  they  are 
hardly  distinct.  At  Kew  the  species 
makes  a  large  bush,  and  is  thoroughly 
hardy. 

Q.  ILEX. — The  best-known  of  Evergreen 
Oaks,  and  the  most  valuable  for  Britain. 
Old  trees,  which  have  been  allowed  plenty 
of  space  and  have  been  allowed  to  grow 
naturally,  resemble  in  form  the  Olive  trees 
of  the  Italian  coast  and  of  the  Riviera. 
It  is  one  of  the  most  variable  of  Oaks,  but 
few  of  the  named  varieties — and  there  are 
many — are  so  beautiful  as  the  wild  kind. 

Q.  SUBER  (Cork  Oak). — The  Cork  Oak, 
except  for  the  curious  growth  of  its 
bark,  hardly  differs  in  effect  from  the  Holm 
Oak.  There  are  fine  old  trees  of  this  at 
Mount  Edgcumbe,  Goodwood,  and  other 
places,  though  the  Cork  Oak  is  not  hardy 
enough  for  our  climate  generally. 

Q.  VIRENS  (Live  Oak). — In  its  native 
country  a  tree  of  the  first  economic  value, 
it  deserves  all  the  encomiums  passed  on 
it  by  Cobbett  in  his  Woodlands.  All  the 
trees  in  England  I  have  seen  under  this 
name  are,  however,  forms  of  Q.  Ilex,  and 


I  doubt  there  being  any  fine  trees  of  the 
true  Q.  virens  in  cultivation  in  this 
country. 

RAMONDIA  (Rosette  Mullein).— R. 
pyrenaica  is  an  interesting  plant, 
with  leaves  in  rosettes  close  to  the 
ground,  the  flowers  purple-violet 
colour,  with  orange-yellow  centre, 


i  to  1 1  inches  across,  on  stems  2  to 
6  inches  long,  in  spring  and  early 
summer.  It  is  found  in  the  valleys 
of  the  Pyrenees,  on  the  face  of  steep 
and  rather  shady  rocks.  There  is 
a  rare  white  variety  and  a  rosy  form 
of  much  beauty  has  also  appeared 
quite  recently.  Less  known,  but  more 
easily  grown,  is  R.  serbica  from  the 
Balkan  Mountains,  a  rather  taller 
plant,  in  which  the  leaves  are  covered 
with  soft  brown  hair,  and  the  flowers 
are  pale  blue  or  mauve  coloured. 
A  form  of  this  from  the  Carpathian 
Mountains,  Nathalie,  is  peihaps  the 
best  of  all,  though  still  scarce.  Its 
white  variety  is  both  choice  and  rare. 
The  Ramondias  are  not  surpassed 
by  any  alpines  for  choiceness,  flower, 
beauty  and  freedom,  and  adapta- 
bility to  cultivation  in  lowland  gardens. 
They  revel  in  cool  and  shady  places, 
the  nearly  vertical  faces  of  damp 
rocks,  cool  and  moist  rock  gullies, 
and  are  well  suited  to  wall  gardening 
where  such  conditions  obtain.  In 
any  of  these  places  they  should  be 
colonised  on  a  generous  scale.  Quite 
hardy,  they  are  happiest  when  sheltered 
from  cutting  winds.  A  lime  -  free 


RANUNCULUS.        THE    EtiGLtSH    FLOWER    GARDEN.      RAKufcrcuLus.      669 


soil  suits  them  best,  a  generous 
mixture  of  loam,  leaf  soil  and  sand, 
with  consistently  cool  or  moist  con- 
ditions, meeting  all  requirements.  The 
best  method  of  increase  is  by  seeds 
which  are  freely  produced  and  should 
be  sown  promptly.  The  seeds  are 
exceedingly  minute  and  require  but 
little  or  no  covering. 

RANUNCULUS  (Crowfoot  Buttercup}. 
—Mountain,  meadow,  and  marsh  herbs, 
many  of  them  weeds,  while  others  are 
among  the  choicest  of  alpine  flowers 
and  perennials  for  borders.  They  are 
for  the  most  part  of  the  simplest 
culture  ;  only  R.  asiaticus  and  its 
many  varieties  require  special  treat- 
ment. 

R.  ACONITIFOLIUS. — A  mountain  pasture 
herb.  The  double-flowered  variety  which 
is  known  as  Fair  Maids  of  France  is  a 
pretty  garden  plant  about  18  inches 
high,  covered  for  several  weeks  in  early 
summer  with  small  rosette-like  white 
blossoms.  It  is  a  charming  plant  in 
deep  moist  soils,  especially  the  large- 
flowered  forms. 

R.  ACRIS  (Bachelors'  Buttons). — The 
pretty  double  form  of  this  plant  is  also 
a  useful  kind,  its  rich  yellow  blossoms 
borne  in  button-like  rosettes  :  a  border 
plant,  and  good  in  moist  soil,  flowering 
twice  in  the  year. 

R.  ALPESTRIS  (Alpine  Buttercup). — A 
native  of  the  alpine  regions  of  C.  Europe, 
and  found  chiefly  growing  in  calcareous 
soil  :  a  handsome  kind,  forming  small 
tufts  of  shining,  dark-green,  prettily 
cut  leaves  ;  flowers  large  pure  white, 
with  numerous  yellow  stamens  in  the 
centre,  and  borne  singly  on  erect  stems 
from  2  to  6  inches  high  in  June  and  July. 
A  good  rock  garden  plant  in  light,  porous, 
moist  soil.  There  is  a  pretty  dwarf  form, 
hardly  rising  above  the  soil.  R.  pyrenaus 
comes  near  this  in  effect,  with  large 
white  flowers  borne  several  together  on 
stems  of  6  inches,  but  the  leaf  is  a  different 
shape. 

R.  AMPLEXICAULIS  (White  Buttercup). 
- — Lovely  garden  plant,  about  i  foot 
high,  with  slender  stems,  glaucous-grey 
leaves,  and  blossoms  i  inch  across, 
pure  white  with  yellow  centres,  bloom- 
ing in  April  and  May  :  a  pretty  border 
and  rock  garden  plant,  doing  best  in  a 
deep  moist  loam.  Pyrenees  and  Alps  of 
Provence. 

R.  ASIATICUS  (Turban  Buttercup). — 
An  old  garden  plant,  with  double  flowers 
of  many  colours,  divided  into  various 
sections,  such  as  the  Dutch,  Scotch, 
Persian  and  Turkish,  each  representing 
a  distinct  race.  The  culture  of  this  Ranun- 
culus is  simple  if  a  few  essentials  are 
observed.  The  situation  should  be  open, 
but  not  exposed,  and  the  soil  a  loam 


mixed  with  decayed  stable  manure  equal 
to  a  third  of  its  bulk.  About  a  month 
previous  to  planting  the  bed  should  be 
prepared  to  a  depth  of  15  inches,  and 
planting  should  take  place  about  the  last 
half  of  February  ;  in  some  seasons  it 
may  take  place  in  October,  though  such 
an  early  date  is  not  the  best.  As  this 
Ranunculus  delights  in  moist  soil,  water 
should  be  given  if  there  is  a  scarcity  of 
rain.  Annual  lifting  and  planting  are 
essential.  The  great  pest  of  the  tribe 
is  a  maggot  of  the  leaf-ruining  fly,  which 
may  be  kept  at  bay  by  occasional  dustings 
of  soot.  The  Persian  varieties  are  the 
finest  as  regards  colour,  compactness, 
and  symmetry  of  growth  ;  but  the  Turban 
varieties  are  of  hardier  constitution 


Ra>unici/h<!.  acon'itifolins  fl.-it>l.  (Fair  Maids  of  France). 


and  of  freer  growth,  and  therefore  are 
better  suited  for  beds,  lines,  and  masses. 
The  Scotch  and  Dutch  varieties  are  also 
fine  for  masses  in  beds,  being  all  of 
highly  effective  colours.  The  wild  plant, 
which  I  gathered  in  Egypt  both  in  the 
yellow  and  red  forms,  is  a  lovely  single 
flower,  and  as  well  worth  growing  as 
any  of  its  garden  varieties,  but  it  is 
not  hardy,  and  soon  perished  on  my 
cool  stiff  soil.  To  be  grown  it  must 
be  treated  like  its  variety,  i.e.,  the  roots 
taken  up  yearly. 

R.  BULBOSUS  FL.-PL.  is  a  showy  plant, 
about  i  foot  in  height,  with,  in  early 
summer,  numerous  double  yellow  blos- 
soms, growing  well  in  any  soil.  There 
is  also  a  pretty  pale  yellow  form. 

R.  CRENATUS. — Ablative  of  alpine  and 
siliceous  mountains  in  Styria,  the  leaves 
entire  and  roundish ;  the  flowers  are 
large,  white,  with  almost  entire  petals, 
•two  or  three  together  at  the  extremity 
of  stems  3  or  4  inches  high  in  April  and 
May.  Plant  in  the  rock  garden  in  deep 
sandy  soil  in  our  country,  fully  exposed  to 
the  sun. 


6?o 


tub  ENGLISH  FLOWER  GARDEN. 


RESEDA. 


R.  GLACIALIS  (Glacier  Buttercup). — 
This  is  the  plant  of  the  icy  regions, 
being  found  near  to  the  melting  snow 
on  the  loftiest  mountains.  The  thick, 
fleshy  leaves  of  a  dark  green  and  deeply 
incised,  the  stem  of  a  brown-red  tint,  3  or 
4  inches  long,  prostrate  on  the  ground, 
and  bearing  from  one  to  four  flowers, 
the  petals  of  which  are  at  first  of  a  light 
pink  colour,  passing  into  a  bright  coppery- 
red.  Everything  about  this  plant  has 
a  glacial  aspect.  It  thrives  on  cool 
and  moist  but  fully  exposed  ledges  of 
the  rock  garden,  in.  deep  gritty  soil 
with  white  stones  or  sand  on  the  surface 
to  keep  it  cool.  Alps  and  Pyrenees. 

R.  GRAMINEUS. — A  pretty  little  plant 
from  the  Pyrenees,  with  slender,  erect 
stems  of  about  a  foot  high  and  narrow 
grass-like  leaves  of  a  blue-grey  colour.  Its 
golden  flowers 
are  produced 
in  great  pro- 
fusion during 
early  summer. 
A  useful  plant 
for  the  border 
or  moist  corner 
of  the  rock  gar- 
den, and  also 
quite  happy  if 
treated  as  a  bog- 
plant. 

R.  LINGUA 
(Great  Spear- 
wort). —  A  na- 
tive kind  and  a 
noble  waterside 
plant,  its  leaves 
rising  boldly  out 
of  the  water  to 
a  height  of  2  or 
3  feet,  with  large 
yellow  and  at- 
tractive flowers. 
Thrives  in  mud- 
dy watersides, 
and  the  numer- 
ous and  hand- 
some flowers  are  good  for  cutting  for  the 
house. 

R.  LYALLI  (Rockwood  Lily). — A  lovely 
New  Zealand  plant ;  in  moist  places 
in  the  Southern  Alps  the  plant  has 
large  rounded  leaves  and  very  large 
handsome  waxy  white  flowers,  not  unlike 
those  of  Anemone  japonica,  with  delicate 
yellow  stamens  in  the  centre.  In  some 
places  in  Britain  this  plant  is  not  hardy, 
but  in  others  it  stands  the  winter  well, 
but  is  difficult  to  cultivate  in  our  climate. 
R.  MONSPELIACUS  (Montpelier  Butter- 
cup).— A  vigorous  plant,  growing  about 
1 8  inches  high,  with  three-lobed  woolly 
leaves  and  large  flowers  like  the  Com- 
mon Buttercup. 

R.  PARNASSIFOLIUS  (Parnassia-leavcd 
Buttercup). — A  singular  -  looking  plant 
with  thick,  entire  leaves,  woolly  on 


Ranunculus  Lingua. 


the  edges,  flowers  large,  of  a  pure  white 
colour,  borne  two  or  three  together 
on  a  prostrate  stem  in  the  month  of 
May.  In  the  Pyrenees  and  on  the 
French  Alps  it  is  rare  to  find  a  flower 
of  this  handsome  species  which  possesses 
the  full  number  of  petals. 

R.  RUT^FOLIUS  (Rue-leaved  Buttercup). 
— Rue-like  leaves  and  white  flowers 
with  dark-yellow  centres.  Coming  from 
the  highest  parts  of  the  Alps,  it  requires 
the  same  treatment  as  the  higher  alpine 
plants,  in  a  fully-exposed  spot  in  moist 
soil  with  plenty  of  grit  in  it. 

R.  SPECIOSUS  (Large  Double  Buttercup). 
— A  showy  plant,  with  compact  rosette- 
like  flowers  of  bright  yellow  in  May, 
succeeding  in  any  light  soil.  In  a  full 
collection,  R.  chcevophyllus,  illyricus,  and 
famiaricefolius  may  be  included. 

The  above  is  but  a  selection  from  a 
very  large  family  in  nature,  many  of 
which  are  little  known  in  gardens, 
and  many  of  no  garden  interest. 

RAPHIOLEPIS  ( Japanese  Haw- 
thorn).— R.  ovata  is  a  beautiful  Japanese 
shrub,  hardy  in  southern  districts, 
and  with  a  little  winter  protection 
may  even  be  planted  in  cold  parts. 
Its  thick  evergreen  leaves  are  of  a 
dark  colour,  and  its  flowers,  which  are 
large,  white,  and  sweet  -  scented,  are 
in  clusters  terminating  the  young 
branches.  It  is  a  low,  spreading 
bush,  somewhat  open  and  straggling, 
and  should  not  be  crowded  with  other 
shrubs.  Some  of  the  other  species, 
such  as  R.  indica  and  R.  salicifolia, 
both  from  China,  are  not  hardy  enough 
for  the  open  ground,  but  make  good 
wall  shrubs.  A  cross  between  ovata 
and  indica,  named  R.  Delacourii,  is 
intermediate  in  foliage  and  bears 
delicate  pale  pink  flowers.  It  was 
raised  in  France,  and  does  not  yet 
seem  to  have  been  tried  in  the  open 
air  with  us. 

RESEDA  (Mignonette). — The  only 
species  worth  growing  is  R.  odorata  and 
its  varieties.  Seed  sown  in  the  open 
ground  in  March  or  April  produces  in 
a  few  weeks  flowering  plants,  which 
continue  to  bloom  till  late  in  autumn. 
If  fine  masses  be  wished  for,  the  seed 
should  be  sown  in  pans  about  the  end 
of  March,  the  seedlings  placed  singly 
in  3-inch  pots,  and  planted  out  in  good 
soil  in  an  open  position.  A  little 
attention  should  be  given  to  thinning 
out  the  weak  shoots  and  stopping  the 
vigorous  ones.  Plants  sown  in  autumn 
will  survive  mild  winters  and  produce 
flowers  in  early  summer,  these  being 
finer  than  those  of  spring-sown  plants. 


KHAMtfUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


kHEUM. 


67i 


There  are  now  many  varieties,  as  R. 
odorata  grandi flora,  R.  o.  pyramidalis 
grandiflora,  the  compact,  strong-grow- 
ing variety  Machet,  with  bold  spikes 
of  reddish  flowers  and  broad  abundant 
leaves,  and  dwarf  varieties.  Machet  is 
the  kind  grown  so  largely  in  pots  for 
the  London  markets,  and  it  is  also  a 
good  kind  for  the  open  air,  and  Goliath 
is  far  the  finest  in  my  garden. 

Retinispora. — A  name  often  wrongly 
given,  and  it  would  be  difficult  to 
exaggerate  the  evil  effect  in  various 
ways  of  giving  long  Latin  names  to 
mere  forms  and  "  states "  of  twigs 
which  may  unhappily  be  propagated 
by  cuttings  or  grafts,  and  the  repeating 
for  ever  in  nursery  catalogues  of  doubt- 
ful generic  names  such  as  this,  which 
have  crowded  our  catalogues  for  years. 
The  really  distinct  plants  once  known 
as  Retinisporas  are  now  classed  with 
Cupressus.  This  name  Retinispora, 
therefore,  may  be  dropped  out  of  use 
by  those  who  care  to  simplify  their 
words  and  collections  of  trees.  One 
result  of  this  confusion  of  mystifying 
names  is  that  it  often  keeps  willing 
planters  from  finding  the  really  great 
trees  among  the  crowd  of  names. 

RHAMNUS  (Buckthorn}.-— An  exten- 
sive group  of  shrubs,  of  minor  import- 
ance, yet  with  some  useful  kinds.  R. 
Alaternus  is  a  stout  evergreen  from 
the  Mediterranean  region,  with  small 
rounded  leaves  of  firm  texture,  and 
variable  as  to  habit,  but  often  strag- 
gling. There  are  many  forms  of  this 
shrub,  the  best  being  that  in  which 
the  leaves  are  broadly  edged  with 
silver ;  effective  against  a  sheltered 
wall  and  in  poor  warm  soils.  A  second 
variety,  angustifolia,  is  one  of  the  finest 
dwarf  evergreens  for  the  rock  garden, 
of  dense  growth,  perfect  in  shape,  with 
neat  dark  green  leaves.  R.  calif ornica 
and  R.  crocea  are  other  evergreen 
species,  the  first  unarmed  and  with 
rather  oblong  leaves  of  dark  green, 
and  the  second  (also  from  California) 
with  small  glossy  leaves  which  are 
bright  yellow  underneath,  and  scarlet 
berries  in  autumn.  The  other  intro- 
duced kinds  are  summer-leafing.  The 
Common  Buckthorn  (R.  cathartica]  and 
the  Black  Alder  (R.  Frangula)  are 
found  in  our  own  hedges  and  wood- 
lands. They  are  rarely  seen  in  gar- 
dens, though  when  heavily  fruited  the 
clusters  of  R.  Frangula,  changing  from 
green  to  bright  pink  and  dark  purple, 
are  charming  in  the  wild  garden  ;  and 
the  leaves  are  pretty,  especially  in  the 


Fern-leaved  variety,  R.  F.  asplenifolia. 
R.  crenata,  from  Japan,  is  ornamental 
in  autumn,  when  loaded  with  its  glossy 
black  berries.  Several  kinds  are  bold 
and  handsome  in  leaf,  especially  R. 
alpina,  R.  libanotica,  and  R.  tinctoria, 
and  in  a  less  degree  others  like  Pur- 
shiana,  Caroliniana,  alnifolia,  and 
davurica.  R.  alpina  grows  slowly,  and 
may  be  used  in  the  rock  garden  with 
other  mountain  kinds  like  R.  pumila 
and  R.  saxatilis,  tiny  miniature  shrubs 
which  grow  in  the  crevices  of  sunny 
rocks  amid  the  mountains  of  Central 
Europe,  spreading  flatly  over  their 
surface,  with  glossy  leaves  and  small 
dark  fruits.  All  the  kinds  are  easily 
grown  and  not  particular  as  to  soil, 
the  free-growing  kinds  mostly  doing 
best  in  damp  places.  The  scarcer 
sorts  are  commonly  budded,  but  there 
is  no  need  for  this,  seeing  that  all  can 
be  layered,  or  raised  from  seed  or 
cuttings. 

RHAPHITHAMNUS      CYANOCAR- 

PUS  (Chilian  Needle  Tree).— A  shrub 
or  small  tree  of  much  beauty,  but  too 
tender  for  any  save  favoured  districts. 
It  is  one  of  the  neat,  myrtle-like  shrubs 
of  S.  America,  with  shining  dark  green 
leaves,  heart-shaped,  and  about  half 
an  inch  long,  thickly  set  upon  graceful 
stems  in  clusters  of  three.  With  these 
are  an  equal  number  of  needle-like 
spines  slightly  longer  than  the  leaves, 
and  to  these  the  tree  owes  its  name. 
The  stems  are  covered  with  soft  thick 
down  of  a  rusty  brown  colour.  Nar- 
row tubular  flowers  of  white  and  mauve 
appear  at  the  leaf-axils  towards  the 
ends  of  the  shoots,  which  are  free  of 
spines. 

RHEUM  (Rhubarb).  —  Herbaceous 
plants  of  great  vigour  and  picturesque 
aspect,  and  their  fine  leaves  are  well 
seen  by  the  margins  of  shrubberies  and 
in  places  where  luxuriant  vegetation 
is  desired.  They  like  deep  and  rich 
soil.  R.  Emodi  is  a  fine-leaved  plant, 
for  groups  in  the  pleasure  ground,  but 
requiring  good  soil.  It  grows  about 
5  feet  high,  and  is  imposing  with  its 
wrinkled  leaves  and  large  red  veins. 
R.  officinale,  however,  as  regards 
foliage,  is  the  most  effective  from  early 
in  the  year,  and  should  be  placed  near 
the  shrubbery,  on  the  turf,  or  in  the 
wild  garden.  In  small  glades  with 
rich  soil  a  bold  effect  might  be  pro- 
duced by  a  good  selection  of  Rhubarbs 
with  Ferulas,  Heracleums,  Rhubarbs, 
Acanthuses,  Yuccas,  the  common  Arti- 
choke, Gunnera  scabra,  and  other 


672 


THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN.        RHODODENDRON. 


vigorous  hardy  plants.  R.  palmatum 
is  a  slow-growing  plant,  and  smaller 
than  its  variety,  R.  p.  tanguticum, 
which  increases  rapidly,  has  fine 
foliage,  and  will  be  welcome  to  those 
who  grow  the  other  hardy  species.  R. 
nobile  is  distinct,  forming  a  dense 
pyramid  of  foliage.  It  is,  however, 
one  of  the  most  difficult  to  cultivate, 
and  in  Europe  has  succeeded  only 
in  the  Edinburgh  Botanic  Garden. 
The  garden  Rhubarbs  worth  growing 
are  R.  australe,  R.  compactum,  R.  rugo- 
sum,  R.  hybridum,  Victoria  Rhubarb 
(with  very  large  leaves  and  long  red 
stalks),  Myatt's  Linnaeus,  Prince 
Albert,  and  Scott's  Monarch. 

RHEXIA  (Meadow  Beauty). — R.vir- 
ginica  is  a  beautiful  dwarf  bog  plant 
with  vivid,  deep  rosy  flowers  6  or  8 
inches  high,  in  sandy  swamps  in  New 
England  and  the  Eastern  States,  and 
is  found  as  far  west  as  Illinois  and 
Wisconsin.  R.  Mariana  is  even 
scarcer  in  this  country  than  R.  vir- 
ginica,  and  less  important,  growing  in 
drier  places.  The  Rhexias  must  not 
be  divided  much,  and  healthy  tufts 
should  be  obtained  from  their  native 
localities  and  planted  in  a  sandy 
peat  bed. 

Rhodothamnus.  See  RHODODEN- 
DRON. 

RHODANTHE  ( Everlasting]  .— 
Charming  half  -  hardy  annuals  from 
Australia,  valuable  as  border  flowers 
and  for  winter  bouquets.  They  are 
all  of  slender  growth,  i  to  i|  feet 
high,  and  have  glaucous-grey  foliage 
and  pretty  flowers.  The  original 
species,  R.  Manglesi,  has  fine  rose- 
coloured  blossoms  with  yellow  centres, 
and  of  this  there  is  a  double  variety. 
R.  maculata  has  a  deep  crimson  ring 
encircling  the  eye  of  the  flower  ;  and 
there  is  a  pure  white  variety.  R. 
atro-sanguinea  differs  considerably 
from  R.  maculata,  being  not  only 
d  warier,  but  more  branched.  The 
flowers,  of  a  bright  magenta  colour, 
are  rather  smaller  than  those  of 
maculata,  but  average  i  inch  in 
diameter.  It  is  rather  less  hardy 
than  maculata,  but  sufficiently  hardy 
for  the  open  air.  All  these  kinds 
should  be  sown  thinly  in  heat  in 
pots  in  February  or  March.  In  the 
southern  counties  they  may  also  be 
sown  in  the  open  air  in  May  on  warm 
borders  in  good  soil.  Sow  them  in  a 
warm,  open  position,  and  a  good  light 
soil — if  peaty,  the  better.  I  have 
found  some  gain  from  late  sowing  in 


July,  the  May-sown  plants  dying  off 
in  the  August  heats.  We  sow  at  both 
seasons. 

RHODODENDRON  (Rose  Tree).— A 
noble  family  of  shrubs,  so  popular  that 
they  are  often  over-planted  ;  that  is  to 
say,  we  see  Rhododendrons  in  large 
and  often  lumpy  masses  in  many 
country  places  where  no  planting  of 
any  other  kind  worth  speaking  of  is 
carried  out.  In  districts  where  they 
do  well,  the  soil  and  climate  being 
suitable,  monotonous  effects  arise 
through  their  over-use,  against  which 
all  who  care  for  beautiful  gardens 
should  protest.  The  mild  climate  of 
our  country  and  generally  our  rather 
mild  winters  allow  many  more  kinds 
to  grow  with  us  than  on  the  Continent 
of  Europe  generally,  or  in  North 
America.  In  severe  winters  some 
kinds  are  touched  by  frost  even  with 
us,  and  therefore  we  must  be  on  our 
guard  against  planting  other  than  the 
hardy  varieties  except  in  the  south  of 
England  and  Ireland.  The  hardy 
American  species  should  be  grown  more 
in  lowland  valleys,  as  I  find  that  they 
stand  winters  which  kill  R.  ponticum. 

The  vast  range  in  our  country  over 
which  the  plant  will  grow  well,  alike  in 
Ireland,  England,  and  Scotland,  makes 
the  possession  of  the  finest  kinds  most 
important.  Among  the  numbers  of 
kinds  that  have  been  raised  by  English 
nurserymen  a  good  many  poor,  dull, 
or  ugly  in  colour  have  been  sent  out, 
and  therefore  it  is  important  to  get 
kinds  good  in  colour  and  to  group  and 
arrange  them  better  than  has  hitherto 
been  done  ;  that  is  to  say,  not  so  much 
in  flat  areas  and  lumpy  beds.  A  far 
better  way  is  to  break  them  up  into 
bold  and  simple  groups,  holding  the 
colours  more  together  and  not  scatter- 
ing them  about  in  spotty  mixtures. 
It  is  important  to  get  plants  from 
layers  where  possible,  and  not  grafted 
plants,  as  these  are  apt  to  perish  and 
their  places  be  taken  by  the  common 
stock,  of  which  we  have  already  far 
too  much.  Hitherto  it  has  been  very 
difficult  to  get  layered  plants  ;  but 
some  of  our  best  nurserymen  see  the 
change  suggested  here  is  a  good  one, 
and  are  providing  for  it.  It  makes 
great  difference  in  the  end  whether  the 
kind  has  its  own  roots  and  is  spread 
about  into  many  plants,  or  is  on  some 
wretched  stock  on  which  it  perishes. 

Rhododendrons  are  of  free  growth  in 
almost  any  soils  except  those  with  lime 
in  them.  On  many  loamy  soils  free 


RHODODENDRON.    THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.    RHODODENDRON.      673 


from  lime  the  plants  do  perfectly  well, 
although  perhaps  never  so  much  at 
home  as  on  a  sandy  peat.  Over  a 
large  area  of  Ireland  where  the  lime- 
stone prevails  it  is,  I  think,  not  worth 
trying  to  cultivate  Rhododendrons, 
and  it  is  always  better  to  grow  things 
that  do  best  on  one's  own  soil.  Given 
a  peaty  or  limeless  soil,  the  difficulty 
is  to  prevent  their  growing  so  quickly 
as  to  smother  each  other.  They  are 


Lilies  and  the  other  fine  handsome 
hardy  flowers  among  Rhododendrons 
and  like  shrubs  tends  to  keep  them 
more  open  and  delightful  in  every 
way,  their  forms  as  well  as  flowers 
being  better  shown. 

The  plants,  forming  generally  close 
balls  of  earth,  are  more  easily  trans- 
planted than  most  shrubs.  This  is 
often  done  in  late  spring  and  summer, 
as  for  the  London  flower-shows,  where 


Rhododendron  Falconer!. 


often  too  closely  planted,  and  after  a 
few  years  of  rapid  growth  such  planta- 
tions cannot  show  their  beauty.  It 
would  be  much  better  to  plant  all  the 
choice  kinds  rather  thinly.  Where 
from  previous  thick  planting  the  bushes 
are  too  close  together,  thin  them 
promptly  and  severely,  leaving  the 
choicer  kinds  and  the  finest  -  formed 
bushes.  In  this  way  we  get  light  and 
shade  among  the  plants  instead  of 
allowing  them  to  form  one  flat  level 
mass.  The  excellent  plan  of  placing 


numbers  of  the  finest  kinds  are  brought 
in  spring  and  taken  away  in  summer. 
In  the  case  of  all  choice  and  rare 
varieties  remove  the  seed-vessels  after 
flowering,  thus  saving  the  strength  of 
the  plants  for  future  good  growth  and 
flowers. 

Hardy  Rhododendrons  seldom  flower 
profusely  in  consecutive  years,  but  fine 
displays  biennially  are  usually  made. 
Established  plants  can  take  care  of 
themselves,  and  in  strong  loamy  soil 
artificial  waterings  are  not  required. 


674    RHODODENDRON.    THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER   GARDEN.    RHODODENDRON. 


In  very  dry  summers  mulching  the 
roots  of  a  few  single  plants  that  occupy 
a  rather  dry  position  is  often  necessary, 
but  where  the  beds  are  on  level  ground 
they  succeed  without  this  attention. 
This  is  not  so  in  all  cases,  as  drought 
in  the  early  autumn  months  often  kills 
many  of  the  large  plants  on  shallow 
soils.  Rhododendrons  are,  as  a  rule, 
safe  from  over-dryness  at  the  root 
until  August ;  then,  if  the  weather 
should  be  dry,  a  good  soaking  of  water 
twice  a  week  and  a  mulch  over  the 
roots  of  half-rotten  manure,  3  or  4 
inches  in  thickness,  will  maintain  them 
in  health.  Some  degree  of  shade  is 
helpful  to  Rhododendrons,  all  the 
more  so  in  dry  soils  and  in  the  districts 
with  a  slight  rainfall. 

A  propos  of  the  evils  of  grafting,  Mr 
Scrase  Dickins  writes  :  "  We  have  a 
large  number  of  grafted  Rhododen- 
drons, planted  over  thirty  years  ago, 
from  the  base  of  which  every  year 
a  thick  growth  of  suckers  springs  up  ; 
these  require  to  be  cleared  off  in 
the  early  summer,  and  again  in  the 
autumn,  if  the  intended  variety  is 
to  retain  its  claim  to  existence  ; 
but  the  labour  entailed  is  con- 
siderable, and  many  are  overlooked  or 
passed  by  for  want  of  time.  Occa- 
sionally one  comes  across  a  great  bush 
of  the  common  ponticum,  with  a  small 
scraggy  piece  in  the  centre  to  show 
that  once  it  was  meant  to  be  a  hybrid 
variety  of  special  beauty ;  but  the 
worst  of  the  whole  business  seems  to  be 
that  the  older  the  plant  the  larger  is  the 
base  from  which  the  suckers  spring, 
and  consequently  the  larger  is  the 
number  of  suckers.  With  Ghent 
Azaleas  the  trouble  is  nearly  as  bad  ; 
the  common  yellow  form  on  which 
they  are  grafted,  being  a  strong  grower, 
soon  makes  short  work  in  ejecting 
the  less  vigorous  intruder.  It  is  very 
unfortunate  when,  after  a  certain 
number  of  years,  the  labour  and  money 
spent  in  an  endeavour  to  obtain  some 
specially  beautiful  effect  results  in  a 
common  -  place  arrangement  of  lilac 
and  yellow.  When  the  snow  has 
prostrated  large  Rhododendrons,  those 
on  their  own  roots  will  often  raise 
themselves  in  a  thaw  without  help  ; 
whereas  those  grafted  will  most  likely 
have  broken  off  short  at  the  base. 
If  the  union  between  the  stock  and 
the  scion  is  so  imperfect  as  to  give 
way  under  these  provocations,  it 
follows  that  the  flow  of  sap  and 
consequent  development  of  the  plant 
must  be  seriously  interfered  with.  In 


some  cases  this  may  prove  beneficial 
in  restraining  a  coarseness  of  growth 
and  inducing  fertility,  but  it  is  the 
reason  why  we  do  not  possess  in  our 
gardens  finer  examples  of  graceful  and 
well-developed  natural  specimens.  In 
order  to  gain  new  and  improved 
varieties  it  is  necessary  to  raise  a 
large  number  of  seedlings.  If  nur- 
serymen were  to  give  their  attention 
more  generally  to  raising  seedlings  and 
layered  plants,  it  might  with  reason 
be  expected  that  they  would  raise  a 
large  number  of  new  and  improved 
varieties.  If  planters,  looking  forward 
to  the  future,  as  planters  as  a  rule 
must  do,  would  insist  on  being  supplied 
by  the  nurserymen  with  own  root  plants 
only,  then  our  successors  would  have 
finer  examples  to  thank  us  for,  and  we 
should  be  increasing  our  store  of  what 
is  beautiful  among  our  treasures  in 
garden  and  wood." 

Marked  progress  has  been  made  with 
hybrid  Rhododendrons  of  recent  years, 
such  fine  new  kinds  as  Pink  Pearl, 
White  Pearl,  Mrs  E.  C.  Stirling,  and 
others  of  a  like  class,  having  put  many 
of  the  older  kinds  in  the  shade.  These 
varieties  are,  however,  still  scarce,  and 
likely  for  a  while  to  remain  so.  The 
following  is  a  good  selection  among 
the  best  hardy  varieties  : — 


Album  elegans. 

Ingrami. 

Album  grandiflorum. 

Jackson  i 

Alexander  Adie. 

James  Bateman. 

Alexander  Dancer. 

James  Macintosh. 

Atro-sanguineum. 
Austin  Layard. 

James  Ma*on. 
J.  Marshall  Brooks. 

Bacchus 

John  Spencer. 

Barclayanum. 

John  Walter. 

Baron  Schroeder. 

John  Waterer. 

Baroness    Lionel   Roths- 
child. 

Joseph  Whitwortb. 
Kate  Waterer. 

Blandyanum. 

Kettledrum. 

Boule  de  Neige. 

King  of  Purples. 

Broughtoni. 

Lady    Annette  de    Traf- 

Caractacus. 

ford. 

Catawbiense. 

Lady  Armstrong. 

Charles  Bagley. 
Charles  Dickens. 

Lady    Clementina     Mil- 
ford. 

Charlie  Waterer. 

Lady  Clementina  Walsh. 

C.  S.  Sargent. 

Lady  Clermont. 

Coerulescens. 

Lady  Dorothy  Neville. 

Coriaceum. 

Lady  Eleanor  Cathcart. 

Countess  of  Clancarty. 

Lady  Falmoutb. 

Countess  of  Normanton. 
Cynthia. 

Lady  Grey  Egerton. 
Lady  Godiva. 

Delicatissimum. 

Limbatum. 

Doncaster. 

Luciferum. 

Due  de  Brabant. 

Madame  Carvalho. 

Duchess  of  Bedford 

Marie  Stuart. 

Duchess  of  Connaught. 

Marquis  of  Waterford. 

E.  A.  Boulton. 

Martin  Hope  Sutton. 

Edward  S.  Rand. 

Maximum. 

Everestianuni. 

Maximum  Wellsianum, 

Fair  Helen. 

Maxwell  T.  Masters. 

Fastuosum  fl.  pi- 

Michael  Waterer. 

F.  L.  Ames. 

Minnie. 

Frederick  Waterer. 

Miss  Jekyll. 

Gomer  Waterer. 

Miss  Owen. 

Govenianum 

Mont  Blanc. 

Guide. 

MrsBeresford  Melville. 

Helen  Waterer. 

Mrs  Charles  Sargent. 

H.  W.  Sargent. 

Mrs  E.  C.  Stirling. 

RHODODENDRON.     THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER    GARDEN.     RHODODENDRON.     675 


Mrs  F.  J.  Kirchner. 

Mrs  Fitzgerald. 

Mrs  Fredk.  Hankey. 

Mrs  Harry  Ingersoll. 

Mrs  John  Glutton. 

Mrs  John  Kelk. 

Mrs  John  Penn. 

Mrs  John  Waterer. 

Mrs  Mendel. 

Mrs  Milner. 

Mrs  R.  S.  Holford. 

Mrs  Russell  Sturgis. 

Mrs  Thomas  Agnew. 

Mrs  Tritton. 

Mrs  Walter. 

Mrs  W.  Agnew. 

Mrs  William  Bovill. 

Mum. 

Nero. 

Odoratum. 

Old  Port. 

Perfection. 

Pictum. 

Pink  Pearl. 

Prince  Camillede  Rohan. 

Princess  Christian. 


Princess    Mary   of  Cam- 
bridge. 

Purpureum  elegans. 
Purpureum  grandiflorum. 
Purity. 

Ralph  Sanders. 
Rosabel. 
Roseum  elegans. 
Sappho. 

Sherwoodianum. 
Sigismund  Rucker. 
Silvio. 

Sir  James  Clnrk. 
Snowflake. 
Stella. 
Sultana. 
Surprise. 
The  Queen. 
The  Warrior. 
Titian. 
Vandyck. 
Vauban. 

Viscount  Powerscourt. 
White  Pearl. 
William  Austin. 


RHODODENDRONS  GROUPED  FOR 
EFFECT  OF  COLOUR.  —  Reds,  rose  - 
colours,  and  pinks,  with  a  few  whites, 
viz.,  Reds  —  James  Marshall  Brooks, 
John  Waterer,  Atro-sanguineum,  Alex- 
ander Adie,  Baron  Schrceder.  Rose 
and  rosy-pinks — Mrs  Penn,  Ingrami, 
Lady  Armstrong,  Mrs  Charles  Sargent, 
and  Mrs  W.  Agnew.  Whites — Mrs 
John  Clutton,  Minnie,  Madame  Car- 
valho,  Duchess  of  Connaught,  and 
Sappho.  Rhododendrons  of  salmon- 
red  colour  are  best  kept  separate  from 
others  ;  of  these,  good  colourings  are 
Lady  Eleanor  Cathcart  and  Mrs  R.  S. 
Holford.  Purples  must  be  kept  away 
from  reds,  but  group  well  with  any 
whites  ;  some  of  the  best  for  col- 
our are  Everestianum,  Album  elegans, 
Fastuosum,  Cyaneum,  Countess  of 
Normanton,  Caractacus,  and  Sigismund 
Rucker.  Pretty  shades  of  pale  blush 
are  found  in  Lady  Grey  Egerton  and 
Marie  Stuart,  while  for  bold  groups  of 
one  colour  Chas.  S.  Sargent,  Edward 
S.  Rand,  and  James  Mason  are  clear 
shades  approaching  scarlet,  and  James 
Macintosh,  Maxwell  T.  Masters,  and 
Warrior,  rich  crimsons. 

There  are  some  dwarf  kinds  which 
may  be  associated  with  alpine  plants 
in  the  rock  garden. ;  indeed,  some 
are  but  a  span  high.  One  of  the 
prettiest  of  these  is  R.  Cham&cistus, 
which  has  tiny  leaves,  and  in  early 
summer  exquisite  purple  flowers,  of 
the  same  size  as  those  of  Kalmia 
latifolia.  It  is  rarely  seen  in  good 
health  in  gardens,  and  is  best  in  lime- 
stone fissures,  filled  with  peat,  loam, 
and  sand,  mixed  in  about  equal  pro- 
portions. A  native  of  calcareous  rocks 
in  the  Tyrol,  and  one  of  the  most 
precious  of  dwarf  rock  shrubs.  The 


well  -  known  R.  ferrugineum  and  R. 
hirsutum  both  bear  the  name  of  Alpine 
Rose,  and  often  terminate  the  woody 
vegetation  on  the  great  mountain 
chains  of  Europe.  They  are  easily 
obtained  from  nurseries,  and  are  well 
suited  for  the  large  rock  garden,  where 
they  attain,  in  deep  peat  soil,  a  height 
of  about  1 8  inches,  with  red  flowers 
from  June  to  August,  hirsutum,  having 
hairy  leaves  and  stems.  But  the  best 
of  all  the  dwarf  Rhododendrons  is  R. 
arbutifolium  (Wilson's  Rhododendron), 
a  hybrid  between  R.  ferrugineum  and 
R.  punctatum,  forming  a  dense  bushy 
plant  with  small,  oval,  pointed,  dark 
glossy  green  leaves  assuming  bronzy 
winter  shades,  and  bearing  many 
clusters  of  fragrant  porcelain  -  pink 
flowers  in  July.  For  hardiness,  free- 
dom, and  fine  habit,  it  is  a  choice  little 
plant  when  isolated,  or  as  an  edging 
to  plantations.  R.  myrtifolium  is  a 
cross  between  punctatum  and  hirsutum 
and  intermediate  in  form  and  habit, 
bearing  clusters  of  deep  rosy  -  red. 
Besides  these  there  are  R.  caucasicum 
from  the  Caucasus  Mountains,  forming 
a  dense  low  shrub  2  feet  high,  with 
clusters  of  pink  to  yellowish  -  white 
flowers  spotted  with  green  within ; 
the  leaves  oval,  dark  green  above,  and 
velvety  -  brown  beneath.  R.  Metier  - 
nichii,  from  Japan,  4  feet  high,  with 
narrow  leaves  and  rosy  flowers  spotted 
with  purple.  Also  R.  brachycarpum, 
another  larger  Japanese  species,  with 
lighter  green  and  more  rounded  foliage, 
and  creamy-white  flowers  spotted  with 
green.  These  are  known  to  be  exceed- 
ingly hardy,  but  are  as  yet  only  to  be 
had  with  difficulty.  R.  amcenum,  R. 
hybridum,  R.  dauricum-atrovirens,  R. 
Govenianum,  R.  odoratum,  and  R. 
Torlonianum  are  other  dwarf  kinds, 
which  may  be  used  in  the  rock  garden, 
the  last  two  being  sweet  -  scented. 
They  should  not  be  planted  near 
minute  alpine  plants. 

As  providing  a  more  searching  test 
than  our  own  climate  affords,  we  give 
here  a  list  of  kinds  proved  hardy  in 
the  New  England  winters  under  very 
varied  trial,  over  a  large  range,  and 
for  a  good  many  years  past :  Album 
elegans,  light  blush  marked  with  straw 
colour,  fading  to  white,  free,  with  an 
upright  habit  well  suited  to  the  centre 
of  groups  ;  Album  grandiflora,  light 
blush  fading  to  white,  strong  growing, 
and  very  free ;  Alexander  Dancer, 
light  rose  with  paler  centre,  open  and 
irregular  habit,  with  a  larger  truss  than 
any  other  hardy  kind ;  Atrosan- 


676     RHODODENDRON.    THE   ENGLISH    FLOW&R    GARDEN.     RHODODENDRON. 


guineum,  blood-red  and  early  ;    Carac- 
tacus,  rich  purplish-crimson,  one  of  the 
best  for  size  and  colour  of  its  flowers, 
gathered   into  large   compact  trusses, 
with  fine  habit  and  foliage  ;    Charles 
Bagley,  cherry-red,  a  late    variety  of 
fine  colour,  with  good  habit  and  foliage  ; 
Charles  Dickens,  bright  scarlet  flowers, 
coming    early    as    compact    trusses  ; 
C.  S.  Sargent,  rich  crimson  flowers,  fine 
habit ;    Ccerulescens,  pale  lilac-blue  or 
blush,  strong  growth,  and  loose  habit ; 
Coriaceum,  a  late  kind,  of  dwarf  habit 
and  creamy- white  flowers  ;    Delicatis- 
simum,   also  late,   with  white  flowers 
suffused   pink,    fine   habit,    and   large 
glossy  leaves  ;     Everestianum,   one   of 
the  best  in  its  freedom  of  flower  and 
dense  habit,  flowers  rosy-lilac  spotted 
with    yellow,    and    crinkled    on    the 
margins ;      F.    L.    Ames,    pale    pink 
flowers  with  a  band  of  deeper  rose- 
colour,     good     foliage,    but     ungainly 
habit  ;    Guido,  good  habit,  fine  trusses 
of  rich  crimson  ;   W.  H.  Sargent,  large 
crimson  trusses  and  the  darkest  late 
kind,     but    of    poor    habit  ;      James 
Bateman,  fine  habit  and  rich  scarlet 
flowers  ;    Kettledrum,  a  deep  red,  late 
kind  ;    King  of  Purples,  dark  purple, 
free,   and  of  fine  habit ;    Lady  Arm- 
strong, pale  rose,  beautifully  spotted, 
perhaps   the   best  pink ;     Lady   Grey 
Egerton,   good  in  foliage,   habit,   and 
its    immense   light   mauve    or   silvery 
blush  trusses  ;  Mrs  C.  S.  Sargent,  like 
Everestianum,    but   with    bright    pink 
flowers    with    a   yellow    blotch ;     Mrs 
Harry  Ingersoll,  flowers  of  deep  rosy- 
lilac  blotched  green  or  yellow  on  the 
upper  lobe  ;    Mrs  Milner,  rich  crimson 
flowers,  and  excellent  in  other  ways  ; 
Old    Port,    distinct   in   its    rich   plum 
colour  ;     Purpureum   elegans,   purple  ; 
Purpureum  crispum,  clear  purple  with 
crimped   petals  ;     Purpureum  grandi- 
florum,  the  best  of  the  purples  in  col- 
our,   habit,    and     freedom,    flowering 
late ;     Roseum    elegans,    flowers    deep 
rosy-purple,  with  rich,  glossy  foliage  ; 
Roseum  grandiflorum,    near   the   last. 
These  kinds  may  be  planted  with  every 
confidence,    even    where    the    winters 
are  long  and  rigorous. 

The  following  is  an  abstract  from 
The  Garden  of  a  paper  by  Mr  W.  J. 
Bean,  of  the  Royal  Gardens  at  Kew, 
on  the  Indian  Rhododendrons  in  the 
London  district,  and  therefore  of 
interest  to  growers  in  the  home  coun- 
cies,  less  favoured  than  many  districts 
for  the  growth  of  these  fine  shrubs  :— 

The  altitudes  at  which  these  grow 
range  between  4,000  feet  and  14,000 


feet,  but  it  is  at  heights  of  10,000 
feet  and  upwards  that  the  genus  is 
most  abundantly  represented.  Above 
12,000  feet  Sir  J.  Hooker  says  that 
three-fourths  of  the  whole  vegetation 
consists  of  Rhododendrons.  The  mean 
temperature  at  Darjeeling  (in  which 
neighbourhood  most  of  the  species  are 
found)  does  not  widely  differ  from  that 
of  London,  but  the  extremes  of  heat 
and  cold  are  much  greater  here  than 
there,  and  it  is  only  a  few  that  can  be 
said  to  thrive  put  of  doors  really  well 
and  flower  in  the  London  district, 
although  many  can  remain  healthy  in 
foliage  when  grown  in  well  -  sheltered 
spots.  The  greatest  successes  with 
Himalayan  Rhododendrons  in  the 
British  Isles  have  been  obtained  near 
the  sea  in  the  south  and  south-western 
counties,  where  the  temperature  is 
equable  and  moist.  The  districts  in 
which  they  are  grown  to  greatest  per- 
fection are  near  Swansea,  in  Wales, 
and  about  Falmouth,  in  Cornwall,  and 
also  in  the  south  of  England  and  Ire- 
land generally,  the  coast  line  all  round 
the  islands,  too,  being  favourable.  A 
soil  which  is  naturally  peaty  is  no 
doubt  the  best,  but  not  essential ; 
they  may  be  grown  out  of  doors  in 
loam  either  light  or  moderately  stiff 
so  long  as  lime  is  absent,  and  with 
plenty  of  leaf  mould.  They  should 
always,  if  possible,  be  planted  near 
trees — near  enough  to  be  screened 
from  the  sun  for  a  few  hours  a  day. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  species  of 
some  proved  hardy  in  Britain  in  the 
southern  counties  and  in  good  suitable 
soils : — 

R.  ARBOREUM. — The  best  known  of  the 
Himalayan  species,  and  one  of  the  most 
variable.  The  various  forms  may  roughly 
be  divided  into  two  groups,  the  one  with 
foliage  that  is  silvery  beneath,  the  other 
having  the  under  side  of  the  leaf  covered 
more  or  less  with  a  reddish  tomentum. 
The  leaves  of  all  are  from  5  to  8  inches 
long,  the  trusses  rounded  or  sometimes 
almost  conical,  with  the  flowers  closely 
packed,  the  colour  of  the  bell-shaped 
corolla  varying  from  rich  crimson  to 
almost  white.  The  plants  known  under  the 
following  names  belong  to  the  arboreum 
group,  some  having  been  given  specific 
rank  :  Campbellits,  flowers  rosy  purple, 
leaves  rusty  beneath  ;  Umbatum,  flowers 
rosy  purple,  leaves  silvery  beneath ; 
nilagiricum,  flowers  rosy,  leaves  reddish 
beneath ;  cinnamomeum,  flowers  almost 
white ;  Windsori,  flowers  and  trusses 
smaller,  rich  crimson. 

R.  AUCKLANDI. — This  tender  species 
attains  the  dimensions  of  a  small  tree, 


RHODODENDRON.      THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.     RHODODENDRON.    677 


its  stems  being  of.  a  grey  colour  with  the 
bark  peeling  off.  A  hybrid  between  it 
and  Hookeri  called  Kewense  (raised  at 
Kew  in  1874)  has  flowers  of  a  pale  flesh 
colour,  not  so  large  as  those  of  Auckland!, 
but  more  numerous  in  the  truss.  There 
is  also  a  very  pretty  hybrid  known  as 
Aucklandi  hybridum,  which  is  hardy  in 
the  London  district ;  its  flowers  are  pure 
white.  Syn.  R.  Griffithianum. 

R.  BARBATUM  is  described  as  being  in  a 
wild  state  40  to  60  feet  high  ;  I  have 
seen  it  about  12  feet  high  in  Cornwall. 
The  leaves  are  5  to  7  inches  long,  with 
flowers  of  a  rich  blood-red  colour  borne 
in  a  compact  truss  4  inches  or  more 
in  diameter.  There  are  many  seedling 
forms  of  R.  barbatum,  one  with  fleshy-pink 
flowers  being  especially  good. 

R.  CAMPANULATUM. — Among  the  har- 
diest of  the  Himalayan  species,  flowering 
in  April  and  forming  a  widely  spreading 
bush.  The  leaves  are  coated  beneath  with 
a  brightly-coloured  reddish  felt,  and  the 
flowers  are  pale  purple,  changing  to  nearly 
white. 

R.  CAMPYLOCARPUM  is  closely  allied  to 
the  preceding,  and  it  is  of  similar  habit, 
but  the  flowers  are  pale  yellow,  borne  in  a 
loose  truss  and  scented  like  honey. 

R.  CILIATUM. — A  bushy  plant  which 
thrives  well  in  sheltered  positions  near 
London.  Its  leaves  are  densely  covered 
with  hairs  when  young,  less  so  as  they 
get  older  ;  the  flowers  are  borne  loosely 
in  small  trusses,  rosy  white  on  opening, 
whiter  with  age.  It  has  been  used  for 
hybridisation,  and  amongst  others  R. 
PYCBCOX  and  Rosy  Bell  have  been  raised 
from  it. 

R.  CINNABARINUM. — In  "  The  Flora  of 
British  India  "  this  name  is  made  to 
include  what  have  previously  been  known 
as  R.  Roylei  and  R.  blandfordicBflorum. 
The  species  is,  indeed,  a  most  variable 
one,  having  flowers  of  a  brick-red,  rich 
crimson,  or  sometimes  greenish  colour. 
They  are  all  distinguished  by  the  long 
narrow  corolla,  resembling  a  Lapageria. 

R.  FALCONERI. — A  noble  kind  thriving 
in  Cornish  gardens,  with  oblong  leaves 
about  10  inches  long,  coated  beneath  with 
reddish  down,  dark  green,  slightly  downy 
and  curiously  wrinkled  above.  The 
flowers  are  of  a  curious  shade  of  creamy 
white  tinged  with  lilac  towards  the  base. 
R.  eximium  is  a  fine  variety  of  this, 
differing  in  its  bright  pink  flowers  and 
the  thicker  reddish  brown  fluff  on  the 
upper  surface  of  the  leaves. 

R.  FORMOSUM. — There  are  two  very 
distinct  varieties  of  this  in  cultivation — 
the  one  has  narrow  leaves,  in  shape  and 
size  almost  like  those  of  an  Indian  Azalea  ; 
the  other  has  them  many  times  larger, 
obovate,  and  5  inches  long.  Both  have 


the  margins  ciliated.  The  flowers  are  in 
each  variety  white,  although  in  the  bud 
stage  quite  rosy  pink.  They  are  about 

3  inches  wide  and  as  much  in  depth.     R. 
Gibsoni   and   R.   Johnstoni   are    forms    of 
this  species,  differing  chiefly  in  the  larger 
leaves. 

R.  FULGENS. — One  of  the  hardiest  and 
rarest  of  Himalayan  Rhododendrons, 
blooming  out  of  doors  early  in  March, 
and  not  always  escaping  the  damaging 
spring  frosts,  but  if  it  does,  it  is  the  most 
brilliantly  coloured  shrub  flowering  at 
that  time.  The  flowers  are  in  compact 
rounded  trusses  about  4  inches  across,  a 
bright  blood  -  red,  the  leaves  coated 
beneath  with  a  rusty  felt.  The  true  plant 
has  been  grown  outside  for  many  years 
in  the  Rhododendron  dell  at  Kew,  and  it 
has  never  been  injured  by  frost,  nor  does 
it  ever  fail  to  set  abundance  of  bloom. 
Himalayas,  at  elevations  of  12,000  feet  to 
14,000  feet. 

R.  HODGSONI. — A  spreading  shrub  or 
small  tree,  rarely  more  than  12  feet  high, 
the  stout  leaves  upwards  of  i  foot  long, 
covered  beneath  with  a  grey  tomentum, 
the  upper  side  a  bright  shade  of  green, 
and  flowers  are  of  a  pale  rose-purple.  It 
is  hardy  in  both  the  Welsh  and  Cornish 
gardens. 

R.  HOOKERI. — A  native  of  Bhotan,  and 
on  the  Oola  Mountain  this  is  said  to  form 
entire  thickets  accompanied  by  Pinus 
excelsa.  The  leaves  are  oblong  or  oval, 

4  inches  long  and  glaucous  beneath,  the 
flowers  of  a  bright  red. 

R.  KEYSI.  —  A  curious  species,  with 
flowers  more  like  those  of  a  Correa,  brick- 
red,  about  i  inch  long,  the  lobes  of  the 
tubular  corolla  being  almost  straight. 

R.  LANATUM.  —  The  young  branches, 
both  surfaces  of  the  leaves,  and  the 
petioles  are  covered  with  a  dull  white 
or  tawny  tomentum  ;  the  sulphur-yellow 
flowers  are  2  inches  across. 

R.  MADDENI. — A  shrub  8  to  10  feet 
high,  with  bright  green  lanceolate  leaves. 
The  corolla  is  pure  white,  bell-shaped,  and 
about  3  inches  across  the  mouth.  It  is 
known  also  as  R.  Jenkinsi.  R.  calophyllum 
is  practically  the  same  thing,  but  a  dis- 
tinction is  founded  on  the  shorter  calyx 
lobes  and  much  smaller  seed  vessels. 

R.  NIVEUM. — One  of  the  hardiest  species, 
but  far  from  the  most  showy,  the  young 
leaves  being  covered  with,  a  white  tomen- 
tum, the  upper  surface  afterwards  becom- 
ing deep  green  and  glabrous,  the  purplish 
lilac  flowers  close  in  a  small  head. 

R.  THOMSONI. — The  flowers  of  this 
species,  of  a  fine  red,  are  borne  in  loose 
trusses,  hardy  in  the  London  district  and 
flowering  in  the  early  part  of  April ;  the 
leaves  3  to  4  inches  long,  very  dark 


678     RHODODENDRON.     THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.    RHODODENDRON. 


green  above.  This  is  a  plant  of  bushy 
habit ;  the  largest  I  have  seen  is  growing 
at  Tremough,  near  Fa] mouth — a  magni- 
ficent garden  for  these  Rhododendrons. 
It  was  12  feet  high  and  15  feet  through. 

R.  WIGHTI. — A  small  tree,  found  at 
elevations  of  11,000  to  14,000  feet, 
bearing  yellow  flowers  2£  inches  across  in 
large  rounded  trusses.  The  leaves  are 
firm  and  stout,  6  to  10  inches  in  length, 


ticum,  caucasicum,  and  arboreum.  For 
many  years  raisers  confined  their 
attention  to  these  species,  but  of  late 
the  field  has  been  widened  by  the  use 
of  Rs.  Fortitnei,  Aucklandi,  Thomsoni, 
and  others,  and  many  of  the  most 
remarkable  of  recent  gains  have  come 
from  this  infusion  of  new  blood.  Some 
of  these  hybrids  are  from  the  crossing 


Tree  Rhododendron  at  Castlewellan,  co.  Down. 


and  when  young  quite  white  under- 
neath, becoming  grey  with  age. 

R.  anthopogon,  flowers  sulphur-yellow  ; 
R.  glaucum,  flowers  dull  rose-purple  ;  and 
R.  pendulum,  flowers  white,  are  small- 
leaved  dwarf  shrubs,  chiefly  of  botanical 
interest. 

NEW  HIMALAYAN  HYBRIDS. — By  far 
the  greater  number  of  our  garden 
Rhododendrons  are  the  product  of  only 
four  species  which  have  been  closely 
inbred,  these  being  catawbiense,  pon- 


of  wild  species,  and  others  are  of  mixed 
parentage — crossing  of  a  species  with 
one  of  the  hybrid  garden  varieties. 
Among  the  best  of  these  plants  are  :— - 
Thomsoni  hybrids  :  Ascot  Brilliant, 
Luscombei,  and  Luscombei  splendens. 
Fortunei  hybrids  :  Duchess  of  York, 
H.  M.  Ardenne,  George  Thiselton 
Dyer,  Mrs  Thiselton  Dyer,  Francis 
Thiselton  Dyer,  Harrisi,  etc.  Auck- 
landi  hybrids  :  Kewense,  Pink  Pearl, 
White  Pearl,  Manglesi,  Coombe  Royal, 


RHODODENDRON.     THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.    RHODODENDRON.     679 


Beauty  of  Tremough,  Gauntletti,  Dawn, 
Beauty  of  Little  worth,  etc.  Ciliatum 
hybrids  :  Praecox,  Rosy  Bell.  Arbo- 
reum  hybrids  :  Duke  of  Cornwall,  and 
the  old  series  —  Altaclerense,  Noble- 
anum,  venustum,  pulcherrimum,  and 
Russellianum.  Others  are  named  Mrs 
Henry  Shilson,  Harry  Mangles,  Rose 
Queen,  Pride  of  Penjerrick,  Glory 
of  Penjerrick,  and  Gertrude  Jekyl. 
Though  hardy  in  all  that  concerns 
growth,  some  of  these  fine  plants  bloom 
too  early  for  the  open  air,  losing  their 
flowers  by  frost  before  they  can 
expand ;  others  are  fully  hardy.  But 
we  need  to  know  more  about  most  of 
these  kinds  before  planting  them  in 
the  flower  garden.  Most  of  them  are 
fully  described  in  "Flora  and  Sylva," 
vol.  hi.,  p.  38.  A  correspondent  in 
the  south  of  Ireland,  in  Fermoy,  sends 
to  The  Garden  the  following  account  of 
the  kinds  he  has  found  to  do  well 
there — quite  hardy  without  protec- 
tion— and  also  of  his  failures  : — 

As  I  have  taken  much  pleasure  in 
cultivating  and  hybridising  Rhododen- 
drons for  about  twenty-five  years, 
especially  with  a  view  to  acclimatise 
those  of  Sikkim  and  Bhotan,  I  think 
the  results  at  which  I  have  arrived 
may  be  interesting.  In  order  to  avoid 
occupying  too  much  space,  I  shall  first 
give  the  names,  as  furnished  to  me,  of 
those  varieties  which  I  have  found 
perfectly  hardy  trees  without  the  slightest 
protection,  although  some  of  those  which 
bloom  early  (about  March)  have  their 
flowers  occasionally  spoiled  by  the  spring 
frosts  : — 

Alpinum  ;   /Eruginosum  ;    Anthopogon  ;    Arboreum 
album  ;  Arboreum  roseum,  very  beautiful  ;  Arboreum 
nepalense  ;     Barbatum,    magnificent ;      Calyculatum 
Camel  liaeflorum  ;  Campanulatum  ;  Campbell! ;  Campy 
locarpum;  Ciliatum  ;  Cinnamomeum  ;  Cinnabarinum 
Crispiflorum,    not     bloomed  ;      Eximium,    fine,     like 
Falconeri  ;     Falconeri,    grand  ;     Fulgens  ;     Falconer 
superbum,  not  bloomed  ;  Glaucum  ;  Hodgsoni,  grand 
has  not   yet    bloomed  ;    Hookeri ;    Key  si  ;   Lanatum 
Lancifolium,  not   bloomed;   Metternichi ;  Massangei, 
beautiful  bloom  this  year  ;  Niveum  ;  Nobile,  a  grand 
plant,  never  bloomed  ;  Ochraceum  ;  Roylei ;  Virgatum  ; 
Wallichi,  I  think  same  as  Niveum  ;  Wighti. 

The  following  were  more  or  less  injured 
last  spring  (those  marked  *  I  have  not 
yet  succeeded  in  acclimatising)  : — 

Argentum,  much  injured,  growing  well,  not 
bloomed  yet ;  Aucklandi,  much  injured,  growing  well, 
bloomed  well  in  1878-79-80;  Calophyllum,  apparently 
killed,  but  growing  well;  *Dalhousianum,  1  do  not 
give  this  up ;  *Edgeworthi,  I  do  not  give  this  up  ; 
Formosum  Gibsoni,  much  injured,  but  growing  well; 
Jenkinsi,  much  injured,  doing  well,  never  injured  in 
twenty  years  previous;  Kendricki,  I  doubt  its  name; 
Longifolium,  much  injured,  growing  well,  has  never 
bloomed;  Lindleyanum,  much  injured,  growing  well; 
Maddeni,  much  injured,  growing  well  (I  see  no 
essential  difference  between  this  and  Jenkinsi ;  centre 
of  Jenkinsi  flower  rose,  of  Maddeni  yellow)  ;  Nilghiri- 
cum,  not  bloomed,  much  injured  ;  *Nuttali,  many 
plants  killed,  I  fear  hopeless ;  Thomson!,  much 


injured,  but  growing ;  Windsor!,  very  much  injured, 
but  growing  well.  The  last  two  plants  appear  to  me 
less  hardy  varieties  of  R.  arboreum. 

I  have  not  included  any  European 
hybrids  in  my  list,  of  which,  between 
Himalayan  sorts  alone,  I  know  many, 
and  have  a  great  number  of  my  own 
rearing  also,  and  the  reason  I  do  not 
give  up  Dalhousianum  and  Edgeworthi 
is  that  I  have  seedlings  from  crosses 
of  them  which  promise  well  to  be  hardy, 
one  especially,  between  Edgeworthi  and, 
I  think,  calophyllum,  which  only  lost  its 
bloom-buds  last  spring,  I  am  very  proud 
of ;  its  fragrance  is  far  beyond  any  I 
know — Rollisson's  fragrantissimum  and 
Lindleyanum  being,  so  far,  the  best.  I 
have  named  it  the  Empress  of  India  in 
honour  of  our  Queen. — H.  H. 

Indian  Mountain  Rhododendrons 
may  not  only  be  successful  in  the 
southern  parts  of  England  and  Ireland, 
but  very  fine  flowers  have  been  sent  me 
from  Scotland  (Stonefield,  Tarbert, 
Argyllshire),  kinds  thriving  there  that 
do  not  always  prove  hardy  in  the  south. 
Mr  D.  Robertson,  who  sent  the  flowers, 
said  the  effect  produced  by  them  was 
very  fine,  and  the  following  kinds  have 
flowered  in  that  place  without  any 
kind  of  protection  :  Falconeri,  arbor- 
eum, arboreum  album,  niveum,  cinna- 
momeum,  Campbelli,  campy  locarpum, 
Thomsoni,  barbatum,  fulgens,  Wallichi, 
ciliatum,  Roylei,  Edgeworthi,  glaucum, 
Gibsoni,  candelabrum,  setosum,  and 
pumilum.  Another  Scotch  correspon- 
dent, writing  from  Edinburgh,  gives 
the  following  additional  kinds  as  hardy 
and  flowering  well  in  his  garden  : 
Mruginosum,  argenteum,  barbatum, 
blandfordiceflorum,  cinnabarinum  and 
its  fine  form  majus,  Fortunei,  fulgens, 
Hodgsoni,  lepidotum,  longifolium,  and 
virgatum. 

NEW  CHINESE  RHODODENDRONS. — 
These  are  not  yet  much  known  in  our 
gardens,  and  yet  a  few  kinds  have 
already  shown  their  value.  On  the 
whole  they  approach  the  Rhodo- 
dendrons of  N.  India — in  fact,  several 
species  in  the  one  region  have  an 
almost  exact  counterpart  in  the  other. 
On  the  other  hand,  not  a  few  are  quite 
unlike  any  other  known  kinds,  such  as 
the  charming  R.  racemosum,  in  which 
we  have  a  distinct  new  type  of  Rhodo- 
dendron. We  may  hope,  too,  from 
the  latitude  and  elevation  at  which 
many  of  them  grow,  that  they  will 
prove  hardier  than  the  Himalayan 
species. 

R.  aucubcefolia  is  a  fine  species  with 
white  flowers  and  bold  leaves  6  or  8 
inches  long.  R.  Augustinii  has  large 


68o      RHODODENDRON.     THE  ENGLISH  FLOWER  GARDEN.      RHODODENDRON. 


white,  pink,  or  mauve  coloured  flowers, 
finely  waved  around  the  edges  of  the 
petals.  R.  auriculatum,  a  fine  low 
tree  of  10  to  30  feet,  with  beautiful 
white  or  rosy  flowers,  perhaps  finer 
than  in  any  other  Chinese  kind.  They 
are  funnel-shaped,  3  inches  deep  and 
4^  inches  across  the  mouth  ;  the  leaves 
leathery  and  4  to  9  inches  long.  R. 
ciliicalyx  is  another  charming  plant 
with  even  larger  white  flowers  flushed 
with  rose,  but  it  is  untried  as  to 
hardiness.  R.  Delavayi,  with  dark  red 
flowers,  comes  very  near  the  Himalayan 
R.  arboreum.  R.  Fortunei,  though  an 
old  kind,  is  still-  rare,  and  one  of  the 
best.  It  is  the  most  fragrant  of  true 
Rhododendrons,  the  flowers  composed 
of  finely  crisped  petals,  and  clear  pale 
rose  fading  to  white.  Some  garden 
crosses  have  lately  come  from  this 
kind,  which  promises  to  give  us  a  very 
useful  early-flowering  group  for  gar- 
dens. R.  lacteum,  grown  already  to  a 
fine  size  at  Kilmacurragh,  Ireland, 
comes  near  the  Indian  R.  Falconeri, 
with  trusses  of  white  bell  -  shaped 
flowers  2  inches  across.  Its  leaves  are 
a  foot  long,  covered  beneath  with  a 
beautiful  felt,  silvery  -  white  at  first, 
turning  brown  with  exposure.  R. 
racemosum  is  the  most  useful  and 
distinct  of  these  new  kinds,  growing 
without  any  trouble,  and  readily 
increased.  It  makes  a  low  shrub,  well 
adapted  to  the  rock  garden,  growing 
slowly,  needing  little  root  room,  and 
flowering  freely  from  a  height  of  only 
a  few  inches.  The  white  or  pale  rosy 
flowers  are  not  large,  but  instead  of 
confined  as  in  other  Rhododendrons 
to  a  rounded  truss  at  the  tips  of  the 
shoots,  here  they  also  appear  all  along 
the  shoots  as  clusters  from  the  leaf- 
axils,  so  that  in  April  each  branch  is  | 
transformed  into  a  raceme  of  flowers. 
R.  rubiginosum,  a  scarce  kind  which  has 
proved  fully  hardy  at  Kew,  its  flowers 
bright  rose  spotted  with  crimson.  It 
flowers  in  late  April  or  May,  and 
is  easily  increased  from  home  -  saved 
seeds.  R.  scabrifolium  is  a  pretty 
little  plant,  never  growing  high,  with 
rosy  flowers  and  hairy  leaves  and 
stems.  R.  vunnanense,  one  of  the 
best,  is  a  beautiful  hardy  kind  of  slender 
open  growth,  doing  best  in  a  sheltered 
spot,  where  it  blooms  in  May.  The  | 
trusses  are  small  but  exceedingly 
graceful,  composed  of  flowers  2  inches 
or  so  across,  white  or  rosy-lilac,  freely 
spotted  with  dark  red  on  the  upper 
petals. 

LAYERING    RHODODENDRONS. — The 


importance  of  getting  the  many  beau- 
tiful Rhododendrons  hardy  in  our 
country  from  layers  is  great.  The 
first  garden  in  which  I  have  seen  the 
practice  well  carried  out  was  at 
Sheffield  Park,  in  Sussex,  by  Mr  A.  G. 
Soames,  who  writes  : — 

Layering  of  Rhododendrons  is  a  simple 
affair.  A  shoot  of  the  current  season's 
growth  is  cut  about  half  through,  and 
we  put  a  little  wedge  of  wood  in  to  keep 
the  cut  effective,  though  I  do  not  know 
that  this  is  necessary.  The  cut  shoot 
is  then  pegged  firmly  into  the  soil  and 
a  couple  of  inches  or  so  of  soil  are  placed 
over  the  pegged  down  portion.  In 
two  years  we  have  a  plant  on  its  own 
roots.  When  I  plant  Rhododendrons 
I  always  layer  shoots  all  round,  and  have 
some  fine  bushy  plants.  The  shoots  from 
the  layered  branches  always,  I  find,  make 
far  more  vigorous  growth  than  the 
main  portion  of  the  plant  docs.  I 
started  doing  this  some  years  ago,  and 
it  proved  so  satisfactory  that  we  never 
think  of  planting  Rhododrendrons  with- 
out at  the  same  time  layering  them  now. 

The  usual  time  is  September  or  March, 
or  October  or  April,  which  coincides 
with  the  right  time  for  moving  Rhodo- 
dendrons. It  also  has  the  advantage  of 
keeping  the  plants  firm,  and  by  getting 
down  the  outside  branches  a  canopy  from 
the  sun  is  sooner  arrived  at,  which  makes 
a  lot  of  difference  in  growth. 

Of  the  very  many  Rhododendrons 
raised  at  Knaphill  Nurseries,  Mr  A. 
Waterer  tells  me  the  best  of  them  are 
the  following: — Album  elegans,  blush, 
changing  to  white  ;  Atrosangiiineum, 
intense  blood-red,  one  of  the  hardiest ; 
B.  de  Bruin,  rich  scarlet ;  Caractacus, 
purplish  -  crimson,  splendid  truss  ; 
Charles  Dickens,  dark  scarlet,  fine 
habit ;  Charles  S.  Sargent,  bright 
scarlet,  fine  truss  ;  Doncaster,  bright- 
est of  scarlets  ;  Edward  S.  Rand,  rich 
scarlet ;  F.  L.  Ames,  rosy-pink,  light 
centre,  large  truss  ;  G.  O.  Sims,  the 
brightest  of  scarlets  ;  G.  B.  Simpson, 
purplish-blue,  distinct  colour ;  Gari- 
baldi, bright  salmon,  distinct ;  H.  H. 
Hunnewell,  rich  crimson,  large  truss  ; 
H.  W.  Sargent,  crimson,  very  large 
truss  ;  Kettledrum,  purplish-crimson, 
free-blooming  ;  Lady  Armstrong,  pale 
rose,  spotted  ;  Lady  Clementina  Mit- 
ford,  peach  colour,  deeper  margin  ; 
Lady  de  Rothschild,  blush  spotted, 
fine  truss  ;  Lady  Grey  Egerton,  silvery 
blush,  fine  truss ;  Marchioness  of 
Lansdowne,  pale  rose,  with  an  intense 
black  spot;  Martin  Hope  Sutton, 
scarlet,  richly  marked,  distinct ;  Max- 
well T.  Masters,  rosy-crimson,  fine 


RHODORA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


RHUS. 


681 


truss  ;  Memoir,  white,  fine  habit ; 
Mrs  Anthony  Waterer,  a  beautiful 
white  ;  Mrs  Charles  Sargent,  pink, 
fine  truss  ;  Mrs  George  Paul,  blush- 
white,  fine  truss  of  perfect  shape  ; 
Mrs  John  Glutton,  one  of  the  best 
whites  ;  Mrs  J.  C.  Williams,  blush 
spotted,  fine  compact  truss,  late  ; 
Mis  John  Millais,  white,  yellow  eye, 
reflexed  petal  ;  Mrs  J.  P.  Lade, 
French -grey,  deeper  centre  ;  Mrs 
Milner,  rich  crimson,  splendid  habit ; 
Mrs  P.  D.  Williams,  ivory-white,  brown 
spot ;  Mrs  R.  G.  Shaw,  light  blush, 
with  dark  maroon  blotch,  fine  truss  ; 
Mrs  R.  S.  Holford,  rich  salmon,  truss 
large  ;  Mrs  T.  H.  Lowinsky,  blush-red, 
spots  very  showy,  late  ;  Sappho, 
white,  blotched  with  maroon  ; 
Sigismund  Rucker,  magenta,  richly 
spotted,  distinct ;  Snowflake,  purest 
white,  fine  conical  truss,  late ;  Titian, 
rosy-scarlet. 

RHODORA  (Canadian  Rhodora). — 
R.  canadensis  is  an  interesting 
bush,  2  to  4  feet  high,  allied  to  the 
Rhododendron,  a  native  of  the  swamps 
of  Canada,  hardy,  and  needing  a  moist 
light  soil,  though  it  prefers  peat.  In 
very  early  spring  it  has  clusters  of 
fragrant  rosy-purple  flowers  before  the 
leaves  unfold. 

RHODOTHAMNUS.— R,  chamacis- 
tus  is  a  beautiful  little  alpine  bush  very 
rare  in  gardens  and  rather  difficult  to 
cultivate.  It  is  less  than  i  foot  in 
height,  with  ovate  leaves  from  a 
quarter  of  an  inch  to  half  an  inch  long, 
thickly  clustered  on  the  twigs,  the 
margins  set  with  slender  hairs.  It 
flowers  towards  the  end  of  April  and 
the  beginning  of  May,  and  produces 
its  blossoms  in  clusters  at  the  ends  of 
the  shoots.  From  two  to  four  flowers 
are  in  the  cluster,  and  each  is  about 
1 1  inch  in  diameter,  the  free  portions 
of  the  petals  fully  expanded.  The 
colour  is  a  pale  clear  pink  with  a  ring 
of  a  deeper  shade  in  the  centre.  A 
feature  of  the  flower  also  is  the  long 
stamens.  It  is  by  no  means  rare  in  a 
wild  state,  being  found  in  the  Tyrol 
(often  in  large  patches)  as  well  as  in 
Carniola.  In  cultivating  this  plant 
full  exposure  of  the  foliage  to  sunlight, 
combined  with  cool,  uniformly  moist 
conditions  at  the  roots,  is  necessary. 
It  should  be  planted  in  a  sunny  position 
in  a  crevice  or  small  pocket  between 
the  stones,  which  keep  the  roots  per- 
manently moist  and  protected  from 
the  hot  sun  that  the  leaves  enjoy. 


The  compost  should  consist  mainly  of 
good  loam,  to  which  a  small  proportion 
of  peat  may  be  added,  and  which 
should  be  free  from  calcareous  matter. 
Syn.  Rhododendron  chamcecistus. 

RHODOTYPOS  (White  Jew's  Mal- 
low}.-— R.  Kerrioides  is  a  summer- 
leafing  shrub  from  Japan,  with  a 
growth  and  foliage  recalling  the 
familiar  old  Jew's  Mallow  on  cottage 
walls,  but  with  white  flowers.  It  is  of 
slender  growth,  but  makes  a  vigorous 
bush  when  well  grown,  and  is  usually 
5  or  6  feet  high,  though  against  a  wall 
it  reaches  a  height  of  10  or  12  feet. 
It  flowers  in  May,  and  keeps  in  bloom 
a  considerable  time. 

RHUS  (Sumach). — Low  trees,  shrubs, 
or  climbers,  with  an  acrid  juice, 
usually  hardy,  and  remarkable  for  their 
elegant  and  picturesque  growth,  and 
often  brilliantly  coloured  leaves  in 


A'  /i  us  copallina. 

autumn.  Such  good  qualities  as  they 
have  are  rarely  shown  in  our  gardens, 
where  they  are,  indeed,  often  absent 
save  one  or  two  of  the  commoner 
kinds,  and  these  never  grouped  or 
shown  in  any  right  way,  but  perhaps 
half  starved  in  the  conventional 
muddle  of  the  shrubbery.  Several 
kinds  are  poisonous,  and  should  not 
be  planted  near  the  house,  and,  if 
used  at  all,  should  be  handled  with 
great  care,  as  accidents  are  frequent. 
Their  poisonous  character  is  well 
known  and  feared  in  their  native 
countries.  The  Sumachs  are  not  diffi- 
cult as  to  soil  or  cultivation,  thriving  in 
ordinary  garden  soils,  and  rather 
enjoying  poor  and  dry  soils,  some  of 
them  being  suitable,  therefore,  for 
grouping  on  dry  banks  where  little 


682 


RHUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


RHUS. 


else  will  grow.  They  may  be  increased 
by  root  cuttings,  layers,  and  also  by 
seed. 

R.  CANADENSIS  (Fragrant  Sumach). — A 
hardy  shrub  with  trifoliate  leaves,  a  native 
of  rocky  woods  in  Canada  and  New  Eng- 
land, and  through  eastern  America, 
especially  along  the  mountains.  It  has 
pale  yellow  flowers  in  short  dense  clusters, 
formed  in  autumn  but  flowering  in  spring 
before  the  leaves  appear.  Very  useful  for 
dry  rocky  banks,  where  it  spreads  prettily. 


The  Venetian  Sumach  (Rhns  cotinus). 

R.  COPALLINA  (Mountain  Sumach). — A 
shrub  or  small  tree  with  pinnate  leaves  of 
smooth  glossy  texture,  turning  a  fine 
colour  in  autumn  in  its  own  country,  as 
they  probably  would  in  ours  in  full  sun 
in  warm  soil.  New  England,  Canada, 
and  southward  and  westward. 

R.  COTINOIDES  (American  Smoke  Tree). 
— A  small  tree  with  oval  leaves,  and  some- 
what like  our  European  kind,  but  really 
better,  with  larger  and  thinner  leaves, 
taking  also  a  fine  colour  in  autumn,  of  a 
beautiful  scarlet,  suffused  with  orange  and 
crimson.  A  native  of  Missouri,  Indian 
territory  and  eastwards.  It  should  be 
planted  in  dry,  warm  soil  and  sunny 
positions.  N.  America, 


R.  COTINUS  (Venetian  Sumach). — A 
beautiful  and  distinct  shrub,  long  culti- 
vated though  not  always  well  placed,  the 
simple  leaves  taking  a  fine  colour  in 
autumn  and  the  curious  inflorescence 
giving  a  very  pretty  effect.  There  is  a 
purple  variety  which  is  an  improvement, 
and  a  pendulous  variety  less  important. 
The  Venetian  Sumach  looks  very  well  as  a 
group  in  a  sunny  open  situation.  S.  and 
C.  Europe  and  the  East. 

R.  GLABRA  (Scarlet  Sumach). — A  distinct 
very  hardy,  bushy  kind,  with  smooth 
rather  small  leaves,  thriving  in  any  poor 
dry  soil,  the  leaves  taking  a  very  brilliant 
colour  in  autumn.  Var.  laciniata  is  very 
distinct,  the  leaflets  longer  and  of  much 
greater  breadth  than  in  R.  glabra  itself, 
but  they  are  cut  up  into  narrow  pinnate 
segments.  When  unfolding  they  remind 
one  of  a  finely-cut  umbelliferous  plant  in 
spring  ;  when  fully  grown  the  midribs  are 
red  ;  and  in  autumn  the  leaves  glow  off 
into  a  bright  colour  after  the  fashion  of 
American  shrubs.  The  wild  plant  is  much 
rarer  in  cultivation  than  the  cut-leaved 
variety. 

R.  OSBECKII. — A  fine  kind  from  China 
and  Japan,  with  pinnate  leaves  much  finer 
than  the  others,  striking  foliage,  also 
turning  in  good  seasons  and  warm  soils  a 
good  orange  colour  in  autumn.  This  is 
one  of  the  kinds  that  might  be  cut  down 
annually  where  plentiful,  so  as  to  get  the 
fine  effect  of  the  foliage  on  the  young 
vigorous  stems. 

R.  RADICANS  (Poison  Ivy). — A  distinct 
woody  climber  very  common  in  the  N. 
American  hedgerows  and  copses  and  also 
up  trees.  Its  leaves  give  it  somewhat  the 
character  of  a  Virginian  Creeper,  and  some 
unsuspecting  nurserymen  sent  it  out  with 
a  new  name  as  Ampelopsis  Hoggi,  under 
which  it  has  been  distributed  in  many 
gardens.  It  is  a  most  poisonous  plant 
in  its  own  country  and  also  in  ours, 
accidents  taking  place  from  it  in  gardens, 
and  the  cause  of  the  illness  is  not  always 
known.  If  kept  at  all  in  the  garden,  it 
should  be  in  rough  places  where  it  would 
not  have  to  be  handled  or  pruned.  Syn. 
R.  toxicodendron. 

R.  TYPHINA  (Stag's  Horn  Sumach). — In 
its  own  country  often  a  small  tree  or 
shrub,  in  ours  generally  a  loose  shrub 
common  in  gardens.  The  leaves  (and 
stems)  are  densely  covered  with  long  soft 
hairs,  and  often  take  a  fine  colour  in 
autumn,  which  is  increased  by  the 
persistent  crimson  seed-clusters.  It  is  a 
native  of  sandy  or  rocky  soil  from  Nova 
Scotia  and  Canada  southwards.  There  is 
a  lace-leaved  form  of  this  species  also, 
in  which  the  segments  are  very  fine. 

R.  VERNICIFERA. — The  famous  Lacquer 
Tree  of  Japan,  and  a  graceful  shrub  in  the 
milder  parts  of  Britain,  but  it  is  said  to 
be  very  poisonous, 


RIBES. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        RICHARDIA. 


K.  VERNIX  (Poison  Sumach).- — This  is  a 
shrub  or,  in  its  own  country,  a  small  tree 
with  pinnate  leaves,  and  growing  in 
swamps  in  southern  Ontario  and  the 
coast  district  of  the  eastern  States.  It 
is  a  very  poisonous  plant,  and  must  not 
be  brought  much  into  gardens.  The 
leaves  are  glossy  and  smooth,  and  turn  a 
fine  colour  in  autumn. 


R/nts  typhina. 

RIBES  (Currant). — The  favourite  old 
Crimson-flowering  Currant  (R.  sangui- 
neum)  is  typical  of  the  few  species  that 
can  be  called  ornamental  shrubs.  This 
shrub  is  so  common  that  I  need  only 
allude  to  the  fine  varieties  of  it  that 
are  to  be  obtained  from  the  best  nur- 
series. Perhaps  the  best  form  is  that 
named  King  Edward  VII.,  with  very 
large  flowers  of  intense  colour.  Deep 
and  rich  in  colour  is  the  variety  atro- 
rubens  (called  also  splendens),  though 
the  flowers  and  racemes  are  smaller. 
The  crimson-red  of  its  blooms  forms  a 
striking  contrast  to  the  variety  named 
albidum,  whose  flowers  are  almost 
white,  though  slightly  suffused  with 
pink.  The  double  sort  (flore-pleno)  is 
an  admirable  shrub,  with  very  double 
flowers,  which  last  a  long  time  in 
perfection,  and,  as  they  expand  later 
than  the  common  kind,  prolong  the 
season.  The  variety  glutinosum  is 
distinguished  by  clammy  foliage  and 
large  pale  rosy  -  pink  flowers.  A  new 
form  with  golden  leaves  has  recently 
come  to  light,  but  is  not  yet  generally 
obtainable. 

The  Yellow-flowering,  or  Buffalo 
Currant  (R.  aureum),  deserves  to  be 
more  commonly  grown.  It  is  a 
different  shrub  from  R.  sanguineum, 
having  larger  flowers  of  a  rich  yellow, 
which  appear  about  the  end  of  April 
or  beginning  of  May  ;  the  leaves  also 
are  smaller,  more  deeply  lobed,  and  of 
a  paler  green.  The  variety  prcecox  is 
so  named  because  it  flowers  earlier 


than  R.  aureum,  and  is  most  desirable 
on  that  account,  and  the  variety 
serotinum,  because  it  flowers  late. 
Serotinum  is  even  finer  than  the 
type. 

R.  GORDONIANUM.— A  hybrid  between 
R.  aureum  and  R.  sanguineum,  is  an 
old  and  tolerably  common  shrub — inter- 
mediate in  growth  as  well  as  in  flowers, 
which  are  an  orange-red  ;  it  is  distinct 
and  showy.  It  is  also  known  as  R. 
Beatoni  and  R.  Loudoni.  Of  the  numerous 
other  species  there  is  none  so  fine  as  the 
Californian  Fuchsia  Currant  (R.speciosum), 
whose  flowers  so  much  resemble  miniature 
Fuchsia  blossoms  that  in  some  places 
it  goes  by  the  name  of  R.  Fuchsioides. 
Its  deep  red  blooms  have  protruding 
stamens,  and  hang  from  the  leaf-axils 
in  clusters  of  two  or  three.  In  growth 
and  foliage  it  resembles  a  Gooseberry. 
A  densely-flowered  bush  is  extremely 
pretty,  and  lasts  in  perfection  a  long 
time.  Though  hardy  enough  to  be 
grown  as  a  bush  in  the  milder  parts 
of  England,  it  is  usually  seen  against 
a  wall,  and  there  are  few  more  elegant 
wall  shrubs.  Grown  thus  it  is  6  to 
8  feet  in  height.  Another  and  newer 
kind,  also  very  like  a  Gooseberry  when 
out  of  flower,  is  R.  Lobbii,  from  Cali- 
fornia, with  very  pretty  purple  and 
white  flowers  like  a  little  Fuchsia,  followed 
by  small  hairy  fruits  of  agreeable  flavour. 
Most  of  the  other  varieties  have  incon- 
spicuous flowers,  but  one  or  two  are  worth 
growing  for  the  sake  of  their  autumn 
foliage,  which  dies  away  in  various 
shades  of  crimson.  The  Missouri  Currant 
(R.  floridum),  also  called  R.  missourense, 
is  one  of  the  best  of  these.  It  is  a  stock 
plant  in  some  of  the  largest  nurseries. 
The  Flowering  Currants  are  really  an 
important  group  of  shrubs  and  deserve 
the  best  attention,  and  instead  of  being 
crammed  in  the  usual  shrubbery-mixture, 
should  be  grouped  by  themselves. 

RICHARDIA  (Calla).— This  name 
has  been  accepted  by  botanists  for 
the  last  three-quarters  of  a  century, 
although  it  is  not  yet  generally  used 
by  gardeners.  The  genus  consists  now 
of  various  species.  They  all  have  a 
perennial  tuberous  root-stock,  not 
unlike  that  of  Caladium,  from  which 
spring  the  annual  leaves  and  scapes, 
the  former  with  folding  stalks,  which 
form  a  kind  of  stem,  bearing  sagittate 
leaves,  the  latter  erect,  stout,  and 
bearing  a  large  spathe.  There  is  a 
noteworthy  difference  between  R. 
cethiopica  and  the  others,  the  former 
having  a  rhizome  and  never  naturally 
dying  down. 

R.  JETHIOPICA  (Lily  of  the  Nile), — 
Introduced  into  Europe  from  S. 


684 


RICINUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


ROBINIA. 


= 


in  1687.  It  is  emphatically  a  Cape  plant, 
and  is  not  found  within  1,000  miles 
or  so  of  the  Nile,  although  it  is  commonly 
known  as  the  Lily  of  the  Nile.  In  some 
parts  of  this  country,  for  instance  Corn- 
wall, it  has  become  naturalised  in  shallow 
water,  spreading  and  flowering  with 
the  same  freedom  as  in  the  ditches 
and  swamps  of  the  Cape. 

RICINUS    (Castor-oil     Plant).  —  R. 
commimis  is   a   much-grown   plant  in 


Rodgersia  podophylln. 

warm  countries,  growing  out  of  doors 
in  the  warm  months  in  ours,  and  used 
for  bold  beds  near  those  of  the  more 
brilliant  flowers,  but  it  is  not  well  to 
associate  it  closely  with  bedding 
plants,  because  of  its  strong  growth 
and  the  shading  of  its  leaves.  It 
requires  rich  deep  earth  to  form  its 
finest  leaves,  and  to  raise  the  plants  a 
brisk  hot-bed  is  needed  in  February 
or  March,  in  which  to  plunge  the  pots 
in  which  the  seeds  should  be  sown. 
About  the  end  of  May  gradually  inure 
them  to  a  cool  temperature,  and  after 
a  few  weeks  place  them  in  a  sheltered 
position  out  of  doors.  By  the  end  of 
June  they  may  be  planted  out  in  the 


beds  ;  the  more  sheltered  the  situati 
the  better.  Plant  and  water  them 
with  soft  rain-water,  and  mulch  the 
surface  with  manure.  During  hot 
weather  manure-water  will  be  of  use. 
It  is  not  at  home  in  our  climate,  and 
I  never  wished  to  see  it  in  my  garden. 

ROBINIA  (False  A  cacia)  .—Beau- 
tiful flowering  trees  for  lawn  or  shrub- 
bery. The  common  Acacia  or  Locust 
Tree  (R.  pseudoacacia)  is  of  quick 
growth,  hardy,  and  thrives  almost 
anywhere.  The  ordinary  form,  with 
its  white  Pea-shaped  blossom,  in  full 
beauty  about  the  end  of  July,  is  the 
most  familiar.  Of  the  numerous  var- 
ieties the  following  are  the  best : 
Decaisneana,  with  delicate  pink 
flowers ;  semperflorens,  flowering 
throughout  the  summer,  and  having 
white  blossoms  and  bright  green 
foliage  ;  and  Bessoniana,  the  thornless 
branches  of  which  form  a  dense 
globular  head  of  deep  green  foliage, 
which  is  retained  until  very  late  in 
autumn,  hence  its  great  value  as  a 
town  or  a  street  tree  ;  mimoscefolia, 
with  finely-divided  leaves  ;  fastigiata,. 
of  upright  growth  ;  crispa,  with  curled 
foliage  ;  monophylla,  with  leaves  entire 
instead  of  pinnate  ;  umbraculifera,  with 
a  spreading  head  ;  macrophylla,  with 
large  leaves  ;  sophor&folia,  with  leaves 
like  the  Japanese  Sophora ;  and 
inermis,  with  a  small  head  of  spineless 
branches.  The  varieties  of  Robin ia 
are  very  often  striking  and  graceful 
trees  and  group  hardy.  I  planted 
some  of  the  most  attractive,  but  they 
were  always  grafted  on  the  common 
wild  kind,  which  in  due  time  kills  the 
precious  variety,  often  smaller  and 
finer  in  leaf,  and  so  little  by  little 
they  gradually  perish.  After  much 
trouble  I  was  able  to  get  a  few 
little  cuttings  of  the  Mimosa-leaved 
form  from  a  friend  at  Orleans.  These 
I  put  in,  and  are  now  graceful  bushes, 
quite  hardy,  and  without  a  sign  of 
going  back.  This  is  only  one  of  the 
many  examples  of  the  evils  of  grafting, 
the  result  of  which  for  the  trade  is 
serious,  because  the  trees  go  out  of 
cultivation  eventually. 

R.  HISPIDA  (Rose  Acacia)  is  one  of 
the  finest  of  small  trees,  requiring  little 
room  and  not  fastidious  as  to  soil.  It 
is  naturally  straggling  in  growth,  5  to 
15  feet  high  ;  its  foliage  is  much  larger 
than  that  of  the  other  Robinias ;  the 
clear  rose-pink  flowers  are  also  larger. 
A  well-flowered  specimen  is  a  pretty 
sight.  It  flowers  in  Tune,  but  often 


RObGERSlA. 


THE  ENGLISH  FLOWER  GARDEN. 


continues  at  intervals  till  autumn.  It 
may  be  known  when  not  in  leaf  by  the 
dense  rusty  hairs  covering  the  young 
twigs.  Its  branches  are  brittle  and 
apt  to  get  broken  by  high  winds,  especi- 
ally if  it  has  been  grafted  high  ;  there- 
fore choose  a  spot  sheltered  from  high 
winds.  If  the  branches  become  heavy, 
especially  in  flower  time,  support  them 
by  stakes.  It  may  be  grown  as  an 
espalier,  like  a  fruit  tree,  and  this  will 
protect  it  from  winds,  or  it  may  be 
trained  against  a  wall.  There  are  several 
so-called  varieties,  but  none  is  more 
beautiful  than  the  type.  N.  America. 

R.  KELSEYI  (Kelsey's  False  Acacia). — 
This  is  a  new  kind  found  by  Mr  Kelsey, 
of  Boston,  a  very  graceful  shrub,  pretty 
in  flower  and  having  its  seed-pods  covered 
with  red  bristles.  For  some  time  this 
plant  will  doubtless  be  propagated  by 
grafting  on  the  common  Acacia,  but 
the  sooner  we  get  it  from  seed  the  better. 

R.  NEO-MEXICANA  (Western  Locust 
Tree.) — A  spreading  shrub  or  low  tree  of 
20  to  25  feet.  It  is  a  vigorous  plant  of 
fine  habit,  the  young  shoots,  the  under 
side  of  the  leaves,  the  flower  stalks, 
and  the  seed-pods  covered  with  short 
brown  bristles ;  the  branches  bear  two 
spines  at  each  node.  Its  bluish-green 
leaves  are  rather  long  and  gracefully 
drooping,  while  the  flowers,  of  a  pale 
rose  colour,  are  carried  in  short  dense 
clusters  towards  the  end  of  the  summer. 
It  is  a  useful  addition  to  the  group, 
hardy,  and  flowering  freely  when  quite 
small.  This  is  the  only  kind  found  in 
the  western  states  of  America.  It  does 
not  thrive  in  heavy  cold  soils.  N. 
America. 

R.  VISCOSA  (Clammy  Locust). — Smaller 
than  the  ordinary  False  Acacia,  but  is 
elegant  in  foliage  and  beautiful  in  flower. 
The  flowers  resemble  those  of  Decaisne's 
variety  of  the  common  Acacia,  being 
of  a  pale  pink  colour,  but  the  clusters 
are  shorter  and  denser.  It  is  a  beauti- 
ful lawn  tree,  flowering  while  the  tree 
is  still  small ;  fully  grown  it  is  of  pictur- 
esque habit,  from  30  to  50  feet  high, 
thriving  best  in  a  deep  light  soil  in  a 
sheltered  spot. 

RODGERSIA.  —  Reputedly  peat 
and  moisture-loving,  one  of  the  finest 
groups  of  the  Bronze  Leaf  (R.  podo- 
phylla)  I  have  ever  seen  was  growing 
until  a  few  years  ago  fully  exposed  in 
light,  loamy  soil,  without  root  moisture, 
in  the  sun -kissed  garden  of  the 
Misses  Ewbank  at  Ryde,  Isle  of  Wight. 
Given  moisture,  or  sandy  loam  and 
leaf-mould,  with  partial  shade,  Rod- 
gersias  are  of  quite  easy  culture. 
Established  examples  will  reach,  when 
in  flower,  to  a  height  of  4  feet,  or 
even  5  feet.  Essentially  plants  for 


effective  gardening,  a  free  grouping 
of  them  in  the  rock  garden,  or  by  shel- 
tered streamlet  in  prepared  soil,  is 
among  the  best  ways  of  seeing  them  to 
perfection.  They  are  native  of  China 
and  Japan  and  amenable  to  cultiva- 
tion throughout  the  British  Isles. 
Seeds  and  division  of  the  root-stock 
when  the  plants  are  dormant  are  the 
best  methods  of  increase.  The  follow- 
ing are  all  worth  growing  : — 

R.  ^SCULIFOLIA. — A  strong-growing 
species  with  erect  panicles  of  pinky-white, 
fragrant  flowers,  on  stems  3  to  4  feet 
high.  The  leaves,  as  the  specific  name  im- 
plies, resemble  those  of  the  Horse  Chest- 
nut, and  at  maturity  assume  a  rich 
bronzy-green.  A  fine  plant  for  waterside 
gardening. 

R.  PINNATA. — A  distinct  plant,  whose 
handsome  panicles,  3  to  4  feet  high, 
of  rosy-pink  flowers,  stand  out  well  above 
the  emerald-green,  often  bronzed,  red- 
tinged  leaves.  In  this  the  leaflets  are 
arranged  in  pairs.  R.  pinnata  alba  is  a 
distinct  wild  form,  with  a  leaf  effect  re- 
sembling that  of  R.  cesculifolia.  This 
produces  panicles  of  creamy-white  flowers. 

R.  PODOPHYLLA  (Bronze  Leaf).  —  At 
once  the  best  known  and  perhaps  the  most 
picturesque  of  the  whole  race.  Above  the 
handsome  five-parted  leaves,  and  rising 
to  4  feet  or  so  high,  the  tall  panicles  of 
creamy-white  flowers  produce  an  effect 
not  unlike  that  of  a  giant  Meadow  Sweet. 

R.  SAMBUCIFOLIA. — With  large  pinnate, 
deep-bronze  leaves,  and  panicles  of 
creamy-white  flowers  in  July.  A  novelty, 
and  probably  not  yet  in  general  cultiva- 
tion.— E.  H.  J. 

R.  TABULARIS  (Table  R.). — A  very  extra- 
ordinary-looking plant  with  leaves  like 
round  trays.  It  is  free  and  hardy  and 
a  fine  thing  for  association  with  the 
greater  fine-leaved  hardy  plants.  The 
flowers  are  creamy-white  and  borne  well 
above  the  leaves. 

All  require  the  same  treatment,  and 
if  well  grown  flower  well  "every  second 
year.  R.  tabularis  is  a  bold-growing 
and  handsome  species  with  huge  pel- 
tate leaves  and  plumes  of  cream-white 
flowers. 

ROMNEYA  (White  Bush  Poppy}.— 
The  fairest  plant  that  ever  came  to 
our  land  from  that  country  of  flowers, 
California. 

R.  COULTERI  (Matilifa  Poppy). — A  tall 
perennial,  with,  when  well  grown,  beauti- 
ful close  leaves  and  an  immense  white 
fringe  of  flowers.  The  lustrous  white 
flowers  are  of  a  peculiarly  delicate  texture, 
the  petals  somewhat  transparent,  and 
yet  enduring  in  a  good  state  for  days  ; 


686 


ROMNEYA. 


THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN.        ROMULKA. 


their  fragrance  is  delicate.  The  flowers 
are  borne  mainly  on  the  points  of  the  new 
shoots  and  on  laterals  nearest  the  points, 
more  sparingly  on  the  lower  laterals. 
It  seems  quite  hardy  in  our  country, 
with  old  mortar,  rubble,  and  perfect 
drainage.  An  American  told  me  he  had 
never  seen  it  so  well  in  its  own  country 
as  in  my  garden  in  Sussex,  where  the 
only  protection  it  has  is  a  few  ashes 
thrown  round  the  roots  in  winter.  It 


do  not  seem  to  come  so  well.  R.  tncho- 
calyx,  a  recent  addition,  is  dwarfer, 
more  reliable  in  blooming,  and  more 
freely  flowering,  though  less  handsome 
than  the  older  kind. 

R.  TRICHOCALYX. — Is  another  beauti- 
ful and  stately  plant,  evidently  as  hardy 
as  R.  Coulteri,  but  somewhat  dwarfer, 
and  if  anything  more  free  to  flower. 
In  my  garden  it  takes  its  place  with  other 
hardy  perennials  and  is  not  protected 


Romneya  Coulteri. 


flowers  right  into  autumn,  and  is  beauti- 
ful and  stately  in  effect.  Where  it 
will  notjgrow  well  in  the  open,  it  would 
do  so  in  many  places  against  a  wall 
with  a  southern  aspect.  When  necessary, 
transplanting  should  be  in  spring,  just 
before  growth  begins. 

For  winter  protection,  pine  needles 
form  the  best  covering,  and,  after  these, 
rough  cocoanut  fibre.  A  point  in  starting 
is  to  get  healthy  plants  in  pots,  planting 
in  spring  and  not  disturbing  the  roots 
much.  For  its  propagation  seeds  is 
the  best  way,  as  from  division  the  plants 


in  any  way.     A  fine  distinct  plant,  well 
deserving  of  culture. 

ROMULEA.— Bulbous  plants  of  the 
Iris  family.  They  are  of  dwarf  growth, 
and  have  grassy  foliage  ;  but  though 
their  blossoms  are  showy,  they  are  not 
perfectly  hardy,  and  they  require  to 
be  grown  either  in  frames  or  in  very 
warm  sheltered  borders,  in  light  soil. 
The  best  known  are  R.  Bulbocodium, 
ramiflora,  and  Columns,  natives  of 
S.  Europe,  and  R.  rosea  and  R. 


kOSA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWEfr    GARDEN. 


ROSA. 


687 


Macowani  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 
The  showy  Crocus-like  flowers  of  these 
open  fullest  in  sunshine,  and  vary  as 
to  colour  from  crimson,  purple,  and 
rnauve  to  white  and  yellow.  Perhaps 
the  best  of  all  is  R.  Pylia,  a  scarce  but 
very  beautiful  form  of  R.  Bulbocodium, 
with  Rush-like  leaves  a  foot  long,  and 
pure  white  flowers  with  a  yellow  throat, 
2  inches  across  when  fully  open.  This 
kind  thrives  in  the  south-west  of 
Britain,  spreading  fast  and  flowering 
freely  in  spring. 

ROSA  (Rose}. — The  queen  of  flowers, 
fair  as  it  is,  would  be  much  more  at 
home  with  all  if  one  could  get  rid  of 
certain  drawbacks.  The  common  idea 
that  Roses  can  only  be  grown  in  heavy  | 
clay  soil,  if  carried  out  would  exclude  | 
them  from  a  large  area  of  our  country 
where  light,  sandy,  and  calcareous  ' 
soils  prevail.  If  we  can  get  Roses  on 
their  own  roots  we  can  grow  them 
well  in  such  soils — in  some  cases  better. 
The  trade  practice  of  grafting  all  Roses 
from  various  climates  on  the  native 
Dog  Rose  is  a  source  of  infinite  trouble 
to  Rose  growers.  Some  do  well  on 
the  stock,  though  in  the  end  suckers 
will  prevail,  some  kinds  flower  badly, 
and  some  die.  For  years  I  have  grown 
many  hundreds  of  Roses  in  my  flower 
garden  and  also  in  open  plots,  and 
found  that  quite  half  the  Tea  and 
China  Roses  did  badly,  or  perished,  if 
worked  on  the  Brier,  the  most  vigorous 
of  wild  Roses.  The  old  summer- 
flowering  Roses  of  European  origin  did 
well  on  the  Brier  ;  the  trouble  arose 
from  attempting  to  put  the  Roses  of 
Chinese  origin  on  our  native  stock. 
I  had  at  first  no  choice  but  to  use  the 
plants  sold  to  me  by  the  trade,  and  so 
I  lost  years  in  trying  to  overcome  the 
difficulty.  The  suckers  were  so  strong 
and  fierce  in  my  plots  that  in  getting 
among  them  I  had  to  wear  very  long 
leather  leggings.  Getting  rid  of 
suckers  is  laborious  and  tedious  work.  ! 
Where  the  popular  idea  is  that  Roses  ! 
do  best  on  clay,  let  people  who  enter- 
tain it  so  enjoy  them,  but  let  those  ! 
who  have  soils  of  a  different  nature 
not  despair,  though  they  must  make 
their  beds  deep  in  the  soil  in  which 
Roses  are  supposed  to  grow  best.  In 
districts  with  such  soils — that  is,  light, 
sandy,  or  calcareous — the  best  way  is  to 
insert  medium-sized  cuttings  of  the 
half-ripened  wood  in  September,  if 
possible  where  they  are  to  grow.  The 
chief  difficulty  in  working  plants  on 
their  own  roots  is  that  the  root  is 


more  fragile  than  the  Dog  Rose  root. 
One  Rose  put  against  a  wall  many 
years  ago  in  my  garden  is  still  in 
perfect  growth,  which,  I  am  quite  sure, 
would,  if  grafted  on  the  Brier,  have 
gone  the  way  of  all  Roses. 

The  attempted  classification  of  Roses 
into  Teas,  hybrid  perpetuals,  etc.,  is 
confusing  and  not  sound,  as  all  these 
Roses  are  hybrids.  What  is  wanted 
in  the  trade  and  other  catalogues  is 
alphabetical  lists  of  the  best  varieties, 
without  following  the  absurd  attempt 
at  classification.  It  would  be  dim- 
cult  to  imagine  anything  more  con- 
fusing than  the  writings  on  the  Rose 
and  our  catalogues  of  the  present 
day  !  Almost  useless  groups,  like 
the  Boursault,  are  dignified  as  classes, 
while  more  important  groups  like 
the  noble  Teas  often  receive  no  due 
notice ;  the  confusion  arising  from 
the  misleading  term  "  hybrid  per- 
petual "  has  effectually  concealed  the 
fact  that  the  true  perpetual  bloomers 
are  the  Tea  Roses,  so  keeping  the 
noblest  of  all  Roses  out  of  gardens 
even  in  the  southern  counties.  For 
many  years  Roses  far  superior  to  the 
many  so-called  "  perpetual  "  in  point 
of  continuity  of  bloom  have  been 
raised,  and  yet,  as  a  result  of  that 
ill-chosen  name,  one  may  go  into  some 
of  the  largest  gardens  and  hardly  see 
a  Rose  in  the  Rose  garden  in  August. 
The  set  idea  of  the  Rose  garden  itself, 
as  laid  down  in  all  the  books,  i.e.,  a 
place  apart  where  one  can  only  see 
flowers  at  a  certain  season,  was  harm- 
ful, as  it  led  to  the  absence  of  the  Rose 
from  the  flower  garden.  Instead  of 
seeing  the  Rose  in  many  different 
attitudes  in  a  country  place,  we  see  a 
wretched  mob  of  standards  and  half- 
standards  rising  out  of  the  ground, 
generally  in  a  miserable  formal  arrange- 
ment called  the  Rosery.  The  Rose 
exhibitors'  Rose  garden  is  even  uglier 
than  the  so-called  Rosery  in  the  large 
country  seat,  and  thus  the  beautiful 
human  and  artistic  side  of  the  Rose 
garden  has  been  forgotten. 

Tea  Roses  are  in  many  ways  so 
superior  to  all  other  Roses  that  we 
might  place  them  first,  yet  there  is 
room  for  a  great  extension  of  their 
culture  in  gardens,  both  large  and 
small.  We  find  even  standard  works 
on  Rose  growing  speaking  of  the  Teas 
as  tender  and  needing  protection. 
Others  say  that  only  in  a  few  instances 
can  they  be  grown  in  the  open  ground  ; 
and  to  have  them  in  full  beauty,  to 
ensure  a  constant  succession  of  flowers, 


688 


ROSA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


ROSA. 


and  to  produce  them  in  all  their 
loveliness  and  purity  of  colour,  they 
must  be  grown  under  glass.  This  is 
not  so.  Tea  Roses  may  be  grown  in 
many  gardens  where  they  cannot  now 
be  found,  and  all  who  love  Roses 
should  try  them.  The  variety  of  lovely 
colours  amongst  Tea  Roses,  the  odour, 
the  long  season  over  which  a  profuse 
bloom  is  borne,  and  their  charming 
foliage  are  great  merits.  Let  us  for 
ever  give  up  the  stupid  notion  of  grow- 
ing our  Roses  only  in  a  Rosery,  in 
some  out-of-the-way  spot.  The  grand 
Tea  Roses  now  under  notice  are  worthy 
of  the  best  position  in  the  garden. 
None,  with  me,  have  ever  been  pro- 


to  grow.  Another  is  not  to  let  the 
littJe  plants  flower  —  they  try  to  do 
so  very  early,  and  this  must 'be  pre- 
vented by  constant  pinching.  I  feel 
certain  now  that  many  of  the  kinds 
I  have  lost,  or  that  bloomed  feebly  and 
died  out,  were  the  result  of  grafting, 
or  arose  from  the  stock  itself  and  con- 
flict of  the  saps  of  plants  of  quite 
different  countries  and  natures.  To 
be  quite  fair  to  all  these  beautiful 
Roses,  they  should  be  tried  in  both 
ways,  and  not  for  one  year  only. 

A  ROSE  SELECTION. — It  is  with  some 
regret  that  in  previous  editions  of  this 
book  I  have  followed  the  common  way 
of  catalogues,  of  throwing  Roses  into 


Rose,  Celeste. 


tected,  but  winter  winds  blow  furiously 
over  the  garden,  and  on  several  occa- 
sions more  than  20°  of  frost  have  been 
registered  among  the  plants.  They 
may  be  grown  with  every  prospect  of 
success  ovej:  quite  the  southern  half  of 
England  and  in  many  other  favoured 
spots.  As  it  is  extremely  difficult  to 
buy  strong  plants  of  Tea  Roses  on 
their  own  roots,  the  trials  were  neces- 
sarily made  with  good  plants  grafted 
on  the  Dog  Rose,  but  all  my  experience 
tends  to  show  that  with  many  of  the 
best  kinds  I  should  have  been  more 
successful  with  plants  raised  from 
cuttings  struck  in  the  open  air  in 
autumn.  A  great  point  is  to  put  the 
cuttings  in  where  we  wish  the  plants 


many  classes,  often  without  any  sound 
reason,  and  thereby  doing  infinite 
harm  in  many  ways  by  confusing 
people  with  a  multitude  of  kinds,  by 
making  too  much  of  supposed  divisions, 
and  by,  in  the  end,  keeping  in  cultiva- 
tion many  Roses  that  are  not  worth 
their  place  in  view  of  the  many  good 
ones  that  want  more  space  than  is 
now  allotted  them.  In  every  branch 
of  human  effort  the  mania  for  hair- 
splitting and  classification  is  harmful 
and  even  impossible,  as  in  the  attempt 
to  distinguish  between  practice  and 
science  !  If  we  glance  over  the  pre- 
tended divisions  in  catalogues  of  Roses 
and  look  only  at  those  around  us,  the 
real  distinction  comes  from  the  infusion 


ROSA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


ROSA. 


689 


of  the  blood  of  Indian  and  China  Roses 
into,  and  often  instead  of,  the  old 
summer  Roses,  which  are  mainly  of 
European  origin  and  flower  but  a 
short ,  time,  to  the  lessening  of  their 
value  to  us  very  much.  The  Tea 
Roses  form  a  precious  division  of 
themselves  in  their  beauty  and  length 
of  bloom  and  many  other  advantages. 
The  attempt  Common  in  catalogues  to 
divide  these  from  the  hybrid  Teas  is 
a  mistake,  and  the  best  way  is  simply 


the  beautiful  Japanese  Rose  of  that 
name,  which  is  more  beautiful  than 
the  many  Ramblers  raised  from  it. 
Some  of  these  cover  the  earth  in  many 
gardens  with  Roses  that  are  little 
better  than  Brambles.  These  Ramb- 
lers have  done  infinite  harm  to  the 
culture  of  Roses,  and  excepting  the 
few  kinds  one  really  enjoys  after  a 
thorough  trial,  would  be  best  abolished. 
The  China  Roses,  from  which  we  get 
the  Teas,  also  mark  themselves  pretty 


Buds  of  Tea  Rose,  Anna  Oliver. 


to  make  a  list  of  the  ones  that  best 
answer  the  helm  and  give  them  first 
and  sufficient  place. 

Hybrid  perpetual  Roses  are  far  less 
grown  than  they  used  to  be,  but  some- 
one must  always  have  them;  though, 
generally  speaking,  summer  Roses,  as 
compared  with  those  that  flower  right 
into  the  autumn,  are  hardly  worth  a 
place.  Climbing  Roses  tell  their  own 
story,  and  some  of  them  are  most 
precious,  especially  those  of  prolonged 
bloom  ;  these  have  some  of  the  China 
Rose  in  them,  and  a  fine  type  is 
Bouquet  d'Or. 

The  Wichuraiana  Roses  are  based  on 


well,  and  the  main  concern  about  them 
is  to  see  that  they  are  always  grown 
on  their  natural  roots,  and  that  the 
old  climbing  Cramoisie  is  worth  the 
whole  lot  of  Ramblers.  There  is  no 
need  to  make  a  class  of  Japanese 
Roses  ;  we  should  do  much  better  to 
keep  to  the  one  noble  wild  Rose  of 
Japan,  rugosa.  Moss  Roses,  for  those 
that  like  them — few  are  worth  growing 
— and  those  always  on  their  own  roots, 
if  possible,  in  rather  light,  open,  friable 
soil,  not  the  heavy  soil  which  is  said 
so  often  to  be  good  for  Roses.  Scotch 
Roses  were  a  group  of  some  value  in 
old  days,  before  we  had  the  splendid 

2  X 


69o 


ROSA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


ROSA. 


Roses  of  our  day.  Now  they  are  of 
very  slight  value,  except  for  the  wild 
garden,  and  entirely  without  value  for 
the  flower  garden.  Of  the  polyantha 
Roses,  I  like  much  the  wild  kind,  but 
the  forms  made  from  it  are  inferior  and 
rarely  worth  growing.  Noisettes  are 
simply  a  source  of  futile  division.  The 
best  of  them  might  well  be  put  with 
the  Teas.  And  so  with  the  Damask, 
which  is  of  little  value  except  as  a 
curiosity.  And  the  same  may  be  said 


|    Brunoni,      Carmine     Pillar,     Caroline 

|   Testout,  Climbing  ditto,  Climbing  La 

'   France,   Climbing  Niphetos,   Climbing 

j    Papa    Gontier,    Climbing     Perle    des 

Jardins,  Climbing  Richmond,  Comtesse 

du  Caryla,  Cramoisie  superieur,  Dorothy 

Page  Roberts,   Felicite  Perpetue,  Fel- 

lenberg,   General    MacArthur,  G.  Nab- 

bonaud,     Gloire     de     Dijon,    Gustavo 

I    Regis,    Grand     Duke    of    Luxemburg, 

I    Hugh    Dickson,     Irish    Beauty,     Irish 

i    Fireflame,  Joseph  Hill,  Lady  Ashtown, 


Rose,  Gloire  Lyonnaise. 


of  the  Bourbons,  the  Albas,  and  the 
Gallicas,  Ayrshires,  and  Boursaults. 

In  the  face  of  these  facts  the  best  I 
think  I  can  do  is  to  tell  of  Roses  that 
have  given  satisfactory  results  here 
for  years.  No  attempt  is  made  to 
classify  them,  but  I  simply  give  a  list 
of  the  proved  kinds.  No  doubt  indi- 
vidual taste  will  vary,  but  these  may 
be  depended  on.  Some  of  them,  like 
the  China  and  the  Cramoisie,  are  very 
old  and  among  the  best : — 

American  Pillar,  Anna  Olivier, 
Antoine  Rivoire,  Bouquet  d'Or, 


Lady  Hillingdon,  Lady  Roberts,  Lady 
Waterlow,  Lamarquc,  La  Tosca, 
Laurent  Carle,  Laurette  Messimy,  Le 
Progres,  Lieut.  Chaure,  Mme.  Abel 
Chatenay,  Mme.  Berard,  Mme.  Eugene 
Resal,  Mme.  Hector  Lenillot,  Mme. 
Hoste,  Mme.  Isaac  Pereire,  Mme.  Jules 
Grolez,  Mme.  Lambard,  Mme.  Leon 
Pain,  Mme.  Melanie  Supert,  Mme. 
Ravary,  Marie  van  Houtte,  Marquise 
de  Sinety,  Mrs  Aaron  Ward,  Mrs  A.  R. 
Waddell,  Mrs  David  M'Kee,  Mrs  E.  G. 
Hill,  Paul's  Scarlet  Climber,  Papa 
Gontier,  Pharisaer,  Pink  China,  Prince 


ROSA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


ROSA. 


691 


de  Bulgaria,  Princesse  Mary  Mert- 
chersky,  Princesse  de  Sagan,  Red 
Letter  Day,  Rene  d'  Or,  Rosa  Anemone 
(Sinica),  Rosa  Bracteata,  Simplicity, 
Souv.  de  Gustave  Prat,  Souv.  de 
President  Carnot,  Theresa,  Una,  Wm. 
Allen  Richardson,  Zepherine  Dronhin. 
There  are  many  beautiful  single 
Roses,  and  now  that  some  interest  has 
been  awakened  in  them,  we  may  expect 
to  see  them  more  freely  planted. 
Some  are  vigorous  climbers  which, 
allowed  to  have  their  own  way  and 
a  branched  tree  to  support  them,  will 
climb  to  a  great  height ;  others,  sturdy 
and  bushy,  are  suitable  for  planting 
in  bold  groups  and  masses,  and  rare 


avoiding  anything  in  the  nature  of  a 
miscellaneous  collection. 

R.  ACICULARIS  (The  Needle  R.). — A 
beautiful  Wild  Rose,  which  when  leafless 
might  well  be  mistaken  for  the  Japan  Rose, 
it  is  so  armed  with  the  sharpest  needle- 
pointed  spines,  and  it  has  the  same  stout, 
vigorous,  b'ushy  habit  of  growth  as  rugosa. 
In  flower  and  fruit  it  is  quite  different, 
and  is  a  bright  flowered  kind,  but  early 
and  long  blooming  ;  and  it  is  always  one 
of  the  first  to  open.  It  is  a  native  of 
Siberia,  as  hardy  as  any  kind  known, 
but  as  yet  uncommon  in  gardens. 

R.  ALPINA  (Alpine  R.). — More  worthy 
of  a  place  in  the  garden  than  the  varie- 
ties of  which  it  is  the  parent — the  Bour- 
saults — it  grows  to  a  great  size,  with 


ones  will  merit  special  care.  They  are 
free  from  the  pests  that  infest  the 
double  Roses,  and  above  all  things 
when  single  Roses  are  present  in  the 
garden  a  roseless  June  will  not  happen 
even  in  the  worst  of  seasons.  Wild 
Roses  are  such  rapid  growers,  even 
when  not  greatly  encouraged,  that  they 
should  not  be  allowed  in  well-made 
beds,  like  those  for  Rhododendrons,  as 
they  soon  exterminate  other  things. 
Mine  I  put  in  an  orchard,  and  they 
spread  about  so  quickly  that  they  are 
difficult  to  get  rid  of.  It  is  best, 
therefore,  to  have  a  limitfed  number  of 
them  only  of  the  kinds  one  admires, 


long,  thornless  shoots ;  does  not  make 
such  a  colour  display  as  most  kinds, 
but  it  is  welcome  for  its  earliness,  and  a 
bowl  of  its  rosy-red  flowers  is  pretty  in 
the  house  in  May. 

R.  BRACTEATA  (The  Macartney  R.). — A 
little  tender,  but  repays  a  little  extra 
care,  and  is  better  for  a  wall,  which  in  a 
sunny  aspect  is  needed  to  bring  it  out 
in  its  full  beauty.  The  plant  is  almost 
evergreen  ;  leaves  dark  green  and  shining  ; 
the  flowers  large,  milk-white,  sweetly 
scented,  of  a  pretty  cupped  form.  China. 

R.  CANINA  (Common  Dog  R.). — This 
would  not  come  into  our  garden  roses  list 
were  it  not  for  the  charming  kind,  Una, 
which  has  recently  come  from  it.  The 


692 


ROSA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


ROSA. 


plant  is  a  cross  with  a  Dijon  Tea,  and  of 
freely  rambling  habit,  well  suited  to 
pillars,  arches,  pergolas,  and  either  to 
train  against  tree-trunks  or  pegged  along 
the  ground.  The  buds  are  shapely,  of  a 
clear  buff  yellow,  opening  as  large  single 
flowers  of  pale  creamy-white. 

R.  CAROLINA  (Carolina  .R.). — Some- 
what resembles  R.  lucida,  but  distinct, 
as  it  blooms  during  August,  when  most 
kinds  are  over,  and  it  keeps  flowering 
through  September.  It  is  a  tall,  upright 
grower,  established  bushes  being  6  feet 
high.  Its  wood  is  smooth,  with  few 
spines  ;  the  leaflets  are  long  and  narrow, 
and  the  flowers  come  in  clusters  of  a 
dozen  or  more  among  plenty  of  foliage, 
the  buds  when  opening  being  rich  crimson 
and  the  expanded  flowers  bright  rosy- 
red  and  sweet-scented.  The  leaves  when 
handled  have  a  distinct  and  pleasant 
fragrance. 

R.  HUGONIS. — A  very  beautiful,  yellow 
wild  Rose,  tall  and  free  in  Sussex.  When 
I  first  saw  it  over  my  head  I  was  much 
surprised.  Native  of  W.  China,  it  was 
first  sent  to  England  by  Father  Hugh 
Scallan,  a  missionary  there.  It  flowers 
early,  which  is  an  added  charm.  R. 
.Hugonis  is  the  most  vigorous  of  the 
yellow  flowered  species.  It  flowers  early, 
usually  from  seed.  May  onwards.  At 
Combe  Warren  a  great  rounded  bush, 
10  feet  or  more  high  and  almost  as  much 
through,  is  each  year  shrouded  with  the 
delicate  yellow  flowers.  Flowering,  too, 
when  quite  small,  it  is  a  delightful  plant 
to  garden  with. 

R.  INDICA  (Indian  R.). — In  it  we  see 
those  excellent  qualities  and  continuous 
bloom  that  have  been  kept  through 
numerous  generations,  and  contribute 
so  much  to  the  charm  of  the  Tea  and 
Monthly  Roses  of  the  present  day.  Of 
this  species  there  are  two  or  three  forms 
in  cultivation,  and  though  somewhat 
tender,  if  given  some  root  protection, 
they  are  seldom  killed.  Like  the  Tea 
Roses,  this  species  is  ever  growing,  and 
blooms  from  early  summer  till  late 
autumn. 

R.  LJEVIGATA  (Cherokee  R.). — This  is 
tender,  save  in  a  few  favoured  spots  in  the 
south.  Rose  "  Anemone  "  is  from  a  cross 
with  some  Tea  Rose,  but  it  retains  the 
fine  foliage  and  form  of  flower  of  R. 
Icevigata,  and  the  dark  brown  shoots 
freely  armed  with  thorns  and  prickles. 
It  is  of  free  growth,  hardy,  and  blooms 
freely  in  May  and  June  from  its  second 
year,  the  flowers  4  inches  across,  rosy- 
crimson  on  first  opening,  fading  to  a 
silvery  rose  threaded  with  darker  veins. 
The  plant  climbs  freely,  and  lends  itself 
to  pretty  uses  upon  walls,  pergolas  and 
banks  ;  it  should  have  a  sunny  and  shel- 
tered place. 

R.  LUCIDA  (Glossy  R.). — One  of  the 
best  Wild  Roses,  with  leaves  of  a  shining 


green  colour,  and  just  when  our  nativ« 
and  other  early  single  Roses  are  passing 
away  this  comes  into  bloom  in  July  and 
goes  on  for  several  weeks.  Its  flowers  are 
large,  opening  flat,  clear  rosy-pink,  sweet- 
scented,  in  clusters  of  from  five  to  eight, 
succeeding  one  another,  so  that  there  is 
not  usually  more  than  one  flower  open  at 
a  time  in  a  cluster.  A  few  plants  soon 
spread  into  a  thick  group,  as  it  runs 
freely  underground,  and  it  is  so  easily 
increased  by  its  suckers  that  it  offers 
every  facility  for  free  planting. 

R.  LUTEA. — This  very  distinct  Rose  is 
better  known  through  the  forms  derived 
from  it  than  in  its  wild  form,  pretty  as 
that  is,  and  it  would  be  charming  to  grow 
on  warm  banks.  There  are  two  gar- 
den varieties,  commonly  called  Austrian 
Briers,  one  with  yellow  flowers,  the  other 
orange-red,  both  beautiful  for  a  sunny 
spot. 

R.  MACRANTHA. — An  early  bloomer 
and  a  showy  kind.  The  flowers  are 
large  and  beautiful,  chiefly  white,  but 
flesh-tinted  round  the  edges  and  in  the 
centre  with  a  tuft  of  fine  yellow  stamens. 
In  the  open  ground  it  makes  a  thick 
spreading  bush.  Europe. 

R.  MICROPHYLLA. — A  Chinese  species 
allied  to  R.  rugosa.  It  is  a  sturdy  bush, 
noteworthy  for  its  large  yellowish,  very 
prickly  fruits.  Its  stems,  on  the  other 
hand,  have  very  few  prickles,  and  they 
are  also  distinguished  by  the  peeling  loose 
bark.  The  flowers  are  delicate  pale  rose, 
not  very  large,  but  very  fragrant.  When 
it  is  in  bloom  the  bees  and  flies  swarm 
more  to  this  Rose  than  any  other.  It 
does  not  come  true  from  seed,  but  can  be 
increased  by  layers. 

R.  MOSCHATA  (Musk  R.). — It  is  a 
little  tender  and  should  have  a  good  place, 
with  shelter  while  young,  but  it  is  very 
vigorous,  and  usually  soon  repairs  any 
damage  inflicted.  Old  plants  grow  more 
slowly  and  ripen  better,  so  that  hardi- 
ness increases.  A  good  plant  is  strong 
enough  to  cover  a  high  fence  or  wall, 
but  it  likes  best  to  scramble  about  freely 
among  other  shrubs  which  give  it  support 
and  shelter.  The  flowers  come  in  July 
as  spreading  clusters  of  pure  white  with 
a  yellow  centre,  thirty  or  more  blossoms 
being  often  crowded  into  one  mass, 
with  nine  or  a  dozen  open  at  once.  Each 
flower  is  large,  opening  wide  and  flat, 
with  sometimes  a  pale  flushing  towards 
the  edge  of  the  petals.  The  musk- 
like  fragrance  is  not  marked  unless 
in  a  moist  atmosphere,  such  as  after  rain. 
The  grey-green  leaves  have  seven  leaflets, 
and  are  scented  when  young. 

R.  MOYESI  (Moyes  R.). — The  most 
startlingly  beautiful  wild  Rose  that  has 
come  to  us  for  many  years.  It  is  splendid 
in  colour  and  vigour,  with  its  red  bottle- 
shaped  fruits.  In  Sussex  it  grows  as 
freely  as  any  Brier.  The  colour  is  not 


ROSA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


ROSA. 


693 


easy  to  describe.  Excellent  for  trellis 
or  as  a  single  bush,  or  for  any  purpose 
for  which  a  wild  rose  can  be  used.  Native 
of  W.  China,  it  was  found  by  Mr  A.  E. 
Pratt  on  the  Thibetan  frontier  at  an 
elevation  of  over  9,000  feet.  Men  talk 
of  getting  fine  things  by  crossing  this, 
but  they  will  never  get  anything  so  good. 
There  should  be  little  or  no  pruning, 
the  plant  flowering  on  the  previous 
season's  growth. 

R.  POLYANTHA  (Garland  R.). — A  ram- 
pant climber,  which  will  quickly  climb 
a  tree,  cover  a  building,  or,  away  from 
any  support,  spread  into  an  enormous 
bush.  It  has  long,  spineless  shoots 
clothed  with  glossy  green  leaves,  blooming 
early  in  June  ;  a  mass  of  white  flowers 


parent  of  the  Ayrshire  Roses.  It  is  a 
free-growing  plant,  but  requires  some 
support  to  get  it  off  the  ground  at  first. 
We  train  it  up  stout  Oak  branches,  and 
get  it  a  few  feet  high,  then  let  it  ramble 
at  will.  For  covering  roots,  banks, 
mounds,  pillars,  etc.,  these  are  excellent, 
forming  at  last  huge  tangled  masses 
of  the  greatest  beauty  and  elegance  in  the 
wild  garden.  The  flowers  are  white  or 
pale  pink. 

R.  RUBIGINOSA  (Sweet  Brier). — It  is  a 
native  Rose,  but  also  distributed  through 
much  of  Europe  and  Asia,  and,  although 
often  planted,  is  scarcely  ever  made 
enough  of  in  country  places.  It  is  most 
useful  for  forming  fences  with  Quick  or 
even  by  itself  on  good  banks,  as  it  is  so 


The  Austrian  Coppet  Brier. 


crowded  in  a  pyramidal  truss,  with  a 
powerful  scent.  The  variety  grandiflora 
is  an  improvement,  with  very  large 
flowers  and  its  leaves  almost  evergreen. 
It  has  all  the  vigour  of  the  type,  and  its 
flowers  cluster  in  an  immense  truss,  pure 
white  and  sweetly  scented. 

R.  POMIFERA  (The  Apple  R.). — Among 
the  Roses  which  claim  our  notice  for  the 
beauty  of  their  fruits,  none  equal  this  old 
but  neglected  species.  It  is  worth  growing 
for  its  bright  red  fruit.  Each  fruit  is  i 
to  1 1  inches  long,  apple  or  sometimes  pear- 
shaped,  covered  with  bristles  and  sur- 
mounted by  a  crown  of  large  glandular 
sepals. 

R.  REPENS  (or  R.  arvensis)  is  the  wild 


spiny  that  cattle,  which  do  so  much  harm 
to  almost  every  other  kind  of  hedge  plant, 
do  not  touch  this,  so  that  it  swings  careless 
in  the  field  where  they  are.  The  plant 
ought  to  be  grown  by  the  thousand,  and 
anybody  with  a  few  bushes  of  it  can  save 
the  seed  for  this  purpose. 

R.  RUBRIFOLIA  (Red-leaved  R.)  should 
have  a  place  for  its  lovely-tinted  leaves 
and  shoots  ;  it  has  a  rambling  or  climbing 
habit,  but  also  grows  into  a  large  self- 
supporting  bush  or  spreads  nicely  when 
pegged  down.  The  flowers  are  red  and 
small,  the  fruits  purplish-red  with  soft 
flesh.  Its  chief  charm,  however,  is  in  the 
colour  of  shoots  and  leaves.  The  young, 
strong  shoots  are  purple-red  overlaid  with 
a  pale  grey  bloom,  whilst  the  leaves  are 


694 


ROSA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


ROSC02A. 


of    a    peculiar    glaucous    colour    brightly 
tinged  with  red.     N.  America. 

R.  RUGOSA  (Ramanas  R.). — It  is  a  long 
and  persistent  bloomer,  and  reaches  the 
zenith  of  its  beauty  when  the  secondary 
flowers  come  with  the  glowing  orange 
and  red  fruits  that  have  succeeded  the 
first  flowers.  Then  a  second  crop  of  ripe 
fruit  appears  late  in  autumn,  when  the 
leaves  turn  yellow,  showing  the  Rose  in 
another  pretty  aspect.  It  makes  a  good 
hedge,  and  where  pretty  dividing  lines 
are  wanted,  it  is  one  of  the  best  for  the 
purpose.  There  are  purple,  pink,  and 
white  forms,  this  last  being  lovely, 
and  quite  the  best  single  white  Rose 
of  the  non-climbers. 


R.  SERICEA. — It  is  a  very  pretty  Rose 
both  in  flower  and  in  leaf,  and  can  be  told 
from  all  other  Roses  by  its  shapely  white 
flowers  with  four  petals  which  ate  arranged 
in  the  shape  of  a  Maltese  cross,  five  being, 
of  course,  the  normal  number  in  this 
family.  The  leaflets  are  small  and  numer- 
ous, not  unlike  those  of  the  Scotch  Rose, 
and  in  one  variety  the  young  stems  are 
quite  red.  North  India.  There  is  a 
strange  form  of  this  Rose  from  Yunnan, 
known  as  pteracantha,  or  the  Great  Spined 
Rose.  It  is  remarkable  for  its  stout  ruddy 
stems,  set  throughout  their  entire  length 
with  broad  wing-like  spines,  their  effect 
unlike  anything  hitherto  seen  in  the  Rose 
family,  and  of  remarkable  brilliance  in 
sunlight. 

R.  SETIGERA  (The  Prairie  R.).  —  Is  a 
climbing  plant  of  vigorous  growth,  the 
leaflets,  of  which  there  are  three  to  each 
leaf,  being  large  for  a  Rose.  It  blooms  in 
July  and  August,  and  is  thus  one  of  the 


latest  of  all  the  Wild  Roses  to  flower.  The 
flowers  are  large  and  showy,  and  of  a 
deep  rose,  but  without  fragrance.  This 
Rose  is  seen  best  planted  in  a  large 
group,  and,  given  a  few  rough  roots  or 
posts  to  climb  over,  it  soon  makes  a  large 
impenetrable  thicket.  The  fruits  are 
small  as  compared  with  other  Wild  Roses. 
R.  SETIPODA.  —  A  bushy  species  of 
recent  introduction  from  C.  China  (Hupeh), 
whose  purplish  rose-coloured  flowers 
are  freely  produced  in  terminal  corymbs. 
It  is  of  shrub-like  habit  of  growth,  and 
reaches  6  or  10  feet  high.  June.  Its 
fruit  beauty,  if  less  large  and  striking, 
is  akin  to  R.  Moyesie,  and  somewhat 
more  brilliantly  coloured.  The  fruits, 
too,  are  freely  furnished  with  bristles. 

R.  SPINOSISSIMA  (Burnet  Rose).  —  A 
pretty  native  Wild  Rose,  which  will  grow 
and  flourish  in  the  lightest  and  hottest  of 
soils,  where  many  Roses  fail.  It  is  the 
parent  of  the  Scotch  Roses.  The  creamy 
white  flowers  of  the  wild  plant  are  pretty 
and  fragrant. 

R.  XANTHINA. — A  charming  plant  for 
the  rock  garden,  very  like  the  Austrian 
Briers  in  general  effect,  but  freer  in  growth 
and  flower.  Its  flowers  are  small  (only 
about  i  inch  across),  of  a  beautiful  golden 
yellow,  with  deeper  spots  at  the  base  of 
each  petal.  The  stems  are  dwarf,  slender, 
and  very  prickly,  wreathed  with  flowers 
for  a  good  part  of  their  length.  It  flowers 
annually  on  the  rockery  at  Kew. 

R.  WILLMOTTI^E. — A  new  species  from 
W.  China,  where  it  was  found  by  Wilson 
when  plant-hunting  for  the  Messrs  Veitch 
on  the  Sangan  Mountains  at  elevations 
from  10,000  to  11,000  feet.  It  forms  a 
densely  branched  shrub  8  feet  or  more 
high,  furnished  with  elegant  foliage. 
The  solitary  flowers  are  of  a  bright  rose- 
pink,  and  are  freely  produced  in  June 
on  the  arching  branches  of  the  previous 
season's  growth.  Fruits  roundish  and 
of  orange-red  colour.  Quite  hardy  and 
very  pretty. 

The  above  is  a  choice  of  the  best 
Wild  Roses  known  to  us  for  the  garden 
or  shrubberies  and  fences  near  the 
garden.  There  are  many  Wild  Roses 
inhabiting  northern  and  temperate 
countries,  and  many  that  have  never 
been  in  cultivation. 

ROSCCEA. — A  small  though  inter- 
esting genus  of  tuberous  rooted  plants 
from  China  and  the  Himalayas,  of  easy 
cultivation  if  planted  4  to  5  inches 
deep  in  sandy  loam.  All  are  dwarf 
growing.  The  best  known  species  is 
R.  purpurea,  with  richly  coloured 
flowers  on  stems  9  inches  or  so  high. 
R.  Cantlioides  is  somewhat  taller 
growing,  the  erect  leafy  stems  being 
terminated  by  a  cluster  of  yellow 


ROSMARINUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


RUBUS. 


695 


flowers  of  delicate  beauty.  They  are 
distinct  from  all  else,  and  of  a  beauty 
quite  apart.  That  last-named  does 
not  appear  above  ground  till  quite  late 
in  spring. 

ROSMARINUS  (Rosemary}. — A  well- 
known  shrub,  R.  officinalis,  is  not  hardy 
enough  anywhere,  but  in  warm,  rocky 
banks  in  our  southern  gardens  it  is 
useful  ;  all  like  its  fragrance,  and  the 
flowers  are  pretty  when  the  plant  is 
grown  on  dry  soils.  Where  it  perishes 
.in  winter  in  the  open  ground  it  may 
be  grown  against  a  wall.  There  are 
several  distinct  forms,  one  of  erect 
habit  known  as  pyramidalis  ;  one  with 
large  pale  flowers,  and  one  with  darker 
blue  flowers  ;  one  with  variegated 
foliage  ;  and  one,  the  best  of  all,  known 
as  prostrata,  with  quite  a  creeping 
habit  and  narrow  leaves,  very  pretty 
for  sunny  walls  or  sheltered  ledges  of 
the  rock  garden.  Cuttings  and  seed. 

RUBUS  ( Brambles] . — Trailing  and 
often  prickly  shrubs,  some  of  the  best 
from  America  ;  the  finest  of  these  being 
the  Rocky  Mountain  Bramble  (R. 
deliciosus),  quite  unlike  an  ordinary 
Bramble,  being  without  spines  or 
prickles.  It  makes  a  rounded  spread- 
ing bush  about  4  feet  high,  and  in 
June  bears  snow-white  flowers  about 
the  size  of  Dog  Roses,  and  like  them 
in  form.  It  is  hardy  in  most  gardens 
where  the  soil  is  light,  and  in  cold 
districts  may  be  grown  against  a  wall, 
which  it  quickly  clothes  with  a  beau- 
tiful growth,  and  flowers  more  abun- 
dantly than  as  a  bush.  Always  select 
for  it  the  sunniest  and  warmest  place 
in  the  garden. 

R.  BIFLORUS  (Whitewashed  Bramble). — 
Has  tall  wand-like  steins  often  10  feet 
or  more  in  height,  whitened  with  a 
mealy  substance  on  the  bark.  Its  white 
flowers  are  not  showy,  and  are  succeeded 
by  edible,  Raspberry-like  fruits.  R. 
australis,  from  New  Zealand,  is  without 
true  leaves,  and  prickly.  In  warm 
situations  on  walls  it  grows  several 
feet  high,  but  it  is  not  fully  hardy.  Hima- 
layas. 

Among  the  best  native  Brambles 
are  the  beautiful  double  varieties 
of  R.  fructicosus,  which  flower  late 
in  summer.  There  are  the  double 
pink  and  the  double  white  kinds, 
both  known  under  various  names  ; 
but  the  names  of  double  pink  and 
double  white  are  sufficient.  As  they 
are  forms  of  distinct  species  or 
varieties,  they  differ  in  habit,  the 
double  pink  being  much  the  stronger 


and  more  free  flowering.  When  well 
placed  the  double  pink  makes  a  wide- 
spreading  mass  like  the  common 
Bramble,  and  gives  from  the  middle 
of  August  till  autumn  an  abundance 
of  bloom,  every  flower  being  a  rosette 
of  delicate  pink  petals.  The  double 
white  is  a  form  of  R.  tomentosus,  and 
its  flowers  are  larger  than  those  of  the 
double  pink,  but  less  double.  The 
double  white  and  the  double  pink 
should  be  planted  near  each  other,  and 
will  clothe  banks  or  associate  with 
bold  rocks.  Another  fine  Bramble  is 
the  Cut -leaved,  or  Parsley  -  leaved 
Bramble,  which  has  a  profusion  of 
white  blooms,  succeeded  by  large 
delicious  fruits.  The  Japanese  Wine- 


Rulus  deliciosus, 

berry  (R.  phcenicolasius]  is  a  strong- 
growing  Bramble,  the  stems  of  which 
are  covered  with  reddish  hairs,  and 
the  leaves  silvery  white  on  the  under 
side.  A  group  planted  beside  water 
is  very  fine  in  windy  weather,  when  the 
under-surface  is  freely  exposed.  The 
pink  and  white  flowers  are  followed  by 
soft  red  fruits,  like  a  little  Raspberry. 
R .  sorbifolius  is  also  pretty,  with  stout 
erect  stems  of  about  18  inches,  bearing 
elegant  cut  leaves  and  large  white 
flowers,  followed  by  conical  fruits  of 
fine  appearance  but  of  poor  flavour. 
Like  some  other  Brambles,  this  grows 
well  in  partial  shade.  Some  of 
the  so-called  American  Blackberries, 
such  as  the  Lawton  and  Kittaninny, 
do  not  succeed  in  our  country. 
Almost  all  kinds  should  have  their 
stems  cut  away  after  flowering, 


696 


RUBUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


RUDBECK1A. 


leaving  only  the  new  shoots  of  the 
season. 

A  few  of  the  small  kinds,  such  as 
R.  arcticus  (which  grows  a  few  inches 
high  and  bears  numerous  rosy-pink 
blossoms),  the  Cloud-berry,  R.  Chamce- 
morus  (also  dwarf  and  with  white 
blossoms),  the  Dewberry  (R.  C&sius), 
and  R.  saxatilis,  are  pretty  in  partially- 
shaded  spots  in  the  rock  garden  in 
moist  peaty  soil. 

R.  GIRALDIANUS. — No  Bramble  in  culti- 
vation produces  so  striking  an  effect,  in 
my  opinion,  as  R.  giraldianus,  named 
in  honour  of  Giraldi,  an  Italian,  one 
of  the  intrepid  Jesuit  priests  in  W.  China, 
whence  this  shrub  was  introduced  by 
Wilson  in  1907.  It  grows  about  7  feet 
high,  the  slender,  drooping  part  of  the 
stem  being  long  enough  for  the  tip  to 
reach  the  ground.  Having  reached  the 
soil,  the  tips  there  form  curious  thickened 
ends  similar  to  those  so  frequent  in  wild 
British  Brambles,  and,  taking  root,  form 
new  plants. 

R.  NUTKANUS. — This  is  found  from 
N.  California  to  Nootka  Sound,  and 
is  rather  taller  in  growth  than  R.  odoratus, 


Rubus  nutkanus  (the  Nootka  Sound  Raspberry). 

the  flowers  pure  white.  They  are  partial 
to  a  moist  soil,  near  the  margins  of 
a  pond  or  stream.  They  are  among  the 
best  shrubs  for  the  wild  garden,  where 
in  a  short  time  they  spread  into  large 
masses  if  in  good  soil  and  partial  shade. 

R.  ODORATUS. — With  large-lobed  leaves, 
and  from  June  till  August  large  clusters 
of  rich  purple  flowers.  It  may  be  used 
in  the  rougher  parts  of  the  rock  garden, 
or  in  the  wild  garden,  and  is  very  hardy. 
Like  the  garden  Raspberry,  it  sends 
up  strong  annual  shoots,  which  in  rich 
soils  reach  6  feet,  bearing  scented  leaves, 
the  leaves  and  not  the  flowers  being  fra- 
grant. There  is  no  finer  shrub  for 
planting  under  the  shade  of  large  trees 
where  the  soil  is  not  too  full  of  roots. 

R.  SPECTABILIS  (The  Salmon  Berry). — 
Has  flowers  of  a  bright  red  and  very 
early.  It  is  best  in  the  rougher  parts 
of  the  rock  garden  or  for  the  wild  garden, 


and  grows  well  under  trees  or  in  under- 
wood.   N.W.  America. 

RUDBECKIA  ( Cornflower}.  —  N. 
American  plants,  with  showy  yellow 
flower-heads,  usually  with  a  dark 
central  cone,  making  striking  plants 
for  the  hardy  border,  flowering  in  late 
summer  and  autumn. 

R.  CALIFORNICA. — Largest  in  size  of 
flower  and  cone,  the  flower  being  often 
about  6  inches  across,  and  the  cone 
2  inches  high  ;  leaves,  flower-stalks,  and 
roots  are  equally  robust.  The  flowers 
come  early  in  July  ;  they  have  few  and 
horizontal  rays,  and  are  solitary  on  the 
stalks,  their  size  making  up  for  their  small 
number,  and  the  whole  plant  having  a 
majestic  appearance,  with  its  broad, 
plantain-like  leaves. 

R.  HIRTA. — By  Asa  Gray  said  to  be 
"  annual  or  biennial,"  and  it  certainly 
requires  frequent  renewal  from  seed. 
Two-year-old  plants  begin  to  flower  early 
in  June,  and  continue  gay  through  sum- 
mer. It  is  well  to  select  the  largest  and 
most  golden  flowers  for  seed.  This  species 
always  attracts  notice  in  my  garden  from 
the  bright  colour  of  the  rays  and  the  good 
contrast  of  the  black  cone. 

R.  LACINIATA. — Tallest  of  the  Cone- 
flowers,  7  to  10  feet  high.  The  leaves 
are  unevenly  divided  into  narrow  ribbons, 
or  cut  into  larger  lobes,  different  indi- 
viduals varying  much  in  leafage.  The 
flower  is  large,  the  rays  curved  downwards 
so  as  nearly  to  touch  the  stalk,  and  the 
cone  is  greenish.  Plants  live  many 
years  without  spreading  much,  but  are 
easily  divided,  and  self-sown  seedlings 
come  up  round  if  the  seed  escapes  the 
green  linnets  and  chaffinches,  which 
delight  to  eat  it. 

R.  MAXIMA. — A  handsome  plant  6  or 
7  feet  high,  having  flowers  densely  set 
with  broad  golden  rays  produced  in 
August  and  September.  The  large  glau- 
cous oval  and  entire  leaf  at  once  distin- 
guishes it  from  others  of  the  genus. 
Native  of  the  warmer  States  of  America. 

R.  NITIDA. — The  general  habit  of  this  is 
that  of  R.  laciniata,  but  the  leaves  are  less 
incised  than  in  any  of  that  species  ;  the 
flowers,  though  smaller  in  outline,  are 
more  regular  and  plentiful,  and  have 
broader  and  more  golden  rays.  They 
begin  to  open  when  R.  laciniata  is  over, 
and  continue  into  November. 

R.  PINNATA. — Flowers  from  July  until 
hard  frosts  overpower  it.  It  is  not  a 
long-lived  plant,  getting  too  hard  and 
woody  at  the  base  to  continue  to  break 
well,  so  it  is  better  to  keep  a  few  seedlings 
on  hand.  Seed  is  abundantly  produced 
and  easily  raised.  Grows  from  4  to  5 
feet. 

R.  PURPUREA. — In  this  distinct  Cone- 
flower  the  ray  florets  are  of  a  reddish  or 
rose-purple  hue,  and  the  flowers  are  fully 


RUMEX. 


THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.       SACCHARUM.       697 


4  inches  across.  When  fully  established 
the  plants  reach  3  to  4  feet  high,  and  are 
effective  on  account  of  their  free-flowering 
and  erect  habit.  The  plant  only  rarely 
produces  seeds,  and  these  are  generally 
slow  to  vegetate,  so  much  so  that  it  is 
best  rather  to  rely  on  careful  division  of 
the  root  to  ensure  maintaining  a  stock. 
Other  kinds  closely  allied  to  this  species 
are  R.  pallida,  R.  angustifolia,  R.  purpurea 
intermedia,  a  fine  form  with  branching 
habit,  and  R.  p.  serotina. 

R.  SPECIOSA. — It  is  so  well  known  that 
I  need  say  little  more  than  advise  those, 
who  wish  it  to  succeed  in  hot  and  dry 
summers,  to  dress  the  surface  with  rich 
compost  and  to  water  it  well,  or  it  withers 
prematurely.  The  garden  form,  speciosa 
conspicua,  comes  into  flower  sooner,  and 
gives  a  longer  season  for  cutting. 

R.  SUBTOMENTOSA. — In  this  the  flowers 
show  hardly  any  raised  cone  ;  the  disc  is 
very  black,  and  the  golden  rays,  about  an 
inch  long,  continue  horizontal,  so  that  it 
would  hardly  be  taken  for  a  Cone-flower. 
It  grows  4  feet  high,  flowering  late  and 
very  freely.  Division. 

Excepting  R.  maxima,  in  a  long  gar- 
dening experience  I  have  found  no  diffi- 
culty in  maintaining  a  stock  of  all  these 
Cone-flowers.  R.pinnata,  R.  laciniata,  and 
R.  hirta  ripen  plenty  of  seed  every  year. 
I  never  found  ripe  seed  on  any  of  the 
others,  but  they  are  all  easily  divided  ; 
the  whole  tribe  likes  a  rich  moist  soil  and 
a  warm  aspect. — C.  W.  D. 

RUMEX  (Dock).  —  The  only  one 
worth  growing  is  our  great  native 
Water  Dock  (R.  Hydrolapathum).  Its 
leaves,  sometimes  2  feet  or  more  in 
length,  form  erect  and  imposing  tufts  ; 
while  its  flowering  stem,  frequently 
6  feet  in  height,  has  a  dense,  pyramidal 
panicle  of  an  olive-fawn  or  reddish 
colour.  In  autumn  the  leaves  change 
to  a  lurid  red,  a  colour  they  retain  for 
some  time. 

RUSCUS  (Butcher's  Broom).— These 
are  distributed  throughout  Europe, 
North  Africa,  and  temperate  Asia. 
All  the  hardy  kinds  may  be  planted 
under  the  drip  and  shade  of  trees 
where  few  other  evergreens  could 
exist.  Propagate  by  division  of  the 
roots.  The  R.  aculeatus  (Common 
Butcher's  Broom)  is  a  native  of  our 
copses  and  woods,  with  curious  prickly 
leaves,  or  rather  substitutes  for  leaves, 
and  small  greenish  flowers  in  April, 
which  are  succeeded  by  bright  red 
berries  about  the  size  of  Peas.  This 
dense,  much-branched  evergreen  rarely 
<*rows  more  than  2  feet  high,  and  its 
thick,  white,  twining  roots  strike  deep 
into  the  ground.  The  sexes  are  apart 


in  Ruscus,  and  to  enjoy  the  handsome 
scarlet  fruits  the  male  and  female 
plants  should  be  mingled. 

The  Alexandrian  Laurel  (R.  race- 
mosus) .  —  An  elegant  shrub  with 
glossy  dark  green  leaves,  its  stems 
valuable  for  cutting  in  winter.  It  is 
one  of  the  best  plants  for  partial  shade, 
and  should  have  deep  loamy  soil. 
S.  Europe.  Syn.,  Danae  racemosus. 

RUTA  (Rue). — The  common  Rue 
(R.  graveolens)  is  not  ornamental,  but 
R.  albiflora  is  a  graceful  autumn- 
flowering  plant  about  2  feet  high,  with 
leaves  resembling  those  of  the  common 
Rue,  only  more  glaucous  and  finely 
divided.  The  small  white  blossoms, 
borne  profusely  in  large  terminal 
drooping  panicles,  last  until  the  frosts. 
In  some  localities  it  is  hardy,  but, 
unless  planted  against  a  wall,  should 
generally  have  slight  protection  in 
severe  weather.  It  is  also  known 
as  Bcenninghausenia  albiflora.  Nepal. 
Another  pretty  plant  is  the  Padua  Rue 
(R.  patavina),  4  to  6  inches  high,  with 
small  golden-yellow  flowers  of  the  same 
odour  as  the  common  Rue,  and  the 
plant  is  about  as  hardy  as  R.  albiflora. 

SABBATIA  (American  Centaury).— 
N.  American  plants  of  the  Gentian 
family.  The  species  introduced  are — 
5.  chloroides,  with  large  pink  flowers  ; 
5.  campestris,  with  light  rose  flowers  ; 
and  5.  angularis,  with  purplish-red 
flowers.  5.  chloroides,  being  found 
in  bogs,  requires  a  very  moist  spot ; 
5.  campestris,  an  open  and  drier 
place  ;  5.  angularis,  a  sheltered  situa- 
tion and  partial  shade,  in  imitation 
of  that  afforded  by  the  vegetation 
amongst  which  it  grows  wild.  The 
soil  should  consist  of  equal  parts  of 
good  fibry  loam  and  finely-sifted 
leaf-mould,  with  enough  sand  to  make 
it  open.  Seed,  which  should  be  sown 
in  summer.  The  seedlings  should  be 
potted  off  before  they  become  in  the 
least  drawn,  or  weak  plants  result. 
They  should  be  wintered  in  a  cold, 
airy  frame,  and  freely  pinched  to 
induce  a  bushy  habit.  All  are  bien- 
nial, and  seed  should  be  sown  each 
year. 

SACCHARUM  (5.  czgyptiacum}.— 
Vigorous  perennial  grass,  forming  tufts 
of  reed-like  downy  stems,  6  to  10  feet 
high,  and  clothed  with  graceful  foliage. 
It  is  suited  for  the  margins  of  pieces 
of  water  and  for  pleasure  grounds,  and 
requires  a  warm  position.  In  otir 
climate  it  does  not  flower,  but  is  a 


698  SAGINA.  THE   ENGLISH    FLOWEti    GARDEN. 


SALISBURIA. 


good  plant  from  its  leaves  and  habit. 
Division  in  spring,  the  offsets  being 
started  in  a  frame  or  pit ;  in  May  or 
June  they  may  be  planted  out.  N. 
Africa. 

S  AGIN  A  (Pearlwort),—The  only 
species  worthy  of  culture  is  the  Lawn 
Pearl  wort  (5.  glabra),  a  plant  generally 
known  in  consequence  of  its  failure 
some  years  since  as  a  substitute  for 
lawn  grass,  though  it  has  not  answered 
expectations.  It  is  none  the  less  a 
pretty  little  alpine  plant,  forming  on 
level  soils  carpets  almost  as  smooth 
as  velvet,  starred  in  early  summer  with 
little  white  flowers.  It  is  multiplied 
by  pulling  the  tufts  into  small  pieces 
and  then  replanting  them  a  few  inches 
apart,  when  they  soon  meet  and 
form  a  carpet.  Corsica.  Syn.,  Spergula 
pilifera. 

SAGITTARIA  (A rrowhead}.— Grace- 
ful water-plants  not  only  charming  at 
the  waterside,  but  from  their  structure 
among  the  most  interesting  of  hardy 
perennials.  Their  parts  are  strangely 
variable  in  appearance  and  structure — 
the  roots  being  tuberous,  fibrous,  and 
stoloniferous  (running)  ;  the  leaves 
submerged  and  ribbon-like,  floating  or 
erect,  and  exceedingly  variable  in 
shape  ;  the  flowers  are  fertile  or 
sterile,  single  or  double.  This  variety 
of  form  is  so  confusing  that  uncer- 
tainty prevails  as  to  the  entire  group, 
some  botanists  making  a  hundred 
species,  which  others  reduce  to  about 
ten.  There  seems,  indeed,  to  be  little 
fixity  of  character,  the  same  plant 
being  unlike  itself  under  changed 
conditions.  Several  kinds  are  now  in 
cultivation,  and  no  plants  are  more 
easily  grown  in  shallow  water,  where 
they  spread  fast,  the  only  care  being 
to  keep  them  from  overrunning  other 
things.  Their  tubers  should  be 
planted  in  mud  with  water  from 
6  inches  to  a  foot  in  depth,  though 
some  kinds  will  make  their  way  in 
deeper  water.  The  plants  are  quite 
happy  in  partial  shade,  where  the 
flowers  last  longer.  The  following  are 
in  cultivation  : — 

S.  JAPONICA  PLENA.  —  One  of  our 
best  hardy  water-plants,  with  large  full 
flowers  2  to  2^  inches  across  and  like  a 
white  Stock,  gathered  into  whorls  all  the 
way  up  a  stem  of  nearly  2  feet.  The  roots 
spread  fast  and  will  grow  in  water  2  feet 
deep,  though  6  inches  is  deep  enough  for 
planting.  The  single  kind  is  scarce, 
though  the  snowy  flowers  with  golden 
anthers  are  very  attractive,  and  the  foliage 
lasts  much  longer  than  in  our  native  kind. 


S.  LANCIFOLIA. — Of  uncertain  origin, 
with  several  other  names.  It  is  of  robust 
growth,  with  stems  5  feet  high  and 
leaves  prolonged  into  a  narrow  lance  shape. 
The  flowers  are  in  whorls  of  three,  the 
outer  petals  greenish  flushed  with  rose, 
and  the  inner  ones  pure  white,  with  a 
cluster  of  golden  stamens.  Syns.,  5. 
gigantea  and  S.  sinensis. 

S.  MACROPHYLLA. — With  large  leaves 
and  loose  spikes  of  white  flowers,  standing 
about  3  feet  high.  Not  only  are  the 
flowers  larger  than  in  any  other  kind,  but 
the  plant  is  worth  growing  for  its  fine 
leaves  alone,  which  takes  a  rich  autumn 
colour. 

S.  MONTEVIDENSIS. — From  S.  America, 
too  tender  for  the  open  before  the  end  of 
May,  though  it  will  thrive  in  the  water- 
garden  all  summer.  The  growths  stand 
boldly  4  or  5  feet  out  of  the  water,  with 
large  creamy-white  flowers,  2  inches  across, 
marked  with  a  deep  purplish  blotch  at  the 
base  of  each  petal.  One  good  spike  will 
carry  100  flowers.  Seeds  sown  in  Febru- 
ary germinate  freely,  and  the  young  plants 
flower  by  July,  so  that  it  is  often  treated 
as  an  annual. 

S.  NATANS. — A  very  distinct  kind  from 
North  America,  with  floating  heart-shaped 
leaves  and  scanty  single  white  flowers. 

S.  SAGITTIFOLIA. — The  wild  Arrowhead 
of  our  ponds  and  rivers,  familiar  in  its 
graceful  arrow  -  headed  leaves  and  the 
pretty  white  flowers  half  an  inch  across, 
with  purple  claws  and  anthers.  It  spreads 
fast  and  is  tenacious  of  life,  having  been 
the  last  wild  flowering  plant  to  flourish 
on  the  banks  of  the  Thames  in  the  heart 
of  London.  The  double-flowered  form  is 
that  mostly  seen  in  gardens,  with  very  full 
flowers  about  an  inch  across,  and  pure 
white  like  a  little  Banksian  Rose. 

S.  SIMPLEX. — A  scarce  and  neat  species, 
well  adapted  for  growing  in  tubs  or  small 
ornamental  basins.  Though  hardy,  it  is 
less  vigorous  than  most  kinds,  with  small 
leaves  of  a  less  decided  arrow  shape,  and 
delicate  flowers  of  soft  pale  yellow. 

S.  VARIABILIS.  —  The  common  Arrow- 
head of  N.  America ;  a  very  variable 
plant,  with  a  number  of  distinct  forms. 
It  comes  near  our  own  kind,  but  the  flowers 
differ  in  their  greenish  centre,  free  from 
the  purple  shading  of  sagiUifolia.  Among 
the  many  varieties  are  hastata,  latifolia, 
obtusa,  gracilis  —  a  dwarf  form  rarely 
exceeding  12  inches  in  height,  and  one 
with  double  flowers. 

SALISBURIA  (Maiden-hair  Tree}.— 
S.  adiantifolia  is  a  beautiful  tree  in  all 
stages  and  at  all  seasons,  perhaps  most 
attractive  during  the  autumn,  just 
before  the  leaves  drop,  since  the  foliage 
assumes  then  a  bright  yellow  hue.  A 
rather  deep,  fairly  moist  soil  of  a 
loamy  nature  seems  to  suit  it  best, 


SALIX.  THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER 


SALIX. 


699 


but  it  is  not  very  particular  as  to  soil  : 
fine  trees  may  be  seen  in  old  gardens. 
Its  fruits  are  said  to  be  eaten  in  China 
and  Japan,  but  they  are  rarely  pro- 
duced here.  There  are  two  or  three 
varieties  of  the  tree,  and  when  raised 
from  seed,  as  it  always  should  be, 
there  are  individual  differences.  Syn., 
Ginkgo  biloba. 

SALIX  ( Willow) .  —  Large  and 
medium  sized  trees,  shrubs,  and  even 
alpine  trailers  of  northern  and  tem- 
perate countries,  mostly  hardy  and  of 
singular  beauty  and  interest  for  our 
gardens  and  home  grounds,  in  which 
they  are  much  neglected.  Notwith- 
standing the  number  of  trees  in  the 
country,  I  doubt  if  there  is  a  more 
picturesque  one  than  the  Babylonian 
Willow,  which  is  not  common  in  many 
districts  about  London,  although  it  is 
by  the  river  and  in  the  eastern  coun- 
ties. There  are  many,  however,  who 
plant  this  who  do  not  care  for  hand- 
some Willows  of  erect  habit,  but,  as 
we  think,  more  beauty  of  colour, 
such  as  the  scarlet-barked  or  Cardinal 
Willow,  and  even  the  old  yellow 
Willow.  Of  late  years  a  number  of  j 
other  Weeping  Willows  have  been 
propagated  in  Germany  and  elsewhere, 
so  that  we  are  no  longer  confined  to 
the  old  Weeping  Willow,  which  was  j 
apt  to  be  cut  down  occasionally  in 
hard  winters.  When  the  gardener 
plants  a  Willow,  it  is  generally  some 
curious  one  with  a  mop  head,  like  the 
"  American  "  Weeping  Willow.  Coun- 
try gentlemen  should  therefore  take 
the  Tree  Willows  under  their  own  care, 
and  plant  them  in  bold  groups  and 
colonies  here  and  there,  by  water  or 
in  wet  or  marshy  places.  A  marshy 
place  planted  with  underwood  formed 
of  the  yellow  or  red  Willow  would 
be  charmingly  picturesque  in  winter 
— indeed,  at  all  times  —  and  there  is  | 
no  difficulty  in  getting  any  of  these  j 
Willows  by  the  hundred  or  thousand.  I 
In  places  which  are  much  haunted  by 
the  rabbit,  young  Willows  of  these  ! 
kinds  go  very  rapidly,  and,  planted  by 
streams  in  meadows  where  there  are 
cattle,  they  are  nibbled  down,  so  that 
in  certain  districts  a  little  care  may  be 
wanted  to  protect  them.  None  of  the 
Willows  here  mentioned  should  be  ever 
grafted.  I  have  skeleton  Willows 
alongside  some  ponds,  the  sad  remains 
of  grafted  Willows  which  were  inter- 
esting and  little  -  known  kinds,  all 
grafted  on  the  common  Sallow  (Salix 
caprea) .  The  grafted  portion  gradually 


died  ;  the  stump  on  which  they  are 
grafted  remained  sound,  and  from  it 
have  come  the  vigorous  shoots  of 
many  Withies.  Inasmuch  as  the  whole 
country  and  the  woods  near  have 
many  of  the  same  tree,  which  seeds 
everywhere,  this  unsought  plantation 
of  a  common  tree  by  garden  ponds  is 
far  from  a  gain.  "  As  easy  to  strike 
as  a  Willow,"  is  a  proverb  among  gar- 
deners, and  there  is  no  good  reason  for 
grafting  these  plants.  The  graceful 
Willow,  called  in  our  gardens  the 
American  Willow,  is  invariably  grafted 
on  the  Sallow,  and  if  not  watched  and 
the  suckers  removed,  will  quickly 
perish  ;  but  if  a  shoot  of  this  plant 
be  hanging  into  water  it  quickly  roots, 
showing  how  easily  the  trees  could  be 
increased  if  nurserymen  would  take 
the  trouble  to  do  it  in  the  right  way. 
The  objection  to  the  grafting  is,  first 
of  all,  the  frequent  death  of  the  tree  ; 
secondly,  falsified  and  weak  growth, 
and  where  it  does  not  die,  endless 
trouble  ;  thirdly,  we  lose  some  of  the 
true  uses  of  the  tree,  the  habit  not 
lending  itself  always  to  grafting  on  the 
standard  form.  Why  should  we  not 
be  able  to  use  the  Weeping  Willows  as 
rock  or  bank  plants,  not  on  standards, 
in  which  form  the  growth  is  often  less 
graceful  than  on  our  own  root  trees  ? 
Though  we  think  the  finest  Willows 
for  effect  in  the  landscape  are  the  Tree 
Willows,  in  all  garden  ground  the 
Weeping  Willows  are  likely  to  be  the 
most  planted,  and  we  should  guard 
against  an  excessive  use  of  them  in 
home  landscape  owing  to  this  same 
weeping  habit.  One  large  isolated 
Weeping  Willow,  or  a  group  of  such 
trees  on  the  margin  of  water,  gives  a 
much  better  effect  than  a  number 
dotted  about.  Further,  the  Weeping 
Willow  ungrafted  when  isolated  has 
an  advantage  over  many  other  weeping 
trees  in  its  beauty  of  habit ;  all  is  grace 
and  softness,  like  a  fountain  of  water, 
the  branches  rise  lightly  into  the  air 
to  fall  again  gracefully.  On  the  other 
\  hand,  in  most  other  weeping  trees 
j  artificially  made  by  grafting  on  stan- 
i  dards  there  is  none  of  this  lightness 
of  aspect  and  of  form.  Willows  are 
!  admirably  suited  for  giving  us  an 
!  abundance  of  shade  where  this  is 
',  desired,  and  they  are  among  the  hardy 
trees  that  thrive  in  and  near  towns. 
Only  the  Willows  most  effective  in  the 
home  landscape  and  in  the  home  woods 
are  named  here.  Some  small  and 
alpine  Willows  are  interesting  for  the 


7oo 


SALIX. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


SALIX. 


rock  garden,  but  they  are  more  suited 
for  botanical  collections.  The  dwarf 
creeping  kinds  grown  in  gardens  are — 
5.  herbacea,  S.  lanata,  S.  reticulata, 
and  S.  serpyllifolia,  all  natives  of  the 
northern  parts  of  Europe  and  America. 
They  grow  well  among  stones  in 
ordinary  garden  soil.  Sometimes  cer- 
tain of  these  dwarf  forms  are  grafted, 
generally  on  the  Sallow,  on  which  their 
lives  are  very  short,  and  it  is  impossible 
for  us  to  judge  of  the  value  of  such 
kinds  as  S.  repens  var.  argentea  and 
pendula  and  5.  casia  var.  Zabeli  pen- 
dula,  when  stuck  on  the  ends  of  sticks 
of  a  wholly  different  nature. 

S.  ALBA  (White  W.). — A  graceful  and 
stately  tree  of  the  marsh  lands  and  river 
valleys  throughout  Europe  and  Asia, 
common  in  Britain,  and  often  beautiful. 
It  has  several  varieties,  particularly  a 
silvery  one,  and  a  red  one  (britzensis] . 
Sometimes  80  feet  or  more  high,  with  a 
trunk  diameter  of  6  to  7  feet. 


The  Weeping  Willow. 

S.  BABVLONICA  (Weeping  W.). — A  beau- 
tiful weeping  tree,  and  the  best  known 
of  the  Willows  of  this  character,  though 
not  the  hardiest  that  we  now  know,  and 
sometimes  liable  to  be  cut  off  in  cold 
districts.  There  is  a  crisp-leaved  variety. 
It  is  called  Babylonian  because  it  was 
thought  to  be  the  tree  under  which  the 
Jews  sat  down  to  weep  on  the  banks  of 
the  Euphrates  River,  but  it  is  now  known 
that  the  tree  which  grows  on  the  banks 
of  the  Euphrates  and  resembles  a  Willow 
is  a  Poplar,  having  narrow  Willow-like 
leaves.  Japan  and  China.  5.  Salomoni 
is  a  variety  of  this,  and  seems  to  be  a 
free-growing  and  most  graceful  Willow, 
but  with  us  not  old  enough  to  show  its 
true  form.  It  is  a  very  rapid  growing 
tree,  as,  indeed,  most  Willows  are  in  river 
bank  soils. 


S.  BLANDA  (Hybrid  Weeping  W.). — 
This  is  a  vigorous  and  fine  Weeping 
Willow,  though  not  yet  long  enough  in 
our  country  to  show  its  true  habit.  It  is 
thought  to  be  a  hybrid  between  the 
Babylon  and  Crack  Willows,  having  regard 
to  its  characteristics.  The  leaves,  long 
even  at  the  base  of  the  branches,  are  3 
inches  to  5  inches  long  by  less  than  i  inch 
across. 

S.  CAPREA  (Withy,  Sallow,  Goat  W.). 
— The  commonest  Willow,  often  a  round- 
headed  low  tree,  in  our  woodlands,  and 
the  one  which  bears  the  pretty  catkins 
early  in  spring,  and  gathered  at  Easter, 
called  Palm  branches.  It  is  used  in  nur- 
series throughout  Europe  as  a  stock  to 
secure  the  greatest  growth  of  various 
Willows,  and  usually  with  a  fatal  result 
to  the  life  of  each  kind  grafted  on  it.  The 
Kilmarnock  Willow  is  a  weeping  variety 
of  this  Willow. 

S.  ELEGANTISSIMA. — A  rapid-growing 
and  handsome  weeping  tree.  Willows 
have  a  curious  way  of  crossing  and  inter- 
crossing, hybridising  themselves  in  all 
sorts  of  ways,  and  it  is  difficult  to  account 
for  the  origin  of  this  ;  but  from  a  garden 
point  of  view  this  is  not  of  so  much  con- 
sequence. It  is  tall,  with  long  and  pen- 
dent branches,  a  yellowish-green,  often 
stained  with  russet,  with  a  more  spread- 
ing habit  and  a  larger  crown  than  5. 
babylonica. 

S.  FRAGILIS  (Crack  W.  ;  Withy).— A 
fine  and  often  picturesque  tree  of  our  river 
valleys,  and  a  native  of  N.  Europe 
and  W.  Asia,  including  in  it  a  variety 
of  forms,  among  the  best  being  the  Bas- 
ford  Willow  and  the  broad-leaved  form, 
latifolia.  S.  Russelliana,  the  Bedford 
Willow,  is  considered  a  hybrid  between 
this  and  the  White  Willow.  There  is 
also  an  orange  -  twigged  form  of  the 
Crack  Willow  (S.  decipiens). 

S.  PENTANDRA  (Bay-leaved  W.). — A 
glossy  leaved  distinct  looking  Willow, 
sometimes  almost  a  tree ;  a  native  of 
Britain,  mostly  towards  the  north  or 
west,  and  the  latest  flowering  Willow. 

S.  PURPUREA  (Purple  or  Bitter  Osier). — 
A  British  Willow  of  some  grace  of  habit, 
though  not  quite  a  tree,  and  most  inter- 
esting from  being  the  origin  of  the  Willow 
called  American  by  mistake.  It  is  really 
a  variety  of  this  species,  and  a  very  beau- 
tiful weeping  bush,  which,  however,  is 
often  lost  by  being  grafted  on  the  common 
Withy,  which  soon  kills  the  tree.  This 
Willow  and  its  varieties  and  hybrids  are 
much  grown  in  Osier  beds  for  basket- 
making,  though  not  so  much  as  the  Osier. 
The  pendulous  form  of  the  Purple  Weeping 
Willow,  commonly  called  the  American 
Weeping  Willow,  is  not  very  high,  but  has 
pretty  grey  slender  leaves,  with  long 
flexible  twigs.  It  is  usually  grafted  and 
grown  as  a  single,  umbrella-headed  tree 


SALPIGLOSSIS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


SALVIA. 


7OI 


although  it  is  much  prettier  grouped  or 
massed  beside  the  water,  and  it  is  only 
then  that  one  gets  its  extreme  grace. 
This  Willow  is  grafted  on  the  common 
Sallow — a  usually  coarse-growing  Willow 
of  which  the  shoots  spring  from  below  the 
graft.  If  let  alone  for  a  year  or  two  they 
would  soon  make  an  end  of  the  Purple 
Willow,  but  by  continually  removing 
them  one  may  keep  the  tree  alive. 

S.  ROSMARINIFOLIA  (Greybush  W.). — 
A  graceful  bushy  Willow  of  a  nice  grey 
colour,  especially  for  groups  near  water  or 
in  moist  ground ;  hardy  and  of  easy 
culture.  Europe. 

S.  VIMINALIS  (Osier).— A  distinct  and 
native  Willow,  frequent  in  wet  places  in 
woods  and  Osier  beds,  rarely  planted  in 
gardens,  the  leaves  and  branches  are  very 
fine  in  form.  It  is  the  Willow  most  used 
for  basket-making. 

S.  VITELLINA  (Golden  W.).  —  Some- 
times classed  with  the  White  Willow  by 
botanists,  but  from  a  planter's  point  of 
view  it  is  a  distinct  tree,  never  so  large  as 
the  White  Willow,  but  effective  in  the 
colour  of  its  yellow  branches  and  twigs 
in  the  winter  sun.  While  old  trees  of  this 
often  become  good  in  form  and  occasion- 
ally pendulous,  there  is  of  recent  years  a 
distinctly  pendulous  variety,  5.  pendula, 
which  is  very  graceful  and  precious 
indeed,  and  quite  hardy,  which  should 
never  be  grafted.  Some  of  the  red  twigged 
Willows,  such  as  that  called  the  Cardinal 
Willow,  belong  to  5.  vitellina.  The  twigs 
are  used  to  a  great  extent  for  packing  in 
nurseries  and  tying  fruit  trees  in  gardens. 

SALPIGLOSSIS. — S.  sinuata  is  a 
beautiful  plant  of  the  Solatium  family, 
and  one  of  the  finest  of  half-hardy 
annuals  ;  it  is  slender,  and  has  an 
erect  stem,  i  to  2  feet  high,  bearing 
large  funnel-shaped  blossoms  that  have 
dark  veins  on  a  ground  which  varies 
from  white  to  crimson,  yellow,  orange, 
or  purple,  and  intermediate  shades. 
As  the  colour  of  the  blossoms  is  so 
variable,  the  plant  is  known  as  5. 
variables,  and  its  varieties  have  Latin 
names  according  to  their  tints.  S. 
sinuata  thrives  in  light,  rich,  sandy 
loam,  and  should  be  treated  as  a  half- 
hardy  annual.  Chili. 

SALVIA  (Sage). — For  the  autumn 
garden,  few  plants  are  more  useful 
than  the  Sages,  with  their  showy  spikes 
of  flowers.  They  are  easily  raised 
from  seed  or  cuttings,  they  grow  in 
almost  any  soil,  and  give  good  colour 
during  several  months.  They  are 
found  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  the 
tender  shrubby  kinds  in  the  mountains 
of  tropical  America,  and  the  hardier 
perennial  sorts  in  Europe  and  Asia. 


S.  AZUREA. — A  perennial  from  North 
America,  and  one  of  the  finest  in  its 
flowers,  borne  as  dense  spikes  of  a  beautiful 
pale  blue,  during  September  and  October. 
Its  habit  is  vigorous,  with  stems  long  and 
straight,  and  it  flowers  rather  too  late  to 
be  always  good  with  us.  There  are  several 
forms  of  this  plant,  drawn  from  different 
parts  of  its  area,  including  grandiflora 
(syn.,  S.  Pitcheri),  with  down  -  covered 
leaves  and  stems  and  denser  spikes,  and 
angustifolia,  with  narrow  leaves  and  longer 
spikes  of  flower.  Though  often  flowered 
under  glass,  these  plants  thrive  in  the  open 
border  in  mild  districts,  and  are  very 
useful  for  cutting. 


Salpiglossis 


S.  COCCINEA. — This  graceful  plant  covers 
a  wide  area  in  America,  and  though  small 
the  flowers  are  bright  and  well  displayed. 
It  is  excellent  for  borders,  and  a  true 
perennial,  though  often  treated  as  an 
annual.  The  habit  and  leaves  are  neat, 
with  bright  scarlet  flowers  in  airy  spikes 
of  12  to  1 8  inches,  prettily  set  on  dark 
hairy  stems,  lasting  for  many  weeks  and 
good  for  cutting. 

S.  GRAHAMI. — This  good  old  kind  forms 
a  handsome  bush,  bearing  small  bright 
crimson  flowers  in  light  heads  during 
summer.  The  stems  being  woody,  they 
last  well  when  cut,  and  are  pretty  in 
vases.  It  is  hardy  in  the  milder  parts  of 
Britain,  but  needs  a  good  place  against 
a  wall  if  it  is  to  flower  well.  There  are 
varieties  with  white  flowers,  and  shades 
inclining  to  scarlet  and  purple. 

S.  GREGGII  (Rosemary-scented  Sage). — 
One  of  the  hardiest  of  the  shrubby  Salvias, 
coming  from  the  mountains  of  Texas.  It 
grows  about  3  feet  high,  with  small 
bluntly-rounded  leaves  and  spikes  of 
crimson  and  purple  flowers  3  to  6  inches 
long  at  the  end  of  drooping  branchlets. 
The  plant  is  hardy  in  light  soils  with  root 


702 


SALVIA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


SALVIA. 


protection,  and  resists  drought,  blooming 
through  a  long  season.  Seedlings  are 
easily  raised,  and  flower  the  first  season, 
or  a  reserve  of  rooted  cuttings  may  be 
wintered  under  glass. 

S.  HIANS. — A  hardy  perennial  from  Cash- 
mere, growing  18  inches  high,  with  large 
hairy  leaves  like  the  Clary,  and  fine 
violet-blue  flowers  with  a  pure  white 
lower  lip,  and  carried  in  bunches  of  six 
together.  Free  in  growth  and  flower,  it 
is  one  of  the  best  border  Salvias. 

S.  HORMINUM  (Bluebeard). — A  useful 
annual  kind  from  the  south  of  Europe,  of 
dwarf  spreading  habit,  with  oval  or  wedge- 


Sah'ia  patens. 

shaped  leaves  and  showy  clusters  of 
coloured  bracts  around  inconspicuous  blue 
flowers.  These  showy  clusters  are  pro- 
duced on  every  shoot  and  last  fresh  for 
a  long  time,  their  colour  carrying  from 
white  to  reddish-violet  and  deep  purple, 
according  to  the  variety. 

S.  OFFICINALIS  (Common  Sage). — Apart 
from  its  value  as  a  garden  herb,  this  is 
good  as  a  border  plant  when  covered  with 
its  flowers,  either  purple,  blue,  or  white. 
There  are  several  garden  varieties  with 
beauty  of  leaf,  such  as  aurea  with  golden 
leaves,  crispa  (in  which  they  are  finely 
curled),  and  others  in  variegated  colours — 
green  and  white,  green  and  gold,  and 
tricolor  with  blending  shades  of  grey- 
green,  gold,  and  rosy-purple.  The  form 
salicifolia  from  Spain  has  long  and  narrow 
whitish  leaves,  and  is  strongly  aromatic. 


S.  PATENS. — One  of  the  best  plants 
in  cultivation,  the  intense  blue  of  its 
flowers  making  it  a  charming  object. 
Though  tender  in  most  gardens,  the 
tuberous  roots  are  easily  wintered  in  a 
frost-proof  place,  and  increase  is  easy 
from  seed  or  cuttings  rooted  in  early 
spring. 

S.  PRATENSIS  (Wild  Sage). — One  of  our 
prettiest  native  plants,  and  withal  so  un- 
common as  to  be  worth  a  place  in  gar- 
dens, its  graceful  stems  of  about  2  feet 
high  bearing  showy  flowers  of  rich  purple, 
white,  rose,  blue,  or  reddish  -  purple, 
according  to  the  variety. 

S.  PRZEWALSKII. — A  new  hardy  kind 
from  China  and  Central  Asia,  growing  as 
a  stout  perennial  with  conspicuous  bluish- 
violet  flowers  of  a  pretty  pale  shade 
coming  in  June.  Its  earliness,  resistance, 
and  vigour  make  it  a  useful  border  plant. 
S.  RINGENS. — A  low  shrubby  kind,  with 
handsome  Sage  -  like  leaves  and  large 
flowers  of  lavender-blue  and  white.  The 
plant  will  bear  a  mild  winter  in  the  south 
of  Britain. 

S.  ROEMERIANA. — A  bright  dwarf  plant 
from  Texas,  of  such  neat  growth  as  to  be 
well  fitted  for  edgings  or  the  front  of 
borders.  It  flowers  early,  and  the  deep 
crimson  flowers  are  continued  through 
several  weeks.  Increase  by  seed  or 
cuttings,  which  should  be  wintered  under 
glass. 

S.  SCLAREA  (Clary). — One  of  the  old 
plants  long  grown  in  British  gardens,  and 
still  valued  in  country  districts  for  brewing 
herb-wine.  It  is  a  biennial  from  the  south 
of  Europe,  with  clammy  hairy  stems, 
ample  heart-shaped  leaves,  and  bluish- 
white  flowers  in  August.  A  strong  form 
of  this,  known  as  bracteata  (gigantea},  bears 
pale  mauve-coloured  bracts ;  and  5. 
Forskohlei,  which  comes  very  near  Sclarea, 
shows  a  blending  of  violet,  blue,  and  white. 
S.  SPLENDENS.  - —  This  is  the  most 
showy  of  the  family,  in  its  clear  green 
foliage  and  glowing  scarlet  flowers.  A 
native  of  Brazil,  it  needs  care  in  winter  ; 
if  in  too  low  a  temperature  the  roots 
perish,  and  if  too  warm  the  plants  become 
weak  and  liable  to  red  spider.  The  old 
plan  was  to  take  cuttings  in  autumn  and 
winter  them  under  glass,  these  plants 
flowering  earlier  than  the  more  vigorous 
seedlings.  From  careful  selection,  how- 
ever, there  are  now  good  early-flowering 
varieties  which  come  fairly  true  from 
seed,  and  (except  it  be  for  a  small  stock  of 
the  best  named  kinds)  this  is  the  best 
means  of  increase.  These  forms  are 
vastly  superior  to  the  original  plant, 
which,  besides  being  of  ungainly  habit, 
had  few  and  small  flowers. 

Two  kinds  rising  to  a  good  height  are 
grandiflora  and  gigantea  ;  though  Fanfare 
and  Feu  de  Joie  are  fairly  tall,  they  begin 
to  flowerjearly  ;  Gloire  de  Stuttgart  and 
Rudolph  Pfiitzer  are  shorter  ;  and  Boule 


SAMBUCUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.       SAMBUCUS.        703 


de  Feu,  Alfred  Rageneau,  Bolide,  Phare 
Poitevin,  and  Lord  Fauntleroy  are  very 
dwarf  kinds,  flowering  through  a  long 
season  and  admirable  for  massing  in  the 
front  of  borders. 

S.  TARAXACIFOLIA.  —  Rare  and  pretty 
shrubby  plant  from  the  north  of  Africa, 
with  its  lower  leaves  like  those  of  a 
Dandelion,  and  pale  pink  or  purple  flowers 
with  a  yellow  lip, 
gathered  in  whorls  of 
six  to  ten  together. 
It  needs  light  soil  and 
a  sunny  place  in  the 
rock  garden,  but  is 
of  doubtful  hardiness 
even  under  the  best 
conditions,  and  plants 
should  always  be  held 
in  reserve. 

S.  TURKESTANICA.— 

Hardy  perennial  kind 
from  W.  Asia,  with 
angular  stems  3  feet 
high,  ample  foliage 
which  is  strongly  fra- 
grant, and  large  white 
flowers  gathered  in 
whorls  and  surrounded 
by  pale  pink-edged 
bracts.  The  plant  is 
hardy  and  vigorous. 

S.  VERBENACEA. — A  pretty  native  plant 
about  1 8  inches  high,  with  oblong  wrinkled 
leaves  and  blue  or  whitish  flowers  gathered 
in  sixes  upon  its  numerous  spikes.  It  is 
coarse  for  the  border,  but  interesting  in 
the  wild  garden. 

S.  VIRGATA. — A  good  kind,  where  its 
abundant  blue  flowers  and  violet  bracts 
give  good  effect  in  July  and  August.  The 
plant  is  of  medium  size,  hardy,  and  easily 
increased  by  seed  or  division. 

Few  of  those  described  require  special 
treatment,  the  herbaceous  perennials 
being  rapidly  propagated  by  division 
or  seed,  and  the  half-shrubby  species 
by  cuttings  of  the  young  soft  shoots 
in  heat.  In  August  and  September 
they  should  be  raised  in  a  close  cold 
frame,  and  in  spring  they  should  be 
treated  like  Heliotropes  or  Ageratums. 
When  large  plants  are  required  the 
old  ones  can  either  be  potted  or  put 
close  together  in  deep  boxes  ;  and,  if 
potted,  they  should  be  cut  down  to 
within  6  inches  of  the  soil.  Both  old 
plants  and  potted  cuttings  are  easily 
wintered  in  any  dry  place  where  frost 
is  excluded. 

SAMBUCUS  (Elder}. — Our  native 
Elder  is  little  valued  in  gardens,  yet  a 
well-grown  tree,  laden  with  its  clusters 
of  creamy-white  blossoms  or  a  pro- 


fusion of  purple  fruits,  is  not  without 
effect.  Added  to  this,  it  will  hold  its 
own  in  any  poor,  dry  soil,  the  leaves 
are  seldom  attacked  by  insects,  and 
all  the  kinds  bear  hard  pruning,  and 
are  of  easy  increase  from  cuttings. 

The  wild  kinds  are  perhaps  less 
important  for  our  purpose  than  their 
garden  forms. 


Sang'itinaria  canadcnsis. 

S.  CANADENSIS.— N.  America.  Was  in- 
troduced long  ago,  but  until  recently  has 
remained  almost  unknown.  In  full  flower 
it  is  handsome  and  at  its  best  in  August, 
when  most  flowering  shrubs  are  past. 
Though  less  woody  than  the  common 
species,  it  attains  a  height  of  6  to  12  feet, 
with  bold,  handsome  leafage  and  flattened 
clusters  of  creamy-white  fragrant  flowers, 
which  measure  sometimes  as  much  as 
1 8  inches  across.  A  new  and  beautiful 
form  of  this  shrub  has  recently  come  to 
light  in  5.  canadensis  acutiloba,  the  leaves 
of  which  are  cut  into  segments  as  fine  as 
any  fern-frond.  Though  perhaps  not  yet 
to  be  had  easily,  it  will  give  a  new  charm 
to  our  collections  of  hardy  shrubs. 

S.  EBULUS  (Dane-wort). — An  herbaceous 
Elder  from  N.  Africa,  China,  and  Europe, 
including  the  British  Isles.  The  popular 
name  refers  to  the  legend  that  the  plant 
first  sprang  from  the  blood  of  Danish 
invaders.  It  is  a  rough,  rank-smelling 
weed,  growing  from  2  to  4  feet  high,  with 
finely-cut  leaves  and  fine  heads  of  flowers. 
Its  main  value  is  for  dry  banks  in  the  wild 
garden  or  in  coverts. 

S.  GLAUCA. — A  little-known  kind  from 
western  N.  America,  where  it  is  said  to  form 
a  tree  of  30  to  50  feet.  In  this  country  it 
does  not  appear  likely  to  be  of  great  value. 
The  name  is  derived  from  the  glaucous 
bloom  with  which  the  berries  are  covered, 
which  is  so  intense  that  though  really 
blackish  they  appear  to  be  bluish- white. 


SARCOCOCCA.        THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         SAPONARIA. 


8.  JCIORA  (The  Common  Elder). — Best 
known  in  its  variety  aurea.  Planted  in  a 
mass  and  cut  down  to  the  ground  annually 
is  a  good  way  of  growing  it.  There  are 
varieties,  but  all  the  others  are  best  left 
out  of  the  garden. 

S  RACEMOSA  (Scarlet  Elder) . — Although 
not  a  native  of  this  country,  S.  racemosa 
occurs  wild  throughout  much  of  the 
northern  hemisphere.  In  appearance  the 
Scarlet  Elder  somewhat  resembles  our 
own  species,  but  is  readily  known  by  the 
flowers  expanding  much  earlier,  and  the 
bright  red  berries,  which  ripen  long  in 
advance  of  the  Common  Elder.  A  cool, 
moist  soil  and  a  sunny  spot  seem  to  suit 
the  Scarlet-berried  Elder  the  best. 

SARCOCOCCA  (The  Hardy  Sarco- 
coccas). — Are  neat  and  pleasing  ever- 
green shrubs  possessed  of  but  a  modest 
flower  beauty,  though  of  more  than 
ordinary  value,  because  of  their  suita- 
bility to  shaded  positions  and  their 
rich  green  lustrous  foliage.  They 
are  also  of  high  utility  for  cutting, 
lasting  long  and  well  in  the  house 
where  their  refreshing  shining  green 
is  ever  welcome.  The  most  notable 
are  5.  humilis,  of  neat  tufted  habit, 
i£  feet  high,  flowers  white,  fragrant, 
succeeded  by  blue-black  fruits.  5. 
niscifolia  is  2  feet  or  more  high,  of 
dark  lustrous  green,  flowers  milk- 
white,  fragrant,  and  vieing  with  the 
Alexandrian  Laurel  for  its  utility  in 
the  cut  state.  The  special  value, 
however,  is  because  of  their  success 
when  planted  under  trees  where  so 
few  plants  thrive.  They  grow  from 
the  base  after  the  style  of  the  Butcher's 
Broom.  Readily  increased.  China. 

SAMOLUS.— S.  littoralis  is  a  pretty 
trailing  plant,  with  long  slender  stems, 
small  evergreen  foliage,  and  numerous 
pink  blossoms  in  summer.  It  thrives 
in  the  bog  garden  or  moist  spots  in  the 
rock  garden  in  a  peaty  soil.  New 
Zealand. 

S  ANGUINARIA  ( Bloodroot) .  — S. 
canadensis  is  a  pretty  and  distinct 
hardy  plant,  its  thick  creeping  root- 
stocks  sending  up  glaucous  leaves  about 
6  inches  high  ;  the  flowers,  borne  singly 
on  stems  as  high  as  the  leaves,  are 
i  inch  across,  white,  with  a  tassel  of 
yellow  stamens  in  spring,  in  good-sized 
tufts,  having  a  pretty  effect.  Some- 
times the  flowers  are  pinkish.  It  is 
strongest  and  best  in  moist  peaty 
bottoms  in  woods  or  shrubberies.  It 
may  be  increased  by  division  in 
autumn,  but  its  fleshy  stems  must  not 
be  kept  long  out  of  the  ground.  Poppy 
family.  Nova  Scotia,  Canada,  and 


I    westwards    and    southwards    on    the 
!   mountains. 

SANTOLINA  (Lavender  Cotton}. — 
Dwarf,  half-shrubby  plants,  of  neat 
habit  and  pretty  hoary  foliage.  One 
of  the  most  distinct  and  useful  of  them 
is  S.  incana,  a  small  grey  shrub,  with 
close  habit  and  narrow  leaves  covered 
with  dense  white  down.  The  pale 
greenish-yellow  flowers  are  small,  not 
showy,  but  the  plant  is  useful  from  its 
form  and  silvery  hue  for  groups  and 
edgings,  growing  readily  in  ordinary 
soil  on  the  level  border  or  on  slopes  of 
the  rock  garden.  Other  species  of 
Santolina  suited  for  rock  gardens  are 
S.  pectinata  and  5.  viridis,  which  form 
bushes  something  like  the  Lavender 
Cotton.  5.  alpina  is  of  more  alpine 
habit,  forming  dense  tufts  close  to  the 
ground,  from  these  arising  slender 
stems  bearing  yellow  button-like 
flowers.  It  grows  in  any  soil,  and 
may  be  used  in  the  less  important 
parts  of  the  rock  garden.  Division. 
Cuttings  of  the  shrubby  species. 

SANVITALIA.— 5.  procumbent  is  a 
hardy  annual  from  Mexico,  with  trail- 
ing branches  and  bright  yellow  flowers. 
In  the  single-flowered  kind  the  blos- 
soms have  a  dark  purple  centre,  but 
in  the  double  (5.  procumbens  fl.-pl.}, 
which  is  by  far  the  showier,  they 
are  a  bright  yellow.  5.  procumbens 
flowers  from  July  till  late  in  Septem- 
ber, and  owing  to  its  dwarf  compact 
growth  it  is  useful  for  masses  in  beds 
or  for  the  front  rows  of  borders,  or 
in  suspended  baskets,  as  the  slender 
branches  droop  gracefully  over.  It 
may  be  sown  in  any  ordinary  garden 
soil — in  autumn  for  spring  flowering, 
or  in  March  and  April  for  summer 
flowering. 

SAPONARIA  (Soapwort}. — Perennial 
herbs  and  alpine  plants  or  annuals  of 
the  pink  family. 

S.  C^ESPITOSA. — A  neat  little  alpine 
perennial,  good  in  the  higher  regions  of 
the  C.  and  E.  Pyrenees,  flowering  in 
August,  but  in  the  lowlands  its  beautiful 
rose-coloured  blossoms  appear  towards  the 
end  of  June.  It  forms  rosettes  of  linear 
leaves,  thick,  glabrous  ;  the  flowers,  form- 
ing a  thick  cluster,  are  supported  by  short 
stout  stems.  This  graceful  little  plant  is 
valuable  for  the  rock  garden.  A  sandy 
soil  suits  it  best,  and  it  endures  our 
winters. 

S.  CALABRICA. — A  prostrate  hardy  an- 
nual, 6  to  9  inches  high,  its  slender  stems 
covered  with  small  pink  blossoms  all  the 
summer.  Seeds  may  be  sown  in  the  open 


SARRACENIA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


SAXIFRAGA. 


7C5 


border  in  April,  or  earlier  in  heat  if  bloom 
is  required  early  in  the  season,  in  rich 
sandy  loam. 

S.  LUTEA. — A  little  rock  plant,  3  to  6 
inches  high,  with  narrow  leaves  like  those 
of  the  Alpine  Catchfly  and  a  neat  tufted 
habit.  The  pale  yellow  flowers  come  as 
close  woolly  heads  in  early  summer. 
Italy. 

S.  OCYMOIDES. — A  trailing  rock  plant, 
with  prostrate  stems,  its  rosy  flowers  com- 
pletely covering  its  leaves  and  branches  in 
early  summer.  It  is  most  valuable  for 
clothing  arid  parts  of  the  rock  garden, 
where  a  trailing  plant  is  desired,  as  the 
shoots  fall  over  the  face  of  the  rocks  and 
become  masses  of  rosy  bloom.  It  is  also 
excellent  for  old  walls,  and  the  seed  should 
be  sown  in  mossy  chinks  where  a  little  soil 
has  gathered.  It  thrives  in  ordinary  soil, 
and  is  often  a  good  dwarf  border  plant. 
Two  or  three  garden  varieties  are  now 
grown,  the  best  being  splendens,  with 
much  brighter  flowers,  alba,  with  pale 
flowers,  best  in  partial  shade.  Seeds  and 
cuttings.  S.  and  C.  Europe. 

S.  OFFICINALIS  (Soapwort). — This  is  a 
stout  native  plant  about  2  to  4  feet  high, 
with  large  fragrant  blossoms,  usually  rose- 
pink,  the  double  variety  being  best.  A 
third-rate  plant,  it  should  not  be  planted 
in  select  borders,  but  is  pretty  for  rough 
places  in  the  hedgerows  and  wild  garden, 
growing  in  any  soil.  Division. 

SARRACENIA  (Huntsman's  Horn). 
—This  singular  plant,  5.  purpurea, 
belongs  to  a  family  of  Pitcher-plants, 
natives  of  N.  America,  it  being 
the  hardiest,  and  handsome  when  well 
grown.  Its  curious  leaves,  hollowed 
like  a  horn,  are  blood-red  in  colour, 
and  form  a  compact  tuft  i  foot  or 
more  in  height  and  the  same  in 
breadth ;  the  flowers,  singular  in 
shape,  are  not  very  showy.  It  is  a 
good  plant  for  the  bog  garden  or  for 
damp  spots  in  the  rock  garden,  in  an 
open  and  fully-exposed  position  with 
the  choicer  bog  plants,  in  fibrous  peat 
well  mixed  with  Sphagnum  Moss,  which 
is  common  in  marshy  places.  A  layer 
of  living  Moss  should  be  placed  round 
the  plant  to  keep  it  moist.  The  plant 
is  hardy  under  these  conditions,  but 
precautions  should  be  taken  to  pre- 
vent birds  from  disturbing  the  soil 
and  exposing  the  roots.  5.  flava,  the 
hardiest  species  next  to  S.  purpurea, 
is  rarely  satisfactory  in  the  open  air, 
but  does  well  in  favoured  spots. 
Other  species,  including  Drummondi, 
psittacina,  rubra,  and  variolaris,  do 
well  in  the  open  air  in  some  parts  of 
Ireland  if  covered  with  a  thick  layer 
of  moss  in  hard  weather. 


SASSAFRAS  (Ague  Tree).—S.  offici- 
nale  is  a  distinct  and  remarkable  tree, 
sometimes  growing  over  100  feet  high, 
with  a  trunk  6  feet  or  more  in  dia- 
meter, and  a  rough  aromatic  bark  in 
sandy  soils  in  New  England,  Canada, 
and  westwards  and  southwards.  The 
leaves  are  three-lobed,  and  vary  much 
in  shape.  In  our  country  this  plant 
is  best  in  warm  soils  similar  to  those  in 
which  it  grows  in  its  own,  as  our  cool 
summers  are  less  likely  to  ripen  the 
wood.  Syn.,  Laurus  sassafras. 

SAXEGOTH(EA  CONSPICUA  (Prince 
Albert's  Yew), — A  Chilian  evergreen 
tree  of  the  Pine  order.  Some  in  the 
south-western  counties  grow  40  feet 
high  or  more,  but  it  is  not  a  tree  for 
our  country. 

SAXIFRAGA  (Rockfoil).—  This  genus 
includes  perhaps  more  true  Ulpine 
flowers  than  any  other.  In  the  Arctic 
circle,  in  the  highest  alpine  regions,  on 
the  arid  mountains  of  S.  and  E.  Europe 
and  N.  Africa,  and  throughout  the 
length  and  breadth  of  Europe  and  of 
N.  Asia,  they  are  found  in  many  inter- 
esting varieties  of  form  and  colour. 
One  might  expect  them  to  be  as  dim- 
cult  of  cultivation  as  most  alpine 
plants,  but  they  are  the  easiest  to  grow 
of  all.  The  most  ordinary  form  is  the 
Mossy  or  hypnoides  section,  of  which 
there  are  many  kinds  in  cultivation. 
They  are  admirable  for  the  fresh  green 
hue  with  which  they  clothe  rocks  and 
banks  in  winter.  Next  to  these  we 
may  place  the  very  extensive  silvery 
group.  These  have  their  greyish 
leathery  leaves  margined  with  dots  of 
white,  so  as  to  give  to  the  whole  a 
silvery  character.  This  group  is  repre- 
sented by  such  kinds  as  S.  aizoon  and 
the  great  pyramidal-flowering  5.  coty- 
ledon of  the  Alps.  The  London  Pride 
section  is  another  of  some  beauty,  the 
plants  thriving  under  ordinary  con- 
ditions in  lowland  gardens,  and  soon 
naturalising  themselves  in  lowland 
woods  and  copses.  But  the  most 
brilliant  are  the  purple  Saxifrage 
(S.  oppositifolia)  group  and  its  near 
allies.  Here  we  have  tufts  of  splendid 
colour  in  spring  with  dwarfness  and 
perfect  hardiness.  The  large  leathery 
leaved  group,  of  which  the  Siberian 
S.  crassifolia  is  best  known,  is  also  of 
much  importance,  the  plants  thriving 
in  ordinary  soil  and  on  the  level 
ground.  There  are  various  minor 
groups.  Such  of  the  smaller  and  rarer 
alpine  species  as  require  any  particular 
attention  should  be  planted  in  moist 

2   Y 


706 


SAXIFRAGA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


SAXIFRAGA. 


sandy  loam  mingled  with  grit  and 
broken  stone,  and  made  very  firm. 
Very  dwarf  and  rather  slow-growing 
kinds,  like  5.  ccesia  and  5.  arelioides, 
should  be  surrounded  by  half-buried 
pieces  of  stone,  to  prevent  their  being 
trampled  on  or  overrun.  Stone  will 
also  help  to  preserve  the  ground  in  a 
moist  healthy  condition  in  the  dry 
season,  when  the  plants  are  most  likely 
to  suffer.  Very  dry  winds  in  spring 
sometimes  have  a  bad  effect  when  such 
precautions  are  not  taken.  The  Saxi- 
frages, or  Rockfoils,  are  such  an 
enormous  genus  of  plants  in  the 
northern  and  temperate  world,  and 
so  many  species  in  gardens  have  lately 
been  added  to,  in  the  shape  of  numerous 
hybrids,  that  for  these  and  various 
reasons  it  is  impossible  that  any 
garden,  generally  speaking,  could  grow 
so  many  kinds,  and  as  the  best  and 
rarer  kinds  can  only  be  grown  in  rock 
gardens,  their  shortness  of  bloom 
excluding  them  from  the  flower  gar- 
den, the  result  is  that  only  a  limited 
number  can  be  grown  with  profit. 

The  following  are  among  the  most 
important  cultivated  kinds,  though 
the  list  excludes  many  species  that  are 
difficult  to  grow  or  to  procure,  and 
which  are  found  only  in  very  full 
collections  : — 

S.  AIZOIDES. — A  native  plant,  very 
abundant  in  Scotland,  the  north  of  Eng- 
land, and  some  parts  of  Ireland,  and 
generally  found  in  wet  places  and  by  the 
sides  of  mountain  rills  or  streams.  At 
the  end  of  summer  or  in  autumn' it  has 
an  abundance  of  flowers,  \  inch  across, 
bright  yellow  (inclining  to  orange  in  the 
form  aurantiaca)  dotted  with  red  towards 
the  base.  Although  a  mountain  plant, 
it  is  easy  to  grow  in  lowland  gardens  in 
moist  ground.  Division. 

S.  AIZOON. — A  good  rock,  border,  and 
edging  plant.  Plants  established  for  two 
or  three  years  form  grey-silvery  tufts, 
which  do  not  flower  so  freely  as  the  wild 
plants,  but  this  need  not  be  regretted,  as 
it  is  the  silvery  mass,  and  not  the  flowers, 
that  is  sought.  There  is  a  host  of  named 
varieties.  5.  a.  balcana,  pink  spotted,  and 
5.  a.  rosea,  are  very  desirable  forms. 
Division  in  spring. 

S.  ANDREWSI. — Among  the  green-leaved 
Saxifrages  there  is  no  better  kind  than  this. 
Its  flowers  are  freely  produced,  prettily 
spotted,  and  larger  than  those  of  5. 
umbrosa.  The  plant  is  finer  in  the  rock 
garden  than  London  Pride,  grows  as  freely 
on  any  border  soil,  and  merely  requires 
to  be  replanted  occasionally,  when  it 
spreads  into  very  large  tufts,  or  to  have  a 
dressing  of  fine  light  compost  sprinkled 


over  it  annually.  A  distinct  variety, 
Guthrieana,  is  from  the  Pyrenees. 

S.  APICULATA. — Apart  from  these  there 
are  other  varieties  showing  minor  differ- 
ences of  leaf  and  times  of  flowering.  Re- 
cently, and  almost  simultaneously,  in 
different  collections  pure  white  sports  of 
these  apiculata  forms  have  appeared, 
differing  in  no  wise  except  the  colour  of 
the  flowers.  Of  easy  culture,  free  growth 
and  flowering,  they  are  welcome  additions. 

S.  ARETIOIDES.— A  real  gem  of  the  en- 
crusted section,  forming  cushions  of  silvery 
rosettes  about  £  inch  high.  It  has  rich 
golden-yellow  flowers  in  April,  on  stems 
a  little  more  than  i  inch  high,  which 
remind  one  of  the  flowers  of  Aretia  vital- 
liana.  S.  aretioides  require  a  moist  and 
well-drained  soil,  and,  being  so  tiny,  must 
be  protected  from  coarser  neighbours. 
There  is  a  pretty  form  of  it  with  pale 
yellow  flowers  called  primulina.  It  is 
a  rarity  and  a  great  improvement  on 
the  type.  Seed  and  careful  division. 
Pyrenees. 

S.  BIFLORA. — A  dwarf  kind  coming  near 
S.  oppositi folia,  but  larger  in  growth  and 
in  its  rosy  flowers,  fading  to  violet  and 
clustered  loosely  in  twos  and  threes.  It 
grows  in  the  loose,  moist  grit  of  the  alpine 
ice-fields,  flowering  as  soon  as  the  snow 
melts  in  June. 

S.  BOYDII. — A  presumed  hybrid  of 
burseriana  and  aretioides,  and  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  of  yellow-flowered  Saxi- 
frages. It  is,  indeed,  only  eclipsed  by 
Faldonside,  the  queen  of  the  yellow- 
flowered  set,  which  occurred  as  a  seedling 
from  the  original  S.  Boydii.  Of  the  two, 
Faldonside  is  the  least  exacting  in  its 
requirements.  Both  should  be  grown  in 
gritty,  well-drained  loam,  and  are  readily 
increased  by  means  of  cuttings.  The  plant 
known  as  S.  Boydii  alba,  while  very  desir- 
able, has  nothing  in  common  with  the 
others  named.  All  were  raised  by  Mr 
James  Boyd  of  Melrose. 

S.  BURSERIANA. — None  of  the  Rockfoils 
surpasses  5.  Burseriana  in  vernal  beauty. 
The  blossoms  are  borne  singly  on  slender 
red  stalks,  which  rise  2  or  3  inches  above 
the  silvery  tufts,  and  are  pure  white,  the 
margins  of  the  overlapping  petals  ele- 
gantly frilled  or  crisped.  They  appear 
freely  in  January  and  February.  5.  flitr- 
seriana  soon  forms  good-sized  tufts  in  the 
open  border  or  in  the  rock  garden,  but 
prefers  a  dry  sunny  situation  and  calcare- 
ous soil.  All  lovers  of  hardy  spring 
flowers  should  possess  it.  There  are  two 
or  three  distinct  forms  which  differ  from 
each  other  chiefly  in  habit  or  time  of 
flower.  Readily  increased  by  cuttings  in 
the  spring.  Austrian  Alps. 

S.  BURSICULATA. — A  beautiful  hybrid 
of  burseriana  major  and  apiculata,  raised 
by  Mr  E.  H.  Jenkins  of  Hampton  Hill, 
and  probably  the  purest  white-flowered 


SAXIFRAGA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        SAXIFRAGA. 


707 


sort  in  cultivation.  The  large  flowers  are 
in  clusters  as  in  apiculata,  and  supported 
on  stout  erect  stems.  Vigorous  and  free 
growing  and  of  easy  culture,  it  is  one  of 
the  most  desirable  of  these  plants. 
Flowers  in  March. 

S.  C^ESIA. — Resembles  an  Androsace  in 
the  neatness  of  its  tufts.  On  the  Alps  it 
covers  the  rocks  and  stones  like  a  silvery 
moss,  and  on  level  ground,  where  it  has 


garden  soil,  is  useful  for  margins  to  her- 
baceous borders,  and  makes  a  beautiful 
covering  for  moist  banks.  It  is  one  of 
the  most  variable  of  Saxifrages,  its  most 
distinct  form  being  purpurea,  with  rosy 
flowers. 

S.  CILIATA. — A  deciduous  kind.  One  of 
the  broad-leaved  or  Megasea  section,  with 
large  broad  leaves  covered  with  soft  hair, 
and  carried  on  creeping  stems.  The 


Saxifraga  pyraiiiidalis  (the  great  alpine  Rockfoil). 


some  depth  of  soil,  develops  into  beautiful 
little  cushions  2  to  6  inches  across.  It 
has  pretty  white  flowers  in  summer  on 
smooth  thread-like  stems,  i  to  3  inches 
high.  Though  a  native  of  the  high  Alps 
and  Pyrenees,  it  thrives  in  our  gardens  in 
very  firm  sandy  soil,  if  fully  exposed  and 
well  watered  in  summer. 

S.  C.ESPITOSA. — A  dwarf  kind  forming  a 
dense  carpet  arranged  in  neat  tufts  and 
studded  in  summer  with  white  blossoms. 
It  succeeds  in  almost  any  situation  in  any 


flower-stems  are  6  to  9  inches  high,  and 
bear  numerous  large  flesh-coloured  flowers 
in  spring.  A  native  of  N.  India,  S.  ciliata 
is  suitable  for  open-air  culture  in  the  south 
of  England  only,  but  is  so  handsome  and 
distinct  that  it  should  be  tried  wherever 
it  can  be  grown.  A  sheltered  nook  in 
the  rock  garden,  partially  shaded,  suits 
it  best. 

S.  COCHLEARIS. — Among  summer-flower- 
ing Saxifrages  none  is  more  desirable  than 
this  graceful,  easily-grown  species  from 


yo8 


SAXIFRAGA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


SAXIFRAGA. 


the  Maritime  Alps.  The  pure  white 
flowers  issue  in  elegant  sprays  from  silvery 
rosettes,  and  reach  9  inches  high.  There 
are  several  forms  of  the  plant,  the  most 
charming  being  5.  c.  minor,  which  in 
gardens  does  duty  for  S.  valdensis.  It 
forms  dense  hillocks  of  hoary  rosettes,  the 
dainty  sprays  of  white  flowers  appearing 
in  June.  A  good  crevice  plant  and  excel- 
lent for  rock  walls.  Both  succeed  well  in 
loam  and  old  mortar  rubble. 

S.  CORDIFOLIA. — A  Siberian  plant  differ- 
ing in  aspect  from  the  ordinary  dwarf 
Rockfoils,  having  ample  heart-shaped 
evergreen  leaves  on  long  and  thick  stalks. 
Its  clear  rose-coloured  flowers  in  early 
spring  are  arranged  in  dense  masses,  and 
half  concealed  among  the  great  leaves,  as 
if  hiding  from  the  cutting  breath  of  March. 
5.  cordifolia  and  its  varieties  flower  in  any 
soil  and  position.  These  Saxifrages  are 
perhaps  more  fitted  for  association  with 
the  larger  spring  flowers  and  herbaceous 
plants  than  dwarf  alpines,  and  may  be 
naturalised  on  banks,  in  wild  sunny  parts 
of  the  pleasure  ground,  or  by  wood  walks. 
They  may  also  be  used  with  effect  near 
cascades,  or  on  rough  rock  or  root  work, 
or  on  the  rocky  margins  of  streams  or 
artificial  water ;  in  fact,  they  are  the 
fine-foliaged  plants  of  the  rocks.  There 
are  several  handsome  varieties  of  5.  cordi- 
folia, the  finest  of  all  the  group  being  one 
called  purpurea.  No  plant  is  handsomer 
or  more  imposing  when  in  flower,  or  affords 
a  greater  leaf -beauty  in  autumn  and 
winter. 

S.  COTYLEDON  (Pyramidal  Saxifrage). — 
This  embellishes  with  its  great  silvery 
rosettes  and  elegant  pyramids  of  white 
flowers  many  parts  of  the  great  mountain 
ranges  of  Europe,  from  the  Pyrenees  to 
Lapland.  It  is  the  largest  of  the  culti- 
vated Saxifrages,  and  also  the  finest, 
except  5.  longifolia,  the  linear  leaves  of 
which  it  does  not  possess.  There  is  con- 
siderable difference  in  the  size  of  the 
rosettes,  which  when  grown  in  tufts  are 
generally  much  smaller  than  in  isolated 
specimens.  The  flower-stem  varies  from 
6  to  30  inches  high,  and  about  London,  in 
common  soil,  often  reaches  20  inches.  In 
cultivation  the  plant  usually  attains  a 
greater  size  than  on  its  native  rocks. 

S.  CRASSIFOLIA. — A  well-known  Siberian 
species  of  the  Megasea  section,  with  large 
broad  evergreen  leaves.  The  flowers  rise 
from  the  terminal  shoots  in  showy  pendent 
masses,  and  are  pale  rose  with  a  suspicion 
of  lilac.  The  plant  fulfils  the  same  pur- 
poses as  S.  cordifolia,  but  is  dwarf  and 
not  so  ornamental. 

S.  CYMBALARIA. — Little  tufts  of  this 
Rockfoil  form  in  early  spring  masses  of 
bright  yellow  flowers  set  in  light  green, 
glossy,  ivy-like  leaves,  the  whole  not  above 
3  inches  high.  Instead  of  fading,  it  pre- 
serves its  little  rounded  pyramids  of 
golden  flowers  until  autumn,  when  it  is 


about  12  inches  high.  It  is  an  annual  or 
biennial,  sows  itself  abundantly,  and  is 
suitable  for  moist  spots  on  or  near  the 
rock  garden  or  on  level  ground,  and  in 
large  pleasure  grounds  is  readily  natura- 
lised on  the  margins  of  a  rocky  stream 
and  elsewhere. 

S.  DELAVAYI. — A  recent  addition  to 
the  broad-leaved  or  Megasea  Rockfoils, 
and  probably  the  most  brilliant  flowered 
of  them  all.  Quite  hardy,  too,  and  an 
evergreen  assuming  rich  leaf  colouring  in 
autumn  and  winter,  it  is  of  value  for  these 
reasons  also.  The  flowering  scapes  are  a 
foot  high  or  thereabouts,  the  drooping 
flowers  in  handsome  umbels  of  richest 
wine-red  on  opening,  though  paling  some- 
what later.  In  general  aspect,  vigour, 
and  refinement  it  is  about  midway  between 
crassifolia  and  cordifolia  purpurea,  and  a 
most  desirable  kind.  It  is  happiest  in 
cool  loam  and  leaf-soil  with  exposure, 
though  not  the  least  fastidious.  March- 
April.  China. 

S.  DR  RAMSEY. — Said  to  be  a  hybrid  of 
5.  cochlearis  and  5.  longifolia,  this  excellent 
kind  may  be  likened  in  habit  to  a  small 
compact  growing  S.  cotyledon  form.  A 
most  genially-disposed  plant  and  an  indis- 
pensable. Flowers  fragrant,  pure  white, 
copiously  spotted  with  pink,  and  produced 
in  elegant  sprays  6  to  8  inches  high. 
Flowers  in  June  ;  readily  increased  by 
offsets. 

S.  ELIZABETHS. — A  garden  cross  of  fine 
habit,  with  soft  yellow  flowers  on  red 
stems,  early  in  spring.  It  grows  quickly 
and  is  quite  one  of  the  best  early  kinds. 
There  are  several  forms — seedlings  prob- 
ably— of  this  plant,  varying  slightly  in 
flower  and  habit,  though  more  particularly 
in  time  of  flowering,  the  later-flowered 
ones  being  of  distinct  value .  Those  known 
as  Godsefi  and  Mrs  Leng  are  not  far 
removed  from  Elizabethan.  All  have  yel- 
low flowers,  are  easily  grown,  and  may  be 
increased  freely  by  cuttings  or  division  in 
spring. 

S.  FORTUNEI. — Has  large  panicles  of 
white  blossoms  which  rise  in  profusion 
from  rosettes  of  dark  green  rounded  leaves. 
It  is  a  desirable  plant,  for  it  flowers  in 
autumn  and  is  not  particular  as  to  treat- 
ment. 

S.  GRANULATA  (Meadow  S.). — A  low- 
land plant,  with  several  small  scaly  bulbs 
in  a  crown  at  the  root,  and  numerous 
white  flowers  three-quarters  of  an  inch 
across.  It  is  common  in  meadows  and 
banks  in  England,  its  double  form  being 
very  handsome  ;  also  useful  as  a  border 
plant  in  the  spring  garden  or  in  the 
rougher  parts  of  the  rock  garden. 

S.  GRISEBACHII. — A  little  gem,  with 
early  flowers  unfolding  slowly  from  a  crim- 
son bud,  and  very  distinct  in  their  crimson- 
purple  colour.  It  is  quite  a  new  plant, 
from  Albania,  and  at  certain  stages  not 
unlike  a  small  form  of  S.  longifolia,  but 


SAXIFRAGA. 


THE     ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


SAXIFRAGA. 


709 


at  other  seasons  plainly  a  very  different 
plant.  It  is  without  doubt  the  most 
remarkable  of  the  red-flowered  Rockfoils, 
and  an  attractive  garden  plant  withal.  It 
forms  rosettes  of  silvery  leaves  2  to  3  inches 
across,  from  which  issue  leafy,  glandular, 
brilliant-coloured  stems  terminated  by  a 
nodding  inflorescence  of  reddish-crimson 
flowers.  No  species  of  the  genus  is  of 
greater  ornament  or  more  worthy  of 
specialisation  by  the  gardener.  Quite 
happy  in  gritty  loam  in  sunny  well- 
drained  spots.  Colonies  of  it  in  the  rock 
garden  are  very  effective.  Easily  raised 
from  seeds,  which  are  freely  produced  in 
those  instances  where  artificial  pollination 
is  resorted  to.  The  plants  should  be 
given  dry  conditions  meanwhile.  Mace- 
donia. 

S.  HAAGEI. — Said  to  be  a  hybrid  of 
sancta  and  Ferdinandi  Coburgi,  this  is 
unique  among  golden-flowered  Saxifrages, 
and  the  most  prodigal  to  bloom  of  the 
whole  race.  Of  carpeting  habit  and  the 
easiest  culture,  revelling  in  cool  loamy 
soil  with  full  exposure,  it  is  a  plant  of 
indescribable  beauty  and  utility.  Flowers 
in  March  and  April. 

S.  HYPNOIDES  (Mossy  Rockfoil). — A  very 
variable  plant  as  regards  stem,  leaves,  and 
flowers,  but  usually  forms  mossy  tufts  of 
the  freshest  green,  and  no  plant  is  more 
useful  for  carpets  in  winter.  For  this 
reason  it  is  suited  for  the  low  rocky  bor- 
ders of  town  and  villa  gardens,  thriving  in 
the  rock  garden  or  on  level  ground,  either 
in  half-shady  positions  or  fully  exposed. 
When  exposed  it  forms  the  fullest  tufts, 
flowering  profusely  in  early  summer. 
Nothing  can  be  easier  to  grow  or  to  increase 
by  division.  Under  this  species  may  be 
grouped  5.  hirta,  S.  affinis,  S.  incurvifolia, 
S.  platypetala,  S.  decipiens,  and  several 
others,  all  showing  differences  which  some 
think  sufficient  to  mark  them  as  species. 
They  are  as  free  as  5.  hypnoides,  and 
appear  to  suffer  only  from  drought  or 
drying  winds. 

S.  IRVINGI. — A  pretty  hybrid  kind  which 
originated  at  Kew  in  1909,  5.  burseriana 
macrantha  and  5.  Frederici-Augusti  being 
the  parents.  In  effect  it  is  a  tiny  pale 
pink  form  of  the  first-named  parent,  the 
whole  plant  less  than  2  inches  high.  It 
flowers  with  remarkable  freedom,  and  has 
already  become  popular.  S.  Kewensis  is 
of  the  same  parentage  and  appeared  at 
the  same  time,  the  hybrid  leaning  strongly 
to  the  red-flowered  parent^a  rather  inter- 
esting fact.  Both  are  of  easy  cultivation 
in  gritty  loam. 

S.  JUNIPERIFOLIA  (Juniper  Rockfoil). — 
From  the  Caucasus,  and  probably  the 
shyest  flowering  member  of  the  genus. 
Leaves  deep  green,  spiny  tipped,  the 
rosettes  arranged  in  cushion-like  tufts, 
not  in  mat-like  masses,  as  in  5.  sancta, 
with  which  it  is  often  confused.  The 
flowers  are  yellow  and  are  produced  in- 


clusters  on  inch-high  stems  in  spring. 
The  plant  grows  well  in  strong  cool  loam, 
and  may  be  increased  by  division  or  by 
cuttings. 

S.  LIGULATA  (Nepaul  Rockfoil). — This 
has  broadly  obovate  leaves,  bearing  flowers 
in  small  cymose  panicles.  The  flowers 
are  white,  with  a  rosy  tint  towards  the 
margin  of  the  petals  and  crimson  anthers. 
Its  early  growth  renders  it  tender,  and 
repeated  injury  is  fatal.  It  should  there- 
fore have  shelter  and  a  little  shade.  The 
varieties  rubra  and  speciosa,  particularly 
the  latter,  are  finer  than  the  type,  and 
thysanoides  bears  pale  flowers.  5.  ligulata 
may  be  associated  with  others  of  the 
Megasea  section. 

S.  LINGULATA. — A  charming  plant  from 
the  Maritime  Alps,  characterised  by  very 
long  linear  leaves  with  a  conspicuously 
encrusted  margin.  The  flowers  are  of  the 
purest  white,  and  are  produced  in  elegant 
sprays  in  May  and  June.  5.  /.  lantoscana 
is  a  form  of  this  species,  easily  distinguished 
by  its  short,  blunt,  spathulate  leaves  and 
arching  racemes  of  white  flowers,  the  latter 
closely  arranged  on  the  upper  surface  of 
the  inflorescence.  The  twain  are  most 
desirable  and  of  the  highest  ornament. 
Loamy  soil  with  a  third  old  mortar  rubble 
or  pounded  brick  suits  them  well.  Divi- 
sion and  seed. 

S.  LONGIFOLIA. — This  Pyrenean  plant 
has  single  rosettes  often  6,  7,  and  8  inches 
in  diameter.  Its  greyish  leathery  leaves 
are  beautifully  dotted  with  white  on  the 
margins,  and  in  early  summer  it  pushes 
up  fox-brushlike  columns  of  white  flowers 
from  i  to  2  feet  long,  the  stems  covered 
with  short,  stiff,  gland-tipped  hairs.  It 
is  perfectly  hardy,  and  may  be  grown  in 
various  ways.  In  some  perpendicular 
chink  of  a  rock  garden,  where  it  can  root 
deeply,  it  is  very  striking  when  the  long 
outer  leaves  of  the  rosette  spread  away 
from  the  densely-packed  centre.  It  may 
also  be  grown  on  the  face  of  an  old  wall 
by  carefully  packing  a  small  plant  of  it 
into  a  chink  with  a  little  soil.  The  stiff 
leaves  will,  when  they  roll  out,  adhere 
firmly  to  the  wall  in  the  form  of  a  large 
silver  star.  5.  longifolia  will  thrive  on  a 
raised  bed  or  border  if  surrounded  by  a 
few  stones  to  prevent  evaporation  and 
injury.  Increase  is  by  seeds,  which 
should  be  sown  as  soon  as  ripe.  As  the 
species  perishes  after  flowering,  it  is 
necessary  to  raise  it  from  seeds  periodi- 
cally. 

S.  MAWEANA. — A  handsome  species  of 
the  ccBspitosa  section,  and  larger  than  any 
other  in  foliage  and  flowers.  The  latter, 
about  the  size  of  a  shilling,  form  dense 
white  masses  in  early  summer.  After 
flowering  this  species  forms  buds  on  the 
stems,  which  remain  dormant  till  the 
following  spring.  Though  rare  it  is  of 
easy  culture.  Similar,  but  finer,  is  S 
Wallacei,  which  is  far  more  robust,  earlier, 


7io          SAXIFRAGA.          THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.          SAXIFRAGA. 


and  freer  as  regards  flowering,  but  which 
does  not  develop  buds  during  summer. 

S.  MUSCOIDES  (Mossy  Rockfoil). — A 
beautiful  little  plant,  forming  a  dense 
bright-green  cushion-like  tuft.  There  are 
several  forms  of  it,  one  of  the  best  being 
atro-purpurea ,  which  produces  a  dense 
mass  of  deep  red-purple  blossoms  on  stalks 
a  few  inches  high.  Other  forms  bear 
yellowish  or  rosy  flowers,  the  best  being 
5.  Rhei,  with  laVge  bright  pink  flowers, 
borne  very  freely  on  long  stalks,  and 
Guildford  Seedling,  a  new  kind,  with  large 
crimson-purple  flowers  of  fine  effect.  The 
varieties  pygmcea  and  crocea  are  pretty, 
also  the  allied  kinds,  5.  exarata,  S.  pede- 
montana,  S.  aromatica,  and  a  few  others  ; 
they  grow  in  almost  any  soil. 

S.   MOSSY  HYBRIDS. — These  are   great 


Group  of  Silvery  Kockfoils. 

garden  gains,  the  brilliant  patches  of 
colour  they  afford  in  the  nature  of  a 
revelation.  They  have  descended  chiefly 
probably  from  Muscoides  atro-purpurea, 
Rhei,  Guildford  Seedling,  and  the  bolder- 
growing  decipiens,  and  are  welcome 
additions  to  a  great  race.  Bakeri,  Cli- 
brani,  Fergusoni,  an  early-flowering  form 
of  Guildford  Seedling,  and  sanguinea 
superba,  are  of  dwarf  habit  of  growth  and 
richly  coloured  flowers,  the  last  of  rich 
velvety  crimson,  the  most  brilliant  of 
them  all.  None  are  more  desirable  or 
effective  when  freely  massed.  Bathoni- 
ensis  and  decipiens  grandiflora  are  bolder 
growing,  plus  a  little  coarseness  also,  and 
attain  9  inches  or  more  high.  They  have 
large  rich  red  coloured  flowers.  All  are 
easily  grown  in  cool,  moist  soil,  and  may 


be  increased  at  will,  every  rosette  making 
a  plant  if  pricked  out  in  moist  sandy  soil 
in  a  cold  frame. 

S.  OPPOSITIFOLIA. — It  is  impossible  to 
speak  too  highly  of  the  beauties  of  this 
bright  little  mountain-plant,  in  colour  and 
in  habit  so  distinct  from  others  of  its 
family.  The  moment  the  snow  melts 
it  glows  into  solid  sheets  of  purplish-rose 
colour.  Of  the  several  varieties,  that 
known  as  splendens  has  flowers  of  far 
greater  brilliancy,  though  slightly  smaller 
and  less  abundant  than  those  of  the 
parent ;  in  bud  especially  the  colour  is 
almost  carmine  and  most  beautiful.  This 
variety  was  found  many  years  ago  on  the 
mountains  of  Scotland.  5.  o.  major  has 
flowers  twice  the  size  of  the  type,  clear 
rose,  inclining  to  cherry,  and  has  less  of 
a  purple  tinge.  In  5.  o.  pyrenaica  the 
shoots  are  much  stronger  and  the  flowers 
larger  than  in  other  forms.  A  fine  form 
is  S.  o.  p.  maxima,  with  lovely  light  rose 
blossoms  as  large  as  a  shilling ;  while 
5.  o.  alba  has  white  flowers,  in  pleasing 
contrast  to  other  varieties.  Perhaps  the 
best  form  of  all  is  a  new  seedling,  W.  A. 
Clark,  with  abundant  rosy  flowers  of  a 
very  bright  shade.  5.  Rudolphiana  has  a 
more  spreading  habit  of  growth,  and  its 
rosy-purple  flowers  are  sometimes  borne 
singly  and  sometimes  (though  rarely)  in 
pairs.  It  is  allied  to  S.  biflora  and  S. 
Kochii,  the  last  with  rosy-purple  flowers 
in  twos  and  fours  at  the  tips  of  the  shoots. 
The  foliage  of  S.  retusa  is  firm  and  compact, 
with  small  flowers  borne  in  clusters  at  the 
tips  of  erect  stalks  ;  their  narrow  petals 
are  usually  a  pale  rose  colour,  sometimes 
brighter.  It  blooms  rather  later  than 
the  forms  of  5.  oppositifolia.  S.  Wul- 
feniana  is  closely  allied  to  5.  retusa.  S. 
oppositifolia  and  its  varieties  succeed  in 
deep,  open,  rich,  loamy  soil,  and  are  finest 
in  a  fissure  or  on  a  ledge  of  the  rock 
garden,  where  the  roots  can  ramble 
backwards  or  down  to  any  depth.  For 
the  soil,  a  rich  light  loam  mixed  with 
fragments  of  limestone  or  grit,  small 
fragments  of  any  rock,  and  a  little  river 
sand  will  do.  These  plants  must  have 
sunshine,  for  though  they  will  grow  in 
the  shade,  they  will  not  flower  freely. 

S.  PAULINA. — A  cushion  sort  of  gem- 
like  habit  of  growth,  and  one  of  the  easiest 
to  cultivate.  Yellow-flowered  and  with 
rosettes  of  pronounced»glaucous  leaves,  it 
is  quite  distinct  from  all.  Quite  happy 
and  free  in  gritty  loam,  and  flowering 
abundantly  in  April. 

S.  PELTATA. — The  shield-like  leaves  of  S. 
peltata  make  it  unique  among  Saxifrages, 
and  on  this  account  some  have  classed  it 
apart  under  the  name  Peltiphyllum .  From 
a  thick  fleshy  root-stock  rise  stout  erect 
leaf-stalks  to  a  height  of  3  or  4  feet,  where 
they  are  terminated  by  target-like  leaves 
1 8  inches  or  more  in  diameter.  The  white 
or  pale  pink  flowers  appear  in  spring,  a 


SAXIFRAGA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         SAXIFRAGA. 


711 


little  before  the  leaves,  on  stalks  i  to  2  feet 
high,  and  in  loose  clusters  3  to  6  inches  in 
diameter.  It  is  found  beside  streamlets 
and  also  in  woods  throughout  the  Sierra 
Nevada  of  California,  and  is  best  in  deep, 
moist,  loamy  soil.  Division  or  seeds. 

S.  PURPURASCENS. — A  brilliant  member 
of  the  Megasea  section.  The  stem  is  12  to 
1 6  inches  high,  and  the  flowers  are  pro- 
duced in  pendent  masses  of  red  and  purple. 
The  ample  foliage  takes  on  charming 
autumn  tints  in  purple  and  crimson. 


S.  SARMENTOSA  (Mother  of  Thousands). — 
A  well-known  plant,  with  roundish  leaves 
and  numbers  of  slender  runners  spreading 
Strawberry  fashion.  It  grows  freely  in 
the  dry  air  of  a  sitting-room,  and  may 
often  be  seen  in  cottage  windows,  but  is 
most  at  home  running  wild  in  the  cool 
greenhouse  or  conservatory,  where  it 
flowers  during  summer.  In  mild  parts  of 
England  it  lives  in  the  open  air,  and  may 
be  used  with  Ferns  and  other  creeping 
plants.  There  is  a  pretty  but  rather 


Saxi/raga  Wallacei. 


Succeeds  best  in  a  moist  peaty  soil  in  a 
rather  sheltered  spot.  Himalayas. 

S.  ROCHELIANA  (Rochel's  Rockfoil). — A 
compact  and  dwarf  kind,  forming  dense 
mounds  of  silvery  rosettes  of  tongue- 
shaped  leaves  with  white  margins  and 
distinct  dots.  In  spring  appear  large  white 
flowers  on  sturdy  little  stems.  There  is 
no  more  exquisite  plant  for  the  rock 
garden,  pans,  and  for  small  rocky  or 
elevated  borders.  Any  free,  moist  loam 
suits  it,  and  in  London  it  thrives  on 
borders  exposed  to  the  full  sun.  Austria. 

S.  SANCTA. — A  beautiful  species,  forming 
a  dense  mass  of  deep  green  foliage,  studded 
in  early  spring  with  bright  yellow  blossoms 
on  short  stems.  It  grows  freely  in  any 
position  in  the  rock  garden,  but  needs 
moisture  and  free  exposure  to  flower  well. 


delicate  form  in  which  the  leaves  are 
finelv  variegated  with  yellow  and  crimson. 
China. 

S.  STRACHEYI. — A  strong-growing  plant 
of  the  Megasea  section,  with  leaves  nearly 
as  broad  as  long.  Its  flowers,  pro- 
duced on  broad  branching  panicles,  are  of 
a  light  pink  with  a  shade  of  lilac.  It  is 
hardier  than  its  closest  ally,  S.  ciliata, 
blooms  in  March,  and  should  be  sheltered 
against  bleak  winds.  It  is  suited  for 
borders  and  rock  gardens. 

S.  TENEJ.LA. — A  handsome  plant,  form- 
ing tufts  of  delicate  fine-leaved  branches,  4 
or  5  inches  high,  which  root  as  they  grow. 
The  flowers,  which  appear  in  summer,  are 
numerous,  whitish-yellow,  and  arranged 
in  a  loose  panicle.  Similar  in  growth  are 
5.  aspera,  S.  bry aides,  S.  sedoides,  5. 


7I2 


SAXIFRAGA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


SCABIOSA. 


Seguieri,  S.  stelleriana,  and  5.  tricuspidala, 
all  suitable  for  clothing  the  bare  parts  of 
the  rock  garden  and  slopes,  but  require 
moist  soil  and  cool  positions.  Division 
in  spring  or  the  end  of  summer. 

S.  UMBROSA  (London  Pride). — -This  is 
abundant  on  the  mountains  round  Killar- 
ney,  and  has  long  been  grown  in  our 
gardens.  It  is  naturalised  in  several  parts 
of  England,  and  grows  freely  in  dwarf  her- 
bage or  in  rocky  parts  of  woods. 


Saxifraga  sarmentosa. 

There  are  other  good  kinds,  but  less 
important  than  the  foregoing,  such  as 
S.  mutata,  S.  florulenta,  very  difficult  to 
grow,  the  London  Pride-like  S.  Geum, 
the  native  S.  Hirculus,  and  the  small 
grey  tufted  S.  aspera. 

HYBRID  ROCKFOILS. — A  fine  series 
of  hybrid  Megaseas  is  that  due  to 
Mr  T.  Smith,  of  Newry,  resulting  from 
crosses  between  cordifolia  x  purpuras- 
cens,  and  with  the  good  qualities  of 
both  parents.  The  plants  are  all 
robust,  although  varying  much  in 
colour  of  flower  and  in  stature. 
Hybrida  splendens  is  one  of  the  finest 
in  the  group,  but  the  following  are 
all  good  : — 

Brilliant.  —  Leaves  large,  richly 
tinted  in  autumn  and  winter  ;  flowers 
purple  ;  calyces  and  pedicels  crimson  ; 
fine.  Campana.  —  Very  neat  dwarf 
crowded  foliage  ;  scape  i£  feet  with 
bell-shaped  head  of  rosy-lilac  flowers. 
Corrugata. — Dwarf  habit  ;  large  rough 
leaves ;  flowers  pink.  Distinction. — 


Dwarf  crowded  habit,  with  enormous 
head  of  pale  pink  flowers.  Nana. — A 
miniature  of  hybrida  splendens.  Pro- 
gress.— A  free-growing  plant,  with  tall 
scapes  of  rosy  purple,  bell-shaped 
blossoms,  which  are  i^  inch  across  ; 
extra  fine.  Sturdy.  —  Compact  habit, 
with  short  stout  scape  of  rose-coloured 
flowers. 

SCABIOSA  (Scabious).— Annual,  bi- 
ennial, and  perennial  plants,  forming 
by  far  the  largest  proportion  of  the 
Teasel  family  cultivated  in  our  gardens. 
The  old  English  name  of  Pincushion 
Flower,  from  the  resemblance  of  the 
flower-heads  to  that  useful  article,  is 
perhaps  a  little  more  appropriate  than 
it  is  elegant,  although  it  serves  its 
purpose  very  well,  and,  indeed,  we 
have  been  told  these  plants  are  known 
by  no  other  name  in  the  country. 
Although  comprising  a  large  number 
of  species,  very  few  are  found  outside 
the  botanic  garden,  and  were  all  the 
known  kinds  hunted  up,  not  a  dozen 
would  prove  worth  growing. 

S.  ATRO-PURPUREA  (Sweet  S.). — The 
commonest  Scabious,  grown  in  distinct 
varieties,  which  add  much  to  the  beauty 
of  our  mixed  flower  borders,  as  well  as 
being  largely  used  for  greenhouse  and 
conservatory  decoration.  The  normal 
colour  is  said  to  be  deep  crimson,  but  under 
cultivation  all  shades  of  crimson,  purplish- 
yellow,  and  white  may  be  seen.  Many 
varieties  have  double  flowers  and  are 
preferred  by  some  growers,  but  I  think 
the  single  varieties  are  best,  and  they  are 
also  extremely  useful  for  cutting.  Under 
the  name  Saudade  the  flower-heads  of  this 
plant  are  used  for  funeral  wreaths  by  the 
Portuguese  and  other  nations ;  indeed, 
the  white  varieties  are  of  such  purity  that 
they  might  be  so  employed  in  our  own 
country,  as  they  may  be  had  at  almost  any 
season  if  sown  and  grown  under  glass.  To 
secure  gay  groups  for  the  flower  borders, 
order  mixed  packets  of  seeds,  which  should 
be  sown  in  the  reserve  ground  along  with 
other  annuals  in  May,  or  even  later,  to 
bloom  the  following  year.  If  sown  earlier, 
however,  the  Scabious  will  bloom  the  same 
year,  for  though  considered  a  biennial  by 
many  growers,  we  have  always  looked 
upon  it  as  a  hardy  annual.  By  sowing 
the  seed  in  the  open  towards  the  end  of 
March  and  thinning  out  as  required,  the 
plants  will  bloom  well  towards  the  latter 
end  of  summer.  To  get  earlier  bloom, 
those  sown  the  previous  autumn  may  be 
transplanted  in  early  spring  to  their 
flowering  quarters ;  the  succession  will 
then  be  continued  from  early  summer 
until  late  autumn.  S.W.  Europe. 

S.  CAUCASICA. — The  finest  perennial  in 
my  garden,  it  flowers  from  early  summer  to 


SCHINUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        SCHIZANTHUS.        713 


late  autumn.  It  forms  dense  tufts,  which 
yield  large  quantities  of  blue  flower-heads, 
each  usually  from  3  to  4  inches  in  diameter, 
on  long  foot-stalks,  and  useful  for  cutting, 
as  they  last  a  long  time.  There  is  a  white 
variety,  and  others  such  as  atYO-ccevulea, 
which  is  very  dark ;  fimbriata,  with  the 
petals  finely  fringed  ;  and  perfecta,  with 
semi-double  flowers.  5.  amcena  comes 
very  near  caucasica,  but  is  more  vigorous 
and  with  flowers  of  rosy-lilac  colour. 
Caucasus.  Division  and  seed. 

S.  GRAMINIFOLIA  (Grass-leaved  S.). — A 
graceful  Scabious  from  i£  to  2  feet  high, 
with  pale  blue  flowers  and  silvery  white 
leaves  ;  it  is  very  useful  for  the  rock 
garden.  S.  Europe.  June  to  October. 
Division  and  seed. 

S.  PTEROCEPHALA  (Wing-headed  S.)  is 
a  very  dwarf-tufted  hardy  perennial,  with 
greyish-green  foliage,  and  rarely  exceeding 
4  or  6  inches  in  height  even  when  in 
flower ;  flower-heads  pale  purple  in 
summer. 

S.  WEBBIANA. — A  useful  species  for  the 
rock  garden  or  border,  forming  neat  little 
masses  of  hoary  leaves,  which  are  attrac- 
tive, especially  when  the  plant  is  grown 
in  poor  soil.  Its  creamy-yellow  flowers, 
borne  on  long  stalks,  are  pretty  from  July 
to  August.  Division. 

SCHINUS.— Evergreen  shrubs  allied 
to  the  Sumacs.  They  grow  well  with 
us,  but  are  not  very  attractive.  From 
the  high  mountains  of  Chili. 

SCHISTOSTEGA  (Iridescent  Moss}. 
— This  Moss  (5.  pennata)  is  so  small 
that  it  would  hardly  be  noticed  by 
the  naked  eye  but  for  the  iridescent 
gleams  of  beautiful  colour  which  it 
displays  in  suitable  positions.  Some 
of  the  stones  and  sods  on  which  it  grows 
look  as  if  sown  with  a  mixture  of  gold 
and  the  material  that  forms  the  wings 
of  green  humming-birds.  It  was  sup- 
posed to  require  a  particular  kind  of 
rock,  but  its  wonderful  coruscations 
have  lately  been  seen  to  spread  over 
sods  of  turf  and  masses  of  peat,  as 
well  as  over  chips  of  rock  brought 
from  its  native  place.  Messrs  Back- 
house have  it  in  perfection  in  the  open 
air,  in  a  quiet  deep  gorge  of  rocks, 
where  it  obtains  sufficient  moisture 
without  being  washed  by  rains. 

SCHIZANDRA.— A  small  group  of 
summer-leafing  climbing  shrubs  allied 
to  Magnolia,  and  mostly  from  the  Far 
East,  but  with  one  kind  from  North 
America.  The  best  known  is  5. 
chinensis,  with  twining  stems  of  10  to 
25  feet,  bearing  simple  glossy  leaves 
and  pale  rosy  flowers  during  early 
summer,  half  an  inch  across  and 
fragrant.  These  are  followed  by  dense 


clusters  of  showy  scarlet  berries,  which 
ripen  in  August  and  hang  far  into  the 
winter.  China  and  Japan.  The  plant 
needs  a  sheltered  place  if  it  is  to  do 
well,  but  with  protection  in  winter  is 
hardy  over  at  least  the  south  of 
Britain.  A  rich  sandy  loam,  moist 
yet  well  -  drained,  and  partial  shade 


during  the  hottest  hours  of  the  day, 
are  the  best  conditions.  Though 
mostly  grown  against  a  trellis  or  sunny 
wall,  in  sheltered  places  it  is  quite  at 
home  roaming  among  shrubs  and  low 
trees,  as  in  its  own  land.  Increase  by 
cuttings  of  the  ripened  shoots,  root- 
cuttings,  layers,  and  suckers  when  these 
can  be  had.  Syn.,  Maximowiczia 
sinensis. 

SCHIZANTHUS  ( Fringe  -  flower] .  — 
Pretty  annuals  of  elegant  growth, 
which  bear  in  summer  many  showy  and 
curiously-shaped  blossoms.  There  are 


7M 


SCHIZOCODON.       THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


SCHIZOSTYLIS. 


in  cultivation  a  few  species,  and  these 
have  yielded  numerous  varieties.  The 
hardy  kinds  are  5.  pinnatus,  i^  to 
3  feet  high,  its  rosy-purple  and  yellow 
blossoms  copiously  spotted.  Its  chief 
varieties  are  —  papilionaceus  (purple 
spotted),  Priesti  (white),  atro-purpureus 
(deep  purple  with  dark  eye),  and  Tom 
Thumb  (a  dwarf  compact  variety).  5. 
porrigens  is  similar  to  5.  pinnatus,  but 
has  larger  flowers.  The  half-hardy 
kinds  are  5.  retusus  (deep  rose  and 
orange  flowers  with  crimson  tips), 
Grahami  (lilac  and  orange),  and 
Hookeri  (pale  rose  and  yellow).  These 
are  also  beautiful,  and  worthy  of  being 
grown  well.  One  of  the  best  for 
growing  in  pots  is  Wisetonensis,  a  com- 
pact pyramidal  form  of  5.  retusus,  with 
large  flowers  blending  in  white,  pink, 
and  yellow.  This  should  be  grown 
cool,  just  like  a  greenhouse  Cineraria. 
Caraway's  is  a  good  strain  of  large- 
flowered  forms,  very  useful  for  cutting 
or  decoration.  If  treated  as  half- 
hardy  annuals,  the  seed  should  be 
sown  in  heat  in  spring,  but  if  treated 
as  biennials,  the  seed  should  be  sown 
in  August,  the  plants  preserved  in  the 
greenhouse  till  May,  and  then  planted 
out  in  rich,  sandy  loam.  Chili. 

SCHIZOCODON  (Japanese  Moon- 
wort]  . — 5.  soldanelloides  was  introduced 
by  Captain  Torrens,  who  in  1891  found 
the  plants  growing  beside  sulphur 
springs  in  the  mountains  of  Japan,  and, 
after  carrying  them  hundreds  of  miles, 
succeeded  at  last  in  bringing  home 
three  or  four  living  plants.  The 
flowers  of  the  Schizocodon  are  like 
those  of  a  large  Soldanella,  prettily 
fringed,  deep  rose  in  the  centre,  passing 
into  blush  or  almost  white  towards  the 
edges.  It  requires  much  the  same 
treatment  as  Shortia,  thriving  in  well- 
drained  sandy  loam  and  peat,  in  cool 
and  moist  but  not  wet  or  shady  places. 
Partial  shade  allows  a  finer  develop- 
ment of  the  rich  crimson  leaf  -  tints 
in  autumn.  Captain  Torrens  says  : — 
"  The  plant  I  found  in  an  overhanging 
bank  surrounded  by  moss  and  moisture. 
Since  I  brought  it  home  I  have  kept 
it  in  a  pot  with  peat  and  sand.  It  is 
a  hardy  plant,  and  I  have  had  it  out 
two  winters  in  a  cold  frame,  and  it 
seems  to  have  stood  the  climate  well." 

SCHIZOPETALON.— 5.  Walkeri  is  a 
curious  cruciferous  half-hardy  annual 
from  Chili,  about  i  foot  high,  with 
slender  stems,  and  numerous  white 
almond-scented  elegantly  fringed  blos- 
soms. If  sown  in  April  or  May,  in 


light,  warm,  rich  soil  in  the  open 
border,  it  flowers  in  July  and  August, 
and  may  also  be  sown  in  pots,  but  the 
ball  of  earth  must  not  be  broken,  as 
the  plant  will  not  bear  transplanting. 

SCHIZOPHRAGMA  (Climbing  Hy- 
drangea) .  —  5.  hydrangeoides  is  a 
Japanese  climbing  shrub  allied  to  the 
Hydrangea,  with  tall  slender  stems 
that  send  out  roots  which  will  fix 
it  to  a  wall.  Its  wood  is  soft,  resem- 
bling that  of  the  slower-growing 
Ivies,  and  it  annually  gives  off  fresh 
sets  of  roots  along  its  branches  by 
means  of  which  it  clings  to  rocks,  stone, 
stucco,  bricks,  and  even  wooden 
palings.  Its  leaves  are  much  less  in 
size  than  those  of  the  climbing 
Hydrangea,  sharply  toothed  at  the 
edges,  and  of  a  lovely  shade  of  green, 
which  contrasts  prettily  with  the 
reddish  tinted  young  wood.  It  is 
deciduous,  of  free  growth,  and  flowers 
freely  in  sunny  positions.  The  sterile 
flowers,  though  similar  in  effect  to 
those  of  the  Hydrangea,  are  readily 
distinguished,  being  composed  of  a 
single  bract,  whereas  the  Hydrangea 
flower  is  made  up  of  four.  I  know 
one  case  where  a  plant  has  grown  in 
a  sunny  corner  of  the  house  near  French 
windows,  up  the  sides  of  which  there 
is  lattice-work,  and  so  charmed  were 
the  owners  with  the  tender  foliage, 
feathering  the  coign  of  the  window, 
that  they  made  more  lattice-work  in 
front  of  the  window  so  that  the  creeper 
could  extend  and  form  a  natural 
sunshade  before  the  glass.  In  a  few 
years  a  plant  had  grown  n  feet  high 
and  as  much  in  width. 

SCHIZOSTYLIS  (Kaffir  Lily).—S. 
coccinea  is  a  handsome  bulbous  plant 
from  Kaffraria,  with  the  habit  of  a 
Gladiolus,  from  2  to  3  feet  high.  The 
flowers  appear  late  in  the  autumn  on 
a  one-sided  spike  opening  from  below 
upward,  of  a  bright  crimson  colour, 
resembling  in  form  those  of  Tritonia 
aurea,  and  should  be  well  grown 
wherever  cut  flowers  are  desired  in 
winter.  It  is  hardy,  and  in  a  mild 
autumn  will  flower  out  of  doors,  but 
should  have  some  protection.  A  good 
row  planted  close  to  a  wall  or  fence, 
with  some  temporary  protection  against 
severe  frosts,  will  give  many  spikes 
for  cutting.  5.  coccinea  loves  moisture, 
both  in  the  air  and  in  the  soil.  "  When 
residing  close  to  the  sea  in  Dorset,"  says 
"West  Dorset,"  "  I  could  grow  this 
winter  Flag  splendidly  in  a  shallow 


SCIADOPITYS.         THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


SCILLA. 


715 


trench  in  good  rich  soil.  In  summer 
it  was  deluged  with  water  when  the 
weather  was  dry,  and  in  autumn  a 
splendid  crop  of  strong  spikes  of  bloom 
resulted.  In  North  Hants,  with  a 
hot,  dry,  light  soil,  I  never  could  grow 
it  well,  although  I  always  kept  it 
watered  at  the  roots  during  summer." 
Increase  by  seeds,  or  division  in 
spring. 

SCIADOPITYS         VERTICILLATA 

(Umbrella  Pine). — A  stately  evergreen 
tree  attaining  a  height  of  upwards  of 
100  feet  in  its  own  land,  and  forming 
a  dense  pyramid  of  verdure  of  remark- 
able beauty.  It  is  not  clearly  allied 
to  any  other  known  tree,  and  seems, 
like  the  Salisburia,  to  be  a  last  trace 
of  some  long  -  past  geological  period. 
Though  fully  hardy  with  us,  it  grows 
slowly  and  only  thrives  in  moist  open 
soils  rich  in  humus.  Where  Rhodo- 
dendrons do  well  the  Sciadopitys  also 
flourishes,  but  it  fails  completely  on 
wet  heavy  soils  and  on  those  that  are 
poor  and  dry,  and  until  established  is 
much  tried  by  cold  winds.  The  finest 
trees  in  the  country  are  not  yet  much 
over  20  feet  high,  and  are  to  be  found 
in  Cornwall,  where  the  rainfall  is  heavy 
and  the  atmosphere  moist ;  all  the 
same,  there  are  good  ones  at  Kew, 
Bagshot,  and  many  other  places.  The 
leaves  vary  in  length  from  2  to  4 
inches,  coming  as  whorled  clusters  of 
twenty  or  thirty  together,  radiating 
like  the  rays  of  an  umbrella,  each 
whorl  continuing  for  three  years  and 
separated  from  its  successor  by  the 
length  of  the  annual  woody  growth. 
The  branches  are  also  whorled,  making 
this  one  of  the  most  characteristic  of 
conifers.  The  cones  are  2  to  3  inches 
long,  borne  at  the  tips  of  the  shoots, 
and  composed  of  thin  imbricated 
scales.  They  yield  fertile  seeds  in  this 
country,  ripening  in  their  second 
season.  The  young  leaves  are  usually 
a  pale  yellow  green,  but  when  in  full 
luxuriance  the  mature  foliage  is  of  a 
rich  deep  tone.  The  young  trees  vary 
in  size  of  leaf,  rate  of  growth,  and  in 
habit — -some  being  dense  and  rigid, 
and  others  freer  and  more  luxuriant. 
There  is  also  a  variety  in  which  golden 
or  striped  leaves  mingle  with  the  green 
ones  in  a  pretty  way,  but  this  variega- 
tion is  apt  to  disappear.  The  growth 
outwards  is  almost  equal  to  that  in 
height,  and  this  spreading  tendency 
is  fostered  when  stock  is  grown 
from  cuttings  instead  of  seed.  With 
their  passion  for  the  miniature,  the 


Japs  increase  it  in  this  way  for  their 
temple  gardens,  and  these  trees  seldom 
approach  the  fine  proportions  of  those 
growing  untended  on  the  mountain 
slopes  of  Nippon.  Like  all  conifers, 
the  Sciadopitys  should  be  planted 
finally  while  small,  larger  trees  being 
averse  to  removal. 

SCILLA. — Beautiful  spring  flowers 
and  bulbs,  mostly  natives  of  the  colder, 
parts  of  Europe  or  the  Alps,  and  some 
precious  for  our  gardens.  These  all 
flowrer  in  spring,  and  are  of  the  simplest 
culture.  In  early  autumn,  when  the 
plants  are  at  rest,  they  should  be 
planted  a  few  inches  deep  in  any  good 
garden  soil,  not  too  heavy.  They  need 
not  be  disturbed  for  years,  except, 
perhaps,  for  a  slight  yearly  top-dressing 
of  manure.  Some  kinds,  especially 
the  many-coloured  varieties  of  the 
Spanish  Scilla,  are  suited  for  planting 
by  the  sides  of  woodland  walks,  or  on 
the  margins  of  shrubberies,  and  in  the 
wild  garden.  Offsets  may  be  taken 
from  established  clumps  during  sum- 
mer. Raising  Scillas  from  seed  is 
interesting,  though  slow.  In  some 
seasons  seed  is  plentiful,  and  many 
improvements  in  size  and  colour  have 
been  obtained  in  this  way.  We  retain 
the  name  Scilla  as  far  prettier  than  the 
English  one  of  "  Squill."  The  follow- 
ing are  best  kinds  : — 

S.  AMCENA  (Star  Hyacinth).  —  This 
flowers  in  early  spring,  opening  about 
three  weeks  after  S.  sibirica.  It  is  less 
ornamental  than  any  other  kind,  for  its 
flowers  have  none  of  the  grace  of  5.  cam- 
panulata  and  the  varieties  of  5.  nutans, 
nor  the  dwarf  ness  and  brilliancy  of  5. 
sibirica.  The  leaves,  usually  about  half 
an  inch  across,  are  about  i  foot  high,  and 
easily  injured  by  cold  or  wind,  so  that  a 
sheltered  position  is  necessary.  It  is  not 
exactly  suited  for  the  choice  rock  garden, 
though  worth  a  place  on  sunny  banks  in 
semi- wild  spots.  Tyrol.  Seeds  or  separa- 
tion of  the  bulbs. 

S.  BIFOLIA. — Not  so  well  known  as  5. 
sibirica,  but  quite  as  welcome.  In  the 
very  dawn  of  spring,  and  indeed  often  in 
winter,  this  bears  rich  masses  of  dark  blue 
flowers,  and  forms  handsome  tufts.  The 
flowers  are  four  to  six  on  a  spike,  and  the 
plant  varies  from  6  to  10  inches  high, 
according  to  the  soil  and  warmth  and 
shelter  of  the  position.  It  thrives  in 
almost  any  position  in  ordinary  garden 
soil,  the  lighter  the  better,  but  must  be 
left  to  seed  and  increase  as  it  likes. 
Although  earlier  than  5.  sibirica,  it  does 
not  so  well  withstand  cold  rains  and 
storms,  and  therefore  some  tufts  of  it 
should  be  placed  in  warm  sunny  spots  of 


7i6 


SCILLA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


SCILLA. 


the  rock  garden  or  sheltered  border. 
S.  and  C.  Europe.  Of  all  Scillas,  S.  bifolia 
is  the  most  variable,  and  most  of  the 
garden  forms  are  better  than  the  type. 
5.  PYCBCOX  is  a  stronger  grower,  the  flowers 
larger,  more  abundant,  and  earlier.  In 
purpureo-caerulea  the  ovary  and  base  of 
the  segments  are  rosy-purple,  gradually 
merging  into  blue,  which  becomes  intense 
towards  the  tips,  harmonising  with  the 
black  and  gold-banded  anthers.  It  is  a 
free  flowerer,  and  the  blooms  individually 
are  nearly  as  large  as  a  shilling.  In  the 
Taurian  variety,  S.  b.  taurica,  the  flowers 
are  much  larger  than  in  5.  bifolia,  and, 
with  the  exception  of  the  white  base, 
greatly  resemble  those  of  some  of  the  forms 
of  Chiondoxa  Lucilice.  They  vary  from 
ten  to  twenty  on  each  scape,  and  the 
leaves  are  larger  and  broader  than  those 
of  S.  bifolia.  The  white  form  of  5.  b. 


bell-shaped  flowers,  usually  of  a  clear 
light  blue.  A  variety  major  is  larger  in  all 
its  parts,  and  is  a  noble  flower  ;  still  larger 
is  a  new  form,  Excelsior,  with  large  deep 
blue  bells,  and  Skyblue,  with  flowers  of  a 
paler  shade.  S.  hispanica  is  never  better 
seen  than  in  the  fringes  of  shrubberies. 
The  shelter  so  received  protects  its  large 
leaves  from  strong  winds.  It  deserves  to 
be  naturalised  by  wood-walks  and  in  the 
graSsy  parts  of  the  pleasure  ground.  S. 
Europe. 

S.  ITALICA  (Italian  S.). — This  kind,  with 
its  pale  blue  flowers,  intensely  blue 
stamens,  and  delicious  odour,  is  one  of  the 
best  of  the  Scillas.  It  grows  from  5  to 
10  inches  high,  the  flowers  small  and 
spreading  in  short  conical  racemes,  which 
open  in  May.  It  is  hardy,  thriving  best 
in  warm  soils.  Divide  and  replant  in 
fresh  positions  every  three  or  four  years, 


Scilla  hispanica. 


taurica  is  very  scarce.  S.  b.  alba,  a  pretty 
ivory-white  form,  has  flowers  not  larger 
than  those  of  the  type.  S.  b.  rosea  is  a 
new  garden  form  with  deep  rosy  flowers, 
and  carnea  a  paler  variation. 

S.  FESTALIS  (Wood  Hyacinth). — Though 
this  abounds  in  many  woods,  its  good 
varieties  are  uncommon.  Among  the 
best  are — the  white  variety,  alba ;  the 
rose-coloured  variety,  rosea  ;  the  pale  blue 
variety,  ccerulea  ;  and  a  pleasing  "  French- 
white  "  variety.  There  are  now  selected 
large-flowered  strains  of  all  these  colour 
varieties,  mostly  distinguished  as  major 
or  grandiflora.  All  these  kinds  should  be 
planted  here  and  there  in  wood  or  copse 
and  along  the  margins  of  shrubberies. 
Syn.,  S.  nutans. 

S.  HISPANICA  (Spanish  Scilla). — One  of 
the  finest  of  early  summer  flowers,  and  one 
of  the  most  robust  of  the  family.  It  is 
easily  known  by  its  strong  pyramidal 
raceme  of  pendent,  short-stalked,  large, 


not  oftener.     It  is  easily  naturalised   in 
meadow  grass.     S.  Europe. 

S.  SIBIRICA  (Siberian  S.). — A  noble 
spring  flower  essential  in  every  garden 
where  spring  flowers  are  cared  for.  It 
grows  freely  in  ordinary  soils,  and  is 
hardy.  Asia  Minor. 

OTHER  CULTIVATED  KINDS. — 
Amongst  Scillas  not  generally  found  in 
gardens,  but  hardy  in  dry  situations, 
may  be  named  S.  peruviana,  a  large 
species,  with  beautiful  broad  leaves, 
Yucca-like  and  very  distinct  ;  it  stands 
well  in  sheltered  nooks,  or  even  in 
the  open  border  in  southern  districts. 
The  numerous  fine  blue  flowers  are  in 
a  superb  umbel-like  pyramid,  which 
lengthens  during  the  flowering  period. 
Tufts  of  the  Peruvian  Scilla  should  be 
taken  up  every  three  or  four  years, 
when  it  is  at  rest.  Divide  the  bulbs 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


717 


and  replant  immediately.     The  variety 
Clusi  also  succeeds. 

SCIRPUS  ( Bulrush] .  —  Sedge-like 
plants  fringing  lakes  and  ponds.  There 
are  numerous  native  species  that  might 
be  readily  transplanted,  and  the  best 
of  these  are  S.  triqueter,  S.  sylvaticus, 
and  S.  lacustris.  These  are  from  3  to 
8  feet  high,  and  effective  on  the  margins 
of  lakes  or  streams  with  other  tall 
plants.  A  distinct  kind  is  5.  Erio- 
phorum  from  N.  America,  a  handsome 
grassy  plant  with  drooping  heads  of  a 
cinnamon-red  colour. 

SCOLOPENDRIUM  ( Hart's-tongue) . 
— 5.  vulgare  is  one  of  the  best  known 
of  hardy  evergreen  British  Ferns,  and 
broken  into  numberless  interesting 
forms  and  varieties,  some  being  very 
beautiful.  It  prefers  shade,  and 
though  sometimes  met  with  on  dry 
stone  and  brick  walls,  its  favourite 
place  is  by  the  side  of  a  stream  in  a 
shady  ravine.  Fine  specimens  have 
been  seen  between  the  joints  of  brick- 
work at  the  tops  of  old  wells,  the  fronds 
developing  fine  proportions.  A  suit- 
able soil  consists  of  equal  portions  of 
fibrous  peat  and  loam,  good  sharp  sand 
being  added,  together  with  broken 
oyster-shells  or  limestone. 

No  fewer  than  400  varieties  of  the 
Hart's-tongue  were  described  thirty 
years  ago,  and  since  then  this  number 
has  been  much  increased.  Most  of 
these,  however,  are  deformities — veget- 
able cripples,  so  to  speak.  A  few  of  the 
characteristic  forms  of  each  group 
might  be  used  where  collections  of 
hardy  Ferns  are  being  formed,  being 
evergreen  and  diversified  in  form. 

SCUTELLARIA  (Skullcap]  .—Hardy 
perennials,  of  which  several  are  in  cul- 
tivation, but  few  are  good  garden 
plants.  These  few  are  handsome 
flowers  for  the  border,  and  their  dwarf 
neat  growth  is  also  suited  to  the  rock 
garden  in  an  open  sunny  situation  in 
any  soil.  5.  baicalensis ,  from  Siberia, 
is  the  finest  of  all  the  species.  It  is 
an  excellent  alpine  perennial,  forming 
a  hardy  woody  root-stock,  is  9  inches 
high,  and  produces  an  abundance  of 
rich,  velvety,  dark  blue  flowers,  finer 
in  colour  than  those  of  5.  japonica, 
though  this  is  a  handsome  plant.  The 
alpine  Skullcap  (S.  alpina)  is  a  spread- 
ing plant  with  all  the  vigour  of  the 
coarsest  weeds  of  its  natural  order,  but 
neat  in  habit  and  ornamental  in  flower. 
Pyrenees.  Division  or  seed. 


SCYPHANTHUS  (Cup-flower}.  —  5. 
elegans  is  a  beautiful  slender  climber, 
5  to  8  feet  high,  with  forked  stems,  and 
valuable  for  trailing  over  a  trellis  or 
against  a  wall.  Its  leaves  are  deeply 
cut,  and  the  flowers  come  singly  in  the 
forks  of  the  branches.  They  are  cup- 
like  in  shape,  and  of  a  bright  golden- 
yellow  with  fine  red  spots  inside, 
coming  freely  from  August  till  October. 


S  cilia  festalis  (Wood  Hyacinth). 

5.   elegans  is  easily  grown  as  a  half- 
hardy  annual  in  rich  light  soil.      Chili. 

SEDUM  (Stonecrop).  —  Rock  and 
alpine  plants  which  thrive  in  any  soil. 
They  may  be  grown  in  the  ordinary 
border,  in  the  rock  garden,  on  walls, 
and  on  ruins,  and  indeed  in  any  place 
where  the  roots  find  foothold.  Like 
the  Saxifrages,  they  differ  in  habit, 
some,  like  S.  acre,  being  humble  and 
creeping,  while  others,  like  5.  spectabile, 
are  stately  plants  for  the  border.  A 
great  many  are  in  cultivation,  and  we 
mention  the  best  of  the  hardy  kinds. 

S.  ACRE  (Wall  Pepper).— This  little 
plant,  with  its  small,  thick,  bright  green 
leaves  and  its  brilliant  yellow  flowers, 
grows  abundantly  on  walls,  thatch,  rocks, 


7i8 


SEDUM. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


SEDUM. 


and  sandy  places.  It  is  beautiful  in  the 
winter  garden  ;  its  golden  tips  peep  out 
in  November,  and  only  vanish  with  the 
heat  of  May. 

S.  AIZOON. — Is  i  foot  or  more  in  height, 
with  erect  stems  crowned  by  dense  clusters 
of  yellow  flowers.  It  is  an  old  garden 
plant  for  the  border  or  rock  garden,  and 
requires  open  positions  and  a  light  soil. 
Siberia  and  Japan. 

S.  EWERSI. — A  neat  hardy  plant,  about 
6  inches  high,  with  broad  silvery  .leaves 
and  clusters  of  purplish  flowers.  A  good 
edging  plant.  Siberia. 


dozen  named  varieties.  Of  these  by  far 
the  most  important  is  hcematodes,  or  ati-o- 
purpureum,  so  called  from  the  vivid  purple 
of  the  stems  and  large  fleshy  leaves.  It 
grows  from  i  to  2  feet  high,  and  though 
the  flowers  are  not  showy,  it  is  a  stately 
plant  for  poor  stony  soil. 

S.  PULCHELLUM  (Purple  American  Stone- 
crop). — Has  purplish  flowers,  arranged  in 
several  spreading  and  recurved  branchlets, 
bird's-foot  fashion,  with  numerous  spread- 
ing stems.  It  is  abundant  in  X.  America. 
It  is  also  at  home  in  the  rock  garden, 
growing  in  any  soil,  and  flowering  in 
summer. 


The  Japanese  Stonecrop  (Sedutn  spectabile). 


S.  HISPANICUM. — A  minute  grey  plant, 
forming  spreading  tufts  of  short  stems 
densely  clothed  with  thick  leaves  and 
inconspicuous  flowers.  Other  Sedums 
nearly  allied  to  it  are  5.  dasyphyllum,  S. 
glanduliferum,  S.  farinosum,  and  S.  brevi- 
folium  ;  but  though  hardy  on  walls  and 
rocks,  they  have  not  the  vigour  of  many 
Stonecrops. 

S.  LYDIUM. — A  pretty  little  plant  from 
Asia  Minor,  scarcely  an  inch  high.  For 
edgings  or  slopes  bordering  footpaths  it  is 
useful.  It  roots  on  the  surface  with  great 
rapidity.  Very  small  pieces  put  in  the 
soil  in  spring  soon  form  a  mass  of  rich 
evergreen  verdure,  scarcely  an  inch  in 
height  and  level  as  turf. 

S.  MAXIMUM. — Like  S.  Telephium,  is 
variable,  there  being  no  fewer  than  a 


S.  RUPESTRE  (Rock  Stonecrop). — A 
densely  tufted  native  plant,  with  rather 
loose  corymbs  of  yellow  flowers.  There 
are  several  similar  kinds,  such  as  the 
glaucous-leaved  5.  pruinatum ;  S.  Fos- 
terianum,  with  light  green  leaves  ;  and 
I  S.  reflexum,  of  which  there  are  several 
varieties. 

S.  SIEBOLDI. — A  beautiful  Stonecrop 
grown  in  pots.  Its  glaucous  leaves  in 
autumn  often  assume  a  rosy-coral  hue. 
The  plant  is  hardy,  and  merits  a  place  in 
the  rock  garden,  especially  where  its 

;  branches  may  fall  without  touching  the 
earth  and  its  graceful  habit  may  be  well 
seen.  Grow  in  strong  loam  and  mortar 
rubble  in  fully  exposed  positions.  An 
excellent  plant  for  vases  in  summer. 

j    Japan.     Division. 


SELAGINELLA.          THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.      SEMPERVIVUM.       719 


S.  SPECTABILE. — This  is  distinct  and 
beautiful,  erect,  and  with  broad  glaucous 
leaves.  Its  rosy-purple  flowers  appear  in 
dense  broad  corymbs  about  the  middle  of 
August,  and  remain  in  perfection  for  two 
months  or  more.  The  glaucous  foliage, 
even  before  the  flowers  come,  is  a  pleasant 
relief  to  any  high-coloured  plant  that  may 
be  near  it.  It  withstands  extreme  cold, 
heat,  or  wet,  and,  unlike  most  plants,  will 
grow  and  flower  to  perfection  in  shaded 
places,  thriving  in  any  soil.  Varieties 
with  darker  flowers  have  recently  come  to 
light,  the  best  being  atro-purpureum, 
with  flowers  of  rich  dark  crimson-purple. 
Japan. 

S.  STOLONIFERUM  (Purple  Stonecrop). — 
The  best  of  the  Sedums  with  large  flat 
leaves  is  the  Purple  Stonecrop.  It  flowers 


garden.  These  kinds  are  5.  den- 
ticulata,  S.  helvetica,  and  5.  rupestris, 
small  trailing  plants  of  a  delicate 
green,  mossy  growth.  5.  Kraussiana, 
generally  known  in  plant  -  houses  as 
S.  denticulata,  is  also  hardy  in  many 
places,  and  in  Ireland  grows  and 
thrives  better  than  any  of  the  kinds 
mentioned.  All  these  plants  require  a 
well  -  drained  peaty  soil,  shade,  and 
a  sheltered  position. 

SEMPERVIVUM  (Houseleek).— Suc- 
culent rock  and  alpine  plants,  of 
which  the  common  Houseleek  (5. 
tectorum),  often  seen  on  old  roofs  and 
walls,  is  the  most  familiar.  There  is 
a  strong  family  likeness  throughout, 


Sedum  kamtschaticuin. 


late  in  summer,  and  often  through  the 
autumn  makes  a  bright  display,  and  is 
suited  for  edgings,  the  margins  of  mixed 
borders,  and  for  the  rock  garden.  Syns., 
5.  dentatum  and  5.  spurinm.  Caucasus. 

S.  TELEPHIUM. — This  is  the  most  vari- 
able Stonecrop.  No  fewer  than  twenty 
forms  have  received  names  either  as  sub- 
species or  as  varieties,  but  our  native  form 
is  as  showy  as  any.  It  is  i  to  2  feet  high, 
the  stout  erect  stems  furnished  with  fleshy 
leaves,  and  in  late  summer  and  autumn 
bearing  dense  broad  clusters  of  bright 
rosy-purple,  but  sometimes  white  flowers. 
Frequent  in  hedgerows  and  thickets. 

SELAGINELLA.— A  few  hardy  kinds 
of  this  large  family  of  Lycopods  are 
valuable  for  carpeting  the  fernery  or 
clothing  shady  spots  in  the  rock 


and  they  form  rosette  -  like  tufts  of 
fleshy  leaves,  which  chiefly  differ  in 
the  colour  of  the  foliage,  some  deep 
red,  others  pale  green.  The  flowers  of 
most  of  them  are  of  a  reddish  tinge, 
and  several  are  yellow.  All  the  hardy 
kinds  will  grow  well  in  dry  sandy  parts 
of  the  rock  garden  where  few  other 
alpines  thrive,  or  on  old  walls,  ruins, 
and  the  like,  merely  requiring  to  be 
placed  in  chinks  with  a  little  soil. 
Most  of  them  thrive  on  any  border,  if 
the  soil  be  not  too  stiff  and  damp,  but 
they  prefer  a  dry,  elevated  position 
and  full  exposure  to  the  sun.  Nearly 
all  are  easily  increased  by  their  abun- 
dant offsets.  Of  late  years  some  of 
the  larger  kinds,  such  as  5.  calcareum, 
have  been  used  for  beds.  Europe  and 
W.  Asia. 


720       SEMPERVIVUM.      THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


SENECIO. 


S.  ARACHNOIDEUM  (Cobweb  Houseleek). 
—One  of  the  most  singular  of  alpine  plants, 
with  tiny  rosettes  of  fleshy  leaves  covered 
at  the  top  with  a  thick  white  down,  which 
intertwines  itself  all  over  the  leaves  like 
a  spider's  web.  Invaluable  for  sunny 
wall  gardens  and  the  hottest  and  driest  of 
rock  garden  chinks,  where  their  true  char- 
acter is  revealed.  They  are  also  most 
effective  in  colonies,  and  should  be  freely 
planted  in  vertical  or  horizontal  positions 
between  rocks,  where  few  plants  can  exist. 
Admirable  for  pots  on  a  sunny  window-sill, 
caring  nothing  for  weeks  of  inattention. 
Apart  from  the  type  gnaphalioides,  Hookeri 
and  tomentosum  are  the  most  ornamental 
and  distinct.  All  are  perfectly  hardy. 
Stiffish  loam  and  old  mortar  rubble  suits 
them  well. 

S.  ARENARIUM  (Sand  Houseleek).— 
Grown  in  dense  patches,  this  plant  has 
a  lovely  effect.  It  is  much  smaller  than  its 
ally  S.  globiferum,  and,  unlike  the  latter 
species,  the  leaves  of  the  rosettes  are  not 
incurved.  The  flowers  are  small,  yellow, 
pretty,  and  the  leaves  usually  rich  crimson. 
5.  Heufelli,  a  similar  species,  has  in  autumn 
almost  chocolate  -  crimson  foliage,  the 
flowers  being  yellow.  Other  species  of 
similar  character  are  S.  hirtum,  S.  Neil- 
reichi,  and  5.  soboliferum,  which  is  often 
confused  with  5.  globiferum. 

S.  CALCAREUM  (Glaucous  Houseleek). — 
No  finer  Houseleek  has  ever  been  intro- 
duced than  this,  often  misnamed  S.  califor- 
nicum.  It  is  as  easily  grown  and  as  hardy 
as  the  common  Houseleek,  and  thrives  in 
any  soil.  Planted  singly,  its  rosettes  are 
sometimes  nearly  5  inches  across,  the 
leaves  glaucous,  and  tipped  at  the  points 
with  chocolate.  It  is  deservedly  popular 
for  edgings  in  the  flower  garden,  and  also 
admirable  for  the  rock  garden.  Other 
cultivated  kinds  are  S.  glaucum,  S. 
Camollei,  S.  Lamottei,  S.  Verloti,  and  S. 
juratense,  and  these  are  all  desirable  for 
a  full  collection. 

S.  FIMBRIATUM  (Fringed  Houseleek). — 
One  of  the  most  profusely  blooming  kinds, 
the  dark  rose-coloured  flowers  appearing 
in  summer  on  stems  6  to  10  inches  high. 
The  leaves,  which  are  in  small  rosettes, 
are  smooth  on  both  sides,  strongly  fringed, 
and  terminate  in  a  long  point,  being 
marked  at  the  end  with  a  large  purple 
spot.  5.  Funcki,  S.  Powelli,  S.  barbatu- 
lum,  S.  atlanticum,  and  S.  piliferum  are 
similar. 

S.  GLOBIFERUM  (Hen-and-chicken  House- 
leek).— This  grows  in  firm  dense  tufts,  its 
little  round  offsets  being  so  abundantly 
thrown  off  that  they  are  pushed  clear 
above  the  tufts,  and  lie  on  the  surface  in 
small  brownish  -  green  balls.  The  small 
leaves  of  the  young  rosettes  all  turn  in- 
ward, and  appear  of  a  purplish  colour,  but 
in  the  full-grown  rosettes  are  light  green, 
the  tips  of  the  under  side  being  of  a  decided 
chocolate -brown  for  nearly  one- third  of 


i    their  length  ;    the  flowers  are  small  and 
i    yellow. 

S.  MONTANUM  (Mountain  Houseleek). — A 

dark  green  kind,  smaller  than  the  common 

Houseleek,      the     leaves     forming     neat 

rosettes,    from    which    spring    dull    rosy 

flowers    in    summer.     It    is    suitable    for 

edgings  or  for  the  rock  garden,  grows  in 

any  soil,  and  is  easily  propagated.     Alps. 

;    5.  assimile  and  5.  flagelliforme  are  similar. 

S.    TECTORUM    (Common   Houseleek).— 

I    Though  a  native  of  rocky  places  in  the 

i    great    mountain    ranges    of    Europe    and 

I    Asia,  the  common  Houseleek,  having  been 

!    cultivated     from     time     immemorial     on 

housetops  and  on  old  walls,  is  well  known 

to  everybody.     It  may  be  used  in  flower 

gardening,  but  it  would  be  better  to  select 

i    some  of  the  rarer  species  for  edgings  and 

i    other  purposes. 

S.  TRISTE. — Distinct  from  other  Housc- 

j    leeks,   as  its  rosettes  of  leaves  are  of  a 

i    deep  dull  red,  which  makes  it  a  handsome 

plant.     It  is  about  the  size  of  5.  tectorum, 

and  in  light  warm  soil  is  quite  as  vigorous 

and  rapid  a  grower.     Its  singular  colour 

j    makes   it   a    valuable    contrast   to    other 

|    plants,    but   at   present   it   is   not   much 

\    known.     S.  rubicundum,  of  deep  crimson 

hue,  is  also  worth  a  place. 

SENECIO  (Groundsel}. — An  immense 

genus   of   over   a   thousand   described 

species,  most  of  them  worthless  weeds, 

but  with  a  few  plants  of  value.     They 

are    exceedingly    variable    in    habit, 

including     annuals     and     herbaceous 

perennials,    shrubby    plants    and    low 

trees,   climbers,   and  even  succulents, 

j   but   there   is   much   sameness   in   the 

flowers,  which  are  yellow  or  orange  in 

most  kinds,  though  sometimes  purple 

or  white.     They  are  among  the  most 

easily   grown    of   plants,    and   readily 

increased  from  seeds,  cuttings,  division, 

or    root  -  cuttings.      The    silvery    and 

!   down-covered    kinds    do   best   in   dry 

corners  and  fully  exposed,  while  others, 

i   such  as  the  large-leaved,  tall-growing 

|    herbs,  thrive  in  rich  moist  soil  at  the 

|    waterside,     with    some    shelter    from 

I   wind.     The  following  are  the  best  of 

!   the  few  cultivated  kinds  : — 

S.  ADONIDIFOLIUS. — A  neat  hardy  peren- 
nial, common  in  France  and  distinct  from 
other  wild  kinds  of  Europe.  The  rigidly 
erect  stems  measure  2  to  3  feet,  with 
glossy  and  finely  -  cut  foliage  and  bright 
1  orange  -  yellow  flowers  in  July.  As  it 
spreads  from  the  root,  its  true  place  is 
the  rougher  part  of  the  garden,  where  it 
is  well  worth  a  place. 

S.  ARTEMISI^EFOLIUS.  —  A  perennial 
with  broad  clusters  of  showy  yellow 
flowers  on  stems  of  12  to  18  inches  high. 
The  deep  green  leaves  are  finely  cut  and 
give  a  feathery  appearance.  S.  abrotani- 


SENECIO. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


SENECIO. 


72I 


folius  has  similar  foliage,  but  its  orange- 
yellow  flowers  are  larger  and  fewer.  These 
are  hardy  European  plants  of  the  easiest 
culture  in  the  rock  garden  or  border. 

S.  CAMPESTRIS. — A  native  plant,  only 
worth  growing  in  its  scarcer  form  maritima 
(syn.,  5.  spathulcs folius},  found  wild  with 
us  in  a  few  spots,  but  only  common  in 
the  south  of  Europe.  It  is  an  interest- 
ing and  pretty  plant,  with  orange-yellow 
flowers  of  the  size  of  a  shilling  carried  as 
clustered  heads  upon  stems  of  6  to  12 
inches  high.  A  similar  species  is  the 
Piedmont  Groundsel  (5.  Balbisianus)  from 
the  mountains  of  N.  Italy,  and  growing 
from  3  to  9  inches  high,  with  a  ring  of 
hoary  root  -  leaves.  The  golden  flowers, 
contrasted  with  the  foliage,  have  a  very 
bright  appearance.  Both  these  kinds  like 
a  light  rubbly  soil  and  a  dry  sunny  place. 

S.  CINERARIA  (Dusty  Miller). — A  fine- 
leaved,  half-shrubby  perennial  from  the 
Mediterranean  coast,  where  it  grows  from 
i£  to  3  feet  in  height,  with  much-cut 
silvery  leaves  and  clustered  heads  of  yellow 
flowers  late  in  summer.  It  is  tender  in 
many  gardens,  and  especially  in  cold  wet 
soils,  but  is  useful  for  its  brightness 
during  summer  when  planted  in  May  or 
June.  Cuttings  taken  in  autumn  will 
root  slowly  on  a  greenhouse  shelf,  but 
need  careful  watering  in  winter.  This  is 
the  best  means  of  increase,  for  though 
readily  grown  from  seed,  the  seedlings 
are  often  poor.  There  are  several  good 
garden  forms  with  very  white  leaves  more 
or  less  finely  cut,  the  best  of  these  being 
candidissima,  and  a  French  form,  Diamant. 

S.  CLIVORUM. — From  China,  with  large 
heart-shaped  leaves  of  shining  green,  a 
foot  or  more  across,  and  tall  much- 
branched  heads  of  orange-yellow  flowers 
with  a  brown  centre,  2  to  3  inches  wide, 
in  July  and  August.  A  bold  waterside 
plant  of  easy  culture,  too  coarse  for  the 
border,  and  not  particular  as  to  soil. 

S.  DORONICUM. — One  of  the  showiest 
and  most  useful  of  the  group,  i  foot  to 
3  feet  high,  with  stout  stalks  of  large 
bright  yellow  flowers  in  early  summer. 
It  is  hardy  anywhere  and  in  any  soil. 
Seed  or  division.  Central  Europe. 

S.  DOUGLASII. — A  much-branched  plant 
of  3  feet,  with  a  shrubby  base,  and 
known  as  the  Squaw  Aster  in  N.W. 
America.  Its  leaves  are  small  and  nar- 
row or  much  cut,  and  the  flowers  appear 
as  very  large  heads  of  pale  yellow  flowers, 
each  an  inch  or  more  across.  To  do  well 
this  needs  a  sheltered  sunny  corner  and 
dry  soil. 

S.  ELEGANS  (Purple  Jacobaea). — This 
beautiful  half-hardy  annual  has  long  been 
a  favourite  in  gardens.  It  has  a  dwarf 
form  (nana)  about  a  foot  high,  and  there 
are  varieties  with  double  flowers  which  are 
showy  and  desirable,  ranging  in  colour 
from  white  to  deep  crimson,  and  lasting 
a  long  while.  The  plant  does  best  in 


rich  sandy  loam  and  planted  in  bold 
masses,  which  flower  from  July  to  October, 
according  to  the  time  of  sowing.  Cape 
of  Good  Hope. 

S.  GREYI. — A  curious  hardy  shrub  of 
3  to  4  feet  from  New  Zealand,  with  oval 
silvery  leaves  and  loose  heads  of  yellow 
flowers.  There  are  several  allied  shrubs 
from  New  Zealand  and  S.  America, 
which  are  sometimes  planted  in  collections 
of  the  rarer  evergreens,  and  are  more  or 
less  hardy  according  to  local  conditions. 
S.  JAPONICUS. — One  of  the  finest  of  the 
large  kinds,  standing  about  5  feet  high 
with  us,  its  leaves  nearly  a  foot  across 
and  divided  into  about  nine  divisions. 
The  flower-stems  are  slightly  branched, 
and  bear  flowers  3  inches  across  of  a  rich 
orange  colour,  in  autumn.  This  is  a  hardy, 
moisture  -  loving  plant,  and  should  be 
grown  in  rich  and  moderately  stiff  loamy 
soil,  and  beside  a  lake  or  pond  where  it 
will  never  lack  moisture.  Japan — where 
it  is  said  to  reach  a  height  of  15  feet. 
S.  MACROPHYLLUS  is  a  stout  leafy  per- 
ennial, 6  feet  high  when  full-grown,  the 
glossy  green  leaves  and  much-branched 
heads  of  small  yellow  flowers  of  stately 
effect  when  grown  boldly  on  the  lawn  or 
in  the  wild  garden. 

S.  PALUDOSUS.— A  handsome  water- 
plant  for  the  wild  garden,  found  in  our 
own  fen  district  and  in  wet  places  through- 
out Europe.  It  stands  4  to  6  feet  high, 
with  long  narrow  leaves  which  are  coarsely 
toothed  and  white  with  cottony  down 
while  young.  The  bright  yellow  flowers 
appear  in  July  and  August.  Division. 

S.   PULCHER. — One  of  the  handsomest, 

2  to  3  feet  high,  bearing  in  late  autumn 

rosy-purple  flowers  2  to  3  inches  across. 

'    The   plant   is   hardy,    but   its   beauty   is 

1    often  marred  by  frost  and  bad  weather. 

It  grows  best  in  deep  moist  loam,   and 

•    where  some  protection  can  be  given  from 

I    autumn  frosts.     With  us  it  rarely  ripens 

'    seed,  but  is  easily  increased  in  spring  by 

cuttings  of  the  roots,  an  inch  long,  pricked 

into  pans  of  light  sandy  soil  and  placed 

I    on   a    shelf   in    the    greenhouse.     Buenos 

Ayres. 

S.  ROTUNDIFOLIUS. — A  shrub  recently 
come  from  New  Zealand,  with  large 
rounded  leathery  leaves  covered  with  a 
yellowish  felt  underneath.  It  is  said  to 
be  a  good  seaside  plant  in  its  own  land, 
despite  its  large  leaves,  and  though  as 
yet  on  trial  in  this  country,  it  has  en- 
dured 1 6  degrees  of  frost  without  injury 
upon  the  south  coast. 

S.  SARACENICUS. — In  moist  places  in  the 
west  of  England  this  plant  grows  wild, 
reaching  a  height  of  4  or  5  feet.  It  is 
useful  for  the  margins  of  ponds  or  streams, 
where  it  spreads  fast,  and,  associated  with 
the  Willow  Herb,  gives  a  beautiful  effect. 
Similar  to  this  is  5.  Dorio,  also  well  suited 
to  the  wild  garden. 

2    Z 


722 


SEQUOIA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         SHAMROCK. 


S.  TANGUTICUS. — A  new  kind  from 
China,  with  stout  spiry  stems  of  6  or 
7  feet,  and  bold  leaves  cut  into  irregular 
lobes.  The  yellow  flowers  are  small, 
appearing  in  "autumn,  when  the  general 
effect  of  the  plant  is  bold  and  pleasing, 
growing  apart  on  the  lawn  or  in  the  wild 
garden.  S.  Veitchianus  and  S.  Wilsoni 
are  new  Chinese  species  of  bold  habit  well 
suited  to  w-aterside  gardening  or  woodland. 

SEQUOIA. — Enormous  cone-bearing 
evergreen  trees  of  the  Pacific  coast  of 
N.  America,  just  hardy  enough  to 
be  the  object  of  numerous  experiments 
in  our  country,  far  from  successful 
either  from  an  artistic  or  most  other 
points  of  view.  In  some  of  the  books 
it  is  said  that  these  great  trees  are 
readily  propagated  by  cuttings  inserted 
under  glass  in  autumn,  but  we  would 
beg  everybody  never  to  plant  any 
tree  of  the  kind  except  from  seed. 

S.  GIGANTEA  (Big  Tree). — A  colossal  tree 
in  its  own  country,  inhabiting  mostly,  in 
scattered  groups  or  groves,  the  Californian 
Mountains  for  a  distance  of  over  250  miles 
in  length,  existing  trees  being  over  300 
feet  high.  No  tree  ever  introduced  has 
excited  so  much  interest  or  been  the  sub- 
ject of  so  much  costly  experiment  in  this 
country.  It  succeeds  well  in  various  dis- 
tricts, but  is  badly  treated  as  "  set  out  " 
in  the  "  specimen  "  way.  The  right  way 
is  to  plant  it  forest  fashion — say  at  5  feet 
apart — with  Larch  between,  to  be  cut  out 
in  due  time,  the  big  tree  to  be  thinned  as 
the  years  went.  Syn.,  Wellingtonia  gigan- 
tea. 

S.  SEMPERVIRENS  (Red  Wood). — A  noble 
evergreen  tree,  thriving  somewhat  better 
in  our  country  than  the  Big  Tree,  but, 
planted  as  it  usually  is  by  itself,  it  is  often 
torn  about  by  sleet  storms  in  our  climate, 
which  is  so  very  different  from  that  of 
its  native  country.  Still  it  grows  rapidly 
in  good  free  soils,  and  is  worth  trying 
grown  in  a  wood  or  grove  so  that  the 
trees  may  shelter  each  other.  Sheltering 
groves  or  woods  of  it  would  give  good 
timber  in  quiek  time,  as  it  is  a  very  rapid 
grower.  Coast  range  of  W.  America. 
Syn.,  Taxodium  sempervirens. 

SERAPIAS.  —  Terrestrial  Orchids 
from  S.  Europe,  worthy  of  a  place 
among  hardy  Orchids,  as  the  flowers 
are  singular  and  in  some  kinds  beauti- 
ful, as  S.  cordigera,  with  large  showy 
flowers,  chiefly  of  a  blood-red  colour  ; 
S.  lingua,  with  peculiar  brownish- 
purple  flowers  ;  and  5.  longipetala, 
with  large  rosy-red  flowers.  These  are 
all  9  to  12  inches  high,  and  their 
flowers  are  densely  arranged  on  broad 
erect  stems.  The  plants  succeed  best 
in  a  soil  composed  of  two  parts  of  peat, 


one  of  loam,  and  one  of  sand  and  leaf- 
mould.  The  position  should  be  par- 
tially shaded  and  well  sheltered. 

SERRATULA  ATRIPLICIFOLIA.— 

To  gardeners  the  plants  of  this  genus 
were  previously  without  interest,  but 
in  this  new  plant  from  C.  China  we 
seem  to  have  a  hardy  perennial  of 
some  value.  It  is  a  bold  plant,  stand- 
ing rigidly  erect  to  a  height  of  5  or 
6  feet,  with  large  heart-shaped  leaves 
and  purple  Thistle-like  flower  heads, 
wrapped  in  overlapping  bracts.  They 
expand  in  early  autumn,  but  are 
formed  long  before  they  open,  and  a 
pretty  feature  of  the  buds  is  a  fine 
network  of  silky- white  threads. 

SESELI  (Gum  Seseli). — 5.  gunimi- 
ferum  is  a  handsome  plant,  i  \  to  3  feet 
high,  with  elegantly-divided  leaves  of 
a  glaucous  or  almost  silvery  tone. 
Though  a  biennial,  it  is  so  distinct 
that  some  may  like  to  grow  it.  The 
best  position  for  it  is  on  dry  and  sunny 
banks,  or  in  raised  beds  or  borders. 
5.  glauca  is  also  cultivated  for  its 
graceful  white  foliage  and  curious 
heads  of  flowers. 

SHAMROCK.— This  little  plant  is 
often  grown  in  gardens  through  its 
associations,  but  as  several  totally 
different  plants  do  duty  for  the 
Shamrock,  the  following  note  by 
Mr  Hemsley  of  Kew  may  be  of  in- 
terest : — 

' '  The  plant  commonly  sold  at  Co  vent 
Garden  as  Shamrock  is  Tr  if  oil  ion 
minus,  a  small  yellow-flowered  Clover, 
and  the  same  plant  is  now  in  use  as 
such  in  Ireland  in  the  counties  of 
Antrim,  Down,  Meath,  Fermanagh, 
Dublin,  Wicklow,  Carlow,  Westmeath, 
Wexford,  Limerick,  Waterford,  Cork, 
and  Kerry.  This  plant,  therefore,  so 
far  as  present  usage  is  concerned,  has 
the  greatest  claim  to  the  name  of  true 
Shamrock.  Black  Medick  (Medicagp 
lupulina],  a  very  similar  plant,  is 
sometimes  substituted  for  the  Clover, 
from  which  it  may  be  distinguished 
by  the  leaflets  being  rounded,  not 
notched,  at  the  top,  and  by  the  tiny 
pod  being  twisted.  The  common  red 
Clover  (Trifolium  pratense),  the  white 
Clover  (T.  repens),  and  the  Wood 
Sorrel  are  other  plants  more  or  less 
known  and  used  as  Shamrock.  Occa- 
sionally one  or  the  other  of  the  plants 
named  produces  leaves  having  four 
leaflets,  then  called  the  four-leaved 
Shamrock." 


SHEFFIELDIA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         SIDALCEA. 


SHEFFIELDIA.  —  5.  repens  is  a 
hardy  little  New  Zealand  creeper,  with 
small  leaves,  small  slender  stems,  and 
tiny  white  flowers  which  appear  in 
summer.  It  is  interesting  for  the  rock 
garden,  and  grows  in  any  good  well- 
drained  soil. 

SHEPHERDIA. — A  small  group  of 
American  shrubs,  grown  for  their 
bright  silvery  foliage,  the  flowers  being 
inconspicuous,  though  one  kind  bears  [ 
an  excellent  fruit.  All  are  hardy  and 
of  easy  culture,  resisting  cold  and 
drought  even  on  dry  banks  where  few 
other  plants  can  exist.  S.  canadensis 
is  excellent  in  this  way,  reaching  a 
height  of  6  to  8  feet,  with  oval  green 
leaves,  reddish  underneath,  and  small 
red  or  yellow  berries.  5.  argentea,  the 
Buffalo  Berry,  is  a  taller  shrub  of 
nearly  20  feet,  with  thorny  stems, 
silvery  leaves,  and  juicy  red  or  yellow 
berries,  prized  for  jellies  and  preserves 
by  the  Western  colonists.  5.  rotundi- 
folius  is  an  evergreen  kind  with  silvery 
leaves,  from  Utah. 

SHORTIA. — S.  galacifolia  is  an  in- 
teresting and  beautiful  plant,  first  dis- 
covered over  a  hundred  years  ago  by  i 
Michaux  in  the  mountains  of  N.  ' 
Carolina,  and  rediscovered  in  1877.  It 
was  found  growing  with  Galax  aphylla, 
and  forms  runners  like  that  plant,  and 
is  propagated  by  this  means.  The 
plant  is  of  tufted  habit,  the  flowers 
reminding  one  of  those  of  a  Soldanella, 
but  large,  with  cut  edges  to  the  seg- 
ments, like  a  frill,  and  pure  white, 
passing  to  rose  as  they  get  older. 
There  is  now  a  pretty  variety  in  which 
the  flowers  are  of  a  delicate  pink  from 
the  very  first,  and  plants  with  semi- 
double  flowers  also  occur.  There  is 
much  beauty  in  the  leaves,  which  are  of 
rather  oval  shape,  deep  green,  tinged 
with  brownish  -  crimson,  changing  in 
winter  to  quite  a  crimson,  when  it  forms 
a  bright  bit  of  colour  in  the  rock  garden 
or  border.  A  correspondent,  writing 
in  The  Garden,  says:  "The  cultural' 
directions  given  in  catalogues  to  keep 
the  plant  in  a  shady  situation  and 
grow  it  in  Sphagnum  and  peat  deprive 
us  of  its  chief  charm — i.e.,  the  hand- 
some-coloured leaves  during  the  winter 
and  spring  months.  Instead  of  choos- 
ing a  shady  spot  I  selected  a  fully 
exposed  .one,  and  here  two  plants  have 
been  for  over  a  year,  one  in  peat  and 
the  other  in  sandy  loam.  Both  are 
vigorous."  It  succeeds  well  in  various 
soils,  as  described,  and  is  hardy.  It 
is  also  a  delightful  plant  in  a  pot,  as 


the  flowers  on  their  crimson  stems  are 
pretty,  and  one  gets  also  the  prettily 
tinted  leaves.  North  America.  A 
new  species,  S.  uni flora,  has  recently 
come  to  us  from  Japan,  but  is  still  rare. 
While  not  unlike  the  American  plant, 
this  differs  from  it  in  having  larger 
flowers,  broader  and  more  prostrate 
leaves,  and  shorter  flower-stems,  some 
of  the  flowers  hardly  rising  above  the 
leaves,  which  turn  a  fine  crimson  from 
August  to  the  following  spring.  The 
plant  thrives  in  a  mixture  of  peat  and 
loam,  in  full  sun,  and  is  fully  hardy. 
5.  u.  grandi flora  is  the  finest  of  all. 


Shortia  unijlora 

SIBTHORPIA  (Moneywort].  —  S. 
europcea  is  a  little  native  creeper  with 
slender  stems  and  tiny  round  leaves. 
In  summer  it  forms  a  dense  carpet  on 
moist  soil,  and  should  always  be  grown 
in  the  bog  garden  or  moist  ferneries. 
A  native  plant  in  the  southern  coun- 
ties. Shady  banks  and  ditches  suit  it. 

SIDA. — 5.  dioica  and  S.  Napcea  are 
stout  vigorous  plants  with  ample 
foliage,  and  suitable  chiefly  for  the 
wild  garden  and  shrubbery  borders. 

SIDALCEA  (Greek  Mallow}.  —  A 
group  of  graceful  herbs  from  North 
West  America,  with  showy  white,  pink, 
or  purple  flowers  in  long  erect  spikes  like 
a  miniature  Hollyhock.  Those  in  culti- 
vation are  perennials,  but  do  best  if 
frequently  renewed  from  seed  sown  as 
soon  as  ripe,  the  seedlings  being  win- 
tered in  a  frame,  and  planted  out  in 
spring.  In  sheltered  places  and  in 
warm  soils  these  plants  will  pass  the 
winter  in  the  open,  but  they  prove  a 
little  tender  in  many  places,  and  the 
autumn-sown  plants  bloom  earlier  and 
more  finely  than  those  raised  in  heat 
early  in  the  year.  The  Sidalceas  are 
fast  becoming  better  known,  and,  being 
profuse  in  flower,  excellent  for  cutting, 


724 


SILENE. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


and  of  the  easiest  culture.  The  best 
kinds  are  S.  Candida,  with  pretty 
white  flowers  an  inch  across,  on  tall 
stems  of  2  to  3  feet — a  showy  plant 
when  freely  grouped.  Rosy  Gem  is 
identical  with  this,  save  in  its  fine  rosy 
colour.  S.  malvceflora  is  of  stout  erect 
growth  and  fine  habit,  with  deep  rosy- 
purple  flowers  nearly  2  inches  across 
when  fully  expanded.  A  form  of  this, 
5.  Listeri,  is  charming,  with  spikes  of 
soft  rosy  flowers  beautifully  fringed  at 
the  edges.  Others  are  atro-purpurea, 
with  deep  purple  spikes,  and  Murray- 
ana,  a  dwarf  plant,  in  which  the 
flowers  are  a  deep  rose-crimson.  5. 
oregana  has  smaller  rosy  flowers  ; 
5.  incarnata,  slender  and  rigid  red 
spikes  ;  while  in  5.  spicata  they  are 
rosy-purple. 

SILENE  (Catchfly}. — A  large  family 
containing  few  showy  plants,  but  with 
some  of  great  beauty.  S.  and  C. 
Europe  is  the  home  of  the  Silene, 
though  a  few  extend  west  to  America, 
or  east  to  Siberia,  and  a  sprinkling  is 
found  on  the  southern  shores  of  the 
Mediterranean  and  in  Asia  Minor.  The 
following  dwarf  kinds  are  suitable 
chiefly  for  the  rock  garden  : — 

S.  ACAULIS  (Cushion  Pink).- — A  dwarf 
alpine  herb  tufted  into  light  green  masses 
like  a  wide  -  spreading  Moss,  but  quite 
firm.  In  summer  it  becomes  a  mass  of 
pink,  rose,  or  crimson  flowers  barely 
peeping  above  the  leaves.  Spots  on  the 
mountains  of  Scotland,  Northern  Ireland, 
North  Wales,  and  the  Lake  District  of 
England  are  sheeted  over  with  its  firm 
flat  tufts,  often  several  feet  across.  In 
gardens  it  is  as  beautiful  as  when  wild, 
growing  freely  iu  almost  any  soil,  but  not 
shaded,  or  in  pots  and  pans.  A  new 
species  of  Silene,  5.  Palestine,  from  Asia 
Minor,  comes  near  our  Cushion  Pink,  with 
heads  of  deep  rosy  flowers. 

S.  ALPESTRIS  (Alpine  Catchfly). — A  very 
dwarf  alpine  plant,  hardy,  and  beautiful 
when  covered  with  white  flowers  in  Ma}-. 
It  succeeds  in  any  soil,  and  is  4  to  6  inches 
high.  It  should  be  used  freely  in  every 
rock  garden.  5.  a.  grandiflora  is  an  invalu- 
able double-flowered  variety.  Division 
or  seed. 

S.  ARMERIA  is  a  showy  annual  kind  with 
leafy  stems  of  12  to  1 8  inches  high,  bluish- 
green  foliage,  and  dense  clustered  heads 
of  white,  pink,  or  crimson  flowers  from 
July  to  September.  When  established  on 
old  walls  and  in  rough  places  it  will  sow 
itself  freely  with  fine  effect,  some  of  the 
prettiest  wild  pictures  of  S.  Europe  hav- 
ing arisen  in  this  way.  It  is  already 
naturalised  in  parts  of  Britain,  and  is  just 


the  plant  for  a  wild  garden,  in  light  and 
well  drained  soils. 

S.  ELIZABETHS. — A  richly  beautiful  and 
scarce  alpine  plant,  the  flowers  looking 
more  like  those  of  some  handsome  but 
tiny  Clarkia  than  of  the  Silenes  commonly 
grown.  They  are  very  large,  bright  rose 
with  the  claws  or  bases  of  the  petals  white. 
One  to  seven  flowers  are  borne  on  stems 
3  to  4  inches  high.  It  is  considered  diffi- 
cult to  grow,  but  strong  plants  are  as  easy 
to  manage  as  the  Cushion  Pink.  It  is 
rare  in  a  wild  state,  but  occurs  in  the  Tyrol 
and  Italy,  amid  shattered  fragments  of 
rock,  and  sometimes  in  flaky  rocks  without 
soil.  This  beautiful  "  Catchfly  "  is  not 
often  seen  even  among  the  choicer  alpines, 
while  colonies  of  it  in  the  rock  garden  are 
rare.  The  moraine  should  not  prove 
uncongenial  to  the  plant  itself,  seeing 
that  in  nature  it  is  not  infrequent  among 
limestone  rubble  on  sunny  slopes.  Few 
species  of  the  genus  are  more  distinct  and 
attractive,  the  plant  bearing  handsome 
Clarkia-like  flowers,  on  stems  6  to  8  inches 
high,  and  of  a  rich,  rosy-red  colour.  It 
flowers  late  in  June  and  through  July. 
Seeds.— E.  H.  J. 

S.  HOOKER: . — A  dwarf  and  rare  Cali- 
fornian,  with  downy  leaves  of  two  different 
shaped,  trailing  stems,  and  large  deeply- 
notched  rose-coloured  flowers  2  inches 
across.  The  plant  thrives  in  deep  sandy 
soil  and  in  open  and  well-drained  positions 
in  the  alpine  garden,  nestled  among  the 
larger  rocks  which  reflect  the  sun  and 
protect  from  cold  winds.  Seeds. 

S.  MARITIMA. — The  handsome  double 
variety  (S.  maritima  fl.-pl.}  of  this  British 
plant  is  noteworthy,  not  only  for  its  white 
flowers  like  those  of  a  small  double  Pink, 
but  for  its  dense  spreading  sea  -  green 
carpet  of  leaves,  pleasing  on  the  margins 
of  raised  borders,  or  hanging  over  the 
faces  of  stones  in  the  rougher  parts  of  the 
rock  garden.  The  flowers  appear  in  June, 
and  those  of  the  double  variety  rarely  rise 
more  than  a  couple  of  inches  above  the 
leaves,  which  form  a  tuft  about  2  inches 
deep. 

S.  PENDULA. — There  are  many  garden 
forms  of  this  fine  biennial.  There  are 
double-flowered  forms  of  all  these  varia- 
tions, which  last  longer  in  flower  than  the 
single  kinds,  and  also  many  named  selec- 
tions, such  as  Triumph,  Snow  King,  Elfridc, 
Venus,  and  Empress  of  India.  These 
compacta  varieties  are  mostly  used  for 
spring  work,  and  form  compact  rounded 
tufts  about  4  inches  high.  To  obtain  the 
finest  plants  for  spring-flowering,  seed 
should  be  sown  in  the  reserve  garden  in 
autumn,  and  afterwards  transplanted. 
Flowers  from  May  to  August.  Italy  and 
Sicily. 

S.  PENNSYLVANIA. — The  wild  Pink  of 
America  is  a  dwarf  plant,  forming  dense 


SILPHIUM. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        SIMPLOCUS.        725 


patches,  with  clusters  of  six  or  eight 
purplish-rose  flowers,  about  I  inch  across, 
and  standing  4  to  7  inches  high  from 
April  to  June.  It  thrives  in  light  sandy 
soil,  and  is  not  fastidious,  coming  from 
sandy,  gravelly  places.  It  will  often 
flower  the  first  year  from  seed,  but  mostly 
not  till  the  second  season. 

S.  PUMILIO. — Like  our  Cushion  Pink  in 
its  dwarf,  firm  tufts  of  shining  green  leaves, 
though  these  are  a  little  more  fleshy  and 
not  so  spiny.  The  rose-coloured  flowers 
are  also  much  larger,  handsomer,  and 
taller,  though  scarcely  more  than  i  inch 
above  the  flat  mass  of  leaves,  so  that  the 
whole  plant  is  seldom  more  than  3  inches 
high.  It  thrives  in  rock  gardens  as  well 
as  the  Cushion  Pink,  and  should  be  planted 
in  deep  sandy  loam  on  a  well-drained  and 
exposed  spot,  moist  in  summer,  facing  the 
south.  Place  a  few  stones  round  the  neck 
of  the  young  plant  to  keep  it  firm  and  to 
hold  moisture.  Tyrol. 

S.  LACINIATA  PURPUSI. — No  member  of 
the  race  can  vie  with  this  in  brilliant 
colouring  ;  6  to  8  inches  high,  with  nearly 
lance-shaped  and  woolly  leaves,  the 
dazzling  cardinal  scarlet  flowers,  i£  inches 
across,  surpass  all  else  by  reason  of  their 
intensity.  It  is  valuable,  too,  for  its  late 
summer  and  autumn  flowering.  Grows 
well  in  rich  sandy  loam,  and  prefers  a 
high,  dry,  and  sunny  position. 

S.  SCHAFTA. — A  spreading  hardy  plant 
from  the  Caucasus  forming  very  neat 
tufts,  4  to  6  inches  high,  covered  with 
large  purplish-rose  flowers.  As  it  flowers 
late  in  summer,  it  should  not  be  used 
where  early  bloom  is  sought,  but  is  useful 
for  edgings.  Seed  or  division. 

S.  VIRGINICA  (Fire  Pink). — A  brilliant 
perennial,  with  flowers  bright  scarlet, 
2  inches  across.  The  somewhat  slender 
stalks  lie  flat  on  the  soil,  and  the  flowers 
are  borne  a  few  inches  above  it.  The  Fire 
Pink  succeeds  in  a  well-drained  rock 
garden.  It  comes  from  open  woods  in 
America,  from  New  York  southwards, 
flowering  from  June  to  August.  The  best 
plants  are  obtained  from  seed,  as  it  does 
not  bear  division  well.  S.  rupestris,  a 
sparkling-looking  white  species,  little  more 
than  3  inches  high  when  in  bloom,  is 
rather  like  a  dwarf  5.  alpestris,  but  better 
worthy  of  a  place.  It  is,  however,  a  little 
particular  as  to  soil,  thriving  best  in  rocky 
ddbris,  and  refusing  to  grow  where  there 
is  much  lime.  5.  stellata  is  a  graceful 
plant  from  American  woods,  with  starry 
white  flowers  deeply  fringed  at  the  edges, 
on  stems  of  18  inches  high.  S.  Zawadski, 
a  neat  Austrian  species  with  white  flowers 
in  spring. 

SILPHIUM  (Rosin  Plant)  .—Stout 
N.  American  Sunflower-like  perennials, 


of  stately  habit,  and  among  those 
which  suggested  the  idea  of  the  "  wild 
garden  "  to  me.  There  they  are  at 
home  among  the  most  vigorous 
growers,  as  they  thrive  and  flower 
freely  on  the  worst  clay  soils.  5. 
laciniatum  is  a  vigorous  perennial  with 
a  stout  stem,  often  8  feet  in  height, 
and  fine  yellow-coloured  flowers,  on 
drooping  heads,  which  have  the  pecu- 
liarity of  facing  the  east.  5.  per- 
foliatum  (Cup  Plant)  is  4  to  8  feet  in 
height,  and  has  broad  yellow  leaves 
6  to  15  inches  long  and  flower-heads 
about  2  inches  across.  5.  terebin- 
thinaceum  (Prairie  Dock)  has  stems 

4  to    10    feet   high,    panicled    at   the 
summit,  and  bearing  many  small  heads 
of    light    yellow    flowers.     A    variety 
(pinnatifidum)   has   leaves   deeply  cut 
or      pinnatifid.       5.     terebinthinaceum 
has  a  strong  turpentine  odour.     Other 
species  are  S.     trifoliatum,   S.  integri- 
folium,  S.  ternatum,  and  S.  albiflorum, 
in  which  the  flowers  are  creamy-white 
and  nearly  4  inches  across.     If  planted 
in  numbers  in  bold  masses,  these  plants 
produce   a  stately  effect  in   the   wild 
garden,  especially  in  autumn,  but  to  do 
well   they   need   an   open   and   sunny 
space. 

SILYBUM  (Milk  Thistle}.— S.  mari- 
anum  is  a  vigorous  naturalised  plant, 

5  feet  or  more   in  height.     Its  large 
leaves    are    cut    and    undulated,    and 
tipped    and    margined    with   scattered 
spines  ;      they    are    bright    glistening 
green,    with  broad   white   veins.     The 
Milk  Thistle  is  easily  raised  from  seed, 
and  thrives  in  almost  any  well-drained 
soil.     A     few     plants     raised     in     the 
garden  and  planted  out  in  rough  and 
somewhat   bare   places   or   banks   will 
soon  establish  themselves. 

SIMPLOCUS.— A  group  of  shrubs  or 
low  trees  allied  to  Styrax,  only  one  of 
which  is  of  any  importance  in  our 
gardens.  This  is  5.  cratcegoides,  a 
compact  hardy  shrub  of  10  or  12  feet, 
found  in  Asia  from  the  Himalayas  to 
Japan — whence  all  our  plants  have 
come.  The  leaves  vary  much  in  form 
and  size,  but  are  mostly  ovate,  scantily 
covered  with  down  on  the  under  side, 
and  finely  toothed.  The  small  white 
flowers,  coming  in  dense  clusters 
during  May,  are  of  no  great  beauty, 
but  give  place  to  brilliant  blue  berries 
of  fine  appearance  ;  so  far,  however, 
these  do  not  seem  to  have  been  pro- 
duced in  this  country. 


726       SINOFRANCHETIA.       THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.       SMILACIXA. 


SINOFRANCHETIA   CHINENSIS.- 

A  recently-introduced  summer-leafing 
climbing  plant  from  China.  It  is  said 
to  be  hardy,  but  its  value  for  our 
gardens  has  yet  to  be  proved. 

SINOURLSONIA  HENRTI.  —  A 
small  Chinese  tree  of  the  Witch  Hazel 
family,  of  doubtful  value,  so  far  as 
tried. 

SISYRINCHIUM  (Satin  -flower).  - 
Iridaceous  plants  from  N.W.  Amer- 
ica, of  which  only  one  species  is 
worth  growing,  namely  5.  grandi- 
florum,  a  beautiful  perennial  with  nar- 
row, grass-like  leaves  that  blooms  in 
early  spring.  The  flowers,  borne  on 
slender  stems  6  to  12  inches  high,  are 


specific  names,  5.  fragrans  being  simply 
the  male  of  the  true  5.  japonica.  The 
Skimmias  thrive  as  well  in  strong  clay 
as  in  poor  sandy  soil  and  peat,  doing 
best  in  partial  shade  and  never  growing 
fast  at  any  time.  S.  japonica  is  one 
of  the  very  best  town  evergreens  we 
possess.  Other  forms  of  it  are  5. 
Foremani,  S.  Rogersi,  S.  oblata  wata, 
S.  o.  Veitchi,  and  5.  fragrantissima. 
To  produce  well-berried  plants,  put 
the  two  sexes  near  to  each  other.  Of 
5.  Fortunei  (the  S.  japonica  of  gardens), 
S.  rubella  is  a  seedling  form. 

SMILACINA     (Wild    Spikenard}.  - 
Graceful  but  not  showy  hardy  peren- 
nials.    They  are  easily  managed  plants. 


Skiinmia  fragrans. 


bell-shaped  and  drooping,  more  like 
a  Campanula  than  an  Iris,  and  rich 
purple  in  colour,  which  becomes  a 
transparent  white  in  the  variety  album. 
They  are  charming  for  the  rock  garden, 
thriving  in  a  light  peaty  soil.  Divi- 
sion. 

SKIMMIA. — The  ones  best  worth 
cultivating  are  5.  japonica  and  5. 
Fortunei.  There  has  been  much  con- 
fusion between  these  plants,  that 
universally  known  in  gardens  as  5. 
japonica  not  being  Japanese  at  all, 
but  a  native  of  China,  its  proper  name 
being  Skimmia  Fortunei.  Unlike  5. 
Fortunei,  the  true  Japanese  plant  is 
dioecious,  and  both  sexes  have  received 


and  the  N.  American  species  will  be 
found  useful  for  mixed  herbaceous 
borders,  having  rich  green  foliage  and 
white  feathery  flower-heads  in  May 
and  June. 

S.  OLERACEA. — Native  of  tempi-rait- 
Sikkim,  and  has  been  grown  for  many 
years  at  Kew.  It  is  difficult  to  manage 
unless  left  alone,  being  a  slow  growt  r. 
slow  to  increase,  and  a  shy  seeder.  It  is 
the  most  striking  species  in  cultivation, 
and  in  the  south  at  any  rate  is  hardy, 
succeeding  in  rich  peaty  soil  with  a  nor- 
thern exposure. 

S.  RACEMOSA  and  S.  STELLATA. — Natives 
of  N.  America,  both  white-flowered  and 
hardy.  They  may  be  cultivated  with  ease 


SMILAX. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


SOLANUM. 


727 


in  the  mixed  flower  border,  where  in  May 
and  June  they  are  very  attractive. 

SMILAX  (Green  Briar).— Distinct 
and  handsome  climbing  shrubs,  nearly 
all  evergreen.  They  are  most  suitable 
for  walls,  but  several  may  be  grown 
over  large  tree  roots  or  may  be  trained 
over  tree  trunks  in  sheltered  spots. 
In  some  cases  it  is  not  the  cold  winter 
that  kills,  but  rather  the  lack  of  sum- 
mer heat  that  prevents  ripening  of  the 
wood.  Some  plants  can  be  divided, 
or  pieces  may  be  taken  off  which 
readily  make  plants,  and  this  is  the 
surest  way  of  increase  for  hardy  kinds, 
the  best  of  which  are  as  follows  : — 

S.  ASPERA. — A  well-marked  species, 
with  angular  and  usually  prickly  stems, 
reaching  a  height  of  5  to  10  feet.  In 
colour  the  leaves  are  dark  green,  with 
flecks  of  white  on  the  upper  surface,  and 
the  flowers  whitish  and  fragrant.  Variety 
maitritanica  has  angular  stems  of  a  con- 
siderable length  and  bearing  few  prickles  ; 
they  are  also  rare  on  the  leaves.  It  is  a 
handsome  plant  from  the  Mediterranean 
and  the  Canaries. 

S.  BONA-NOX  (Bristly  Green  Briar). — 
The  root  -  stocks  have  large  tubers  ;  the 
stems  are  slightly  angled,  the  branches 
often  four  -  angled,  the  leaves  green  and 
shining  on  both  sides,  and  their  margins 
fringed  with  needle -like  prickles.  N. 
America. 

S.  CANTAB. — For  many  years  this  has 
grown  in  the  Cambridge  Botanic  Garden. 
It  is  evergreen,  the  strong  rounded  shoots 
reaching  a  height  of  12  feet  or  more, 
armed  with  strong,  straight  green  prickles  ; 
the  branches  slender,  and  usually  spineless. 
The  male  flowers  are  fragrant,  in  clusters 
of  eight  to  twelve.  This  plant  comes  near 
5.  rotundifolia,  but  the  leaves  differ  in 
shape. 

S.  GLAUCA.  —  This  plant  has  angular 
stems  of  about  3  feet,  armed  with  rather 
stout  numerous  or  scattered  prickles,  or 
may  sometimes  be  without  any.  The 
leaves  are  partially  persistent,  glaucous 
beneath  and  sometimes  above.  N. 
America. 

S.  HISPIDA.— Quite  a  distinct  plant,  the 
stems  of  which  are  usually  thickly  hispid 
with  slender  straight  prickles.  The  leaves 
are  thin  and  green  on  both  surfaces, 
the  margins  usually  toothed.  N. 
America. 

S.  LAURIFOLIA. — A  high  climbing  species, 
the  stems  round,  armed  with  strong 
straight  prickles,  the  branches  angled, 
mostly  unarmed.  It  is  evergreen,  and 
easily  recognised  by  its  leathery,  bright 
green,  three  -  nerved  leaves,  elliptic  in 
shape. 


S.  PSEUDO-CHINA. — The  lower  part  of 
the  stem  is  armed  with  straight,  needle- 
like  prickles,  the  upper  part  and  the 
branches  mostly  unarmed.  The  leaves 
become  leathery  when  old.  They  are 
ovate,  often  narrowed  about  the  middle 
or  lobed  at  the  base,  seven-  or  nine-nerved 
and  green  on  both  sides,  sometimes 
toothed  on  the  margin.  N.  America  and 
the  W.  Indies. 

S.  ROTUNDIFOLIA  (Green  Briar). — A  high 
climbing  species  with  large,  thin,  and 
nearly  round  leaves.  The  stems  are 
angular  and  the  prickles  stout,  scattered, 
and  sometimes  a  little  curved.  This  is  a 
handsome  strong-growing  species,  which 
does  well  in  the  Trinity  College  Botanic 
Gardens,  Dublin.  N.  America.  Syns., 
5.  caduca  and  S.  quadrangularis. 

S.  TAMNOIDES. — This  grows  well  in  the 
Bamboo  Garden  at  Kew,  and  shows  well 
how  such  a  plant  may  be  used  to  ramble 
over  tree  stumps  to  make  a  mass  of 
picturesque  vegetation.  It  has  the  free- 
growing  habit  of  S.  aspera,  and  bears 
numerous  black  berries. 

S.  WALTERI. — Stems  angled,  prickly 
below,  the  branches  usually  unarmed. 
The  berries  are  bright  red,  but  perhaps 
not  produced  in  this  country.  N.  Amer- 
ica.— R.  IRWIN  LYNCH. 

SOLANUM. — The  vast  Solanum  or 
Potato  family  embraces  plants  of  great 
beauty  from  all  over  the  world,  many 
being  remarkable  for  their  ample 
foliage  finely  spined  and  cut.  Others 
are  grown  for  their  brilliant  fruits  of 
many  colours,  and  often  of  great  food 
value  ;  while  others  again  carry  hand- 
some flowers,  and  in  some  cases  charm 
of  foliage,  fruit,  and  flower  is  found 
in  the  same  plant.  They  are  equally 
variable  as  to  habit,  many  being  stout 
shrubs  or  low  trees,  and  others  climbing 
or  creeping  plants.  In  a  general  way 
the  climbing  kinds  show  beauty  of 
flower  and  the  shrubby  species  beauty 
of  leaf  and  fruit.  To  do  well  these 
kinds  need  a  rich  moist  soil,  with 
shelter  from  wind.  Those  kinds  hardy 
enough  to  be  grown  against  walls  in 
the  open  are  best  in  rather  poor  dry 
soil,  for  if  grown  too  freely  the  shoots 
perish  during  winter.  Seed  is  easily 
obtainable,  and  if  raised  early  in  heat 
the  plants  are  ready  for  putting  out 
by  the  end  of  May  or  early  in  June. 
The  following  are  among  the  best  for 
all  purposes  . — 

S.  ARBOREUM. — A  shrub  with  handsome 
flowers,  hardy  in  mild  seasons  and  on 
sheltered  walls  near  the  south  coast.  The 
leaves,  8  or  9  inches  long,  are  set  with 
sharp  brown  spines,  and  the  large  flowers 
in  clusters  of  six  to  nine  together  are  pale 
blue  or  mauve  with  deep  orange  anthers. 


728 


SOLANUM. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


SOLANUM. 


S.  ATRO-PURPUREUM. — An  erect  plant 
with  purple  leaves  and  stems,  3  to  6  feet 
high.  The  deeply  -  lobed  long  -  spined 
leaves  are  threaded  with  pale  veins,  and 
the  small  purple  flowers  yield  small  round 
berries.  Brazil. 

S.  BALBISI. — A  shrubby  plant  hardy 
against  walls  in  sheltered  southern  gar- 
dens, with  slender  straggling  stems  and 
deeply-cut  leaves  armed  with  pale  brown 
spines.  The  pale  mauve  flowers  are  large, 
succeeded  by  bright  scarlet  berries  like  a 
small  cherry  and  sweet.  Syn.,  S.  sisym- 
bri folium.  This  can  be  treated  as  a 
tender  annual,  or  grown  from  cuttings. 

S.  BETACEUM. — A  small  tree  from  S. 
America  of  distinct  appearance,  with  stout 
smooth*  stems  and  large  oval  leaves  of 
fleshy  texture,  veined  with  purple  in  the 
variety  purpureum.  The  flowers  are 
small,  followed  by  orange-red  or  scarlet 
fruits  like  a  hen's  egg  for  size  and  shape, 
hanging  in  showy  clusters  and  so  thickly 
that  a  thousand  hang  on  a  single  mature 
plant  in  its  own  land.  This  is  one  of  the 
best,  of  rapid  growth,  and  easily  handled. 

S.  CILIATUM. — With  showy  scarlet  fruits, 
round  and  like  a  small  Tomato,  of  dry 
texture,  and  useful  for  winter  decoration, 
as  they  will  hang  for  months  among  the 
glossy  spined  leaves  without  spoiling. 
The  variety  macrocarpum  is  the  best. 

S.  CRINITUM. — A  stout  shrubby  plant  of 
5  or  6  feet,  with  leaves  2  feet  or  more  long, 
of  velvet  texture  and  tender  green  tint, 
threaded  with  purple  veins  set  with 
spines.  The  deep  blue  flowers  are  2 
inches  across  and  hang  in  heavy  clusters, 
followed  by  fruits  an  inch  or  more  in 
diameter.  This  grows  strongly  in  shel- 
tered southern  gardens.  Increase  by 
suckers.  Guiana. 

S.  CRISPUM  (Potato  Tree). — Reaches  15 
or  20  feet  as  a  bush  in  the  open,  and  ex- 
ceeds this  against  a  wall.  It  is  one  of  the 
hardiest  kinds,  resisting  as  far  north  as 
the  Trent  on  warm  soils,  though  dying  to 
the  ground  in  a  hard  winter.  The  leaves 
vary  in  size,  being  much  larger  towards 
the  base  than  at  the  tips  of  the  shoots, 
and  waved  or  loosely  crisped  around  the 
edges.  The  flowers  are  a  pretty  bluish  j 
colour,  fragrant  in  summer. 

S.  GIGANTEUM. — A  tree  of  25  feet  in  its    I 
own  land,   with  a   trunk  as  thick  as   a 
man's  thigh.     With  us  it  is  5  or  6  feet    I 
high,  prickly,  and  covered  in  white  wool ;    ! 
the  leaves  unarmed,  deep  green  above  and 
whitish  beneath  ;    the  flowers  pale  blue,    | 
not  showy  ;    the  berries  red  and  as  large    I 
as  peas.     India. 

S.  JASMINOIDES  (Jasmine  Nightshade). — 
A  charming  summer-leafing  climber,  and  j 
the  most  beautiful  of  the  family,  hardy  i 
anywhere  in  the  south  of  Britain,  where  [ 
its  wreaths  of  starry  white  flowers  are  j 
freely  borne  upon  a  wall  or  house-front, 


even  in  a  north  aspect.  Grown  out  of 
doors  and  in  a  strong  light,  the  flowers  arc 
more  or  less  shaded  with  greyish-blue  or 
purple,  and  there  is  a  charming  pale  bluish 
variety  in  which  the  colour  seems  fixed. 
The  flowers  are  pure  white  if  grown  in 
partial  shade,  or  in  a  north  house.  The 
shoots  should  be  well  cut  in  after  frost  is 
over  in  spring.  Increase  from  side-shoots 
taken  with  a  heel. 

S.  LACINIATUM  (Kangaroo  Apple). — A 
stout  rapid-growing  plant  from  the  anti- 
podes, with  dark  fleshy  stems  growing  4  to 
6  feet  in  a  season  ;  much-divided  leaves, 
dark  violet  flowers,  and  fruits  the  size  of 
a  small  plum,  changing  from  green  to 
yellow  and  red.  One  of  the  easiest  to 
grow,  and  nearly  hardy  on  the  south 
coast. 

S.  LASIOSTYLUM. — A  low  shrub  of  the 
W.  Australian  deserts,  with  white 
woolly  leaves,  spiny  stems,  and  purple 
flowers.  The  young  plants  need  a  warm 
place  and  careful  watering. 

S.  MARGIN ATUM. — A  handsome  fivelv- 
branched  species,  the  stout  woody  stems 
coated  with  white  wool  and  armed  with 
prickles.  The  leaves  are  oval,  green  above 
with  a  waved  white  margin,  and  white 
underneath  and  while  young  the  droop- 
ing white  flowers  are  purple  at  the  centre 
with  orange  stamens,  and  give  place  to 
yellow  fruits  like  a  small  Tomato. 
Abyssinia. 

S.  PLATENSE. — A  true  creeper,  which 
instead  of  rambling  over  the  surrounding 
vegetation  runs  over  the  ground,  rooting 
as  it  goes  and  seldom  rising  more  than  a 
foot  high.  It  is  found  on  the  banks  of 
the  La  Plata  as  a  carpet  of  grey  downy 
leaves,  with  white  bell-shaped  flowers  on 
short  erect  stems,  followed  by  sweet  fruits 
of  the  same  colour. 

S.  ROBUSTUM. — A  much-branched  shrub 
of  4  feet,  its  stems  and  leaf-ribs  set  with 
sharp  spines  and  dense  red  hairs.  The 
leaves  are  large,  sharply  oval,  and  bluntly 
lobed,  or  nearly  triangular  higher  on  the 
stems,  green  and  velvety  above,  yellow  and 
woolly  beneath.  The  flowers  are  white 
with  orange  stamens,  and  the  rounded 
brown  berries  like  a  small  cherry.  Brazil. 

S.  TORREYI. — A  free-flowering  perennial 
hardy  in  the  south  of  Britain  with  root- 
protection.  The  violet  or  white  flowers 
are  large  and  handsome,  followed  by  yellow 
fruits  an  inch  in  diameter.  The  leaves 
are  waved  like  an  Oak-leaf,  4  to  6  inches 
long,  and  covered  beneath  with  mealy 
down.  Texas. 

S.  WENDLANDI. — The  noblest  of  Sola- 
nums,  and  one  of  the  handsomest  climbing 
plants  for  a  cool  greenhouse,  flowering 
profusely  through  a  long  season,  and  at 
its  best  about  August.  It  has  been  tried 
in  the  open  air  with  some  success  in  warm 
gardens  south  of  the  Thames  and  in  shel- 
tered places  along  our  southern  coasts. 


SOLANUM. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        SOLDANELLA.       729 


The  fleshy  stems  climb  freely,  bearing 
sparse  soft  spines.  Leaves  variable  in 
size  and  shape,  often  cut  into  deep  lobes. 
Flowers  in  large  drooping  clusters  of  a 
soft  lilac-blue  colour  and  2  inches  or  more 
across  ;  those  shown  in  the  engraving  form 


of  tender  side-shoots,  taken  with  a  heel 
from  plants  started  early  under  glass. 
Costa  Rica. 

SOLDANELLA  (Moon-wort) .— 

Diminutive  alpine  flowers,  at  one  time 


Solatium   Wendlandi. 


only  a  small  part  of  the  perfect  cluster, 
which  often  measures  a  foot  across.  The 
leaves  fall  in  winter,  when  the  plant 
should  be  kept  fairly  dry  at  the  root  and 
the  shoots  well  cut  back  before  again 
starting  into  growth.  Increase  by  cuttings 


considered  difficult  to  grow,  but  not 
really  so  if  grown  in  peaty  or  sandy 
and  moist  soil,  with  coarse  vigorous 
plants  kept  at  a  distance.  5.  alpina 
is  one  of  the  most  interesting  of  the 


730 


SOLIDAGO. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


plants  growing  near  the  snow-line  on 
the  great  mountain-chains  of  Europe. 
The  plants  thrive  best  in  moist  dis- 
tricts, and  in  dry  ones  evaporation 
may  be  prevented  by  covering  the 
ground  near  them  with  cocoa-fibre 
mixed  with  sand.  The  most  suitable 
position  is  a  level  spot  in  the  rock 
garden  near  the  eye.  The  plant  is 
increased  by  division,  though  being 
often  starved  and  delicate  from  con- 
finement in  small  worm-defiled  pots, 
exposed  to  daily  vicissitudes,  it  is 
rarely  strong  enough  to  be  pulled  to 
pieces.  5.  montana  is  allied  to  5. 
alpina,  but  with  larger  leaves  and 
purer  blue  flowers.  It  comes  from  the 
same  regions  and  needs  the  same  treat- 
ment. It  is  readily  increased  by  divi- 
sion, but  like  the  last,  is  often  too  weak 
for  this.  5.  pusilla  has  kidney-shaped 
leaves,  and  a  corolla  less  deeply  fringed. 
The  very  small  S.  minima,  with  its 
minute  round  leaves  and  its  single 
flower,  fringed  for  a  portion  of  its 
length  only,  is  rare.  These  plants 
thrive  under  the  same  conditions  as 
the'  others,  but,  being  much  smaller, 
require  more  care  in  planting,  viz.,  in 
a  mixture  of  peat  and  good  loam  with 
plenty  of  sharp  sand,  and  associated 
with  minute  alpine  plants.  They 
require  plenty  of  water  in  summer. 

SOLIDAGO  (Golden  Rod).— These 
N.  American  Composites  exter- 
minate valuable  plants,  and  give  a 
coarse,  ragged  aspect  to  the  border. 
They  are  also  gross  feeders  and  im- 
poverish the  soil.  They  hold  their 
own,  however,  in  a  copse,  or  a  rough 
open  shrubbery  among  the  coarsest 
vegetation,  and  the  silky  seeds  of  some 
kinds  persist,  with  a  pretty  effect,  far 
into  the  winter.  There  are  nearly 
100  kinds,  of  which  the  best  are  S. 
Buckleyi,  a  dwarf  species  with  bluish- 
green  foliage  and  orange  flowers  ; 
ccesia,  another  dwarf  kind  of  slender 
growth  with  pale  yellow  flowers  ; 
Gattingeri,  of  good  habit,  with  abun- 
dant plume-like  sprays ;  latifolia,  a 
dwarf  early  kind  with  broad  rounded 
leaves  ;  odora,  of  slender  growth,  with 
fragrant  deep  yellow  flowers,  quite  one 
of  the  best ;  rigida,  of  dwarf  erect 
growth,  with  downy  leaves,  fine 
flowers,  and  roots  which  do  not  run  ; 
serotina  lepida  (gigantea),  often  6  feet 
high,  with  dark  stems  and  large  heads 
of  flower  ;  Shortii,  the  best  of  the  tall 
kinds,  with  spreading,  finely  -  arched 
heads,  very  useful  for  cutting ;  spec- 
tabilis,  of  medium  height,  with  fragrant, 


deep  yellow  flowers,  and  not  too  strong 
at  the  root  ;  and  Virgaurea  nana,  the 
neatest  of  all,  with  compact  heads  only 
a  foot  high. 

SOLLYA  (Blue-bell  Creeper}.— Beau- 
tiful evergreen  climbing  shrubs  from 
Australia,  mostly  grown  under  glass 
but  hardy  in  the  open  air  in  the  warm- 
est parts  of  the  south-west  of  England, 
Wales,  and  Ireland.  Trained  around 
the  pillars  of  a  sunny  verandah,  or 
against  a  warm  wall,  the  dark  wiry 
stems  extend  freely,  bearing  narrow 
deep  green  leaves  and  small  drooping 
bell-flowers  of  a  clear  blue,  continued 
through  a  long  season.  The  best 
known  kind  is  S.  heterophylla,  and  of 
this  there  is  a  distinct  narrow-leaved 
form,  angustifolia,  which  twines  less 
freely.  Swan  River.  Increase  by 
seeds  and  by  cuttings  of  half-ripe 
shoots,  which  root  with  some  diffi- 
culty. 

SOPHORA  (New  Zealand  Labur- 
num] . — 5.  tetraptera  is  a  large  tree  in  its 
own  country,  and  makes  a  charming 
wall-plant  here.  The  variety  grandi- 
flora  has  larger  flowers  and  is  more 
robust,  while  the  variety  microphylla 
is  remarkable  for  finely-divided  leaves 
and  smaller  flowers.  In  sheltered 
gardens  against  walls  in  the  southern 
and  the  mild  parts  all  may  be  grown, 
though  they  may  need  extra  protection 
in  severe  winters.  Another  species  in 
cultivation  is  S.  chilensis,  which  also 
needs  protection.  Syn.,  Edwardsia. 


Sophora  japonica. 

S.  JAPONICA  (Pagoda  Tree). — One  of  the 
finest  of  flowering  trees,  elegant  in  foliage, 
and  in  September  covered  with  clusters  of 
white  bloom.  It  is  one  of  the  largest  of 
trees,  and  when  old  has  a  wide-spreading 
head  with  huge  limbs.  Its  long  pinnate 
leaves  retain  their  deep  green  colour  until 


SPARAXIS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.      SPECULARIA.         731 


autumn.  Where  space  is  limited  it  may 
be  kept  in  bounds  by  hard  pruning.  There 
are  several  varieties— a  drooping  kind, 
which  is  one  of  the  best  of  all  pendulous 
trees,  and'a  variegated-leaved  kind,  which 
is  not  satisfactory,  as  the  variegation  is 
seldom  good. 

S.  SECUNDIFLORA. — A  low  dense  tree  or 
leafy  shrub,  with  ornamental  foliage  com- 
posed of  neat  rounded  leaflets  with  a  glossy 
surface,  and  strongly  fragrant  violet-blue 
flowers  borne  in  a  dense  spike.  These  are 
followed  by  soft  silvery  pods  containing 
bright  red  seeds.  The  plant  is  not  easy 
to  obtain,  but  is  hardy  with  protection  in 
our  more  favoured  districts.  Texas  and 
New  Mexico. 

S.  VICIIFOLIA. — A  native  of  China,  it 
has  been  grown  in  this  country  for  the 
last  twelve  or  fifteen  years,  "and  has 
already  proved  one  of  the  best  hardy 
summer-flowering  shrubs.  As  a  bush,  it 
grows  at  least  5  or  6  feet  high,  but  will 
attain  quite  double  that  height  against  a 
wall.  In  good  loamy  soil  there  does  not 
appear  to  be  any  reason  to  doubt  that  it 
will  grow  in  almost  any  part  of  the 
country,  for  there  is  no  question  as  to  its 
hardiness.  Cuttings  root  fairly  readily, 
and  flcrwer  earlier  than  seedlings.  It 
transplants  badly,  so  should  be  planted 
young.  Mountains  of  China. 

SPARAXIS.  -  -  Charming  bulbous 
plants  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope, 
the  many  varieties  coming  chiefly  from 
5.  grandiflora  and  5.  tricolor.  They 
are  about  i  foot  high,  of  slender 
growth,  and  bear  large  showy  flowers 
which  vary  from  white  to  bright  scarlet 
and  deep  crimson,  usually  having  dark 
centres.  Sparaxis  are  valuable  for 
early-summer  flowers,  and  should  be 
treated  like  Ixias.  There  are  a  great 
many  named  varieties  offered  by  bulb- 
growers,  one  of  the  most  showy  and 
popular  being  Fire  King.  S.  pul- 
cherrima  (the  Wand-flower)  is  so  dis- 
tinct that  its  claim  to  be  a  Sparaxis 
has  often  been  disputed.  Its  tall  and 
graceful  flower-stems  rise  to  a  height 
of  5  or  6  feet,  and  wave  in  the  wind, 
but,  though  slender,  are  so  tough  and 
wiry  that  they  are  never  injured  like 
the  much  stronger-looking  stems  of  the 
Pampas  Grass.  It  has  a  great  objec- 
tion to  removal,  and,  if  necessary,  this 
should  be  done  as  soon  as  the  flowers 
begin  to  fade.  It  succeeds  in  dry  as 
well  as  damp  positions,  if  it  has  a  rich 
"friable  soil,  or  if  when  beginning  to 
grow  it  is  well  watered.  Syn.,  Die- 
ram  a. 

SPARTINA  POLYSTACHYA  (Reed 
Grass). — Though  hating  most  variega- 
tions, I  have  been  forced  to  admire  this 


tall  grass.  It  is  very  graceful,  with 
yellowish  variegation  and  of  tall  habit. 
It  is  a  free  grower  and  gives  a  fine 
group  of  foliage  in  the  mixed  border. 


Sparaxis  pulcherriina  (Wand   Flower). 

• 

SPARTIUM  (Spanish  Broom).  ~  S. 
junceum  is  a  S.  European  shrub, 
blooming  in  July,  August,  and  Sep- 
tember, when  shrubberies  are  usually 
flowerless.  It  is  thin-growing,  8  or 
10  feet  high,  and  its  Rush-like  shoots 
have  so  few  leaves  as  to  appear  leaf- 
less. It  bears  erect  clusters  of  fragrant 
bright  yellow  flowers  shaped  like  Pea- 
blossoms,  is  perfectly  hardy,  and  use- 
ful for  dry,  poor  soils,  where,  like  the 
common  Broom,  it  does  well,  coming 
freely  from  seed  scattered  broadcast 
where  we  wish  it  to  grow. 

SPECULARIA  (Venus' s  Looking- 
glass]. — These  are  similar  to  Cam- 
panulas, and  often  placed  with  them, 
though  distinct.  5.  Speculum,  with 
numerous  open  bell-like  bright  violet- 
purple  flowers,  is  one  of  the  showiest 
of  our  annuals.  Besides  the  large- 
flowered  form  called  grandiflora,  some- 


732        SPHENOGYNE.          THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


SPIRAEA. 


times  purple  and  sometimes  white, 
there  is  a  double-flowered  kind  which 
comes  true  from  seed,  also  a  dwarf 
compact  form  with  violet-blue  flowers. 
5.  pentagonia  is  another  favourite,  its 
flowers  larger  but  less  abundant  than 
those  just  described,  purple  in  colour, 
with  a  deep  blue  centre.  Both  these 
kinds  are  hardy  and  generally  scatter 
seed,  which  comes  up  year  after  year, 
without  trouble,  except  to  keep  the 
seedlings  within  bounds. 

SPHENOGYNE.— 5.  speciosa  is  a 
beautiful  half-hardy  Mexican  annual 
Composite  of  slender,  much-branched 
growth,  about  i  foot  high.  The 
flowers,  produced  from  July  to  Sep- 
tember, are  yellow  with  a  brownish 
centre  encircled  by  a  conspicuous  black 
ring,  the  centre  being  orange  in  the 
variety  aurea.  S.  speciosa  will  succeed 
if  sown  in  the  open  in  April. 

SPIGELIA  (Worm  Grass).  —  S. 
Marilandica  is  a  beautiful  native  of 
N.  America,  distinct  from  all  other 
hardy  plants.  It  forms  a  tuft  of 
slender  stems  about  i  foot  high,  each 
bearing  long  tubular  flowers  in  July, 
which  are  deep  red  outside  and  yellow 
inside.  In  its  own  land  it  grows  in 
sheltered  situations,  the  roots  going 
deep  down  into  rich  vegetable  mould. 
Partial  shade  in  summer  and  abund- 
ance of  moisture  are  essential.  Best 
in  the  lower  parts  of  the  rock  garden. 


Aruncus. 


SPIR^JA.— Beautiful  shrubby  or 
perennial  plants  of  easy  culture,  dis- 
tinct habit,  and  often  of  fine  form. 
They  grow  well  in  rich  soil  in  borders, 


and  are  also  excellent  for  the  margins 
of  water.  The  shrubby  kinds  are  of 
the  highest  value,  and  are  described 
in  a  sub-section.  The  best  of  the 
herbaceous  or  Meadow  Sweet  section 
are  as  follows  : — 

S.  ARUNCUS  (Goafs-beard). — A  vigorous 
perennial,  3  to  5  feet  high,  beautiful  in 
foliage  and  habit  as  well  as  in  flower.  Its 
flowers  are  freely  produced  in  summer  in 
large  gracefully-drooping  plumes.  It  is 
valuable  for  grouping  with  other  fine- 
foliaged  herbaceous  plants.  It  thrives  in 
ordinary  soil,  but  succeeds  best  in  a  deep 
moist  loam.  Europe,  Asia,  and  America. 
Division. 

S.  ASTILBOIDES.  —  A  moisture-loving 
plant  of  unusual  merit,  happiest  on  the 
banks  of  a  stream  or  pond.  It  is  quite 
distinct,  the  inflorescence  much  branched, 
and  the  flowers  of  a  creamy  white  closely 
packed'  on  the  stems. 

S.  CAMTSCHATICA. — A  gigantic  Meadow 
Sweet,  growing  from  6  to  10  feet  high, 
with  huge  palmate  leaves  and  large  fleecy 
bunches  of  white  flowers  crowning  the  tall 
stems.  Its  place  is  in  rich  bottoms  or  by 
water  in  deep  soil. 

S.  FILIPENDULA  (Dropwort). — A  British 
species,  i  to  2  feet  high,  with  loose  clusters 
of  yellowish-white  flowers,  often  tipped 
with  red.  When  the  flower-stems  are 
pinched  off  it  forms  an  effective  edging 
plant,  its  Fern-like  foliage  being  distinct. 
The  double  variety  (S.  Filipendula  fl.-pl.) 
is  useful  in  the  mixed  border.  Division. 

S.  LOBATA  (Queen  of  the  Prairie). — One 
of  the  best  of  the  hardy  Spiraeas,  18  to 
36  inches  high,  with  deep  rosy  carmine 
flowers  in  large  terminal  cymes.  It  thrives 
in  sandy  loam  on  the  mixed  border,  on 
the  margins  of  shrubberies,  or  grouped 
with  the  finer  perennials. 

S.  PALM  ATA. — A  beautiful  herbaceous 
plant  from  Japan.  It  has  handsome  pal- 
mate foliage,  and  in  late  summer  broad 
clusters  of  rosy-crimson  blossoms.  When 
well-grown  it  is  a  fine  plant  for  large  rock 
gardens,  in  borders,  or  on  the  margin  of 
shrubberies,  and  being  strong  enough  to 
take  care  of  itself,  it  may  be  naturalised. 

S.  ULMARIA. — This  native  Meadow 
Sweet  deserves  a  place,  if  only  for  the 
sake  of  variety,  in  the  mixed  border,  on 
the  margins  of  shrubberies. 

S.  BLUMEI. — -A  rare  and  pretty  shrub 
of  about  4  feet,  gracefully  arching,  with 
blunt  deeply-notched  leaves  and  abundant 
white  flowers  in  June.  Japan. 

S.  BULLATA. — A  neat  shrub  for  the  rock 
garden,  only  12  to  18  inches  high,  with 
erect  and  downy  branches,  rounded  and 
wrinkled  leaves,  and  deep  pink  flowers  in 
July  and  August.  Japan.  Syn.,  5.  crispi- 
folia. 

S.  CANA. — A  dense  shrub  of  i  to  2  feet, 
with  grey  down-covered  leaves  which  give 
the  plant  a  hoary  appearance.  The  tiny 


SPIRAEA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


733 


white  flowers  are  borne  upon  arching 
sprays  throughout  the  summer,  and  quite 
freely  even  on  small  plants. 

S.  CANESCENS. — A  graceful  shrub  from 
the  Himalayas,  reaching  a  height  of  many 
feet  at  maturity,  with  hairy  stems,  small 
bluntly-oval  leaves,  and  white  (or  rarely 
pale  pink)  Hawthorn-scented  flowers  in 
crowded  clusters  upon  the  slender  sprays. 
The  plant  needs  room  to  spread  its  whip- 
like  stems,  and  is  best  in  a  sheltered  place. 


toniensis,  but  its  variety  rotundiflora  is 
distinct  and  pretty. 

S.  DECUMBENS. — A  mountain  shrub  from 
the  Tyrol,  seldom  exceeding  6  inches  in 
height,  and  excellent  in  the  rock  garden, 
where  it  spreads  by  means  of  underground 
stems.  The  clusters  of  white  flowers, 
about  2  inches  across,  come  freely  in  June 
against  a  setting  of  pretty  toothed  leaves. 

S.  DISCOLOR  (Spray  Bush). — A  lovely 
shrub  8  to  10  feet  high.  We  should  seek 


Spircza  discolor. 


S.  CANTONIENSIS  (Canton  S.). — A  slender 
bush,  about  a  yard  high,  bearing  many 
small  clusters  of  white  flowers.  There  is 
also  a  beautiful  double  variety  in  which 
the  flowers  last  longer.  The  Plum-leaved 
Spiraea  (S.  prunifolia)  is  represented  in 
gardens  by  the  double  variety  (fl.-pl.}, 
a  charming  shrub,  with  flowers  like  tiny 
snow-white  rosettes,  in  early  summer 
wreathing  every  twig.  5.  media  (better 
known  as  5.  confusa)  resembles  5.  can- 


to give  full  expression  to  its  singular 
beauty  by  careful  grouping,  taking  care 
to  save  it  from  the  horrible  jumble  that 
nurserymen  give  us  when  they  plant  a 
"  shrubbery."  Given  an  open  position, 
it  forms  a  large  bush  of  good  form  laden 
during  summer  with  spray -like  panicles  of 
small  whitish  flowers.  Syn.,  S.  aricefolia. 
S.  DOUGLASI  and  S.  NOBLEANA. — Are  so 
similar  in  growth  and  flower  that  they 
may  be  conveniently  coupled,  though  as 


734 


SPIRAEA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


SPIRAEA. 


they  bear  their  clusters  of  deep  red  flowers 
at  different  times  it  is  well  to  have  both. 
N.  America.  5.  Douglasi  succeeds  in 
every  part  of  the  British  Isles  ;  5.  Nob- 
leana,  from  California,  is  less  hardy,  and 
flowers  earlier.  An  allied  plant  of  garden 
origin  is  5.  Billardii,  raised  from  S. 
Douglasi  crossed  with  salicifolia.  It  is  a 
pretty  shrub  of  6  feet,  with  oblong  leaves, 
and  narrow  crowded  spikes  of  bright  pink 
flowers,  5  to  8  inches  long,  from  July  into 
September.  S.  pachystachys,  another  gar- 
den hybrid  (from  corymbosa  and  Douglasi) 
bears  broader  leaves  and  pale  pink  flowers. 
S.  HYPERICIFOLIA. — From  Asia  Minor, 
the  type  of  a  small  group,  all  good  in 
growth  and  flower.  The  tall  slender 
stems  arch  gracefully,  and  under  good 
conditions  reach  a  height  of  8  feet, 
wreathed  in  the  flowering  season  with 
clusters  of  small  white  flowers. 


its  variety  superba,  and  is  a  handsome 
plant  with  graceful  wand-like  shoots  and 
large  bright  pink  flowers.  5.  Foxii, 
another  hybrid  of  dwarf  habit,  is  less  good. 
S.  bella,  from  the  Himalayas,  comes  near 
5.  japonica,  but  is  dwarfer  and  denser. 
All  these  kinds  flower  freely  through  the 
summer,  and  often  till  late  in  autumn. 

S.  LINDLEYANA  (Plume  S.). — A  noble 
shrub,  sometimes  10  feet  high,  its  graceful 
foliage  divided,  and  delicate  green,  the 
flower  clusters  large,  white,  and  plume- 
like,  being  at  their  best  in  August.  It 
thrives  in  warm  deep  soil,  and  loves  the 
chalk.  In  cool  soils  it  does  not  do  so 
well,  seeming  to  spread  more  at  the  root, 
but  is  always  beautiful  in  foliage  and 
habit.  Himalayas.  5.  Aitchisoni  from 
Afghanistan  also  comes  very  near  this, 
differing  little  save  in  its  larger  flowers, 


S.  JAPONICA  (Rosy  Bush  M.). — Easily 
recognised  by  its  slender  stems  3  or 
4  feet  high,  surmounted  by  broad  flat 
clusters  of  deep  pink  flowers.  It  is 
a  variable  species  with  several  other 
names,  such  as  5.  caUosa  and  5.  Fortunei. 
There  are  also  many  distinct  forms  in 
cultivation,  and  of  these  the  best  are 
alba,  a  pretty  compact  shrub  with 
white  flowers  ;  Bumalda,  of  the  same 
dwarf  habit  but  with  deep  rosy  flowers  ; 
Bumalda  Anthony  Waterer,  a  good  plant 
richer  in  colour  and  approaching  the  fine 
form  rubra  from  Japan,  in  which  the 
flowers  are  intense  crimson-purple  and  a 
shade  larger.  The  plants  called  atro- 
purpurea  and  coccinea  by  some  hardly 
differ  from  this.  Other  varieties  are 
splendens,  with  flowers  of  a  pale  peach 
colour  ;  glabrata,  of  more  rigid  habit,  with 
bright  pink  flowers  ;  and  Fraebeli,  an  early- 
flowering  form  with  wine-red  flowers  pass- 
ing to  deep  crimson.  S.  Bumalda  ruber- 
rima  is  a  cross  between  Bumalda  and 
bullata,  dwarfer  than  its  near  parent,  with 
larger  flowers  of  deeper  colour  ;  S.  Mar- 
gavitce  is  a  cross  between  S.  japonica  and 


ica,   A.    Waterer. 

ruddy  bark,  and  darker  green  leaves  cut 
into  smaller  leaflets. 

S.  SALICIFOLIA. — A  plant  covering  an 
immense  area  in  Europe,  Asia,  ami  X. 
America,  and  even  naturalised  in  parts  of 
Britain.  It  reaches  a  height  of  3  to  5 
feet,  with  long  serrate  leaves  and  rosy 
flowers  in  July  and  August,  their  precise 
character  differing  in  the  many  forms  in 
cultivation.  The  best  of  these  are  grandi- 
flora,  a  shrub  of  dwarf  habit  with  large 
pale  pink  flowers  ;  lanceolata  (or  alba)  with 
white  flowers  ;  and  latifolia  with  larger 
white  or  rose-tinted  flowers. 

S.  THUNBERGI  (Thunberg's  M.). — A 
dense  bush,  with  small  bright  green  leaves, 
and  in  early  spring  a  profusion  of  tiny 
white  blossoms.  It  is  hardy,  and  especi- 
ally suitable  for  planting  in  a  bold  rock 
garden  or  on  a  raised  bank  among  tree- 
stems.  Few  shrubs  are  so  fine  in  autumn, 
its  small  leaves  changing  to  brilliant 
crimson. 

S.  TOMENTOSA. — A  little  shrub  of  about 
4  feet,  with  down-covered  branches,  oblong 
leaves  grey  or  woolly  with  down  on  the 
underside,  and  white,  pink,  or  purplish 


SPIRAEA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GA&DEN. 


STACHYS. 


735 


flowers  in  dense  spikes.  N.  America.  A 
pretty  plant,  one  of  the  best  in  its  autumn 
flowers,  and  with  roots  not  much  inclined 
to  roam.  Especially  good  in  damp  ground 
and  overhanging  water. 

S.  VAN  HOUTTEI. — A  garden  cross  be- 
tween media  (confusa)  and  trilobata.  In 
late  spring  it  bears  masses  of  white  flowers 
so  thickly  clustered  as  to  hide  all  else  and 
emphasise  the  graceful  droop  of  the  stems. 
Indeed,  these  sometimes  droop  too  much, 
allowing  the  clusters  to  drag  and  spoil  in 
bad  weather.  The  flowers  open  about  the 
middle  of  May,  and  the  wand-like  shoots 
are  useful  for  cutting.  Being  sensitive  to 
cold  winds  and  late  frost,  a  sheltered  place 
is  best  for  this  kind. 

In  a  genus  like  Spiraea,  numbering 
many  reputed  species,  and  these  bur- 
dened with  endless  names  and  syno- 


japonica  coccinea,  Billardii,  Blumei, 
japonica  ruberrima,  tomentosa,  confusa, 
japonica  alba,  and  bullata  (crispifolia] . 
The  ' '  mixed  ' '  shrubbery,  where  the 
delicate  have  to  fight  the  strong,  is  no 
place  for  these  elegant  plants,  which, 
being  surface-rooters,  need  an  open, 
sunny  spot,  away  from  the  roots  of  big 
trees  and  shrubs,  and  where  the  garden 
is  large  enough,  I  should  have  isolated 
groups  (bold  masses  from  10  to  15  feet 
across)  of  the  taller  kinds,  such  as 
Lindleyana,  discolor,  Douglasi,  and 
others,  and  lesser  groups  of  the  dwarfer 
kinds — or  these  may  form  masses 
jutting  out  from  other  groups. 

SPRAGUEA. — 5.    umbellata,    a   sin- 
gular and  pretty  plant  allied  to  Clay- 


Spircea  Bumaltia. 


nyms,  it  is  perplexing  to  single  out 
the  choice  few  required  for  the  garden. 
The  fact  is,  we  have  too  many 
Spiraeas  and  too  great  a  similarity 
among  kinds  flowering  about  the  same 
time.  No  collection  need  number 
more  than  a  dozen  kinds,  and  good 
grouping  of  these  in  a  garden  would 
produce  better  effect  than  the  dotting 
about  of  many  sorts.  My  dozen  would 
be  the  following  : — S.  'Lindleyana,  dis- 
color, Douglasi,  Van  Houttei,  pruni- 
folia  fl.  pi.,  japonica  superba,  arguta, 
canescens  var.  flagellaris,  cantoniensis , 
bella,  Thunbergi,  and  japonica  Bum- 
alda  Anthony  Waterer.  This  selection 
embraces  all  the  sections,  and  is  suffi- 
cient in  a  general  way,  but  should 
more  be  required,  a  second  dozen 
might  include  : — S.  decumbens,  salici- 
folia  grandiflora,  Nobleana,  Aitchisoni, 


tonia,  6  to  9  inches  high,  has  fleshy 
foliage,  and  spikes  of  showy  pinkish 
blossoms.  If  seeds  are  sown  in  heat 
early  in  February,  then  potted  singly, 
and  planted  out  in  May,  the  plants  will 
bloom  in  August  and  September  ;  if 
sown  in  May,  the  plants  will  not  flower 
till  the  following  summer.  In  light 
soils  the  plants  will  stand  an  ordinary 
winter,  but  they  are  safer  in  a  frame, 
but  like  most  tap-rooted  plants,  they 
do  not  bear  moving  well,  except  while 
small.  California. 

STACHYS  (Woundwort).—The  com- 
mon 5.  lanata,  a  woolly-leaved  plant 
used  for  edging,  thrives  in  any  soil. 
5.  coccinea  is  a  rather  pretty  perennial 
with  spikes  of  red  flowers  about  i  foot 
high,  and  succeeds  in  a  partially-shaded 
border  anywhere  in  the  south.  Coming 


736       STACHYURUS.        THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.          STEIRONEMA. 


from  Mexico,  it  is  not  hardy  every- 
where. S.  grandiflora,  from  Asia 
Minor  and  Siberia,  is  a  neat  downy 
plant  with  showy  spikes  of  reddish- 
purple  or  rosy  flowers  from  May  on- 
wards, sometimes  used  in  the  rougher 
parts  of  the  rock  garden.  Division. 

STACHYURUS  PRCE COX.— Chinese 
shrubs  of  some  beauty.  They  are 
quite  hardy  and  flower  very  early, 
which  is  no  great  gain  in  our  country. 

STAPHYLEA  (Bladder  Nut).  — Of 
the  older  kinds  only  5.  colchica  is 
important,  this  being  a  beautiful 
shrub  with  pinnate  leaves  and  large 


the  finest  of  all,  with  wide-spreading 
flower-sterns  and  a  profusion  of  small 
purplish-blue  flowers  ;  and  S.  tatarica, 
a  dwarfer  species,  with  distinct  red 
flowers.  The  smaller  species,  such  as 
5.  minuta,  S.  minuti flora,  S.  caspia, 
S.  eximia,  are  good  rock  plants. 
Among  the  half-hardy  annuals  and 
biennials  the  best  are  :  5.  Bonditelli 
(yellow),  a  biennial  if  protected  in 
winter ;  S.  spicata,  with  spikes  of 
small  rosy  flowers  ;  Thouini  (violet), 
i  very  free  flowering  ;  and  sirniata 
I  (purple  and  white),  pretty,  and  easy 
|  to  grow. 


Spir&a  Lindleyana. 


terminal  clusters  of  snow-white  flowers 
in  early  summer.  It  is  hardy,  grows 
well  in  any  good  soil,  preferring  partial 
shade,  and  is  commonly  forced  into 
flower  for  the  greenhouse  in  early 
spring.  Increase  by  suckers,  layers, 
and  ripe  autumn  cuttings  rooted  under 
a  handlight  in  sandy  soil.  S.  Caucasus. 

STATICE  (Sea  Lavender)  .—Plants 
of  the  Leadwort  or  Plumbago  family, 
chiefly  natives  of  shore  and  mountain 
districts.  The  larger  species  require 
least  care  when  in  an  open  place,  while 
some  of  them  are  happy  on  the  rock 
garden.  They  are  deep-rooting  and 
dislike  disturbance,  taking  some  while 
to  regain  strength.  The  best  of  the 
larger  kinds  are  S.  Limonium,  of  which 
there  are  several  varieties  ;  S.  latifolia, 


STAUNTGNIA.— 5.  hexaphylla  is  a 
fine  evergreen  twining  pinnate-leaved 
shrub  from  China,  hardy  enough  in  the 
warmer  parts  of  these  islands  for  walls. 
Its  small  flowers  are  whitish,  fragrant, 
and  form  in  early  summer.  Occasion- 
ally these  are  succeeded  by  large 
reddish-purple  oval  fruits,  filled  with 
soft  juicy  pulp.  It  must  have  a 
sheltered  wall,  but  in  a  place  not  too 
dry  and  sunny,  or  the  leaves  turn  a 
sickly  yellow. 

STEIRONEMA. — Showy  perennials 
of  the  Primrose  order  from  N.  America, 
nearly  allied  to  Loosestrife,  and  thriv- 
ing under  the  same  conditions.  Two 
kinds  are  useful  at  the  waterside  or  in 
the  bog  garden,  5.  ciliata  with  leafy 
stems  i  to  3  feet  high,  bearing  showy 


STENANTHIUM.         THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.     STERNBERGIA.     73? 


pale-yellow  flowers  ;  and  5.  longi- 
folium,  with  shorter  square  stems 
clothed  with  narrow  shining  green 
leaves,  and  crowned  with  heads  of 
bright  yellow  flowers. 

STENANTHIUM.— A  small  group  of 
bulbous-rooted  plants  of  the  Lily 
order,  mostly  from  the  Pacific  coast 
of  N.  America.  The  only  species  cer- 
tainly in  cultivation  is  5.  robustum,  a 
hardy  plant  2  to  3  feet  in  height,  with 
graceful  plumes  of  closely-packed, 
creamy-white  and  fragrant  flowers  in 
August. 

STEPHANANDRA.— Graceful  shrubs 
allied  to  the  Spiraeas.  They  like  a  good 
loamy  soil,  well  drained,  but  still 
moist,  and  are  some  of  the  most  easily 
propagated  of  shrubs.  Cuttings  taken 
towards  the  end  of  the  summer  before 
the  wood  is  too  hard  root  readily, 
they  can  also  be  increased  by  division. 
When  plants  of  5.  flexuosa  which  have 
been  growing  long  in  one  spot  are 
removed,  quite  a  little  thicket  of  young 
plants  will  spring  from  the  roots  left 
in  the  ground. 

S.  FLEXUOSA. — Although  the  earlier 
introduced  of  the  two  species,  this  has 
not  long  been  in  cultivation.  It  grows 
3  to  4  feet  high  with  us.  It  is  chiefly  for 
its  graceful  habit  and  prettily  cut  foliage 
that  it  is  grown,  though  the  soft  red  of 
the  young  shoots  in  spring  and  the  crim- 
son-purple leaf  tints  in  autumn  render  it 
attractive  through  a  long  season.  Japan 
and  Corea. 

S.  TANAK^E. — From  S.  flexuosa  this  new 
species  is  readily  distinguished  by  its 
coarser,  more  succulent  growth,  and  by 
its  larger  and  less-divided  leaves.  The 
flowers  are  small,  greenish,  and  scanty, 
but  the  autumn  tints  of  well-grown  plants 
are  gorgeous,  and  the  stems  themselves 
take  on  a  bright  ruddiness  which  is 
retained  all  winter  and  makes  a  pretty 
feature  at  that  season.  Japan. 

STERNBERGIA  (Lily-of -the- Field}. 
— Charming  hardy  bulbs  with  flowers 
of  firm  texture,  better  able  to  withstand 
bad  weathei  than  the  Autumn  Crocus. 
One  source  of  failure  is  moving  them 
at  the  wrong  time,  or  before  growth  has 
fully  developed.  What  they  want  is 
thorough  ripening  in  summer  and  a 
slight  protection,  such  as  dry  litter, 
during  the  winter.  In  sandy  loams, 
and  fully  exposed  to  the  sun,  the  bulbs 
will  ripen  without  being  lifted,  and 
are  best  left  undisturbed  until  of 
flowering  size. 

S.  COLCHICIFLORA. — An  old  garden 
plant,  having  been  cultivated  by  Clusius 
and  Parkinson.  Its  fragrant,  pale  yellow 


flowers  come  in  autumn,  perfuming  with 
a  Jessamine-scent  the  fields  of  the  Crimea 
about  the  Bosphorus.  The  leaves  are 
narrow,  and  come  with  the  fruit  in  spring. 
The  plants  grow  in  dry  exposed  tracts  of 
the  Caucasus  and  Crimea,  and  are  hardy 
in  this  country.  5.  dalmatica  and  5.  pul- 
chella  are  varieties. 

S.  FISCHERIANA. — Nearly  allied,  is 
hardy,  and  has  the  habit  of  5.  lutea,  from 
which  it  differs  chiefly  in  flowering  in 
spring  instead  of  autumn,  and  by  its 
stalked  ovary  and  capsule.  Caucasus. 

S.  GR^ECA. — Has  very  narrow  leaves  and 
broad  perianth  segments.  Mountains  of 
Greece. 

S.  LUTEA. — The  great  autumn  Daffodil 
of  Parkinson,  it  is  a  very  pretty  hardy 
plant,  best  on  warm  gravelly  soils.  The 


Sternbergia  lutea. 


absence  of  seed  on  this  bulb  in  a  cultivated 
state  is  remarkable,  seeing  how  plentiful 
it  is  and  how  freely  it  flowers  in  many 
parts  of  the  country.  It  is  supposed  by 
some  writers  to  be  the  Lily  of  Scripture, 
as  it  grows  abundantly  in  the  vales  in 
Palestine.  5.  angustifolia  appears  to  be 
a  narrow-leaved  form,  very  free-flowering, 
and  more  vigorous  than  S.  lutea. 

S.  MACRANTHA. — This  is  a  really  hand- 
some species,  the  leaves  blunt  and  slightly 
glaucous,  about  an  inch  broad  when  fully 
developed  about  midsummer ;  flowers 
bright  yellow  in  autumn.  Asia  Minor. 

The  rarest  of  these  Sternbergias  should 
have  a  place  in  our  bulb  borders,  in  gritty 
or  open  soil,  associated  with  the  rarer 
Narcissi  and  choice  hardy  bulbs.  Their 
effect  in  masses  near  the  shelter  of  walls 
is  very  fine  in  autumn. 

3  A 


73* 


STIPA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN 


STEWART1A. 


S.  SICULA. — A  form  with  narrower  leaves 
and  segments  than  the  type,  while  the 
Cretan  variety  has  considerably  larger 
flowers. 

STIPA    (Feather     Grass). — A    large 

froup  of  grasses,  the  prettiest  of  which, 
.  pennata,  is  hardly  to  be  distinguished 
from  a  strong  stiff  tuft  of  common 
grass,  except  in  May  and  June,  when 
the  tuft  is  surmounted  by  numerous 
gracefully  arching  flower-stems,  nearly 
2  feet  high,  and  covered  with  long, 
twisted,  feathery  spikes.  Division  or 
seed.  5.  calamagrostis,  S.  capillata, 
and  5.  elegantissima  are  other  good 
Feather  Grasses. 

STOKESIA. — S.  cyanea  is  a  hand- 
some hardy  American  perennial,  18  to 
24  inches  high,  and  of  stout  free 
growth,  with,  in  September,  large 
showy  blue  flowers  somewhat  similar  to 
those  of  a  China  Aster.  It  grows  freely 
in  good  warm  soils,  but  from  its  late 
season  it  does  not  always  bloom  well. 
In  damp  localities  place  a  handlight 
over  the  plants  at  the  flowering  season, 
but  so  arranged  as  to  allow  free  admis- 
sion of  air.  The  variety  precox,  which 
flowers  in  August,  is  better.  There  are 
also  white-flowered  varieties  of  this 
early  form.  Failing  seed,  the  only 
way  to  increase  the  Stokesia  is  by 
means  of  root  cuttings  in  winter,  and 
these  inserted  in  pots  of  sandy  soil  in 
the  greenhouse  soon  make  useful 
plants. 

STRANVCESIA.— Chinese  evergreen 
shrubs  of  some  value  for  gardens. 
One,  5.  undulata,  is  quite  hardy  in  my 
garden,  and  pretty  and  graceful. 
Flowers  and  fruits  early. 

STRATIOTES  (Water  Soldier).— S. 
aloides  is  an  interesting  native  water- 
plant  with  a  compact  vasiform  tuft  of 
leaves,  from  the  centre  of  which  arises 
in  summer  a  spike  of  unattractive 
blossoms.  In  artificial  lakes  or  ponds 
it  will  take  care  of  itself,  increasing 
by  side-shoots  from  the  base  of  the 
leaves. 

STRUTHIOPTERIS  (Ostrich  Fern). 
— Tall,  handsome,  and  vigorous  hardy 
ferns  with  fronds  of  two  kinds,  fertile 
and  sterile,  the  former  being  always 
grouped  in  the  centre  of  the  plant,  and 
the  latter  forming  a  cordon  round 
them.  Struthiopteris  can  be  increased 
by  division  of  the  creeping  under- 
ground stems,  which  run  for  some 
distance  round  well-established  plants. 
They  revel  in  moist  loam  and  leaf-soil, 
and  "are  of  noble  appearance  in  the 


bolder  rock  gardens.  The  kinds  suited 
for  gardens  are  S.  germanica  and  5. 
pennsylvanica.  The  former  is  one  of 
the  best  hardy  Ferns,  with  fronds 
nearly  3  feet  long,  and  well  suited  for 
shady  slopes,  and  the  margins  of 
streams  and  pieces  of  water  ;  it  will 
thrive  either  in  sun  or  shade.  5. 
pennsylvanica  closely  resembles  it,  but 
has  narrow  fertile  fronds.  5.  orientalis 
I  give  a  place  to,  but  have  not  yet 
found  what  suits  it  best.  Both  kinds 
will  grace  the  garden,  and  should  not 
be  confined  to  the  fernery,  and  for  long 
have  had  a  cool  corner  in  my  garden. 

STEW ARTIA.— Though  these  beau- 
tiful shrubs  flower  at  a  time  when  the 
shrub  garden  is  past  its  best,  they  are 
seldom  planted.  The  flowers,  like  a 
large  single  Camellia,  are  beautiful 
and  abundant.  They  need  no  care 
beyond  mulching  in  light  soils  and 
during  dry  seasons,  and  the  removal 
at  intervals  of  weak  and  exhausted 
wood.  The  most  vigorous  kind  is  the 
Japanese  S.  Pseudocamellia,  and  it  is 
also  the  finest  in  its  autumn  tints. 
Though  far  less  vigorous  and  hardy, 
the  flowers  of  5.  virginica,  with  their 
contrast  of  white  and  crimson,  are 
chastely  beautiful,  and  S.  pentagyna 
is  also  worth  growing.  Peat  soil  is 
often  recommended  for  these,  but  is 
not  necessary  in  gardens  of  good  free 
loam  or  alluvial  grit,  and  they  will 
even  flower  well  in  some  poor  soils. 
A  damp  place  and  a  moist  atmosphere 
are  favourable,  as  is  proved  by  the 
fine  growth  of  Stewartias  in  a  wet 
season,  and  the  fact  that  they  invari- 
ably choose  stream-sides  and  wet 
places  in  their  own  land.  Increase  is 
difficult  and  the  young  plants  of  slow 
growth.  The  lower  branches  may  be 
layered,  or  cuttings  of  the  nearly  ripe 
wood,  taken  with  a  heel  towards  the 
end  of  summer,  and  plunged  in  sandy 
soil  under  a  bell-glass,  will  slowly  root. 

There  are  five  species  of  Stewartia, 
but  only  three  are  in  cultivation. 

S.  PENTAGYNA  (Shell  Flower). — The  best 
of  the  American  kinds,  reaching  a  height 
of  15  to  20  feet,  and  freely  branched  from 
the  base  upwards.  The  flowers  are 
fragrant,  3  to  4  inches  across,  creamy- 
white  with  yellow  anthers,  coming  in 
July  and  August  for  about  three  weeks. 
In  all  stages  the  flowers  are  beautiful, 
almost  translucent  in  their  purity,  tinged 
with  pink  upon  the  outside  while  in  bud, 
and  finely  fringed  at  the  edges.  The 
leaves  are  oval,  5  to  6  inches  long,  rounded 
at  the  base,  and  •  finely  toothed. 


StYLOPHORUM.      THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.      SYMPLOCOS. 


S.  PSEUDOCAMELLIA. — A  lovely  flower- 
ing  tree  from  the  mountains  of  Japan, 
where  it  reaches  a  height  of  50  feet.  The 
white  -flowers  are  2  to  3  inches  across,  with 
a  tuft  of  yellow  anthers,  but  they  look 
smaller  than  this  because  they  remain 
half-closed  like  an  Abutilon,  and  never 
open  flat  as  in  other  Stewartias.  The 
leaves  are  thick  like  those  of  a  Camellia, 
smooth,  bright  green  with  often  a  reddish 
tinge,  and  finely  coloured  with  gold  and 
crimson  in  the  autumn.  Syn.,  S.japonica.  • 

S.  VIRGINICA.  —  From  the  warmer 
states  of  N.  America,  where  it  grows  in 
swamps,  on  river  banks,  and  in  shady 
places.  At  its  best  it  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  of  flowering  shrubs,  though  more 
sensitive  to  cold  and  never  so  vigorous  as 
the  other  kinds,  rarely  exceeding  10  feet 
in  height,  and  with  a  looser  habit  of 

frowth.  In  this  kind  the  flowers  are 
nest  of  all  but  less  abundant,  measuring 
4  inches  across,  with  pure  white  shell-like 
petals,  sometimes  more  or  less  streaked 
with  crimson  towards  the  base,  and  with 
red  stamens  in  the  centre. 

STYLOPHORUM.— S.  diphyllum  is 
a  hardy  Poppywort,  but  a  much  finer 
plant,  bearing  large  bright  yellow 
flowers  in  early  summer.  It  is  best 
in  partial  shade  in  ordinary  soil.  N. 
America. 

STYRAX. — Trees  and  shrubs  belong- 
ing mostly  to  warm  countries  ;  a  few 
of  the  hardier  kinds  succeed  fairly  well 
with  us  in  light  moist  soils.  They  are 
summer-leafing,  of  neat  habit,  and  with 
abundant  flowers  like  little  white  bells 
depending  from  the  underside  of  the 
branches.  The  commonest  and  best 
kind  is  S.  japonicum,  but  there  are 
others  worth  growing  though  seldom 
planted.  Increase  by  layers,  seed, 
and  cuttings  of  the  soft  wood  in  heat, 
or  of  partially  ripened  shoots  under  a 
handlight  in  the  open  air,  later  in 
summer.  Peat  is  not  necessary  for 
these  plants  where  the  natural  soil  is 
good  and  free,  but  heavy  soils  are 
against  them  and  they  dislike  chalk 
and  much  lime.  The  following  kinds 
are  in  cultivation  : — 

S.  AMERICANUM. — A  shrub  of  6  to  8  feet, 
grows  in  wet  places  in  S.  Carolina  and 
Virginia,  with  nodding  white  flowers  from 
April  into  June.  5.  californicum,  a  shrub 
of  5  to  8  feet  from  the  mountains  of 
California,  bears  larger  flowers,  but  is 
tender  with  us. 

S.  GRANDIFOLIUM. — A  pretty  shrub  of 
8  to  10  feet  high,  and  the  best  of  the 
American  kinds  for  this  country.  To  do 
well  it  needs  a  warm  and  rather  dry  place, 
even  in  our  southern  gardens,  to  ripen 
the  shoots  in  autumn,  without  which  the 
flowers  are  scanty  and  the  plant  liable 


to  injury.  The  leaves,  are  3  to  6  inches 
long,  tapering  to  a  point  and  hairy  on  the 
underside,  and  freely  bears  during  early 
summer  fragrant  white  flowers.  Moun- 
tains of  Georgia  and  Carolina. 

S.  HEMSLEYANUM. — A  summer-leafing 
small  tree,  native  of  China,  of  recent 
introduction,  and  growing  well  in  Corn- 
wall, and  worth  trying  farther  north. 
Best  in  warm  spots  and  on  free  soil. 
Flowers  white. 

S.  JAPONICUM. — The  most  useful  and 
handsome  of  the  group,  hardy  almost 
anywhere  in  the  south,  but  tender  in  the 
Midlands  unless  grown  upon  a  sheltered 
wall  and  protected  in  sharp  weather. 
The  habit  of  the  plant  is  characteristic, 
the  branches  spreading  flatly  into  slender 
much-branched  shoots,  covered  with  ovate 
glossy  leaves  and  myriads  of  little  white 
bells  dangling  clear  of  the  leaves  upon 
their  long  stems,  which  spring  from  the 
underside  of  the  branches.  In  Japan  it  is 
a  tree  40  feet  high,  but  so  far  we  have  none 
approaching  this  height.  Another  Japan- 
ese kind,  5.  serrulatum,  comes  very  near 
this,  but  is  less  hardy.  There  is  a  pretty 
form  of  S.  japonicum  in  which  the  buds 
are  flushed  with  rose  colour. 

S.  OBASSIA. — A  Japanese  plant  with 
large  broadly-oval  leaves  sometimes 
8  inches  across,  and  racemes  of  fragrant 
white  flowers  like  a  Snowdrop,  and  open- 
ing a  little  earlier  than  in  5.  japonicum. 
Two  fine  plants  have  grown  for  years 
without  injury  at  Coombe  Wood.  In 
Japan  it  is  30  feet  high,  with  bold  leaf 
effect  even  when  out  of  flower. 

S.  OFFICINALE. — A  shrub  from  the 
Mediterranean,  12  to  15  feet  high,  with 
sweet  flowers  like  the  Orange,  opening  as 
little  clusters  in  May  or  June.  It  needs 
the  same  care  as  S.  japonicum,  flowering 
and  fruiting  freely  against  a  sheltered 
wall. 

SWERTIA  (Marsh  Swertia). — 5.  per- 
ennis  has  slender  erect  stems,  i  to  3 
feet  high,  terminated  by  erect  spikes 
of  flowers,  which  are  greyish-purple 
spotted  with  black,  and  produced  in 
summer.  It  is  not  showy,  but  inter- 
esting for  the  bog  garden,  or  may  be 
naturalised  in  damp  peaty  soil.  Seed 
or  division. 

SYCOPSIS  SINENSIS.— An  ever- 
green  shrub,  in  its  native  China  a  low 
tree  growing  at  rather  high  altitudes. 
It  is  said  by  Mr  Bdan  to  be  hardy  at 
Kew.  It  is  easily  increased.  Neat  in 
habit  and  distinct  in  appearance. 

SYMPLOCOS  CRATflSGOIDES.  —  A 

summer-leafing  shrub  of  elegant  habit, 
native  of  China  and  India,  where  its 


740      SYMPHORICARPUS.      THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         SVRINGA. 


fruit  is  said  to  be  a  brilliant  blue.  It 
has  been  little  tried  in  our  country 
as  yet. 

SYMPHORICARPUS  (Snowbeny).— 
The  common  Snowberry  (S.  racemosus) 
is  a  familiar  shrub,  but  we  would 
exclude  it  from  a  choice  selection  ; 
also  the  Wolf  Berry  (S.  occidentalis) , 
and  5.  vulgaris,  the  Coral  Berry,  or 
Indian  Currant,  which  has  small  pur- 
plish berries  in  clusters.  The  flowers 
of  these  kinds  are  not  showy,  their 
growth  is  coarse,  and  they  smother 
choicer  things.  Their  chief  value  is 
for  undergrowth  in  woods,  or  for  orna- 
mental covert  (as  birds  eat  the  berries) , 
and  they  will  flourish  anywhere.  If 
admitted  to  the  garden  the  clumps 
should  be  cut  to  the  ground  every 
spring  to  encourage  young  free-flower- 
ing shoots,  and  the  roots  trimmed 
deeply  with  a  spade  to  prevent  their 
spreading  unduly. 

SYMPHYANDRA. — Campanula-like 
plants  of  not  high  rank,  5.  pendula 
from  the  rocky  parts  of  the  Caucasus, 
having  branched  pendulous  stems  and 
large  cream-coloured  bell  flowers, 
almost  hidden  in  the  leaves.  It  is 
hardy,  and  rarely  more  than  i  foot  in 
height.  It  does  well  with  other  Bell- 
flowers,  but  is  best  seen  at  the  level  of 
the  eye  in  the  rock  garden  ;  it  is  also 
a  good  border  plant  in  ordinary  garden 
soil.  Seed.  The  Austrian  5.  Wanner  i 
rarely  exceeds  6  inches  in  height,  with 
deep  mauve  flowers  borne  freely  on 
branching  racemes.  Like  5.  pendula, 
it  prefers  a  light,  warm,  rich  soil  and 
a  partially-shaded  situation.  5.  Hof- 
manni,  from  Bosnia,  is  considerably 
taller  than  the  others,  with  large  white 
flowers  and  hairy  leaves.  All  these 
plants  are  short-lived,  and  best  re- 
garded as  of  biennial  duration  only. 

SYMPHYTUM  ( Comfrey)  .—Suited 
for  naturalising  in  open  sunny  places, 
and,  when  well  grown  in  masses,  their 
foliage  has  a  fine  effect.  The  largest 
and  best  kinds  for  the  wild  garden  are 
5.  asperrimum  and  5.  caucasicum. 
The  Bohemian  Comfrey  (S.  bohemicum] 
is  a  handsome  perennial,  about  i  foot 
high,  with,  in  early  summer,  erect  twin 
racemes  of  brilliant  reddish-purple 
flowers.  The  variegated  leaved  form 
of  the  common  Comfrey  (5.  officinale] 
has  striking  variegation,  effective  in  a 
garden  of  hardy  flowers,  and  thriving 
in  any  soil. 

SYNTHYRIS.— A  group  of  hardy 
little  herbs  from  the  Rocky  Mountains, 


allied  to  Wulfenia,  and  forming  neat 
tufts  of  elegant  foliage  with  dense 
spikes  of  blue,  purple,  or  white  flowers. 
The  best  is  5.  reniformis,  with  tough, 
prettily-cut  leaves,  and  spikes  of  bluish- 
purple  flowers  a  foot  high.  These  come 
in  early  spring  or  sometimes  even  in 
autumn,  and  the  plant  does  best  in  a 
cool,  shady  place  with  free  soil. 

SYRINGA  (Lilac).  —  Where  these 
lovely  shrubs  are  well  grown  they 
afford  beautiful  effects  in  the  home 
landscape  as  well  as  fragrance.  To  no 
family  has  the  harm  done  by  grafting 
been  more  injurious  than  to  the  Lilac, 
when  grafted  on  Privet  for  the  sake  of 
cheapness  and  increase.  I  lost  ten 
years  through  a  grafted  collection ; 
instead  of  growing  up,  the  plants  grew 
down  and  slowly  perished.  And  so  it 
has  been  in  many  gardens  where  Lilacs 
have  been  planted  but  rarely  show 
their  value,  though  so  many  superb 
varieties  have  been  raised  of  recent 
years. 

To  secure  the  full  value  of  the 
varieties  that  we  now  have,  with  their 
long  racemes  beautiful  in  colour  if  only 
well  grown,  the  first  thing  is  to  insist 
that  none  shall  be  grafted  on  the  Privet. 
As  to  arrangement,  the  best  way  is  to 
group  our  Lilacs  in  the  sun  :  they  are 
too  often  put  away  among  mixed 
shrubs,  where  they  deteriorate,  owing 
to  crowding. 

Few  shrubs  are  better  worth  pruning, 
without  which  they  become  a  tangled 
mass  of  shoots,  and  we  do  not  get  the 
fine  full  thyrses  of  bloom  that  are  seen 
in  French  gardens.  On  fading,  the 
flowers  should  be  removed,  and  the 
small  and  weak  shoots  also,  if  the  plants 
are  too  "  stalky,"  the  aim  being  to 
secure  healthy  and  open  growth  during 
summer.  Cutting  back  in  winter  is 
wrong,  because  the  flowers  are  pro- 
duced on  the  wood  of  the  previous 
year,  and  cutting  back  to  a  stiff  ugly 
outline  does  not  deserve  the  name  of 
pruning.  To  prune  is  to  help  the 
natural  shape  of  the  bush  and  let  the 
light  into  it,  so  that  it  can  concentrate 
its  energy  on  a  number  of  strong 
flowering  shoots. 

We  read  sometimes  that  the  Lilac 
will  do  in  any  soil,  and  so  it  may  in 
districts  where  the  soil  is  warm  and 
good,  as  in  much  of  Ireland,  where  the 
Rouen  Lilac  (commonly  called  the 
Persian)  makes  such  lovely  trees. 
Cold  places  in  valleys  are  not  so  good 
for  them,  especially  where  heavy  soil 
occurs,  because  being  early  the  bloom 


SYRINGA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


TAGETES. 


741 


is  often  caught  by  late  frosts.  There- 
fore, in  addition  to  warm  soil,  we  should 
try  and  secure  positions  not  too  low 
down  and  somewhat  sheltered.  Com- 
ing from  a  warmer  and  sunnier  land 
than  our  own — Transylvania  and  the 
regions  near — very  cold  soils  and  situa- 
tions are  against  success. 

Lilacs  grow  freely  from  seed  if  sown 
as  soon  as  ripe.  Cuttings  are  best 
made  from  the  young  wood  in  early 
summer,  struck  in  sand  on  a  hotbed, 
where  they  root  in  six  to  eight  weeks. 
Layering  should  be  done  in  early 
autumn,  or  suckers  may  be  taken  in 
spring  and  root  readily.  When  once 
we  have  the  Lilac  on  its  own  roots, 
increase  from  suckers  is  easy. 

Though  some  of  the  old  varieties 
were  beautiful — even  the  common 
Lilac  when  well  grown — to  have  a 
good  Lilac-time  it  is  essential  to  have 
the  newer  varieties  raised  in  France, 
and  remarkable  for  their  full  range  of 
colour.  The  best  are  : — 

SINGLES. — White — Marie  Legraye, 
Princess  Alexandra,  Fr?u  Dammann, 
Madame  Moser,  alba  pyramidalis. 
Pink — Dr  Regel,  Eckenholm,  Fiirst 
Lichtenstein,  Schermerhornii,  Jacques 
Callot,  and  Lovanensis.  Dark  flowers 
— Dr  Lindley,  Ludwig  Spath,  Aline 
Mocqueris,  Toussaint  L'Ouverture, 
Volcan,  Philemon,  President  Massart. 

DOUBLES.  —  White  —  Madame  Le- 
moine,  Madame  Casimir  Perier, 
Obelisque,  Madame  Abel  Chatenay. 
Lavender  and  blue — Alphonse  Lav- 
allee,  President  Grevy,  Lamarck,  Leon 
Simon,  Monument  Carnot,  Condorcet, 
Doyen  Keteleer,  Guizot,  Marc  Micheli. 

These  double  kinds  have  denser 
flower-clusters,  and  usually  last  longer 
than  the  single  varieties,  but  they  are 
not  so  pretty  as  the  single  kinds.  An 
indispensable  Lilac  is  the  small  Persian 
(S.  persica],  which,  being  dwarf  and 
erect,  is  well  suited  for  the  outskirts  of 
a  group  of  Lilacs.  Its  small  flower- 
clusters  are  a  pale  lilac,  or  nearly  white. 
The  pretty  variety,  with  deeply-cut 
leaves  (laciniata],  must  not  be  over- 
looked. The  Rouen  or  Chinese  Lilac 
(S.  chinensis),  also  known  as  S.  dubia 
and  S.  rothomagensis,  is  intermediate 
between  the  common  Lilac  and  the 
Persian  Lilac,  and  well  worth  growing. 
The  large  5"  Emodi,  from  the  Hima- 
layas, is  coarse  in  growth,  and  not 
remarkable  for  its  pale  purple  flowers, 
which  come  later  than  the  common 
Lilac.  The  Hungarian  Lilac  (S. 
Josikcea]  is  a  pretty  shrub  differing 
from  other  Lilacs.  It  reaches  a  height 


of  nearly  6  feet,  and  bears  erect  spikes 
of  small  pale  mauve  flowers.  S.  japo- 
nica  bears  in  summer  large  dense 
clusters  of  creamy-white  flowers,  which 
somewhat  resemble  those  of  the 
Japanese  Privet.  Other  kinds  that 
have  come  to  us  recently  from  the  Far 
East  are  5.  villosa  from  Japan,  which 
also  attains  a  large  size  with  abundant 
purple  flowers  about  the  middle  of 
June.  5.  oblata,  from  China,  is  the 
first  of  all  Lilacs  to  bloom,  with  loose 
clusters  of  purple  or  white  flowers,  and 
large  heart-shaped  leaves  of  glossy 
green  which  turn  a  wine-red  colour 
in  autumn.  5.  pekinensis,  from  the' 
mountains  of  N.  China,  belong  to  the 
Privet-like  group  represented  by  5. 
japonica,  and  is  of  graceful  form, 
though  not  quite  so  large  a  tree.  It 
is  very  hardy  and  keeps  its  handsome 
foliage  till  late  in  autumn,  but  does 
not  flower  freely  in  a  young  state. 
There  is  a  pretty  variety  of  this,  with 
pendulous  slender  branches.  Inter- 
esting as  these  species  are  from  a 
botanical  point  of  view,  little  is  yet 
known  of  their  beauty  in  our  country, 
and  such  of  them  as  have  been  tried 
have  less  beauty  than  the  finer  forms 
of  the  old  hybrid  Lilac. 

TAGETES.— The  French  and   Afri- 
j   can  Marigolds  have  long  been  favourite 
garden  flowers.     There  are  also  peren- 
•   nial  kinds,  but  they  are  too  tender  for 
out  of  doors,  though  one  or  two,  such 
as   T.  lucida  and  T.  Parryi,  are  desir- 
able.    The    annual    kinds    are    from 
Mexico,  and  the  best  are  : — • 

T.  ERECTA  (African  M.). — Known  by  its 

stiff,    erect    habit,    and    massive    double 

yellow  blooms.     A  peculiarity  of  it  is  that 

one-third  of  the  seeds  saved  from  the  finest 

double  flowers  always  produce  single  ones, 

while  the  rest  are  invariably  double.     The 

deep  orange  and  pale  yellow  forms  are 

|   pretty  planted  together.     Sow  seed  under 

j    glass   in    April,    for   then,    even   without 

;   bottom-heat,  they  will  start  freely.     When 

!    the  young  plants  are  3  inches  in  height, 

j    dibble  them  out  again  either  into  a  frame 

I   or  under  handlights  to  keep   away  slugs. 

|    When  large  flowers  are  desired  the   soil 

must  be  rich,  and  the  buds  thinned  out. 

T.  PATULA  (French  M.). — A  summer 
annual  of  varied  colour,  striped,  mottled, 
and  coloured  with  yellow,  orange,  chest- 
nut, and  other  hues.  Sometimes  one 
plant  has  striped  blooms,  and  at  other 
times  self-yellow  or  maroon  flowers. 
Their  unpleasant  odour  unfits  them  for 
cutting.  There  are  now  compact  named 
forms  of  the  French  Marigold,  not  exceed- 
ing 9  inches  in  height,  and  free  in  their 
brilliant  single  or  double  flowers, 


742 


TAMARIX. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


TAXODIUM. 


T.  SIGNATA. — Allied  to  the  French 
Marigold,  but  has  much  smaller  flowers, 
either  double  or  single.  As  it  needs  a 
little  starving  to  induce  it  to  bloom  freely 
in  beds  and  masses,  the  soil  must  be  rather 
poor.  Like  all  other  Marigolds,  it  stands 
drought  well. 

TAMARIX  (Tamarisk).  —  Graceful 
hardy  shrubs,  remarkably  distinct  in 
their  feathery  growth  and  pale  pink 
flowers,  produced  in  succession  by  the 
various  kinds  from  May  to  October. 
No  other  woody  plants  we  can  grow 
in  the  open  air  give  the  same  fine 
effect,  yet  they  are  often  neglected 
owing  to  our  way  of  mixing  things 
together  without  regard  to  soil,  expo- 
sure, and  position.  Lost  in  the  jumble 
of  the  shrubbery  they  never  give  good 
effect,  and  often  perish  outright  from 
the  encroachments  of  hungry  neigh- 
bours, but  grouped  apart  with  free 
air  and  space  they  are  among  the 
most  graceful  of  shrubs.  For  the 
seashore  they  have  no  equal,  thriving 
in  pure  sand  and  shingle,  their  fine 
branches  splitting  up  the  wind  and 
the  heath-like  foliage  indifferent  to 
the  salt  spray.  They  are  readily 
increased  from  soft  cuttings  rooted 
under  glass,  ripened  cuttings  which 
root  in  the  open  air,  and  even  thick 
branches,  which  often  root  like  a 
Willow  if  planted  deeply  while  quite 
fresh.  We  are  richer  in  names  than 
in  distinct  kinds,  for  the  same  shrubs 
in  slightly  differing  forms  have  been 
named  over  and  over  again  in  nur- 
series, and  some  of  the  species  run  so 
closely  together  that  even  botanists  are 
puzzled.  The  following  kinds  are  dis- 
tinct : — 

T.  CHINENSIS. — A  recent  introduction. 
It  is  not  quite  so  hardy  as  our  native  kind, 
though  like  it  in  many  respects.  It  has 
very  plumose  branches,  and  is  a  most 
graceful  shrub  with  pink  flowers. 

T.  GALLICA  (French  Tamarisk). — Is 
found  wild  on  the  south-west  coast  of 
England,  in  France,  and  N.  Africa.  It  is 
a  shrub  5  to  10  feet  high,  or  in  N.  Africa 
a  tree  30  feet  high  or  more.  The  flowers 
are  pale  pink,  and  borne  on  short  cylin- 
drical spikes  in  summer.  T.  anglica  is 
one  of  the  forms  of  this  species,  which 
varies  much  in  different  parts  of  its  area. 

T.  HISPIDA  (Kashgar  T.). — This  species 
is  from  C.  Asia,  and  is  distinct,  the  foliage 
being  of  a  bluish-green  colour.  It  flowers 
in  autumn.  A  seedling  form  of  this, 
(sstivalis,  differs  widely  again  from  the 
parent,  being  taller  and  more  vigorous  in 
growth,  with  flowers  from  July,  or  a  full 
two  months  earlier.  It  is  also  of  easier 


increase,  and  very  desirable  because  of  its 
season  of  flower. 

T.  ODESSANA. — A  new  kind,  with  soft 
grey-green  foliage  and  handsome  spikes  of 
large  rosy- white  flowers.  South-east  of 
Europe  and  Asia  Minor. 

T.  TETRANDRA. — Very  like  T.  gallica  in 
general  appearance,  but  distinguished  by 
having  four  instead  of  five  anthers.  It  is 
quite  hardy,  growing  and  flowering  freely 
near  London.  The  flowers  are  pinkish- 
white.  Caucasus. 

MYRICARIA  GERMANICA. — Nearly  allied 
to  Tamarix,  and  often  figures  in  nursery 
catalogues  under  the  latter  name.  It 
differs  in  having  ten  stamens  to  each 
flower.  The  branches  are  erect,  rather 
sturdier  than  in  the  true  Tamarisks,  and 
the  leaves  are  of  a  pale  glaucous  hue,  the 
flowers  white  or  rosy  in  June.  It  is  a 
native  of  various  parts  of  Europe  and 
Asia.— W.  J.  B. 

TANACETUM  (Tansy).— An  elegant 
variety  of  the  common  Tansy,  T.  vitl- 
gare,  and  much  dwarfer  in  stature  than 
it,  is  the  var.  crispum.  Its  emerald 
green  leaves  are  smaller,  and  have  a 
crisped  appearance. 

T.  HERDERI. — A  pretty  plant  for  the 
rock  garden,  with  silvery  leaves  on  thick 
forked  stems,  which  rise  a  few  inches  from 
the  surface.  The  bright  yellow  flowers 
have  a  good  effect  on  the  silvery  foil. 
Similar  in  height  and  effect  is  T.  argenteum, 
which  makes  a  shrubby  mass  of  silver 
rosettes  and  golden  flowers.  Division. 

TANAKEA  RADICANS.— A  Japan- 
ese alpine  of  dwarf  carpeting  and 
creeping  habit,  this  is  a  recent  intro- 
duction from  Japan.  The  plant  is 
evergreen,  and  forms  masses  of  firm 
leathery  leaves  from  which  issue 
dainty  feathery  plumes  of  creamy- 
white  flowers  late  in  spring.  Not  more 
than  6  inches  in  height,  it  is  of  easy 
culture,  and  growing  freely  in  peat  and 
loam.  A  good  rock  garden  subject  for 
cool  situations. 

TAXODIUM  (Summer  -  leafing 
Cypress). —  T.  distichum  is  a  beautiful 
and  stately  tree,  attaining  in  its  own 
country  a  height  of  150  feet.  In  our 
country  it  is  of  proved  hardiness, 
though  neglected  since  the  advent  of 
Californian  and  other  half-hardy  coni- 
fers. A  native  of  marshy  places,  it  is 
best  planted  in  like  situations  in  our 
country.  From  the  roots  of  old  trees 
its  curious  excrescences  arise  in  the 
shape  of  great  bald  knobs  3  or  4  feet 
high.  A  tree  of  such  beauty  should 
be  grouped  wherever  water  enters  intx) 


TAXUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


TECOMA. 


743 


the  home  landscape,  the  fresh  green  of 
the  leaves  being  a  welcome  gain. 
There  is  a  pendulous  form,  but  any 
other  so-called  varieties  are  better 
let  alone.  Secure  healthy  young  plants 
from  seed  only. 

TAXUS  (Yew).— This,  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  of  evergreen  trees,  has 
long  been  used  in  our  flower  gardens, 
clipped  and  distorted  in  what  is  called 
"  topiary  "  work.  Evelyn  is  said  to 
have  introduced  the  practice  with  the 
Yew,  but  probably  it  originated  with 
very  old  gardens,  in  which  the  Yew 
tree  stood  by  the  door.  In  such  a 
case  clipping  was  necessary,  but  in 
modern  gardens  clipping  of  a  less 
profitable  kind  is  often  resorted  to, 
so  that  the  Yew  is  seldom  seen  in  its 
stately  grace.  Its  misuse  is  evident 
in  many  of  the  great  gardens  of  the 
world,  such  as  Versailles,  where  nothing 
is  more  ugly  than  the  Yews  cut  hard 
against  the  skyline,  many  of  them 
distorted,  diseased,  and  ugly  from 
constant  clipping  for  years.  The  best 
reason  for  Yew  in  gardens  is  its  shel- 
tering value.  To  put  this  vigorous 
forest  tree  into  beds  in  a  flower  garden, 
and  then  clip  it  into  various  shapes, 
all  ugly,  is  folly  as  to  design  and  bad 
gardening,  too.  But  with  our  modern 
stores  of  evergreens  from  many  lands, 
the  Yew  is  not  our  only  garden  shelter, 
and  when  we  use  it,  let  it  be  as  far  from 
our  flowers  as  may  be,  for  it  is  a  vora- 
cious feeder,  and  a  never-ending 
struggle  with  the  roots  has  to  go  on. 
The  effect  of  a  background  counts 
with  some,  and  rightly  ;  but  in  our 
days  other  fine  evergreens  give  us 
good  backgrounds,  if  we  use  them 
well — the  Laurel,  best  of  evergreens 
(miscalled  in  our  land  the  Bay),  the 
finest  hardy  Rhododendrons  on  their 
own  roots  (i.e.,  from  layers  always),  the 
graceful  American  trees  like  the  Mon- 
terey and  other  Cypresses  that  require 
no  clipping,  and  are  far  more  lovely 
without  the  garden  barber's  attentions, 
and,  best  of  all,  our  native  Holly,  the 
queen  of  evergreens.  In  previous 
editions  of  this  book  I  included  a 
number  of  varieties  of  the  common 
Yew — a  large  number  in  some  nur- 
series— which  I  have  left  out  of  the 
present  edition,  having  never  in  my 
life  seen  any  among  those  varieties  at 
all  comparable,  for  vigour,  or  grace,  or 
any  good  quality,  with  our  native 
Cedar. 

The  Golden  and  variegated  Yews 
form  striking  groups  of  colour,  but  are 


better  held  together  in  bold  picturesque 
groups  than  dotted  at  regular  intervals 
— a  practice  fatal  to  artistic  effect. 
The  Irish  Yew,  a  plant  of  striking  form, 
has  been  over-used  by  those  who  do 
not  consider  the  effect  of  things  on  the 
landscape.  I  have  seen  houses  with 
Irish  Yews  in  all  directions  destroying 
the  good  effect  of  other  and  far  more 
beautiful  trees,  and  the  variety  that 
should  exist  in  every  English  garden. 

TCHIHATCHEWIA.  —  A  beautiful 
alpine  plant,  T.  isatidea,  native  of 
Asia  Minor,  it  is  hardy  and  thrives  on 


Tchihatchewia  isatidea. 

the  rock  garden.  From  a  tuft  of 
spathulate  oblong  leaves,  formed  in 
the  first  year,  appear  the  flowers  in 
the  second  season  ;  the  leaves  are 
dark  green,  thickly  covered  with  shin- 
ing silky  hairs,  amongst  which  rise  the 
flower-stalks,  showing  Syringa-like 
bright  rosy-lilac  flowers,  fragrant  like 
vanilla. 

TECOMA  ( Trumpet  Creeper] .  — 
Handsome  and  distinct  climbing  shrub 
of  much  beauty  of  habit  as  well  as  of 
flower.  They  are  not  so  often  seen 
in  our  country  as  abroad,  although 
well  fitted  for  the  southern  and  warmer 
parts,  and  in  the  case  of  one  species 
and  its  varieties,  hardy,  and  flowering 


744      TECOPHYL^EA.        THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.          TEUCRIUM. 


well  against  walls  far  north  of  London. 
Syn.,  Bignonia. 

T.  GRANDIFLORA. — A  Chinese  plant, 
not  so  hardy  as  the  American  Trumpet 
Creeper,  but  more  showy,  with  drooping 
orange-scarlet  flowers  in  large  clusters. 
Its  foliage,  too,  is  larger,  but  to  show 
its  vigour  and  beauty  the  plant  must 
have  light  soil  and  a  warm  wall. 
The  following  are  varieties  : — Aurantia, 
which  forms  a  rounded  bush  if  let  alone, 
has  fine  foliage  of  a  deep,  shining  green, 
with  ribs  covered  with  down.  The 
flowers  are  orange-yellow  and  small  for 
T.  grandiflora,  the  lobes  narrower  and  less 
open.  In  Mme.  Galen,  the  handsomest 
of  the  race,  the  flowers  are  large,  of  a  fine 
salmon-red,  orange-red  outside.  Rubra, 
flowers  a  fine  deep  red,  leaves  hairy  on 
the  lower  side,  a  distinct  and  pretty 
variety. 


Tccoma  grandiflora. 

T.  RADICANS.: — Native  of  N.  America, 
and  an  old  garden  favourite.  Its  long, 
wiry  stems  send  out  roots  like  Ivy,  which 
cling  to  walls  or  any  support.  There  is  a 
variety  named  major,  with  larger  flowers 
of  a  paler  tint  and  more  robust  foliage. 
A  strong  plant  will  run  up  a  wall  40  feet 
high.  It  is  useful  also  for  covering 
arbours  and  pergolas.  It  is  also  hardy, 
and  has  several  varieties,  viz.,  Flava 
speciosa,  flowers  long,  orange-red  ;  leaves 
distinct  by  their  small,  much  indented 
folioles,  with  long  narrow  points.  This 
form  is  dwarfer  than  the  type  and  can  be 
grown  as  a  shrub.  Grandiflora  atro-pur- 
purea,  flowers  deep  red-purple  and  large. 
A  vigorous  shrub,  requiring  space  to  flower 
well.  Princei  coccinea  comes  between 
these,  and  is  perhaps  a  hybrid.  The 
flowers  are  large,  of  a  fine  cochineal-red, 
and  in  large  panicles.  T.  hybrida,  this 
form,  a  cross  between  T.  grandiflora  and 
T.  radicans,  has  small,  hairy  leaves  and 
handsome  orange  flowers  in  panicles. 

TECOPHYL2EA. — T.  cyanocrocus  is 
a  beautiful  spring-flowering  bulbous 
plant  from  Chili,  of  dwarf  growth,  and 
bearing  large  open  deep  blue  flowers. 
The  variety  Leichtlini  has  a  white 
centre  and  a  sweet  perfume.  This 
variety  is  not  thoroughly  hardy,  except 


in  very  mild  localities,  but  it  succeeds 
well  under  frame  -  culture.  About 
August  bulbs  of  flowering  size  should 
be  planted  3  inches  deep,  in  rich  soil 
in  a  frame.  If  potted,  a  depth  of 
2.  inches  is  sufficient,  and  plunge  the 
pots.  They  should  be  kept  cool,  and 
have  as  much  air  as  possible.  The 
lights  must  be  taken  off  in  February 
and  March,  when  the  weather  becomes 
warm,  and  the  pots  should  remain 
exposed  until  the  flowers  begin  to 
expand,  when  they  may  be  trans- 
ferred to  the  greenhouse. 

TELLIMA.— Perennials  of  the  Saxi- 
frage order,  from  N.  America,  re- 
sembling Heucheras.  T.  grandiflora 
has  leaves  prettily  coloured  and  veined 
like  Heuchera  Richardsoni,  and  spikes 
of  small  yellowish  bell  -  like  flowers, 
thriving  in  any  soil.  Division. 

TEUCRIUM  (Germander}. — A  group 
of  low  shrubs  or  perennial  herbs  of 
variable  habit,  with  neat  dwarf  growth 
and  lipped  flowers  of  varied  colour. 
Not  many  are  of  any  garden  value. 
T.  Cham&drys  (Wall  Germander)  is  6 
to  10  inches  high,  with  shining  leaves 
and  reddish-purple  flowers  in  summer. 
It  is  found  throughout  Europe  on 
walls  and  rocks,  in  any  light  soil, 
whilst  as  an  edging  plant  it  is  useful. 

T.  FRUTICANS. — A  shrub  from  the  south 
of  Europe,  with  white  stems  clothed  with 
green  leaves  silvery  with  down  upon  the 
under  side,  and  pale  blue  flowers.  It  is 
hardy  in  the  warmer  parts  of  Britain, 
thriving  in  light  dry  soils  in  a  sunny  expo- 
sure and  shelter  from  cold  winds.  Planted 
against  a  wall  or  in  good  soil  near  the 
sea,  it  grows  several  feet  high.  Cuttings. 

T.  MARUM  (Cat  Thyme). — Has  some  of 
the  habit  of  the  common  Thyme,  with 
bright  red  flowers  in  summer.  Coming 
from  Spain,  it  is  likely  to  prove  hardy  only 
in  the  southern  parts  of  these  islands ; 
then  only  on  ruins,  old  walls,  or  in  dry 
chinks  in  chalk  or  gravel  pits.  Cuttings. 

T.  MONTANUM. — A  free-flowering  rock 
plant,  with  numerous  pale  yellow  blossoms 
on  dwarf  dense  carpets  of  leaves  that 
cling  closely  to  the  stones.  This  little 
shrub  grows  without  trouble  in  a  dry  place, 
in  rather  poor  soil. 

T.  POLIUM  (Poly  Germander). — A  curi- 
ous dwarf  whitish  herb,  3  to  5  inches  high, 
with  small  pale  yellow  flowers  densely 
covered  with  short  yellow  down  in  June 
and  July.  It  is  suited  for  sunny  spots  in 
the  rock  garden,  and  for  light  free  soil, 
but  is  only  hardy  in  southern  gardens. 
Seed,  cuttings,  and  division. 

T.  PYRENAICUM  (Pyrenean  Germander). 
— A  dwarf  hardy  perennial,  with  trailing 
stems  3  to  7  inches  high,  and  purplish  and 


THALIA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


THALICTRUM. 


745 


white  flowers  in  dense  terminal  clusters. 
The  leaves,  branches,  and  stem  are  thickly 
covered  with  soft  silvery  down.  It  is 
suitable  for  the  rock  garden  and  for 
borders. 

T.  PURPUREUM. — A  quaint,  rigid,  ever- 
green dwarf  bush,  6  to  9  inches  high,  its 
erect  twigs,  studded  with  bright  rosy- 
purple  flowers,  giving  a  bit  of  good  colour 
late  in  the  season.  Seed,  cuttings,  or 
division.  T.  hyrcanicum,  T.  lusitanicum, 
T.  orientale,  and  T.  multiflorum  are  also 
noteworthy. 


partial  shade.  The  double  varieties 
may  be  preferred  to  the  type,  and 
there  is  also  a  pretty  form  with  pale 
j  rosy  sepals.  N.  America.  T.  minus 
forms  compact  slightly  glaucous  sym- 
metrical tufts,  12  to  1 8  inches  high. 
May  be  grown  in  any  soil,  but  the 
slender  flower-stems,  which  appear  in 
May  and  June,  should  be  pinched  off. 
This  bushy  little  tuft  resembles  the 
Maiden-hair  Fern,  and  its  leaves  are 
just  as  pretty  for  mixing  with  cut 


THALIA.—  T.  dealbata  is  one 
of  the  most  stately  of  water-side 
plants.  Its  glaucous  foliage  and 
elegant  panicles  of  purple  flowers 
are  welcome  along  the  margins 
of  shallow  ponds  or  streams,  and 
it  is  hardy  in  sheltered  places. 
It  is  best  grown  in  pots  or  tubs 
pierced  with  holes,  in  a  mixture 
of  stiff  peat  and  clayey  soil,  and 
river  mud  and  sand.  The  plant 
thrives  only  in  warm  places  in 
the  southern  counties  S.  Carolina. 
Division. 

THALICTRUM   (Meadow  Rue). 
— Perennial    herbs    with    elegant 
foliage,    but    not    showy    flowers. 
A  few  of  the  smaller  species  rival 
in    delicacy   of   form   and    colour 
some    of   the    charming    Maiden- 
hair  Ferns,   and   may   be   associ- 
ated  with   flowering  plants,  or  those 
of  fine  foliage.      T.  anemonoides   (Rue 
Anemone)  is  usually  only  a  few  inches 
high,    its   white   flowers*  being   nearly 
i  inch  in  diameter,  and  open  in  April 
and  May.     It  is  best  suited   for  the 
rock  garden   in   deep   moist  soil   and 


Thcilictrum  aquilegifoliuin . 

flowers,  and  last  much  longer.  The 
plants  also  look  well  isolated,  in  large 
tufts  in  borders  or  as  an  edging. 
Division.  T.  adiantifolium  is  similar. 
T.  tuber o sum  is  about  9  inches  high, 
with  graceful  foliage,  and  abundance 
of  yellowish  cream  -  coloured  flowers. 


746 


THERMOPSIS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        THUNBERGIA. 


It  is  hardy  in  a  deep  peat  soil.  S. 
Europe.  Beside  these  dwarf  kinds 
there  are  about  two  dozen  other  species, 
ranging  from  3  to  6  feet  in  height. 
There  is  a  great  sameness  among  them, 
as  all  have  finely-cut  foliage.  A  good 
kind  with  fern  -  like  foliage  is  T. 
aquilegifolium,  which  is  about  4  feet 
high,  and  grows  vigorously  in  any  soil. 
There  are  two  or  three  varieties  of  it, 
one  (atro-purpureum)  with  dark  pur- 
plish stems  and  leaves,  and  a  second 
in  which  they  are  golden. 

Kinds  less  well  known  but  quite 
worth  growing  are  T.  Chelidonii,  of 
doubtful  hardiness,  from  the  Hima- 
layas, with  charming  pale  lilac  flowers 
and  greyish-green  foliage.  T.  Delavayi, 
of  weak  constitution,  comes  near  this, 
with  larger  flowers  of  a  rosy-violet 
colour  and  a  very  dwarf  habit.  Much 
the  best  and  most  ornamental  of  the 
violet-coloured  Meadow  Rues  is  T. 
dipterocarpum,  from  W.  China.  The 
plant  reaches  6  feet  or  more  high,  and 
in  July  its  elegant  sprays  sparkle  with 
the  violet-blue-white  anthered  flowers. 
A  most  charming  plant.  Happiest  in 
loam,  leaf-mould,  and  peat  where 
moisture  is  not  absent  during  the  grow- 
ing season.  Easily  raised  from  seeds. 
T.  petaloideum  is  a  dwarf-growing  kind 
with  white  flowers.  The  taller  sorts 
are  in  general  less  desirable,  but  two 
good  ones  are  T.  glaucum,  from  S. 
Europe,  growing  6  feet  high  in  moist 
rich"  soil,  with  grey- green  finely-cut 
leaves  and  feathery  heads  of  pale  yellow 
flowers  ;  and  T.  polygamum,  from  the 
W.  United  States,  which  grows  even 
taller  in  damp  places,  with  fine  spread- 
ing clusters  of  white  flowers  in  July. 
There  is  a  prettily  variegated  garden 
form  of  the  first  named. 

T.  DIPTEROCARPUM  (Lilac  Meadow  Rue) . 
— A  distinct  and  graceful  plant,  one  of  the 
best  hardy  flowers  introduced  for  many 
years.  Tall,  of  fine  foliage  and  habit, 
with  very  beautiful  flowers  of  lilac  hue. 
Flowers  in  midsummer  and  is  quite  hardy, 
and  a  charming  addition  to  the  open-air 
flower  garden.  We  are  not  sure  as  to  its 
permanence,  so  it  is  well  to  add  a  stock  of 
young  plants.  China. 

All  the  Thalictrums  do  well  natura- 
lised, and  are  readily  increased  from 
seed  or  careful  division  in  early  spring. 

THERMOPSIS.— Perennials,  2  to  6 
feet  high,  slender  in  growth,  and  with 
long  terminal  spikes  of  attractive 
yellow  Lupine-like  flowers.  T.  mon- 
tana  is  of  graceful  growth,  and  as  it 
flowers  at  the  same  time  it  may  be 


associated  with  the  perennial  Lupins 
and  other  border  plants  of  the  season. 
It  grows  best  in  good  soil  in  an  open 
border,  and  is  a  native  of  western  N. 
America.  T.  rhombifolia  is  dwarfer 
and  with  rounded  leaflets,  growing 
well  even  in  the  driest  places.  T. 
fabacea  comes  very  near  T.  montana, 
and  has  been  confused  with  it,  but 
it  comes  from  the  north  of  Asia  ;  it 
is  of  fine  habit  and  very  free-bloom- 
ing. A  scarce  but  good  kind  is  T. 
caroliniana,  which  grows  6  feet  high 
in  rich  moist  soil  and  blooms  in  July 
and  August  when  all  the  rest  have 
done.  For  the  back  of  the  border,  or 
for  massing  in  moist  places,  this  is  a 
truly  handsome  plant.  T.  barbata  is 
a  beautiful  Himalayan  species  with 
purple  flowers.  Some  of  these  plants 
spread  freely  at  the  root,  and  may  be 
increased  by  division  or  seeds. 

THLADIANTHA.—  T.  dubia  is  a 
handsome  creeping  perennial  of  the 
Gourd  family,  from  N.  China  and 
India,  with  long  climbing  stems  bear- 
ing many  bright  yellow  bell-shaped 
flowers. 

All  the  flowers  on  a  plant  are  either 
male  or  female,  so  that  unless  both 
sexes  are  planted  no  fruit  is  produced. 
When  the  female  flowers  are  hand- 
fertilised  they  set  freely,  and  the  egg- 
shaped  fruits  2 1  inches  long  are  exceed- 
ingly handsome,  green  at  first,  changing 
to  a  bright  scarlet.  The  pale  green 
foliage  is  handsome  and  the  stems  run 
to  a  length  of  many  feet  from  a  tuberous 
root,  which  can  be  lifted  in  the  autumn 
after  the  plant  has  died  down.  In  the 
Cambridge  Botanic  Garden  these  plants 
fruit  freely  every  season  on  an  east 
wall. 

T.  OLIVIERI. — A  new  kind  from  N. 
China,  hardy  and  vigorous,  making  shoots 
30  feet  long  in  the  season.  The  rounded 
leaves  are  about  8  inches  across,  carried 
on  long  stalks.  Clusters  of  yellow  bell- 
shaped  flowers  appear  from  the  leaf-axils 
from  July  to  September.  A  handsome 
climber  for  warm  walls  or  banks. 

THLASPI.  —  Annual  or  perennial 
herbs  of  slight  garden  value.  T.  lati- 
folium  is  a  dwarf  vigorous  perennial 
from  the  Caucasus,  6  to  12  inches  high, 
with  large  root-leaves,  and  flowers 
something  like  those  of  Arabis  albida, 
but  larger.  Suitable  for  borders,  the 
spring  garden,  and  naturalising  with 
the  dwarfer  flowers  of  spring.  Division 
and  seed. 

THUNBERGIA. —  T.  alata  is  a  beau- 
tiful half-hardy  annual,  and  an  elegant 


THUYA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.          TIARELLA.         747 


dwarf  climber  of  the  easiest  culture, 
and  in  summer  valuable  for  draping 
dwarf  trellises.  The  flowers  vary  in 
colour  :  alba  is  pure  white  with  a 
dark  eye  ;  aurantiaca,  bright  orange  ; 
Fryeri,  orange  with  a  white  eye  ; 
Doddsi  has  variegated  foliage  ;  and 
there  are  others  with  yellow  and  sul- 
phur flowers.  The  plants  grow  4  to 
5  feet  high,  and  from  July  till  October 
their  slender  stems  are  covered  with 
bloom.  Seeds  should  be  sown  in  heat 
in  early  spring,  and  the  seedlings 
potted  separately  when  large  enough. 
Raised  in  heat  in  May,  plant  them  out 
in  good  light  soil,  but  only  fitted  for 
warm  gardens  in  the  south. 

THUYA  (Arbor-vita).  —  Evergreen 
cone-bearing  trees,  some  of  much 
beauty,  but  the  group  is  represented 
in  gardens  by  numbers  of  worthless 
shrubs  and  mean  trees  ;  happily,  the 
species  are  not  so  numerous  as  they 
seem  from  the  many  names  that  have 
been  given  to  their  mostly  ugly 
varieties. 

T.  DOLOBRATA  (Japanese  Arbor- vitae) . — 
A  distinct  and  beautiful  evergreen  tree, 
perhaps  the  most  graceful  of  the  group, 
fine  in  colour  and  very  hardy.  Fortun- 
ately it  seems  less  ready  than  most 
to  sport  into  the  worthless  dwarf  and 
variegated  forms.  It  is  said  to  attain 
its  finest  stature  in  mountain  woods  in 
Japan,  and  to  grow  well  under  other 
trees,  and  it  should  be  worth  trying  in 
like  circumstances  in  our  country.  It 
comes  very  freely  from  layers,  in  fact, 
the  lower  branches  of  the  trees  root 
themselves  freely,  and  these  over-facile 
ways  of  increase  make  it  all  the  more 
necessary  that  we  should  get  healthy 
seedling  trees,  as  suckers  take  bushy 
rather  than  tree  form.  Syn.,  Thuyopsis. 

T.  GIGANTEA  (Giant  Arbor-vitae). — A  tall 
and  noble  tree,  fine  in  stature  and  form, 
hardy  and  healthy  in  our  country,  thriving 
in  ordinary  soils,  and  a  free  and  rapid 
grower,  attaining  in  its  own  country  a 
maximum  height  of  150  feet,  and  its  wood 
is  fine-grained  and  very  useful.  N.W. 
America  ;  finest  on  the  Columbia  River. 
Syns.,  T.  Lobbi,  T.  Craigiana,  T.  menziesii. 

T.  JAPONICA  (Standish's  Arbor- vitas) . — 
A  graceful  evergreen  tree  of  medium  size, 
attaining  a  height  of  over  50  feet,  with 
branches  of  a  slender  pendulous  charac- 
ter of  a  fresh  green  colour.  A  native  of 
the  mountains  of  C.  Japan,  it  was  intro- 
duced by  Fortune,  and  sent  out  by  the 
late  John  Standish  of  Ascot,  but  has 
not  yet  been  much  grown.  The  form 
usually  seen  is  said  not  to  be  the  true 
wild  tree — a  reason  for  getting  seed  from 
Japanese  sources.  Happily  this  has  not 
yet,  l|ke  so  many  others,  sported  jntp 


a  mass  of  varieties.  Syn.,  Thuyopsis 
Standishi. 

T.  OCCIDENTALS  (Western  Arbor-vitas). 
— A  poor  hardy  evergreen  tree  which 
has  varied  much  in  colour  and  foliage  and 
form.  Ponderous  Latin  names  have  been 
applied  to  worthless  varieties,  of  which 
over  twenty  are  given  in  some  catalogues. 
It  is  used  to  get  shelter  fences  and  hedges 
rapidly,  though  by  no  means  so  good  for 
that  purpose  as  our  own  native  shrubs 
like  the  Yew,  Box  and  Holly,  and  it  would 
be  no  great  loss  to  omit  it  from  the  garden 
altogether  ;  all  the  more  so,  perhaps,  as 
it  is  one  of  the  cheap  evergreens  used  in 
the  muddle  mixture  of  the  common 
shrubbery. 

T.  ORIENTALIS  (Chinese  Arbor-vitae). — 
A  tree  with  little  of  the  beauty  of  the 
Pine  or  Cypress,  and  which  has,  unfor- 
tunately, given  rise  to  a  crowd  of  varieties, 
variegated,  silvery,  golden,  and  other 
dense,  monstrous,- and  pendulous  shapes, 
mystified  by  Latin  names.  Not  only 
are  they  poor  in  themselves,  but  they 
keep  the  mind  away  from  the  central 
fact  of  the  beauty,  dignity,  and  great 
value  of  the  Pine  race.  These  varieties 
have  again  synonyms,  and  some  of  them 
get  into  cultivation  under  the  wrong  name 
of  Retinospora. 

THYMELffiA  NIVALIS.— A  little 
evergreen  shrub,  native  of  the  Pyrenees, 
and  closely  allied  to  the  Daphnes. 

THYMUS  ( Thyme) . — Creeping  plants 
suited  for  arid  parts  of  the  rock  garden, 
spreading  quickly  into  dense  cushions, 
and  not  to  be  placed  near  minute 
alpine  plants.  Nothing  can  be  more 
charming  than  a  sunny  bank  covered 
with  the  common  wild  Thyme  (T. 
serpyllum)  and  its  white  variety.  T. 
lanuginosus  is  a  woolly  form  of  our 
wild  Thyme,  forming  wide  cushions  in 
any  soil.  The  Golden  Thyme  is 
9  inches  high,  dense  and  compact, 
and  used  for  edging.  Other  varieties 
of  the  Common  Thyme  are  grandiflorus, 
with  larger  flowers  of  the  same  colour, 
splendens  and  coccineus,  in  which  they 
are  bright  crimson,  and  excellent  for 
bright  patches  of  colour  ;  micans,  with 
rosy-purple  flowers  ;  and  rotundi- 
folius,  very  dwarf  and  profuse  in 
flower.  The  minute  creeping  and 
Peppermint-scented  T.  corsicus,  with 
flowers  so  small  as  to  be  almost  invis- 
ible, should  be  planted  in  every  rock 
garden.  Other  kinds  in  cultivation 
are  T.  azoricus,  T.  azureus,  T.  brac- 
teosus,  T.  Zygis,  T.  thuriferus,  and 
T.  Chamczdrys. 

TIARELLA  (Foam  Flower).  —  A 
small  group  of  slender  perennial  herbs, 
flourishing  in  almost  any  soil  or 


748 


TIGRIDIA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


TILJA. 


position,  but  in  partial  shade  and  a 
moist  soil.  T.  cordifolia  bears  little 
starry  creamy-white  flowers,  the  buds 
delicately  tinged  with  pink,  a  well- 
flowered  mass  seen  a  few  yards  off 
having  a  close  likeness  to  a  wreath  of 
foam.  The  young  leaves  are  tender 
green,  spotted  and  veined  with  deep 
red,  while  the  older  ones  at  the  base 
of  the  plant  are  of  a  rich  red-bronze. 
T.  unifoliata,  with  white  flowers  and 
rosy  stamens,  is  also  good. 


'J'iarclla  cordifolia, 

TIGRIDIA  (Tiger  Flower}.— Bulbous 
plants  with  very  showy  flowers,  not 
hardy  generally,  requiring  similar 
treatment  to  Gladiolus,  though  in  some 
of  our  most  southerly  counties  they 
would  be  safe  in  light  soil  and  a  warm 
position.  Annual  lifting,  storing,  and 
spring  planting  are  needed,  and  the 
bulbs  are  better  freed  from  the  bulblets 
of  the  previous  season.  In  warm  gar- 
dens, where  the  bulbs  are  left  in  the 
ground  all  the  winter,  they  should  be 
well  protected  with  ashes.  Choose  the 
sunniest  spot  in  the  garden.  A  sandy 
loam  lightened  by  leaf-mould  is  the 
best  to  ensure  a  strong  and  rapid 
growth.  From  about  midsummer  on- 
wards till  September,  or  even  later, 
the  plants  will  be  in  bloom.  In  Octo- 


ber the  foliage  turns  yellow  as  the 
bulbs  ripen  ;  lift  by  November,  bunch 
them,  and  hang  in  an  airy  shed  till 
dry. 

The  best  known  species  is  T.  Pavonia 
from  Mexico,  a  plant  of  many  forms 
and  garden  varieties,  differing  in  shape 
or  colour  from  the  parent,  with  its 
large  flowers  5  inches  across,  glowing 
in  scarlet  and  orange.  Among  the 
most  distinct  varieties  are  : — 

T.  PAVONIA  var.  ALBA.  —  Flowers 
nearly  6  inches  across,  with  sepals  and 
petals  of  ivory  whiteness,  heavily 
blotched  at  the  bases  with  carmine-red. 
T.  P.  A.  IMMACULATA. — This  is  a  sport 
from  alba,  its  name  having  reference  to  the 
uniform  snowy  whiteness  of  the  flowers, 
which  are  without  the  conspicuous  spots 
of  other  varieties.  Though  normally  pure 
white,  the  flowers  are  sometimes  tinted 
with  pale  green  or  creamy-j^ellow. 

T.  P.  AUREA. —  A  hybrid  raised  many 
years  ago  between  T.  Pavonia  and  T. 
conchiflora,  and  uniting  the  robust  vigour  . 
of  the  first  with  the  refinement  and  fine 
colour  of  the  second  parent.  The  shade 
of  yellow  inclines  to  orange,  and  the 
small  central  basin  of  the  flower  is  mottled 
with  red,  reddish  -  purple,  or  chocolate. 
The  flowers  are  freely  produced,  and  the 
plant  is  easy  to  grow  and  increases 
rapidly.  It  is  better  known  on  the 
continent  than  with  us,  and  often  under 
the  name  T.  Watkinsoni.  Other  varieties 
are  flava,  with  pale  yellow  flowers  and  a 
red-spotted  centre ;  canariensis,  a  pale 
yellow  form  ;  lutea  immaculata,  soft 
yellow  without  spots  ;  and  carminea,  a 
new  and  pretty  shade. 

T.  P.  CONCHIFLORA. — Flowers  with  outer 
segments  yellow,  heavily  blotched  with 
red  at  the  bases,  and  with  inner  segments 
similarly  variegated.  The  names  canari- 
ensis or  conchiflora  grandiflora  probably 
represent  a  form  differing  slightly  as 
regards  brilliancy  of  colour,  but  it  is  un- 
doubtedly a  seedling  form  of  the  original 
T.  conchiflora.  Though  the  small  flowers 
of  this  kind  are  refined  and  beautiful,  the 
plant  is  rather  weakly,  increases  slowly, 
and  is  apt  to  perish. 

T.  P.  GRANDIFLORA. —  Flowers  larger 
and  brighter  in  colour,  with  fuller  and 
more  rounded  petals.  Under  this  name 
I  would  also  include  the  names  speciosa, 
splendens,  coccinea,  and  Wheeleri. 

T.  P.  LILACEA. — Flowers  with  rosy  car- 
mine sepals  and  petals,  the  bases  varie- 
gated with  white,  a  cross  between  T. 
Pavonia  and  T.  Pavonia  alba. 

T.  P.  ROSE  A. — Flowers  with  rose- 
coloured  sepals  and  petals,  the  bases 
variegated  with  yellow,  a  cross  between 
T.  Pavonia  and  conchiflora. 

TILIA  (Lime;  Linden).  —  Mostly 
summer-leafing  trees  of  northern  and 


TlLIA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


Till  A. 


temperate  regions,  often  cut  into  ugly 
shapes  in  continental  gardens.  By  far 
the  best  effect  of  the  tree  is  when  it  is 
allowed  to  take  its  natural  shape,  and 
its  fragrance  is  often  welcome  on  the 
lawn.  The  "  pleached  "  alleys  of  old 
English  gardens  were  often  made  of 
this  tree,  but  these  are  much  easier  got 
now  from  various  trees  of  better  colour 
and  leaf,  such  as  the  fine-leaved 
Acacias  or  graceful  fruit  trees  like  the 
Japanese  and  other  crabs,  which, 
while  giving  us  the  shade  we  seek,  give 
flowers  in  season.  Some  of  the  Limes 
are  very  handsome  trees,  hardy,  fine 
in  form  and  leaf,  and  good  on  the  lawn 
or  in  grove,  but,  as  few  places  have 
space  enough  to  represent  all  the  trees 
of  this  genus,  the  best  way  is  to  make 
a  selection  of  the  stateliest  and  best. 
There  is  some  talk  now  of  hybridising 
forest  trees,  which,  considering  the 
beautiful  ones  we  already  have,  seems 
no  very  necessary  mode  of  research  ; 
also,  variegated  and  mean  types  of  the 
tree  should  be  avoided,  and  especially 
grafted  trees.  Some  of  the  rarer  kinds 
are  grafted  on  the  common  one. 

T.  AMERICANA  (Basswood). — A  vigorous 
round-headed  tree  covered  with  ruddy 
bark,  the  leaves  larger,  more  pointed,  and 
of  darker  green  than  in  the  Common  Lime, 
while  the  flower  bracts  are  also  larger  and 
come  about  ten  days  later,  giving  place 
to  yellow  pea-like  fruits.  The  tree  is 
spreading  and  needs  space,  and  it  bears 
drought  better  than  the  Limes  of  Europe. 

T.  ARGENTEA  (White  Lime). — A  stately 
tree  sometimes  80  feet  high,  but  mostly 
about  half  that  height,  with  heart-shaped 
leaves  of  a  fine  silvery  colour  underneath, 
and  lasting  fresh  much  longer  than  on  the 
Common  Lime.  This  is  a  precious  tree 
for  grouping  where  its  fine  colour  can  tell 
in  open  park-land  or  upon  the  fringes  of 
woodland,  for  which  seedlings  can  be  used, 
but  not  grafted  trees. 

T.  DASYSTYLA  (Crimean  Lime).  —  A 
handsome  tree  from  S.  Russia,  with  lus- 
trous dark-green  leaves  on  bright-green 
twigs,  lasting  fresh  longer  than  on  the 
Common  Lime.  The  young  growths  give 
pretty  tints  of  red  and  yellow,  and  the 
pale  flowers  come  early  in  August. 

T.  PETIOLARIS  (Weeping  White  L.). — 
Though  the  silvery  effect  of  this  tree  is 
fully  as  beautiful  as  that  of  the  White 
Lime,  it  is  very  different  in  habit,  every 
shoot  drooping  gracefully,  while  the  leaf- 
stalks are  fully  twice  as  long  as  in  T. 
argentea.  It  is  a  strong  grower  even  on 
poor  soils,  reaching  a  height  of  60  feet  or 
more,  and  resisting  drought ;  the  flowers 
large,  in  July.  The  leaves  are  large, 
rounded,  and  so  twisted  as  to  show  the 
hoary  underside  even  in  repose.  S. 
Russia. 


T.  PLATYPHYLLOS  (Broad-leaved  L.). — 
A  variable  tree,  attaining  at  maturity  a 
height  of  90  feet,  with  dense  ample  leaves, 
sometimes  downy  on  both  sides  and  always 
underneath.  It  is  the  first  of  the  Limes 
to  bloom,  the  flowers  coming  in  June  and 
followed  by  hairy  thick-celled  capsules. 
The  effect  of  this  stately  tree  is  marred 
by  its  early  loss  of  leaf,  especially  in  a 
dry  season.  There  are  many  varieties, 


Tigridia  Pavonia  alba  imniaculata. 

including  pyramidalis,  of  erect  habit ; 
rubra  and  aurea,  with  red  or  yellow  bark  ; 
asplenifolia  and  laciniata,  dwarf  trees 
with  cut  leaves  ;  and  vitifolia,  in  which 
they  are  lobed  like  a  Vine. 

T.  VULGARIS  (Common  L.). — Not  a 
native  of  Britain,  though  freely  natura- 
lised. The  Lime  seldom  sows  itself  in 
this  country,  but  no  tree  is  more  easily 
increased  by  layers. 

Two  or  three  new  Limes  have  come 
from  E.  Asia,  and  are  coming  into  cultiva- 
tion. These  are  T.  mandschurica,  which, 
in  its  own  land,  makes  a  spreading  tree  of 
50  to  60  feet,  of  pendulous  habit.  From 
nearly  the  same  region  conies  T.  mon- 
golica,  a  slender  low-growing  tree  of  grace- 
ful appearance,  with  very  small  rounded 
or  three-lobed  leaves.  Perhaps  the  finest 
of  the  entire  genus  is  T.  miqueliana,  from 
the  forests  of  Japan,  where  it  reaches  a 
height  of  100  feet.  There  are  also  an 


750        TowfcsENbiA.        THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER   GARDEN.  TRAPA. 


increasing  number  of  hybrid  Limes,  some 
of  which  promise  to  be  of  value. 

TOWNSENDIA  (Rocky  Mountain 
Daisy) .  —  A  group  of  low  -  stemmed 
annual  or  perennial  herbs  with  large 
Aster-like  flowers,  from  the  mountains 
of  N.W.  America.  In  some  kinds 
the  flowers  are  large  and  handsome,  but 
only  three  are  as  yet  in  cultivation. 
T.  grandiflora  is  a  dwarf  plant  with 
grey  foliage  and  large  white  flowers  ; 
T.  sericea  makes  stemless  rosettes  of 
silvery  leaves  with  a  stemless  flower 
i  to  2  inches  across  in  the  centre  of 
each,  the  rays  of  which  are  pure  white 
or  tipped  with  purple.  This  plant 
flowers  so  early  as  to  have  earned  the 
name  of  Easter  Daisy  with  the 
colonists.  T.  Wilcoxiana  is  a  pretty 
little  alpine  plant  of  creeping  habit, 
with  rosy  Aster-like  flowers  in  May 
and  June.  All  the  kinds  need  a  shel- 
tered sunny  place  in  light  dry  soil, 
and  their  degree  of  hardiness  is  not 
fully  known. 

TRACHELIUM  (Blue  Throatwort).— 
T.  cceruleum  is  a  much-branched  peren- 
nial, i  to  2  feet  high,  bearing  in  summer 
broad  clusters  of  small  blossoms,  blue 
in  the  type  and  white  and  lilac  in  the 
varieties.  It  can  be  grown  only  in 
the  warmest  situations  in  dry  borders, 
rocky  banks,  and  old  ruins  or  walls. 
It  is  an  elegant  plant  for  vases,  etc. 
Mediterranean.  Seed  or  cuttings.  T. 
rumelianum  is  a  much  dwarfer  plant 
from  Greece,  requiring  similar  treat- 
ment and  bearing  pale  violet  flowers. 

TR  A  CHELO  SPERMUM  ( Chinese 
Jasmine) . — Climbing  shrubs  with  ever- 
green leaves  and  fragrant  white 
flowers,  hardy  upon  warm  walls  in 
favoured  places.  T.  jasminoides  (once 
known  as  Rhynchospermum)  was  for- 
merly much  grown  under  glass,  but 
has  done  well  in  the  open  air  in  the 
south  and  south-west  of  England  and 
Ireland.  Even  in  the  north  of  Wales 
there  is  a  sheltered  house-front  near 
the  sea  completely  covered  with  it. 
The  plant  flowers  well  at  Gravetye 
against  a  west  wall  without  protection. 
T.  crocostemon  is  even  hardier,  growing 
and  flowering  on  a  wall  at  Kew,  with 

Erotection  in  severe  weather.  Until 
itely  this  plant  passed  as  a  narrow- 
leaved  variety  (angustifolia)  of  the 
older  one,  but  when  it  bloomed  freely 
in  1903  the  flowers  proved  to  be  dis- 
tinct— creamy-white  with  an  orange 
centre.  T.  angustifolia  is  also  quite 
hardy  on  a  wall  facing  east.  These 
shrubs  are  neatly  attractive,  of  rather 


slow  growth,  and  the  flowers  useful  for 
cutting.  A  light  or  peaty  soil  and  a 
sheltered  wall  are  the  best  conditions, 
with  protection  at  the  root  during 
frost.  They  will  grow  well  in  partial 
shade.  Increase  by  half-ripe  cuttings 
of  the  young  shoots,  rooted  in  heat. 
Japan.  Syn.,  Rhynchospermum. 

Trachycarpus.     See  CHAM^ROPS. 

TRACHYSTEMON.— Two  species  of 
hardy  perennials  belonging  to  the 
Borage  family.  T.  orientalis  is  a 
dwarf  border  plant  blooming  in  early 
spring.  Its  broad  hairy  leaves  are  a 
pretty  bronze  or  purple  colour  while 
young,  and  the  hairy  stems  of  9  to 
12  inches  carry  long-stemmed  rosy- 

Eurple  buds  opening  as  blue  and  white 
owers.     Thrives   in  any  soil,   and   is 
readily  increased  by  seeds  or  division. 
Asia  Minor. 

TRADESCANTIA  (Virginian  Spider- 
wort).  --  Perennials,  some  of  them 
quite  hardy,  of  which  T.  virgin ica 
with  its  varieties  is  the  best.  It  is 
12  to  30  inches  high,  and  has  showy 
purple  flowers  in  summer.  There  are 
varieties  with  white,  mauve,  rosy-blue, 
and  deep  red  flowers,  and  there  are 
also  double-flowered  forms  of  most  of 
these,  as  well  as  of  the  parent  plant. 
They  thrive  in  moist  soil,  and  arc 
useful  for  the  mixed  border.  Division. 

TRAPA  (Water  Chestnut).  — Water 
plants  with  nut-like  seeds  used  as  food 
in  the  countries  where  they  grow.  T. 
natans  is  an  annual  kind  from  the  south 
of  Europe,  which  makes  floating  tufts 
of  triangular  bronzed  leaves  buoyed 
up  in  the  water  by  their  inflated 
stems.  The  submerged  leaves  are  a 
different  shape,  finely  divided  and 
serve  partly  as  roots.  The  pretty 
white  and  purple  flowers  float  about 
among  the  leaves,  and  are  followed  by 
peculiar  fruits,  with  a  hard  shell  and 
sweet  white  kernels,  which  have  the 
flavour  of  a  Spanish  chestnut,  and  are 

fDod  to  eat  either  raw  or  cooked, 
hough  it  will  grow  out  of  doors  in 
summer,  the  plant  seldom  comes  to 
perfection  with  us,  unless  in  water 
warmed  by  overflow  from  a  hothouse 
tank  or  other  means.  A  depth  of 
about  2  feet  is  sufficient,  and  as  they 
ripen  in  October  the  fruits  reserved 
for  seed  sink  to  the  bottom,  whence 
they  rise  of  themselves  on  starting  into 
growth  in  spring.  The  seed  is  difficult 
to  preserve  in  any  other  way,  and 
unless  quite  fresh  is  seldom  good. 


TRICUSPIDARIA.         THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER   GAkDEti.          TRILLIUM.         75! 


Trichonema.     See  ROMULEA. 

TRICUSPIDARIA.—  T.  lanceolata  is 
a  lovely  flowering  shrub  from  Chili, 
which  has  flowered  in  the  open  air  at 
Castlewellan  and  in  other  sheltered 
seaside  gardens  for  several  years  past. 
At  Castlewellan  it  is  planted  in  a  shady 
border  near  a  large  Yew  hedge,  in  peat, 
leaf  soil,  and  loam  in  equal  proportions. 
It  flowers  twice  a  year,  in  the  spring 
and  in  autumn,  the  colour  of  the 
flowers  being  a  rich  crimson.  Being 
near  the  sea  there  is  very  little  frost  in 
ordinary  winters,  and  the  plant  requires 
no  protection,  but  in  a  less  favoured 
place  it  would  be  well  to  pot  it  and 
winter  it  in  a  cool  greenhouse.  Syn., 
Crinodendron  Hookerianum. 

There  has  recently  come  into  culti- 
vation a  second  species  named  T. 
dependens,  and  the  fact  that  this  name 
has  for  many  years  been  used  for  the 
older  plant  has  given  rise  to  much 
confusion.  T.  dependens  bears  white 
bell-shaped  flowers  fringed  around  the 
mouth,  drooping  gracefully  from  the 
under  side  of  the  branches  of  an  elegant 
evergreen  shrub,  which  thrives  in  the 
open  air  in  our  warmest  coast  gardens. 
Like  the  older  kind,  it  comes  from 
Chili,  and  has  already  reached  a  height 
of  7  or  8  feet  at  Car  clew  in  Cornwall. 

TRICYRTIS. —  T.  hirta  is  an  inter- 
esting Japanese  perennial,  about  3  feet 
high,  with  slender  erect  stems  ter- 
minated by  a  few  curiously  -  shaped 
pinkish  blossoms,  spotted  with  pur- 
plish-black. It  is  perfectly  hardy,  but 
flowers  so  late  that  it  is  invariably 
damaged  by  frosts.  The  variety  nigra 
flowers  three  weeks  earlier,  and  is 
therefore  better,  whilst  the  flowers  are 
more  attractive  Other  garden  forms 
of  this  species  are  grandiflora,  its  white 
flowers  spotted  with  purple  ;  and  varie- 
gata,  with  finely  marked  foliage  of 
charming  effect  in  a  moist  shady  spot. 
T.  pilosa  is  dwarfer  and  rarer  than 
T.  hirta,  but  is  otherwise  a  similar 
plant.  T.  macropodum  bears  yellow 
and  black  flowers,  and  blooms  much 
earlier  than  the  other  species.  They 
all  thrive  in  a  moist  peat  border,  par- 
tially shaded,  and  if  somewhat  pro- 
tected so  much  the  better. 

TRIENTALIS  (Star  -  flower) .  —  T. 
europaa  is  a  delicate  and  graceful 
plant  found  over  Europe,  Asia,  and 
America,  in  shady,  woody,  and  mossy 
places.  It  has  erect,  slender  stems, 
rarely  more  than  6  inches  high,  bear- 
ing one  to  four  flower-stems,  each  with 
a  white  or  pink -tipped  star -shaped 


flower  in  early  summer.  Healthy  well- 
rooted  plants  are  not  difficult  to  estab- 
lish among  dwarf  shrubs  in  some  half- 
shady  part  of  the  rock  garden,  in  peat 
soil.  Flowers  in  early  summer.  Divi- 
sion. 

TRIFOLIUM  (Trefoil).— Among  the 
few  garden  varieties  are  some  dwarf 
creeping  kinds,  the  best  being  T.  uni- 
florum  from  Syria,  a  neat  trailing  plant 
with  pink  and  white  flowers,  borne 


Tricuspidaria  lanceolata.     From  a  photograph   sent 
by  Lord  Annesley. 

singly,  and  studded  profusely  over  the 
plant.  It  delights  in  an  exposed  posi- 
tion on  the  rock  garden,  with  an  open 
space  on  which  to  creep.  T.  alpinum 
is  a  stout  spreading  kind,  3  to  6  inches 
high,  bearing  large,  but  not  brilliant, 
flowers  in  summer,  the  upper  petal 
fleshr  coloured  and  streaked  with 
purple.  T.  rubens  is  a  stout  peren- 
nial, about  i  foot  high,  with  large 
dense  heads  of  carmine  flowers  in  early 
summer.  It  grows  almost  anywhere, 
but  prefers  dry,  calcareous  soils. 
T.  pannonicum,  with  creamy-white 
flowers,  is  ornamental.  "  Calvary 
Clover ' '  is  the  common  name  of  a 
pretty  variety  of  the  white  Dutch 
Clover,  in  which  the  leaves  are  almost 
entirely  of  a  deep  bronze-purple  colour  ; 
it  quickly  spreads  into  a  dark  carpet 
of  singular  effect.  Division  or  seed. 

TRILLIUM  (Wood  Lily),  —  Peren- 
nials of  low  growth,  which  inhabit  the 
woods  of  N.  America.  The  finest  is 


TRlTELElA. 


THE  ENGLISH  FLOWER  GARDEN. 


TROLLIUS. 


.T.  grandiflorum  (White  Wood  Lily), 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  hardy  plants, 
6  to  12  inches  high,  with  on  each  stem 
a  lovely  white  three-petalled  flower, 
fairer  than  the  white  Lily,  and  almost 
as  large.  It  is  a  free-growing  plant  of 
goodly  size  in  a  shady  peaty  border  in 
open  air  ;  but  in  a  sunny  or  exposed 
position  its  large  soft  green  leaves  do 
not  develop.  Depressed  shady  nooks 
in  the  rock  garden  or  the  hardy  fernery 
suit  it  admirably.  In  the  rosy  variety 
the  rosy  hue  is  most  pronounced  in 
the  young  stage,  and  the  leaf -stalks 
and  the  foliage  are  of  a  more  bronzy 
shade  of  green.  Other  distinct  varie- 
ties are  maximum,  with  stems  very 
stout  and  twice  the  usual  height,  while 


bloom.  It  does  well  in  pots,  revels  in 
chalky  loams,  and  even  in  an  unfavour- 
able position  in  clay.  There  are 
several  forms,  which  differ  in  the  shade 
of  their  flowers.  Associated  with  the 
best  Scillas,  Leucojum  vernum,  Iris 
reticulata,  dwarf  Daffodils,  and  the  like, 
T.  uniflora  is  delightful,  and  is  equally 
useful  for  the  rock  garden,  borders,  or 
edgings.  S.  America.  T.  (Leucocoryne) 
alliacea  is  nearly  allied,  less  pretty,  and 
thrives  under  similar  circumstances. 
For  other  species  see  BRODIJEA. 

Tritoma.     See  KNIPHOFIA. 
Tritonia.     See  MONTBRETIA. 

TROCHODENDRON.  —  The       only 
species  is  T.  aralioides,  a  rare  evergreen 


Trillium grandijlorum  (White  Wood  l.ily). 


the  flowers  are  4  to  6  inches  across  ; 
and  palustris,  a  form  specially  adapted 
for  wet  ground,  and  nearly  equal 
in  vigour  to  that  just  described. 
Thus  is  the  kind  found  by  far  the  best 
in  shade.  Its  rivale  is  a  dwarf  kind, 
well  spoken  of  for  the  rock  garden,  but 
I  have  not  seen  it. 

TRITELEIA  (Spring  Star-flower). — 
T.  uniflora  is  a  delicately-coloured, 
free-flowering,  hardy,  bulbous  plant, 
4  to  6  inches  high  ;  the  flowers  white, 
with  bluish  reflections,  and  marked  on 
the  outside  through  the  middle  of  the 
divisions  with  a  violet  streak,  which  is 
continued  down  the  tube.  They  open 
at  sunrise,  and  are  conspicuously  beau- 
tiful on  bright  days,  but  close  in  dull 
and  sunless  weather.  The  plant  comes 
into  flower  with  or  before  Scilla  sibirica, 
and  during  April  remains  in  effective 


shrub  from  moist  mountain  woods  of 
Japan,  hardy  in  our  southern  gardens. 
It  is  of  somewhat  straggling  habit, 
with  loosely  -  clustered  pale  green 
leathery  leaves  and  handsome  greenish 
flowers  three  -  quarters  of  an  inch 
across,  clustered  together  at  the  tips 
of  the  shoots  as  in  Ivy  and  Aralia.  In 
Japan  the  flowers  are  followed  by 
fleshy  fruits. 

TROLLIUS  ( Globe-flower) .  —  Hand- 
some stout  perennials  of  erect  habit, 
needing  no  support.  They  may  be 
grown  in  borders  or  by  streams,  and  in 
moist  loam,  where  they  give  delightful 
effects.  They  are  of  dense  growth, 
foliage  and  flowers  rising  from  an 
underground  crown  with  deep-search- 
ing roots.  The  flowers  vary  from  a 
pale  yellow  to  a  deep  gold.  The  Globe- 
flowers  are  at  their  best  in  May  and 


TROLLIUS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.      TROP^EOLUM.       753 


June,  though  old-established  plants 
may  'develop  a  lew  flowers  in  Septem- 
ber and  October.  Division  in  Sep- 
tember ;  also  easily  raised  from  seeds. 
T.  ACAULIS. — A  native  of  the  Himalayan 
Mountains,  and  one  of  the  most  charming 
dwarf  bog  plants,  4  to  6  inches  in  height, 
its  bright  yellow  flowers,  2  inches  across, 
suffused  with  purple-brown  on  the  outside. 
It  is  hardy,  and  will  be  found  most  useful 
for  the  low  or  moist  spots  in  the  rock 
garden. 

T.  ASIATICUS  (Orange  Globe-flower), 
which  also  includes  chinensis,  Fortunei, 
and  other  forms,  has  rich  orange-yellow 
flowers  and  bright  orange-red  anthers,  is 
hardy  even  in  the  most  exposed  positions, 
and  differs  from  the  European  Globe- 
flowers  chiefly  in  its  less  globular  flowers, 
small  finely-divided  foliage,  and  taller 
growth.  China  and  Japan. 

T.  EUROPJEUS  (Globe-flower). — Grows 
about  15  inches  high,  has  lemon-yellow 
flowers,  and  is  an  extremely  variable 
plant,  so  much  so  that  almost  every 
locality  has  its  particular  form.  Raised 
from  seed  it  also  gives  much  variety  in 
habit,  flowers,  and  foliage,  two  of  the 
choicest  forms  being  albus,  with  creamy- 
white  flowers,  and  superbus,  with  large 
flowers  of  soft  pale  yellow.  T.  europesus 
has  various  forms.  A  few  of  these  are 
distinct,  dauricus  being  noted  for  its  large 
bloom  and  large  much-divided  leaves  on 
long  olive-green  foot-stalks.  There  is 
also  T.  albiflorus,  with  white  flowers,  found 
on  the  mountain  tops  in  Colorado. 

T.  LEDEBOURI. — A  valuable  late-flower- 
ing species  with  rich  orange  flowers  and 
conspicuously  protruding  stamens.  Very 
desirable,  too,  is  T.  pumilis  yunnanensis , 
from  China,  with  handsome  glossy  foliage 
and  large,  almost  salver-shaped,  clear 
yellow  flowers. 

T.  PATULUS  (Bees'  var.). — A  pleasant 
surprise — the  handsomest  hardy  flower 
since  the  coming  of  the  Pontic  Kingcup — 
of  the  richest,  softest  yellow.  It  makes 
me  regret  my  neglect  of  the  Globe-flowers, 
and  resolve  to  plant  a  big  group  of  them, 
with  this  Kingcup,  in  a  good  place. 

More  distinct  and  valuable  than  the 
many  wild  forms  running  one  into  the 
other  are  the  hybrids  and  garden  seed- 
lings, of  which  there  is  an  increasing 
number.  Even  in  these  the  differences 
are  mainly  in  habit  and  form  of  flower, 
there  being  little  variation  in  colour. 
Orange  Globe  and  Prince  of  Orange 
give  rich  well-formed  flowers  of  intense 
colour  ;  Gibsoni  and  T.  S.  Ware  are 
also  good  in  this  shade.  Golden  Globe 
and  Newry  Giant  are  fine  yellow 
varieties,  the  latter  especially  tall  and 
vigorous ;  while  Yellow  Globe  and 
Lemon  Queen  bear  soft  pale  yellow 


flowers,    the    last   being    considerably 
the  taller  of  the  two. 

TROP2EOLUM  ( Nasturtium] . — Plants 
of  the  mountain  region  from  New 
Granada  to  Chili,  seldom  descending 
into  the  plains,  and  therefore  not 
requiring  great  heat.  This,  indeed,  is 
against  them ;  on  the  other  hand, 
the  first  frost  cuts  most  of  them  to 
the  ground.  They  love  a  half -shaded 
situation  in  the  open  air  during  sum- 
mer. There  are  annual  and  perennial 
species,  and  the  perennials  may  be 
divided  into  groups,  with  fibrous  and 
with  tuberous  roots.  The  rapid 
growth  of  the  annuals,  T.  majus  and 

T.  minus,  is  proverbial,  and  their 
hardiness  in  a  temperature  above 
freezing-point,  as  well  as  their  indiffer- 
ence to  soil,  makes  them  useful  where 
anything  unsightly  is  to  be  hidden. 
The  following  are  the  most  fitted  for 
the  open  air  : — 

T.  ADUNCUM  (Canary  Creeper). — A 
favourite,  and  almost  unrivalled  for  ele- 
gance among  native  creepers.  Its  home 
is  uncertain.  It  occurs  all  over  the  west 
of  S.  America,  from  Mexico  to  Chili,  but 
it  has  doubtless  spread  from  the  Andes. 
It  thrives  in  sun  or  shade,  but  is  best  in  a 
north  aspect,  festooning  trellises,  arbours, 
shrubs,  etc.,  and  rarely  fails  even  in  town 
gardens.  Seeds  should  be  sown  in  April 
in  the  open  ground  in  sandy  loam.  Syn., 
T.  canariense. 

T.  HEYNEANUM. — A  beautiful  perennial 
climber  with  flowers  akin  to  those  of  the 
common  Canary  Creeper,  but  rather 
smaller  and  of  an  orange  colour  ;  they  are 
distinct  also  in  shape,  the  lower  petals 
being  nearly  as  large  as  the  upper,  with 
a  straight  spur  instead  of  a  hooked  claw. 
Peru.  Easily  raised  from  imported  seed. 

T.  LOBBIANUM.  —  This  fine  annual 
climber  is  easily  known  from  the  old 
T.  majus  by  its  hairy  foliage,  though  the 
flowers  are  in  similar  shades  of  yellow, 
scarlet,  and  crimson.  The  plant  will 
clothe  unsightly  spots,  seeds  being  sown 
about  the  middle  of  April.  The  plant  has 
a  pleasing  effect  sown  here  and  there 
amongst  shrubs.  As  the  plants  grow 
they  attach  themselves  to  the  bushes, 
and  climbing  over  or  through  them,  throw 
out  wreaths  of  lovely  blossoms,  which 
retain  their  beauty  until  frost. 

T.  MAJUS  (Large  Indian  Cress). — A 
showy  annual,  coming  into  flower  more 
quickly,  and  few  bloom  longer.  In  poor 
soil  the  compactum  forms  bloom  best. 
Their  rich  colours  are  superb  in  masses, 
and  they  are  never  without  flowers  from 
first  to  last.  All  who  love  rich  masses  of 
colour  will  find  these  dwarf  Nasturtiums 
worth  a  place  in  some  of  the  many  fine 
sorts  now  obtainable. 


754 


TROPJBOLUM.        THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        TROPJEOLUM. 


T.  PENTAPHYLLUM. — A  rapid-growing 
climber,  6  to  10  feet  high,  with  greenish- 
red  flowers.  It  will  cover  pillars,  walls, 
chains,  bowers,  and  revels  in  sunshine, 
succeeding  well  on  the  south  wall  of  a 
greenhouse  or  in  any  warm  aspect.  It 
does  best  in  light  and  warm  loams  or 
calcareous  soils.  Division  or  seed.  Chili. 

T.  POLYPHYLLUM. — One  of  the  most 
beautiful  trailers  introduced.  While  its 
foliage  may  form  a  dense  carpet  on  a 
bank,  its  wreaths  of  yellow  flowers  follow  in 
windings  and  groupings,  its  leaves  glaucous 
and  cut  into  fine  leaflets.  In  a  warm  rock 


Tropcpolum  polyphyllum. 

garden  the  stems  creep  about,  snake-like, 
through  the  neighbouring  vegetation, 
sometimes  extending  3  or  4  feet.  The  root 
is  tuberous,  and  increases  in  the  earth 
borders.  It  springs  up  early,  and  dies 
down  too  soon  after  flowering — its  only 
fault.  It  is  hardy  in  my  garden,  and 
thrives  in  various  positions.  Chilian 
Cordilleras. 

T.  SMITHI. — A  beautiful  plant  from  a 
great  elevation  in  the  Andes  of  north- 
western S.  America.  It  is  a  twiner  of  free, 
robust  habit,  bearing  smooth  glossy  leaves 
deeply  cut  into  five  broad  lobes.  The 
flowers  are  large  and  funnel-shaped,  ending 
in  a  long  green-tipped  spur  ;  the  calyx 
is  rich  ruby  red,  with  finely  fringed  and 
lobed  petals  of  orange  veined  with  bright 
red.  Flowers  in  June  and  July,  and  may 
be  raised  from  seed  and  treated  as  a 
hardy  annual  during  summer. 

T.  SPECIOSUM  (Flame  Nasturtium). — A 
splendid  creeper,  with  long  and  elegant 
annual  shoots,  clothed  with  leaves  from 
the  axils  of  which  spring  brilliant  ver- 
milion flowers.  Quite  a  free  grower  in 


Scotland  ;  in  the  south  it  is  best  among 
shrubs  and  in  half-shady  spots,  also  often 
thrives  in  hedgerows.  It  makes  its  way 
through  evergreen  shrubs,  and  enjoys  a 
deep,  rich,  and  rather  moist  soil,  in  cool 
places,  or  near  the  sea,  where  no  pains 
should  be  spared  to  establish  it.  At 
North  Walsham  (5  miles  from  Cromer), 
the  curtains  of  growth,  flower,  and  fruit 
against  the  high  walls  are  among  the 
features  of  these  well-known  gardens. 

A  correspondent  wrote  to  The  Garden  : 
"  This  beautiful  climber  dislikes  hot  sun 
and  a  dry  atmosphere,  and  this  accounts 
for  many  failures  in  growing  it.  Several 
years  ago  a  friend  who  knew  nothing  of 

I  the  plant  received  some  roots  from  the 
fine  old  plant  at  Lismore  Castle.  By 
my  advice  some  were  planted  against  a 
west  wall,  in  front  of  which  grew  some 

!  good  -  sized  Nut  -  bushes  and  Apple  -  trees, 
so  that  in  the  hot  summer  weather  the 
sun  could  only  reach  the  plants  for  a 
couple  of  hours  daily.  The  remaining 
roots  were  planted  against  a  north  wall 
with  scarcely  any  sun,  and  at  the  west  end 
of  the  dwelling-house,  where  the  full  force 
of  the  afternoon  sun  was  felt.  In  all 
these  cases  the  soil  was  alike.  The  plants 
behind  the  Nut-bushes  and  Apple-trees 
grew  remarkably  well,  and  bloomed  as 
freely  as  could  be  expected  in  the  first 
year  of  planting.  On'the  north  wall  the 
growth  was  good,  though  the  flowers  were 
not  so  numerous ;  but  in  the  sunny 
position,  although  the  roots  made  a  little 
growth,  they  withered  away  as  soon  as 
the  sun  made  itself  felt.  There  could  be 
no  better  proof  that  success  with  the 
Flame-flower  is  a  matter  of  position,  and 
that,  even  in  the  southern  counties,  there 
are  probably  few  gardens  where  its  require- 
ments cannot  be  met. 

"  When  a  position  is  selected,  the  soil 
should  be  made  light,  deep,  and  free  by 
leaf-mould,  peat,  fibry  loam,  and  sand, 
according  to  the  nature  of  the  ground. 
Mulch  in  summer  with  an  inch  or  two  of 
leaf-mould  or  manure  to  prevent  excessive 
evaporation ;  and  whatever  manure  is 
used,  it  must  be  well  decayed.  The  young 
plants  should  be  planted  in  spring,  the 
roots  being  inserted  6  or  8  inches  in  the 
soil  and  well  watered."  Division  and 
seed. 

T.  TUBEROSUM. — A  distinct  and  beau- 
tiful tuberous-rooted  climber  from  Peru, 
with  slender  stems  10  to  12  feet  high,  and 
a  profusion  <5f  showy  scarlet  and  yellow 
flowers  on  slender  stalks.  It  flowers  late, 
so  as  to  be  often  spoiled  by  frost,  but  in 
sheltered  places  and  a  mild  autumn  will 
bloom  into  November.  It  should  be 
grown  in  open  spots  in  the  poorest  of  soils, 
with  its  branches  supported  or  allowed  to 
trail  along  the  ground.  As  it  is  not  hardy 
in  all  soils,  lift  the  tubers  in  autumn,  and 
store  in  a  dry  place  till  spring. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


TULIPA. 


755 


TSUGA  (Hemlock  Spruce).— A  dis- 
tinct and  graceful  group  of  evergreen 
cone-bearing  trees,  remarkable  for 
their  fine  form  of  leaf  and  graceful  toss 
of  branchlet,  and  also,  in  their  own 
country  at  least,  for  picturesque  and 
stately  form.  The  one  best  known  in 
Britain  is  the  Canadian  Hemlock 
Spruce,  a  tree  of  proved  hardiness  in 
our  country,  but  rarely  showing  the  dig- 
nity of  form  it  does  in  its  own,  probably 
from  the  use  of  cutting  plants.  No 
tree  of  the  Pine  race  should  be  planted 
except  as  healthy  seedlings.  The 
splendid  forms  of  these  trees,  so  pro- 
mising for  our  country,  coming  as  they 
do  from  moist,  cool  regions,  will  be 
best  secured  in  that  way. 

The  Japanese  and  Indian  species  of 
this  family,  T.  Sieboldi,  Brunoniana, 
and  diversifolia  are  not  proved  to  be 
of  such  distinct  value  as  the  American 
kinds.  Syn.  Abies. 

T.  CANADENSIS  (Hemlock  Spruce).  —  A 
forest  tree  sometimes  over  100  feet  high, 
with  a  diameter  of  4  feet  in  the  trunk,' 
inhabiting  very  cold  northern  regions 
from  Nova  Scotia  to  Minnesota  and  south- 
wards along  the  mountains.  It  has  been 
much  planted  in  England,  but  it  has  not 
so  far  seemed  to  attain  the  stature  and 
form  that  it  shows  in  Canada.  Its  rather 
numerous  varieties  are  of  slight  value.  In 
my  own  planting  of  the  Hemlock  Spruce 
near  water,  while  the  growth  is  free,  con- 
stant, and  unharmed  by  any  winter,  I  am 
vexed  to  see  every  tree  breaking  from  the 
bottom  into  half  a  dozen  or  more  stems, 
splitting  up  the  energies  of  the  tree.  I 
have  seen  a  very  pretty  hedge  of  the  Hem- 
lock Spruce  near  Philadelphia.  It  would 
prove,  I  think,  a  good  evergreen  hedge 
plant  where  the  dangerous  poison  of  our 
own  Yew  makes  its  use  impossible  in  any 
place  to  which  horses  or  cattle  have  access. 

T.  CAROLINIANA  (Caroline  H.S.).  —  A 
forest  tree  attaining  a  height  of  70  to  80  feet, 
4  feet  in  diameter,  graceful  and  beautiful 
in  a  mature  state.  As  yet  it  is  little 
planted  in  our  country,  and  in  my  planting 
proved  a  tender  tree.  Alleghany  Moun- 
tains. Syn.,  Abies  Caroliniana. 

T.  MERTENSIANA  (Western  H.S.). — A 
noble  tree  of  fine  and  picturesque  habit, 
allied  to  the  Eastern  Hemlock  but  larger — 
sometimes  200  feet  high,  with  a  trunk  dia- 
meter of  10  to  12  feet.  Coming  from  such 
fog-moistened  regions  as  Puget  Sound, 
British  Columbia,  and  the  coast  region  of 
N.  California,  we  look  for  a  tree  hardy 
enough  for  our  island  climate,  and  in  this 
noble  Hemlock  we  have  it.  The  f  oliage,  as 
graceful  as  a  Fern,  is  of  a  deep,  lustrous 
green,  and  silvery  white  beneath.  Though 
hardy  in  this  country,  it  is  best  in  shel- 
tered places  in  deep  moist  soil.  Syns., 
Abies  mertensiana  and  Albertiana. 


T.  PATTONIANA (Alpine H. S.) . — Abeauti- 
ful  and  stately  tree  100  to  150  feet  high, 
and  from  6  to  10  feet  in  diameter  of  trunk, 
with  dark  green  foliage  on  slender  branches 
that  sway  in  the  slightest  wind.  Alpine 
and  sub-alpine  forests  in  the  Sierras  of 
N.  California,  the  Cascades  and  northern 
Rocky  Mountains,  often  at  great  eleva- 
tions. Hardy  and  at  home  in  Britain. 


r.      Tropa-olnin  spcciosutn  in  Scotland. 


T.  TSUGA  (Japanese  H.S.). — This  tree 
known  also  as  T.  Sieboldi,  is  as  graceful  in 
growth  as  the  Canadian  Hemlock  Spruce 
and  fully  as  hardy.  It  takes  more  of  the 
character  of  a  large  and  dense  spreading 
bush  than  of  a  tree,  and  is  useful  for 
grouping  with  other  conifers. 

TULIPA  (Tulip).— Among  the  most 
beautiful  of  hardy  bulbous  flowers,  the 
finest  self  Tulips  being  unsurpassed  for 
brilliant  colour.  We  need  to  plant  the 
best  kinds  in  quantity,  for  exquisite  as 
the  striped  or  flaked  Tulip  may  be,  it 
is  the  self-colours  that  give  the  best 
effect.  Tulips  have  been  so  long 
grown  and  are  so  variable  in  character 


756 


TULIPA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


that  there  is  considerable  confusion 
with  regard  to  them.  The  popular 
garden  forms  may,  broadly  speaking, 
be  separated  into  two  classes,  early  and 
late  flowering.  T.  suaveolens,  from 
S.  Russia,  is  now  regarded  as  the  type 
of  the  numerous  early-flowering  varie- 
ties, of  which  Due  van  Thol  is  a 
familiar  example  ;  but  these,  though 


flowers,  bizarres,  bybloemens,  and  roses. 
When  a  seedling  flowers  for  the  first 
time  it  is  usually  a  self,  and  in  a  few 
years  (but  occasionally  not  until  thirty 
years)  it  will  break  into  the  flamed 
or  feathered  state.  A  feathered  Tulip 
has  the  colour  finely  pencilled  round 
the  margin  of  the  petals,  the  base  of 
the  flower  being  pure,  and  in  a  flamed 


Old  garden  Tulips. 


commonly  planted,  are  of  less  value 
for  the  garden  than  the  later  forms 
which  open  in  May.  These  have  all 
come  from  T.  Gesneriana,  and  whilst 
possessing  infinite  variety  of  colour, 
all  have  the  fine  form  and  stately 
character  of  the  parent.  These  late 
Tulips,  following  the  Daffodils,  are 
precious  garden  flowers  of  easy  cul- 
ture, still  less  grown  than  they  should 
be.  For  about  three  centuries  they 
have  been  grown  by  florists,  who 
have  raised  numerous  varieties,  which 
form  an  enormous  class  divided  into 
four  sections — viz.,  breeders  or  self- 


flower  stripes  of  colour  descend  from 
the  top  of  the  petals  towards  the  base. 
In  the  bizarres  the  colours  are  red, 
brownish-red,  chestnut,  and  maroon, 
the  base  being  clear  yellow  ;  in  the 
bybloemens  the  colours  are  black  and 
various  shades  of  purple,  the  base  being 
white  ;  and  in  the  roses,  rose  of 
various  shades  and  also  deep  red  or 
scarlet,  the  base  being  white  again. 
Of  these  classes  the  late-flowering 
self-coloured  "  breeders  "  are  the  best 
of  all  for  effect.  The  Parrot  Tulips, 
with  curiously  cut  and  fringed  petals, 
are  often  strangely  splashed  and 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


TULIfA. 


757 


veined  in  various  colours,  and  are 
valuable  for  their  bright  display. 

Tulips  are  easily  grown  in  the  rich 
soil  of  old  gardens,  but  where  the  land 
is  cold  and  stiff  or  not  well  worked 
they  have  a  tendency  to  die  out. 
They  may  be  planted  from  October  to 
the  middle  of  November,  and  the  old 
Tulip  growers  used  to  put  a  little 
sand  at  the  base  of  each  bulb,  but 
this  is  not  essential.  It  is  well  to  lift 
the  bulbs  every  two  or  three  years,  or 
they  become  crowded  and  give  small 
flowers.  When  the  old  flower  -  stems 
are  turning  yellow  the  bulbs  may  be 
taken  up,  dried,  and  stored  till  planting 
time  or  replanted  at  once  if  convenient, 
as  nothing  is  gained  by  keeping  them 
out  of  the  ground.  Most  kinds  in- 
crease by  offsets,  but  some  species 
rarely  or  never  increase  in  this  way, 
and  recourse  must  be  had  to  seed, 
sown  when  ripe  to  germinate  the  follow- 
ing spring,  but  the  bulbs  do  not 
attain  their  full  size  for  six  or  seven 
years. 

Among  the  wild  Tulips  there  are 
beautiful  kinds  distinct  from  the 
garden  varieties  ;  the  larger  kinds, 
noble  flowers  for  free  planting,  and  the 
smaller  sorts  gems  of  beauty  for  the 
rock  garden  or  in  beds  and  borders 
of  choice  bulbs. 

T.  ACUMINATA. — Curious,  but  its  petals 
are  too  long  and  thin  to  create  a  display. 

T.  ALBERTI. — Rather  low-growing,  with 
undulated  leaves  of  a  glaucous  green 
colour  trailing  on  the  ground  ;  the  flowers 
red,  somewhat  resembling  those  of  T. 
Greigi  in  shape,  but  the  petals  are  marked 
at  the  base  with  a  blotch  of  yellow  mar- 
gined with  black.  Turkestan. 

T.  AUSTRALIS. — Variable  in  colour,  but 
always  pleasing,  allied  to  T.  sylvestris  but 
less  robust,  whilst  the  flower  is  more 
funnel-shaped  and  flushed  on  the  outside 
with  red.  Syn.,  T.  Celsiana. 

T.  BATALINI. — A  small  kind  seldom 
exceeding  4  inches  in  height,  with  trailing 
leaves  and  rather  large  flowers  (nearly 
3  inches  in  length)  of  a  pale  yellow  colour. 

T.  BIFLORA. — A  species  known  long  ago, 
and  not  very  striking  with  its  small  pale 
yellow  flowers,  which,  however,  are  borne 
in  a  cluster  of  three  or  four  at  the  top  of 
the  flower-stem  instead  of  being  solitary, 
as  in  most  other  Tulips.  Caucasus. 

T.  CLUSIANA. — The  dainty  Lady  Tulip 
came  from  the  Mediterranean  region  as 
long  ago  as  1636,  has  small  flowers,  and 
is  not  more  than  i  foot  or  so  in  height. 
The  flowers  are  white,  with  a  flush  of 
rose  on  the  outer  surface,  and  purplish- 
black  at  the  base.  T.  stellata  is  a  near 
ally.  It  requires  a  deep  vegetable  soil 
and  warm  sheltered  position. 


T.  CONCINNA. — A  dainty  late-flowering 
species  from  Cilicia,  with  rich  red  flowers 
2  inches  across,  marked  with  bold  black 
spots  outlined  in  yellow,  at  the  base  of 
each  segment. 

T.  DASYTEMON. — A  fine  new  species, 
very  distinct  in  habit  and  flower.  In 
height  it  grows  about  6  inches,  with  from 
four  to  seven  flowers  on  a  stem  ;  in  colour 
these  are  yellow  edged  white. 

T.  DIDIERI. — May  flowering  kind  from 
the  Alps,  grows  tall,  and  has  large  bright 
red  flowers  with  black  blotches  inside 
at  the  base.  A  yellow  variety  named 
Billetiana  is  equally  handsome. 

T.  EICHLERI. — Is  another  fine  species 
with  large  leaves  and  broad  flowers  of  an 
intense  scarlet-red  colour,  the  petals 
roundish  in  shape,  having  at  the  base  a 
black  blotch  margined  with  yellow. 
Georgia. 

T.  ELEGANS. — Graceful  bright-coloured 
kind,  opens  late  in  April,  the  flowers  bright 
red  with  yellow  eye,  the  petals  long, 
tapering  to  a  point. 

T.  FLAVA. — With  bright  yellow  petals, 
rather  spoiled  by  a  bar  of  green  down  the 
centre ;  its  flowers,  however,  continue 
quite  a  fortnight  after  those  of  all  other 
Tulips  are  past. 

T.  GALATICA. — -A  dwarf  Tulip,  rarely 
reaching  9  inches  high,  and  quite  unlike 
other  kinds  in  its  very  broad  leaves  and 
large  cone-shaped  flowers  of  pale  yellow, 
flaked  with  green  at  the  base  on  the  inside, 
and  touched  with  olive-green  on  the  out- 
side of  each  petal. 

T.  GESNERIANA.— This  is  the  noblest  of 
all  Tulips,  the  parent  of  the  large  late- 
flowering  race,  and  should  be  in  every 
garden,  planted  in  bold  groups  or  broad 
masses.  In  Sussex  I  have  seen  charming 
effects  secured  by  planting  in  quantity. 
In  another  instance  the  bulbs  had  been 
planted  in  a  solid,  but  irregular  line,  on 
a  dry,  warm  hedge-bank  of  turfy  loam,  and 
just  through  and  above  the  great  crimson 
blooms  the  common  Quince  had  thrust 
its  soft  leafy  branches,  thickly  set  with 
small  white  or  delicate  rose-flushed 
flowers.  It  has  an  immense  bright-red 
flower  borne  on  a  tall  stem,  sweetly 
scented,  with  a  black  zone  inside  at  the 
base.  The  flowers  last  admirably  when 
cut,  and  by  artificial  light  they  open  as 
widely  as  by  day.  The  finest  form  is  that 
called  spathulata.  E.  Europe  and  Asia. 
The  so-called  "  Darwin  "  Tulips  are  self- 
coloured  forms  of  this  species. 

T.  GREIGI. — Introduced  about  the  year 
1871,  it  has  not  yet  received  all  the  atten- 
tion it  deserves.  It  is  low-growing,  the 
flower-stem  seldom  exceeding  8  inches  in 
height,  the  leaves  marked  with  purplish 
blotches  and  the  large-sized  flowers  from 
over  3  to  nearly  4  inches  in  length,  of 
a  dazzling  vermilion-red  colour  faintly 
marked  at  the  base  with  a  dark  spot.  It 
is  hardy,  comes  into  flower  about  the 


75* 


TULIPA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


TULIPA. 


middle  of  April,  and  few  things  can  equal 
it  for  brilliant  display. 

T.  HAGERI. — Bears  glowing  flowers  in 
dark  red,  yellow,  and  black.  In  a  good 
new  form,  nitens,  they  are  orange-scarlet 
shaded  with  bronze  on  the  outside,  and 
opening  in  May.  This  is  a  neat  grower  of 
about  a  foot  in  height,  very  free  and  of 
vivid  colour  if  given  a  warm  place. 

T.  KAUFMANNIANA. — One  of  the  finest 
kinds,  hardy,  flowering  in  April.  It  grows 
from  8  to  12  inches  high,  with  broad,  flat 
leaves,  flowers  very  large  (nearly  4  inches 
in  length),  generally  white,  or  pale  creamy- 
yellow  tinged  with  pink  on  the  outside,  the 
petals  marked  with  a  broad  orange  blotch. 
A  fine  early-flowering  form  of  this,  aurea, 
bears  flowers  that  are  pure  yellow  or 
orange.  Yellow  inside,  and  shaded  with 
red  on  the  outside.  Turkestan. 

T.  KOLPAKOWSKYANA.  —  A  brilliant 
species,  not  exceeding  i  foot  in  height ; 
the  large  flowers  (3  inches  or  more  in 
length)  are  a  lively  red,  sometimes  yellow 
with  minute  blotches  or  spots  at  the  base. 
The  variety  splendens  differs  from  this  in 
its  deep  yellow  flowers,  suffused  with 
scarlet  on  the  outside.  Turkestan. 

T.  LEICHTLINI. — Grows  i£  feet  high, 
with  a  flower  always  erect,  the  three  outer 
petals  bright  purple,  with  a  broad  white 
margin,  the  inner  ones  yellowish-white, 
much  shorter  than  the  outer,  and  with 
rounded  tips.  Kashmer. 

T.  LINIFOLIA. — Has  glaucous  leaves 
deeply  undulated  and  flowers  of  a  dazzling 
red  colour,  with  small  black  spots  at  the 
base.  T.  Dammanniana,  from  Syria, 
comes  near  this,  but  is  more  sensitive  to 
cold. 

T.  LOWNEI. — Bears  delicate  Crocus- 
shaped  flowers,  opening  in  April  to  a  star 
shape,  on  stems  of  about  6  inches.  Their 
colour  is  a  tender  rose  or  rosy-lilac,  with 
a  yellow  base. 

T.  MACROSPEILA. — Closely  allied  to  Ges- 
neriana, flowers  late  in  May ;  it  has  large 
bright  crimson  flowers,  with  a  distinct 
black  yellow-bordered  blotch  at  the  base 
of  each  petal,  and  stamens,  also  black, 
about  one-third  the  length  of  the  flower. 
T.  MACULATA. — A  well-marked  form  with 
a  hairy  stem  and  bright  red  flowers,  hav- 
ing a  black  blotch  at  the  base,  flowering 
towards  the  latter  end  of  May. 

T.  MICHELIANA. — Allied  to  T.  Greigi, 
and  like  it  in  its  variegated  leaves,  only 
that  here  the  brown  colour  is  in  streaks 
instead  of  in  spots.  It  grows  somewhat 
taller,  and  the  flowers  are  a  darker  crimson 
shaded  with  purple.  Turkestan. 

T.  MONTANA. — Distributed  over  a  con- 
siderable area  in  Armenia,  Persia,  and 
Afghanistan.  A  species  seldom  exceeding 
6  inches  in  height,  with  flowers  resembling 
those  of  T.  Oculus- solis  of  the  south  of 
France,  usually  red,  but  sometimes  yellow. 
T.  NITIDA.  —  A  slender  kind  from  C. 
Asia,  the  home  of  so  many  Tulips.  It 


comes  near  T.  Gesneriana,  and  is  a  dwarf 
plant  with  narrow  grey  leaves  and  bright 
scarlet  flowers  spotted  with  black  at  the 
base  on  the  inside,  the  outer  petals  being 
a  paler  orange  -  red  colour.  It  flowers 
towards  the  end  of  April. 

T.  OCULUS-SOLIS.  —  Very  distinct,  its 
flowers  brilliant  scarlet,  with  an  eye-like 
blotch  at  the  base  of  each  petal,  of  a 
shining  black  colour,  bordered  with  yellow. 
T.  prcBcox  is  apparently  an  early  form  of 
this,  but  more  robust  in  growth. 

T.  ORPHANIDEA. — A  fine  species,  is 
closely  allied  to  T.  sylvestris,  and  has  large 
yellow  flowers,  tinged  with  red  on  the 
outside.  Greece. 

T.  OSTROWSKYANA. — One  of  the  newer 
species  from  Turkestan,  is  allied  to  T. 
Oculus-solis,  and  has  bright  red  flowers 
with  black  blotches  at  the  base. 

T.  PERSICA. — A  charming  dwarf  kind, 
best  for  edgings,  narrow  borders,  or  use 
in  the  rock  garden,  where  its  fragrant 
flowers  unfold  in  twos  or  threes  during 
May.  They  are  a  bright  yellow,  shaded 
with  bronze  on  the  outside. 

T.  PRJESTANS. — A  very  distinct  plant, 
in  which  there  are  sometimes  only  one 
and  sometimes  as  many  as  three,  six,  or 
even  ten  flowers  on  a  single  stem.  The 
orange-red  buds  appear  early,  opening  to 
a  pretty  pale  scarlet,  and  the  finest 
flowers  measuring  6  inches  across.  The 
plant  varies  in  height  from  a  few  inches 
to  1 8  or  more,  with  stems  and  leaves 
thickly  covered  in  soft  white  hairs. 

T.  PRIMULINA.  —  Another  fragrant 
species,  coming  near  sylvestris  and  bloom- 
ing in  April  and  May.  The  creamy-white 
flowers  are  edged  and  occasionally  flushed 
with  pink  on  the  outside,  and  pale  yellow 
within.  N.  Africa. 

T.  PULCHELLA. — From  the  alpine  regions 
of  the  Taurus.  It  has  purplish-red  flowers 
with  black  and  yellow  markings. 

T.  RETROFLEXA.  —  Probably  a  cross 
between  aciiminata  and  Gesneriana,  is  a 
truly  beautiful  kind,  growing  2  feet  in 
height,  with  recurved  flowers  of  a  pure 
soft  yellow,  striking,  distinct,  and  one  of 
the  easiest  to  grow. 

T.  SAXATILIS. — A  fine  species,  growing- 
from  12  to  1 6  inches  high,  with  flowers  a 
peculiar  mauve  tint,  passing  to  yellow  at 
the  base.     Crete. 

T.  SPRENGERI. — The  last  of  the  Tulips  to 
open,  this  fine  new  species  bears  large 
scarlet  flowers  5  inches  across,  which  last 
well  and  are  excellent  in  every  way  for 
cutting. 

T.  SYLVESTRIS. — A  British  species  every- 
body ought  to  grow.  It  is  pale  yellow, 
with  casual  edgings  of  red,  and  frequently 
the  scapes  carry  two  flowers,  but  the  most 
valuable  property  of  all  is  its  fragrance. 
There  is  a  large  flowered  garden  form 
distinguished  as  major. 

T.  TRIPHYLLA. — A  rare  and  choice  kind 
from  Asia,  with  tapering  flowers  in  varying 


TULIPA, 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


TUNICA. 


759 


shades  of  grey,  pale  yellow,  and  orange. 
It  blooms  in  April,  and  besides  having  a 
warm  place,  the  bulbs  must  be  lifted  if 
they  are  to  ripen  completely. 

T.  TUBERGENIANA. — One  of  the  largest 
in  size  of  bulb,  leaf,  and  flower,  with  tall 
hairy  stems,  very  glaucous  hairy  leaves, 
and  immense  cup-shaped  flowers  in  which 
the  petals  are  much  reflexed .  Their  colour 
is  intense  orange-scarlet,  with  a  bold  dark 
blotch  at  the  base.  Mountains  of  Bok- 
hara. T.  ingens,  from  the  same  region, 
comes  near  it,  but  is  of  dwarfer  growth, 
and  bears  deeper-coloured  flowers,  and  is 
less  satisfactory  in  cultivation. 

T.  UNDULATIFOLIA. — Native  of  Asia 
Minor,  10  inches  in  height,  has  glaucous 
leaves  deeply  undulated  at  the  margin, 
and  flowers  of  a  brilliant  crimson-red, 
with  black  blotches  margined  with  yellow 
at  the  base.  Flowers  in  May,  and  is 
closely  allied  to  T.  ciliatula. 

T.  VIOLACEA. — A  recent  introduction  ;  is 
also  one  of  the  first  kinds  to  flower.  It  is 
a  deep  self-red  colour  and  welcome  for  its 
earliness. 

T.  VITELLINA. — Has  large  finely-shaped 
flowers  of  lovely  delicate  yellow,  and  opens 
with  the  earliest  of  the  Gesneriana  section. 
It  is  a  splendid  Tulip,  its  dwarf  sturdy 
habit  fitting  it  to  withstand  heavy  rains 
and  winds. 

T.  WILSONIANA. — Allied  to  T.  Batalini 
and  T.  linifolia,  with  the  same  narrow 
leaves  and  distinct  bulb-coating.  Flower 
of  medium  size,  finely  rounded,  and  of  a 
peculiarly  brilliant  red.  Turkestan. 

The  following  kinds  are  in  perfection 
about  the  middle  of  May,  and  may 
be  relied  on  to  make  a  garden  gay  : 
Bridesmaid,  rose  flaked  white  ;  Buena- 
ventura, orange  and  gold  ;  Cloth  of 
Gold,  yellow  often  flushed  red  ;  Dainty 
Maid,  white  and  pale  rose  ;  Elegans, 
a  fine  scarlet,  with  Elegans  lutea, 
a  pale  yellow  ;  Firefly,  crimson  ;  Gala 
Beauty  (Columbus),  yellow  and  scarlet ; 
Gesneriana  aurantiaca,  orange-crim- 
son ;  Golden  Goblet ;  Gold  Flake,  red 
and  yellow  ;  Inglescombe  Scarlet, 
brilliant  scarlet  and  very  large  ;  Isa- 
bella, creamy- white  flaked  rose  ; 
Ixioides,  yellow  and  dark  chocolate  ; 
La  Candeur,  white  flushed  rose  ;  La 
Merveille,  terra-cotta  and  orange-red  ; 
Leghorn  Bonnet,  sulphur  yellow,  with 
a  distinct  shape  ;  Macrospeila,  a  fine 
shade  of  crimson  and  very  fragrant ; 
Maculata  grandiflora,  another  fine 
crimson  ;  Mars,  blood-red  ;  Mrs  Noon, 
yellow  ;  Nigrette,  chocolate-purple  ; 
Parisian,  white ;  Parisian,  yellow ; 
Picotee,  white  with  pink  edges  ;  Sun- 
set, gold  and  orange-red  ;  The  Moor, 
deep  crimson. 


SELF-COLOURED  DARWIN  TULIPS. — 
This  new  race  of  "  breeders,"  selected 
from  the  older  mother  Tulips,  yields 
brilliant  flowers  in  many  fine  shades  of 
colour,  their  centres  clear  and  well 
defined,  with  in  many  cases  a  ring  of 
white,  gold,  or  blue,  dividing  the  petal 
colour  from  the  dark  base.  They  grow 
2  to  3  feet  high,  with  flowers  so  massive 
and  weather-resisting  as  to  yield  pre- 
cious effect  in  the  garden  during  May, 
and  so  vigorous  where  the  soil  suits 
them  that  the  grass  of  meadows  or 
woodland  cannot  choke  them,  even 
when  left  to  themselves.  Good  kinds 
are  Negro  and  Sultan,  in  dark  shades 
of  chocolate-black ;  Harry  Veitch, 
crimson-purple  and  black  ;  Dorothy, 
rose  and  white  ;  Europe,  salmon- 
scarlet  ;  Flambeau,  scarlet ;  Hecla, 
crimson-maroon  ;  Loveliness,  soft  car- 


Tunica  sctxifraga. 


mine  ;  Queen  of  Roses,  rose  and  blush  ; 
May  Queen,  rose  and  white  ;  Mr  Farn- 
combe  Sanders,  rosy-crimson  ;  Salmon 
King,  cerise  with  white  centre  ;  Glow, 
vermilion  touched  with  white  ;  Clara 
Butt,  salmon-pink  ;  and  Zephyr,  soft 
rosy-lilac  and  white. 

PARROT  TULIPS. — Good  kinds  are 
Admiral  Constantinople,  in  shades  of 
orange  and  scarlet ;  Cramoisi,  brilliant, 
in  deep  crimson  with  blue-black  mark- 
ings ;  Lutea  major,  pure  yellow ; 
Markgraaf,  gold,  orange,  and  scarlet ; 
and  Perfecta,  golden  with  a  scarlet 
stripe. 

TUNICA  (Sand  Pink}.—  T,  saxifmga 
is  a  small  plant  with  a  profusion  of 
wiry  stems  that  bear  numerous  elegant 


766 


TYl>HA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEti.         UMBELLuLARlA. 


little  rosy  flowers.  It  forms  tufts  a 
few  inches  high,  does  best  on  poor 
soils,  and  thrives  without  particular 
care.  It  is  a  native  of  arid  stony 
places  on  the  Pyrenees  and  the  Alps, 
but  often  descends  into  the  lowlands, 
and  is  found  on  the  tops  of  walls.  A 
neat  plant  for  the  rock  garden  and 
fringes  of  borders,  and  thrives  like  a 
weed  between  the  stones  in  a  rough 
stone  wall.  Seed. 

TYPHA  (Reed  Mace).  —  Graceful 
water-plants,  hardy,  easily  grown,  and 
very  ornamental  whether  at  the  water- 
side or  cut  for  decoration.  T.  latifolia 
is  a  native  plant,  growing  in  tufts  of 
two-rowed  flat  leaves,  18  to  24  inches 
long  and  i  or  i£  inches  wide.  From 
the  centre  of  each  tuft  springs  a  stem 
6  or  7  feet  high,  terminated  in  the 
flowering  season  by  a  close  cylindrical 
spike  9  inches  long,  which  is  of  dark 
olive,  but  changes  to  brownish-black 
as  it  ripens.  T.  angustifolia  is  like  it 
except  in  the  size  of  the  narrower 
leaves  and  spike,  and  of  the  two  is 
perhaps  the  more  graceful.  T.  minor 
is  a  smaller  form  of  it.  T.  minima  is 
the  smallest  of  the  hardy  kinds,  12 
inches  to  18  inches  in  height,  with 
slender  rush-like  leaves  and  dense  or 
globose  heads,  those  of  the  other  kinds 
being  much  longer  than  they  are 
broad.  Other  kinds  found  in  water 
gardens  are  T.  stenophylla,  with  narrow 
leaves  turned  in  a  spiral  and  short 
thick  spikes  ;  and  T.  Shuttleworthii, 
like  lattfolia  as  to  general  appearance, 
but  with  leaves  of  a  showy  golden- 
green. 

ULEX  (Furze).— The  native  Furze 
is  so  beautiful  and  is  so  well  suited  for 
clothing  dry  banks  and  the  like  that  it 
should  be  included  among  flowering 
shrubs.  Where  the  common  Furze 
grows  wild  the  double  variety  is  well 
worth  planting,  as  it  is  more  effective 
and  lasts  longer  than  the  single  kind. 
A  dwarf  sort,  nanus,  deserves  a  place, 
as  it  flowers  at  midsummer,  when  its 
commoner  relative  has  done.  It  also 
is  a  native,  and  where  it  flourishes  it 
makes  a  dense  prickly  bush  2  feet  high. 

U.  STRICTUS  (Irish  Furze)  is  an  uncom- 
mon variety  of  europ&us.  As  all  the  kinds 
of  Furze  are  difficult  to  transplant  when 
large,  the  best  plan  is  to  get  small  plants 
of  the  double  and  of  the  dwarf  kinds  and 
to  sow  seed  of  the  common  single  kind. 
In  most  nurseries  the  double  Furze  is  kept 
in  pots,  and  can  be  planted  at  any  time. 
There  are  few  finer  sights  than  a  bank  of 
double  Furze  in  full  bloom,  and  this  can 


be  enjoyed  in  every  garden.  Vigorous 
pruning  when  the  plants  become  straggling 
is  all  the  attention  needed.  In  severe 
winters  all  these  plants  are  liable  to  be 
cut  to  the  ground,  but  they  start  again 
little  the  worse. 

ULMUS  (Elm).  —  Summer-leafing 
forest  trees  of  northern  and  temperate 
regions,  and  of  importance  in  plant- 
ing, though  the  dangerous  habit  of 
the  common  Elm,  of  suddenly  drop- 
ping heavy  branches,  should  make  us 
cautious  about  planting  it  near  houses. 
Kinds  that  may  be  of  interest  in 
botanical  collections  are  not  worth  a 
place  in  private  grounds,  where  only 
the  most  distinct  and  stately  kinds 
should  be  planted.  The  practice  com- 
mon in  many  districts  of  forming 
avenues  of  Elms  only  might  well  be 
modified  in  favour  of  other  trees  of 
proved  value,  as  the  loss  caused  to 
Elm-planted  villages  and  roadsides  by 
storms  is  deplorable. 

U.  AMERICANA  (Water  E.). — A  large  and 
handsome  tree  inhabiting  moist  soil  and 
banks  of  streams  in  N.  America  ;  quite 
hardy,  and  useful  in  Britain.  There  is  a 
weeping  variety. 

U.  CAMPESTRIS  (Common  E.). — This 
tree  is  naturalised  in  our  river  valleys,  and 
often  blown  down  by  storms  in  numbers. 
If  we  wish  to  shade  our  road  or  walks 
with  trees  we  certainly  should  take  the 
trouble  to  find  those  which  anchor  them- 
selves securely,  and  this  does  not.  There 
are  many  varieties,  the  Cornish,  a  pendu- 
lous one,  and  the  usual  variegated  ones, 
always  more  attractive  in  the  nursery  state 
than  they  are  when  they  get  older. 

U.  MONTANA  (Mountain  or  Wych  E.). — 
A  fine  tree,  distinct  and  handsome  as  a 
shade  and  lawn  tree,  and  not  so  dangerous 
as  the  common  Elm.  There  are  numerous 
varieties,  pyramidal  upright  growers,  and, 
best  of  all,  a  weeping  variety,  a  beautiful 
hardy  and  distinct  tree  thriving  almost 
anywhere. 

The  best  trees  in  this  important 
group  are  the  English  Elm  and  the 
American  Elm.  What  we  should 
avoid  are  some  hybrids  and  varieties 
of  these.  They  have  many  names, 
and  some  of  them  I  have  never  noticed 
as  making  good  trees.  Here,  again,  it 
is  best  to  avoid  hybrids  and  varieties, 
and  choose  rather  the  noble  types. 

UMBELLULARIA      CALIFORNICA 

( Calif ornian  Laurel) .  —  A  handsome 
evergreen  tree,  seldom  planted,  though 
hardy  in  our  southern  gardens  and 
suited  to  walls  where  too  tender  for 
the  open.  It  might  pass  as  a  narrow- 
leaved  form  of  the  Common  Bay,  the 
resemblance  in  the  shape  of  leaves  and 


ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.       VACCINIUM.         76! 


their  texture  being  emphasised  by  a 
like  fragrance  being  emitted  when  they 
are  bruised.  This  is  due  to  a  volatile 
oil  present  in  such  quantity  that  the 
fresh  -  cut  brushwood  burns  readily, 
while  from  the  leaves  "  Bay  water  " 
is  distilled.  The  fragrance  becomes 
oppressive  and  even  dangerous  in  a 
confined  space,  causing  sneezing,  head- 
ache, and  a  kind  of  temporary  paralysis 
in  extreme  cases.  In  its  own  land  it 
makes  a  noble  evergreen  tree  90  to 
100  feet  high,  with  a  trunk  diameter 
of  4,  6,  or  even  8  feet  in  rare  instances 
where  the  trees  have  endured  for 
centuries.  It  flourishes  upon  the  foot- 
hills and  along  the  banks  of  water- 
courses, growing  in  dense  groves  which 
sometimes  extend  for  miles,  as  beside 
the  Eel  River  in  Humboldt  County. 
It  is  perhaps  the  most  valuable  timber 
tree  of  the  North  Pacific  Coast,  where 
its  wood  is  in  great  demand  for 
furniture  and  house  decoration.  The 
small  greenish-yellow  flowers  appear 
as  dense  clusters,  followed  by  fruits 
at  first  like  a  green  Walnut  in  size 
and  appearance,  turning  purple  when 
fully  ripe  and  hanging  for  many 
months.  Imported  seed  germinates 
without  difficulty.  There  are  few 
better  seaside  trees,  the  foliage  being 
dense  and  very  resistant  and  its  colour 
distinct  and  good.  It  grows  freely  in 
a  dry  porous  soil,  and  in  default  of 
seed  may  be  increased  by  cuttings 
taken  in  early  summer ;  but  seed  is  in 
every  way  best.  Syn.,  Oreodaphne 
calif ornica. 

UNGNADIA  (Spanish  Buckeye}.— 
U.  speciosa  is  a  slender  summer-leafing 
shrub  or  small  tree  from  Texas,  allied 
to  the  Horse  Chestnut,  with  glossy 
leaves,  divided  like  those  of  a  Hickory, 
and  rosy  flowers  an  inch  across  appear- 
ing with  the  leaves  in  spring.  The 
fruits  ripen  in  October,  and  are  like 
a  smooth  -  skinned  Chestnut  -  pod  with 
three  lobes.  Though  a  pretty  little 
tree,  it  is  only  suited  to  gardens  in  the 
warmest  parts  of  Britain. 

UNIOLA.—  U.  latifolia  is  a  handsome 
perennial  grass  from  N.  America, 
2  to  3  feet  high,  with  a  large  loose 
panicle  bearing  large  flattened  spike- 
lets.  A  clump  placed  in  rich  garden 
soil  gathers  strength  from  year  to 
year,  and  when  well  established  is  a 
beautiful  object.  U.  paniculata  is  a 
taller  kind  which  grows  well  upon  the 
sand  of  the  seashore,  with  Oat-like 
clusters  which  are  very  ornamental 
when  dried. 


UROSPERMUM. —  U.  Dalechampii 
is  a  rather  handsome  composite  from 
S.  Europe,  of  dwarf  tufted  growth,  with 
large  heads  of  lemon-yellow  blossoms. 
It  thrives  in  an  open  position  in  any 
light  soil,  growing  about  18  inches 
high,  and  is  hardy. 

UVUL  ARIA  ( Bellwort] .  —  Graceful 
perennials  allied  to  Solomon's  Seal, 
bearing  yellow  blossoms.  There  are 
four  cultivated  species,  chinensis, 
grandiflora,  perfoliata,  and  sessilifolia. 
Of  these  grandiflora  is  the  finest,  and 
the  only  one  worth  growing  generally. 
It  attains  a  height  of  i  to  2  feet,  and 
its  numerous  slender  stems  form  a 
compact  tuft,  with  flowers  long  and 
yellow,  drooping  gracefully,  and  pretty 
in  early  summer.  It  is  a  good  peat 
border  plant,  thriving  best  in  a  moist 
peaty  soil  and  in  shade.  N.  America, 
except  chinensis.  Division. 

VACCINIUM  (Whortleberry}.— K 
group  of  evergreen  and  summer-leafing 
shrubs  allied  to  the  Heath  family, 
often  beautiful  in  bloom,  in  fruit,  and 
in  autumn  colour,  yet  neglected  in 
gardens.  The  smaller  kinds  may  be 
planted  as  edgings  to  beds  of  Rhodo- 
dendrons and  other  peat-loving  shrubs 
or  as  groups  in  the  rock  garden.  They 
will  not  grow  in  lime  soils,  and  are 
averse  to  removal,  but  are  otherwise 
of  easy  culture,  and  increased  by 
suckers,  cuttings,  or  seed.  Unless 
from  a  good  nursery  where  they  have 
been  frequently  transplanted,  they 
must  be  well  cut  in  after  removal. 
Most  kinds  are  best  in  partial  shade 
and  in  moist  or  boggy  soil,  though 
some  do  well  in  drier  and  sunny  places. 
Many  kinds  bear  good  fruit  of  agreeable 
acid  flavour,  known  under  various 
popular  names  and  valued  for  tarts 
and  preserves.  Though  now  often 
classed  apart  under  the  name  Oxy- 
coccus,  the  true  Cranberries  are  in- 
cluded here.  The  following  are  the 
best  of  the  hardy  kinds  : — 

V.  ARCTOSTAPHYLOS  (Bear's  Grape). — A 
fine  summer-leafing  shrub  of  6  to  8  feet, 
from  the  wooded  mountains  bordering  the 
Black  Sea.  It  bears  blush- white  flowers 
tinged  with  purple  and  reddish-purple 
berries,  and  likes  a  damp  shady  place. 

V.  BUXIFOLIA  (Box-leaved  Whortle- 
berry) . — A  pretty  evergreen  shrub  from  the 
hills  of  Virginia,  6  to  8  inches  high,  and 
useful  for  edgings  in  a  shady  place. 

V.  CANADENSE  (Velvet-leaf).  —  A  low 
shrub  of  i  to  2  feet,  with  white  flowers 
tinged  with  green  and  red,  coming  just 
before  the  leaves,  which  are  soft  and 


VACCINluM. 


THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        VALLOTA. 


downy.  The  abundant  blue  berries  are 
covered  with  bloom  and  very  sour, 
ripening  late.  The  plants  grow  in  well- 
drained  but  moist  peaty  soil,  and  give  fine 
autumn  colour. 

V.  CORYMBOSUM  (American  Blueberry). 
— A  spreading  shrub  of  8  to  10  feet,  charm- 
ing with  its  small  pink  flowers  in  spring  and 
vivid  leaf-tints  in  autumn.  The  fruits 
are  good  and  improve  with  cultivation, 
the  less  common  white  and  pink  varieties 
giving  pretty  colour  effects.  There  are 
several  forms — amcenum,  with  bright  green 
downy  leaves ;  and  pallidum,  in  which 
they  are  pale  and  glaucous. 

V.  HIRSUTUM  (Hairy  Huckleberry). — A 
beautiful  little  shrub  about  a  foot  high, 
with  long  racemes  of  large  greenish-white 
flowers,  and  dark  blue  hairy  fruits  of 
refined  flavour.  In  autumn  the  leaves 
turn  a  showy  brick  -  red  colour,  which 
endures  for  several  weeks.  The  plant 
needs  sun  and  a  moist  peaty  soil. 

V.  MACROCARPUM  (American  Cranberry) . 
— A  dwarf  evergreen  trailing  shrub  with 
its  long  loose  stems  covered  with  oval 
grey-green  leaves,  giving  reddish-purple, 
bronze,  and  crimson  tints  in  autumn. 
The  rosy  flowers  appear  in  June,  and  the 
ripe  fruit  in  September  or  October.  There 
are  many  varieties,  valued  for  their  fruit. 
Thrives  best  in  wet  peat  bogs. 

V.  MYRSENITES. — A  cheerful  evergreen 
shrub  of  i  to  2  feet,  with  neat  glossy-green 
leaves,  clusters  of  bell  -  shaped  white 
flowers  touched  with  pink,  and  red  berries, 
ripening  to  blue  or  black.  Firm  sandy 
peat,  well-drained. 

V.  MYRTILLUS  (Bilberry). — Native  shrub 
growing  on  our  moors  and  in  shady 
woods.  Its  rigid  stems,  often  only  a 
few  inches  high,  rise  from  a  creeping  root- 
stock,  bearing  neat  leaves  (red  while 
young),  small  rosy  flowers,  and  juicy  blue 
berries  of  excellent  flavour. 

V.  OVATUM. — An  evergreen  shrub  of 
3  to  8  feet,  from  the  Pacific  coast  of  North 
America,  with  thick  glossy  leaves,  bright 
pink  flowers,  and  handsome  red  fruits, 
ripening  black  and  of  good  flavour.  This 
makes  a  choice  hedge  plant,  and  is  one 
of  the  most  useful  kinds  of  the  genus, 

V.  OXYCOCCUS  (Cranberry).  —  Trailing 
evergreen  shrub  found  in  our  peat  bogs 
from  Sussex  to  Shetland.  It  has  downy 
stems,  scattered  leaves,  tiny  red  flowers, 
and  dark  red  acid  fruits. 

V.  PENNSYLVANICUM  (Pennsylvania 
Blueberry). — A  low  shrub  with  oblong 
shining  leaves,  white  or  rosy  flowers, 
and  sweet  bluish-black  fruits,  ripening 
early  and  much  esteemed.  The  plant 
grows  well  in  drier  places  than  most 
Whortleberries,  and  the  foliage  is  very 
effective  in  late  autumn. 

V.  STAMINEUM  (Deerberry).  —  A  dense 
shrub  of  2  feet,  growing  in  dry  woods  of 
New  England,  with  grey  -  green  leaves, 


showy  greenish- white  or  purple  flowers, 
and  pale  green,  round,  or  pear-shaped 
fruits  of  no  value.  It  is  a  graceful  garden 
shrub,  thriving  in  shady  places  and  easily 
grown.  The  flowers  are  peculiar  in  having 
no  bud  stage,  coming  wide  open  from  the 
first. 

V.  ULIGINOSUM  (Great  Bilberry).  —  A 
native  trailing  shrub,  found  in  mountain 
bogs  and  woody  places  of  Scotland  and 
the  north  of  England.  The  flowers  are 
small,  pale  pink,  and  the  berries  dark  blue. 
A  useful  rock  plant  for  cold  wet  soils. 

V.  VACILLANS  (Pale  Blueberry).  —  An 
erect-growing  little  shrub  well  adapted 
for  dry  and  sandy  places,  with  showy 
bell  -  shaped  flowers  contracted  at  the 
mouth,  and  borne  in  loose  clusters  ;  large 
blue  berries,  with  a  dense  bloom  and  good 
flavour,  ripening  after  the  first  earlies. 
A  pretty  plant,  and  worth  growing  for 
its  fruit  alone. 

V.  VITIS-ID^A  (Cowberry). — A  native 
evergreen  shrub  with  trailing  stems, 
growing  in  the  west  from  Devon  and  S. 
Wales,  into  Scotland,  but  absent  from  the 
S.E.  of  Britain.  The  box-like  leaves  are 
dark  and  shining,  and  the  pretty  pink 
flowers  give  place  to  crimson  berries  the 
size  of  red  currants  and  equally  useful, 
but  only  abundant  on  well-grown  plants. 

VALERIANA  ( Valerian) .  —  Hardy 
perennial  and  mountain  plants,  of 
which  the  only  one  worth  cultivating 
in  a  general  way  is  the  golden-leaved 
variety  of  V.  Phu — an  effective  plant 
in  spring,  when  its  foliage  is  young  ; 
it  is  of  neat  tufted  habit,  and  grows 
freely  in  any  soil.  A  few  dwarf  alpine 
Valerians  are  sometimes  grown,  but 
they  are  not  attractive.  The  flowers, 
too,  are  unpleasantly  scented.  Some 
of  the  larger  species  are  pretty  in 
rough  places  in  moist  land.  V.  sam- 
bucifolia,  with  flowers  white  and  borne 
in  large  umbelliferous  heads  in  July,  is 
among  the  more  effective  things  for 
grouping  in  the  mixed  border,  rising 
nearly  6  feet  high  and  being  consider- 
ably more  than  that  across.  It  is  one 
of  the  most  vigorous  of  perennials,  and 
may  be  turned  to  good  account  in 
many  ways,  e.g.,  the  shrubbery  border 
and  the  more  open  approaches  to  the 
woodland. 

VALLOTA  (Scarborough  Lily}.—  V. 
purpurea  is  a  handsome  Amaryllis-like 
plant,  with  bright  crimson  -  scarlet 
flowers,  hardy  in  mild  spots.  It 
requires  a  warm  situation  in  light  soil, 
such  as  the  foot  of  a  south  wall,  and 
in  such  positions  it  often  thrives 
better  than  in  pots  under  glass ;  but 
the  bulbs  must  be  protected  during 


VANCOUVERIA.  THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.      VERBASCUM.       763 


severe  frosts.  The  outdoor  culture  of 
this  plant  deserves  more  attention 
than  it  has  hitherto  had.  Cape  of 
Good  Hope.  There  is  a  beautiful 
variety  in  which  the  flowers  are  white. 
S.  Africa. 

VANCOUVERIA.—  V.  hexandm  is  a 
most  graceful  and  distinct  plant,  10  to 
1 8  inches  high,  with  light  fern-like 
leaves  and  slender  spikes  of  pale 
flowers,  and  is  a  charming  plant  for 
the  fernery  and  rock  garden,  best  in 
peaty  soil.  It  is  apt  to  perish  in  some 
heavy  soils,  and  thrives  best  in  peaty 
ones.  Vancouver.  Division. 

VENIDIUM. —  V.  calendulaceum  is  a 
beautiful  half-hardy  plant  of  dwarf 
spreading  growth,  with  in  summer 
showy  yellow  Marigold-like  blossoms, 
2  inches  across  and  good  for  cutting. 
A  good  effect  is  gained  by  putting  out 
several  plants  on  a  warm  sunny  border, 
or  even  on  the  top  of  a  wall  or  a  raised 
stone  edging.  Cuttings  inserted  in 
August  root  freely,  and  may  be  win- 
tered in  the  greenhouse  if  kept  fairly 
dry,  otherwise  they  will  damp  off. 
Seeds  germinate  freely  in  a  hot-bed 
in  early  spring.  S.  Africa. 

VERATRUM  (White  Hellebore]  —  V. 
album  is  a  handsome  erect  pyramidal 
perennial,  3^  to  5  feet  high,  with  large 
plaited  leaves  and  yellowish-white 
flowers  in  dense  spikes  on  the  top  of  the 
stem,  forming  a  large  panicle.  The 
root  is  exceedingly  poisonous.  V. 
nigrum  has  more  slender  stems,  nar- 
rower leaves,  and  blackish-purple 
flowers.  V.  viride  resembles  V.  album, 
except  that  its  flowers  are  green.  5. 
californicum  has  stout  stems  of  5  to 
7  feet,  with  branched  and  tapering 
spikes  of  greenish-white  bell-shaped 
flowers,  followed  by  ornamental  fruits. 
Division.  These  plants  do  best  in 
moist  half-shady  places  in  the  wild 
garden,  rarely  attaining  their  full 
beauty  in  dry  sun-scorched  soils. 
France. 

VERBASCUM  (Mullein}.—  These  are 
stately  plants,  mostly  of  biennial  dura- 
tion, but  the  best  are  so  handsome  and 
long  flowering  as  to  be  welcome  in  the 
garden,  where  in  many  cases  once 
introduced  they  come  year  after  year. 
The  finer  kinds  merit  good  treatment 
and  planting  in  bold  groups. 

V.  CHAIXI  (Nettle-leaved  M.). — A  peren- 
nial species,  10  feet  in  height  and  very 
imposing  when  well  grown.  The  bright 
green  leaves  come  up  early  ;  the  flowers 
are  large,  yellow,  with  purple  filaments, 


and  last  a  long  time.  There  is  also  a 
handsome  variety  with  white  flowers.  It 
is  a  native  of  Europe. 

V.  CUPREUM. — A  beautiful  cross  between 
V.  phceniceum  and  V.  ov  all  folium,  coming 
near  the  first-named  in  habit,  hardy,  a 
true  perennial,  with  slender  spikes  2  to 
3  feet  high  of  copper-coloured  flowers  from 
May  to  August.  Other  hybrids  related  to 
it  are  V.  hybridium,  Daisy  Hill,  a  cross 
between  V.  phceniceum  and  V.  cupreum, 
with  short  spikes  of  bright  copper  and 
orange-coloured  flowers  ;  and  Lewanika, 
from  the  same  cross,  a  taller  plant  with 
flowers  of  a  peculiar  shade  of  bronze- 
purple,  produced  during  a  long  season. 


V.  NIGRUM. — Native  of  Britain,  a  true 
perennial  with  yellow  flowers,  but  rarely 
more  than  3  feet  high.  A  handsome  form 
of  it,  now  grown  in  gardens,  with  pure 
white  flowers,  is  a  good  plant.  S.  Europe. 

V.  OLYMPICUM.— One  of  the  grandest 
of  the  family,  strong  flower-stems  attain- 
ing 6  to  10  feet  in  height,  the  flowers  rich 
yellow,  and  woolly  leaves  forming  bold 
rosettes.  A  biennial  from  the  Orient. 
V.  phceniceum  (Purple-leaved  Mullein),  one 
of  the  best  perennials  for  borders  in  small 
gardens,  is  very  variable,  there  being 
white,  violet,  lilac,  rose,  and  purple- 
flowered  varieties,  flowering  from  May  to 
August.  S.  Europe. 

V.  PHLOMOIDES. — Best  of  all  Mulleins, 
5  to  9  feet  high  according  to  the  richness 
of  soil,  its  yellow  flowers  continue  nearly 
the  whole  season  through.  It  will  grow 
in  almost  any  soil,  and  should  be  grouped 
boldly  among  shrubs  and  the  larger  hardy 

Elants,  or  naturalised  in  chalk}'  or  sandy 
anks.     France  and  S.  Europe. 


764         VERBENA.          THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER    GARDEtf. 


VERONICA. 


V.  PYRAMIDATUM  (Pyramidal  M.). — Has 
candelabrum-like  branches  of  bright  yellow 
flowers,  is  a  good  plant,  perennial  on  warm 
rich  soils,  and  effective  with  its  towering 
stems  and  huge  rosettes  of  crisped  leaves. 
Siberia. 

Other  Verbascums  of  interest  are 
macrurum,  longifolium,  virgatum,  Blat- 
taria,  niveum,  Boerhavi,  sinuatum, 
orientate,  and  Caledonia. 


Verbascuin  phloinoides. 

VERBENA.— Beautiful  half-hardy 
trailing  plants,  which  of  late  have  not 
been  popular  in  gardens,  probably  on 
account  of  the  vermin  that  attacks 
them.  Verbenas  bloom  profusely  till 
late  in  the  autumn,  and  if  temporarily 
disfigured  a  burst  of  sunshine  quickly 
restores  their  beauty.  There  are  many 
fine  varieties,  English  and  foreign,  and 
a  pretty  bed  may  be  gained  by  mixing 
some  of  these  together.  Put  out  the 
plants  about  the  end  of  May,  and  as 
they  grow  peg  the  shoots  securely  over 
the  bed,  keeping  them  well  thinned. 
The  best  way  of  ensuring  good  cuttings 
for  spring  propagation  is  to  put  out 
a  few  reserve  plants  in  spring,  dis- 
courage flowering  for  a  time,  and  root 


batches  of  cuttings  in  August  and 
September.  Give  them  a  shift  then 
into  larger  pots  of  rich  soil.  Soon 
afterwards  set  these  store  plants  in  a 
cool  house  or  a  pit  from  which  frost  is 
excluded. 

Of  late  years  Verbenas  have  been 
most  successfully  raised  from  seed 
sown  about  the  middle  of  January  in 
light  soil  in  a  warm  frame  or  pit. 
Wintering  the  plants  is  a  troublesome 
matter,  but  with  seedlings  it  can  be 
avoided,  and  they  have  vigour  to 
resist  the  disease.  Their  wonderful 
diversity  and  brilliancy  of  colour  and 
their  many  flowers  combine  to  make 
them  most  effective  plants.  Seed  is 
sold  in  colours  which  come  remarkably 
true — scarlet,  blue,  white,  carnation, 
flaked,  and  other  forms.  The  scarlet 
kind  is  from  the  old  Defiance,  and  its 
growth  and  freedom  are  marvellous. 

V.  VENOSA. — A  perennial  kind,  12  to  18 
inches  high,  with  purple-violet  blossoms, 
is  hardier  than  ordinary  Verbenas,  less 
apt  to  mildew,  and  cheerful  even  in 
drenching  rains.  It  is  easily  wintered, 
its  fleshy  roots  being  stored  thickly  in 
boxes,  and  the  young  shoots  rooted  in 
spring.  When  the  roots  are  lifted  in 
autumn  place  them  at  once  in  boxes, 
which  should  be  stored  in  a  cool  place 
until  required  for  propagation.  In  bor- 
ders they  will  remain  for  years  if  protected 
through  the  winter.  Argentine. 

VERBESINA. —  F.  encelioides  is  a 
half-hardy  annual,  i  to  2  feet  high, 
with  broad  clusters  of  golden-yellow 
blossoms.  California,  Texas,  and 
Mexico.  V.  gigantea,  from  Jamaica, 
is  about  6|  feet  high,  and  very  pleasing, 
with  its  round  green  stems  covered 
with  large,  winged,  glistening,  green 
leaves.  It  is  suitable  for  beds  or 
groups,  and  should  be  planted  out 
early  in  June.  F.  pinnatifida  is  a 
rough  half-shrubby  species,  with  larger 
leaves.  Both  these  require  heat  in 
winter.  Cuttings  root  easily  in  spring, 
and  grow  fast  when  put  out  in  a  shel- 
tered position  and  rich  light  soil. 

VERNONIA  (Ironweed) .  —  Coarse 
N.  American  composites,  of  which 
some  half  -  dozen  are  in  cultivation. 
They  bloom  so  late  as  to  be  scarcely 
worth  growing,  but  F.  prcealta  is  a 
stately  plant  for  the  wild  garden. 
Even  if  its  flowers  are  injured  or  escape 
us,  it  may  be  grown  in  a  ditch  or  open 
spot  in  a  wood.  Division. 

VERONICA  (Speedwell}.  —  A  large 
family  very  variable  in  structure  and 
appearance.  Many  arc  trailing  or 


VERONICA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


VERONICA. 


765 


carpet  plants,  with  flowers  mostly  of 
a  blue  shade,  but  sometimes  rose  or 
dull  white  ;  others  are  vigorous  peren- 
nials with  rigid  flower-spikes  of  similar 
colours  ;  while  a  third  group,  mainly 
from  New  Zealand,  are  evergreen 
shrubs  ranging  in  height  from  a  few 
inches  to  many  feet,  and  most  variable 
in  character.  It  happens  that  in  all 
these  classes  plants  of  the  same  species 
differ  so  much  that  their  correct  naming 
is  difficult.  Forming  two  such  wholly 
distinct  groups,  we  shall  describe  the 
shrubby  New  Zealand  kinds  and  the 
herbaceous  perennials  in  classes  apart. 

With  the  exception  of  two  or  three 
kinds  these  are  all  from  New  Zealand, 
where  they  form  a  large  part  of  the 
vegetation,  completely  covering  the 
hillsides  in  many  places.  Few  shrubs 
are  more  easily  increased  and  grown 
than  many  of  these  shrubby  Speed- 
wells, and  hence  their  wide  use  in  our 
gardens,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  few  are 
fully  hardy  inland,  and  that  with  every 
hard  winter  thousands  perish.  But  it 
is  so  easy  to  hold  cuttings  in  reserve, 
and  young  plants  so  quickly  repair 
these  losses,  that  occasional  destruction 
is  less  serious  than  it  would  be  with 
many  other  plants.  The  smaller  kinds, 
drawn  from  greater  elevations,  are  less 
tender  than  the  leafy  shrubs  of  the 
coast  region  ;  they  carry  small  tough 
leaves,  often  Box-like,  and,  being 
hardy  in  all  save  the  coldest  winters, 
are  for  their  distinct  colour  and  neat 
growth  valuable  in  the  rock  garden. 
They  are  somewhat  more  particular  as 
to  soil  and  position  than  the  larger- 
leaved  kinds,  preferring  ground  that 
is  open  and  well  drained.  These  kinds 
merge  into  an  alpine  group  found 
at  a  considerable  elevation,  at  which 
likeness  to  their  fellows  is  largely  lost, 
the  tiny  trees  (for  such  they  are) 
appearing  like  Heaths,  Conifers,  or 
mosses.  Though  beautiful  and  of 
great  interest,  these  little  plants 
seldom  thrive  inland,  though  they 
flourish  in  seaside  gardens. 

At  the  seaside  few  plants  are  more 
useful  than  the  large  shrubby  Veroni- 
cas, which  fear  neither  winds  nor  salt 
spray.  Cuttings  of  the  young  shoots 
root  easily  at  almost  any  season,  while 
many  kinds  seed  freely  and  sow  them- 
selves in  the  border.  The  mountain 
kinds  mostly  flower  in  early  summer, 
and  are  then  attractive,  but  many  of 
the  larger  kinds  bloom  best  in  autumn 
and  winter,  proving  of  value  for  cutting 
and  for  greenhouse  decoration  at  a 
dull  season,  the  colours  of  the  newer 


I  named  varieties  being  a  great  advance 
|  on  the  mauves  and  purples  of  past 
'  days. 

The  following  are  the  most  distinct 
of  the  shrubby  kinds  : — 

V.  AMPLEXICAULIS.  —  A  low,  ej:ect,  or 
semi  -  trailing  shrub,  its  stout  branches 
densely  set  with  grey  stem-clasping  leaves. 
The  white  flowers  appear  as  short  dense 
spikes  studded  with  blue  anthers. 


Verbas, 


V.  ANDERSONI. — Stout  leafy  shrub 
raised  as  a  hybrid,  and  most  useful  near 
the  sea,  though  tender  even  there  in  hard 
winters.  The  hills  round  Queenstown 
Harbour  were  once  covered  with  this 
shrub — plants  8  feet  high  and  20  feet  in 
diameter — yet  all  perished  in  one  cold 
season.  There  are  several  varieties  with 
flowers  in  shades  of  blue,  lilac,  and  crimson, 
and  one  with  variegated  leaves. 

V.  BIDWILLII. — A  little  creeping  shrub, 
spreading  carpet-like  beside  the  mountain 
streams  of  its  own  land,  and  changing 
into  sheets  of  pink,  white,  or  pale  violet 
flowers  in  July.  It  is  best  in  the  upper 
part  of  the  rock  garden,  where  its  neat 
leaves  are  attractive  the  year  through, 
and  unhurt  in  any  ordinary  winter. 


766 


VERONICA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


VERONICA. 


V.  CATARRACT^E.  —  A  slender,  much- 
branched  shrub  of  i  to  2  feet,  with  long, 
narrow,  pointed  leaves,  evenly  serrate  at 
the  edges,  and  large  white  flowers  in  July. 

V.  CHATHAMICA. — Makes  dense  trailing 
cushions  of  glossy-green  glaucous  leaves, 
with  close  cone-shaped  flower  clusters  of 
pale  mauve  or  rosy-purple  fading  to  white. 
There  is  a  distinct  form  called  minor. 
Chatham  Islands. 


Shrubby  Speedwell. 

V.  COLENSOI. — A  variable  little  shrub 
running  into  several  other  kinds  by  inter- 
mediate forms.  It  is  one  of  the  best  for 
the  rock  garden,  hardy,  with  narrow 
stemless  leaves,  tapering  towards  the  base, 
and  dense  clusters  of  pure  white  flowers 
from  every  leaf  axil  during  June  and  July. 

V.  CUPRESSOIDES. — One  of  the  strangest 
of  the  alpine  kinds  resembling  Conifers. 
This  is  like  a  little  Cypress,  with  slender, 
bright  green  branches  rising  erect  from 
2  to  4  feet,  bearing  pale  violet  flowers  in 
small  clusters  at  the  tips  of  the  shoots. 
It  is  fully  hardy  and  grows  best  on  light 
gritty  soils  of  fair  depth,  overlaid  with 
flat  stones  to  retain  moisture. 

V.  DIOSMAEFOLIA. — A  dainty  little  shrub, 
but  tender.  The  leaves  are  borne  in 


pretty  flatly-spreading  sprays,  and  taper 
sharply  to  each  end  ;  the  flowers  are 
white  with  pink  anthers,  opening  in  June. 
It  is  useful  under  glass  in  winter,  and 
bears  gentle  forcing. 

V.  ELLIPTICA.  • — -  The  only  tree  -  like 
species,  growing  30  feet  high  in  parts  of 
South  America  and  New  Zealand.  In  the 
mildest  parts  of  Britain  (Scilly  Isles  and 
Isle  of  Man)  it  also  reaches  a  large  size, 
flowering  almost  continuously  even  in 
winter.  The  leaves  are  narrow,  closely 
set,  and  bright  green  ;  the  flowers  white, 
rather  large,  and  fragrant. 

V.  EPACRIDEA. — A  pretty  little  shrub, 
tender,  not  easily  grown,  and  shy  in 
flower,  yet  charming  where  it  thrives. 
The  rigid  much-branched  shoots  are  very 
like  those  of  an  Epacris,  with  leaves  dark, 
glossy,  and  curving  upwards.  Though 
small,  the  flowers  last  a  long  while,  and 
once  established  on  the  rock  garden  few 
shrubs  are  more  interesting. 

V.  GLAUCO-C^ERULEA. — A  choice  hardy 
plant  about  a  foot  high,  with  neat  oblong 
leaves  barely  half  an  inch  long,  bluish-grey 
with  purple  edges,  and  borne  on  dark 
purple  stems.  The  bright  blue  flowers 
are  beautiful,  and  it  is  one  of  the  most 
charming  of  hardy  shrubs  for  the  rock 
garden.  V.  canterburiensis  is  like  this, 
save  in  its  lively  shining  green  colour  and 
its  white  flowers  with  blue  anthers. 

V.  HECTORI. — Belongs  to  the  alpine 
group  from  the  mountain  tops.  Its  stems 
are  like  green  and  polished  whipcord,  upon 
which  the  leaves  appear  as  tiny  scales. 
It  is  of  slow  growth,  standing  only  a  few 
inches  high,  while  the  white  or  rosy 
flowers  are  seldom  seen  even  in  its  own 
land.  It  does  best  in  gritty  soil,  and, 
though  hardy,  needs  care  as  to  soil  and 
position.  Cuttings  of  this  kind  root 
slowly  and  with  difficulty. 

V.  HULKEANA. — One  of  the  most  charm- 
ing of  Veronicas,  tender  save  in  the  milder 
parts  of  Britain  and  in  warm  nooks  near 
the  sea,  and  even  then  best  against  walls 
where  shelter  can  be  given  from  late 
frosts.  A  light  soil  and  partial  shade  are 
the  best  conditions,  resulting  in  a  free 
growth  several  feet  in  height,  with  oval 
notched  leaves  and  many  spikes  of  pale 
lilac  flowers  in  May. 

V.  KIRKII. — A  tall,  handsome  shrub, 
fairly  hardy  near  the  sea,  with  fresh  green 
leaves,  narrowly  lance  -  shaped,  set  on 
dark  polished  stems.  The  graceful  spikes 
of  white  or  pale  mauve  flowers,  4  to  8 
inches  long,  appear  only  on  large  plants 
during  early  summer,  and  are  highly 
useful  for  cutting. 

V.  LAVAUDIANA.  —  A  small  prostrate 
shrub  about  8  inches  high,  with  stout 
trailing  branches  set  with  glossy  pink- 
edged  leaves,  and  bearing  large  white, 
rosy,  or  purple  flowers  in  May.  It  is 
charming  in  the  rock  garden,  of  rather 


VERONICA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


VERONICA. 


767 


slow  growth,  and  perishes  in  a  hard 
winter. 

V.  LOGANIOIDES. — Belongs  to  the  class  of 
alpine  conifer-like  Veronicas,  though  the 
tiny  leaves  hug  the  stems  less  closely 
than  in  other  kinds,  and  the  clustered 
white  flowers  are  so  abundant  in  a  good 
season  as  to  hide  all  else. 

V.  LYALLI.- — A  slender  trailing  shrub  of 
dense  habit,  less  than  a  foot  high,  and 
rooting  where  the  stems  touch  the  soil. 
These  are  closely  set  with  firm  leathery 
leaves,  variable  as  to  shape  and  size, 
with  serrate  edges  and  more  or  less  pointed. 
The  flower-stalks  start  from  every  leaf- 
axil,  bearing  lax  sprays  of  rather  large  pale 
mauve  flowers,  prettily  veined.  It  is  one 
of  the  most  constant  in  flower,  and  ripens 
seed  freely. 

V.  LYCOPODIOIDES. — A  tiny  creeping 
shrub  hardly  rising  above  the  ground,  its 
angular  stems  sheeted  in  dark  green 
scale-like  leaves,  and  like  a  club  moss. 
It  fails  in  the  south,  but  is  a  pretty  rock 
plant  for  N.  Britain,  flowering  freely  in 
a  good  year. 

V.  MACRANTHA.  —  Bears  the  largest 
flowers,  and  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
of  the  group,  covering  large  tracts  of  its 
native  mountains  at  an  elevation  of  3000 
to  6000  feet.  It  is  a  rigid  little  shrub 
about  2  feet  high,  with  bright  green  leaves 
toothed  at  the  edges  and  many  pure  white 
flowers  an  inch  across. 

V.  PINGUIFOLIA. — Of  dense  growth,  it 
nestles  happily  amongst  rock  garden 
plants,  its  intense  glaucous  colour  effec- 
tive. The  white  flowers  with  purple 
stamens  are  borne  in  crowded  spikes,  and 
never  fail  to  appear  in  early  summer. 
This  kind  and  its  immediate  allies  are 
among  the  hardiest  of  shrubby  Veronicas. 
V.  decumbens  comes  near  this,  and  is  of 
prostrate  habit  with  black  polished  stems, 
bright  green  instead  of  glaucous  leaves, 
and  larger  flowers  with  rosy  anthers. 

V.  SALICIFOLIA. — A  fast-growing  shrub 
of  graceful  habit,  with  narrow  glossy  leaves 
2  to  6  inches  long,  and  bluish-purple  or 
white  flowers  in  slender  tapering  spikes. 
It  is  not  only  most  variable  as  a  species, 
with  many  wild  forms,  but  has  been 
crossed  freely  with  other  kinds.  Vs. 
macrocarpa  and  parviflora  come  so  near 
this  as  to  seem  only  extreme  forms  of  it. 
The  variety  with  pure  white  flowers  is 
the  best,  and  one  of  the  most  charming 
of  seaside  shrubs,  tender  inland. 

V.  SPECIOSA. — The  best  known  of 
shrubby  Veronicas,  of  rapid  growth,  with 
leafy  stems,  a  freely  branching  habit,  and 
showy  mauve  or  purple  flowers  fading  to 
white.  The  early  forms,  with  their  crude 
colours,  are  now  replaced  by  named 
varieties  due  to  crossing  and  selection, 
and  among  the  most  beautiful  and  easily 
grown  of  flowering  shrubs  for  autumn 
and  winter. 


V.  TRAVERSI. — One  of  the  hardiest  of 
the  group,  often  resisting  for  years  even 
in  cold  midland  gardens.  Its  regular 
leaves  and  rounded  outline  are  not 
graceful,  but  as  a  town  shrub  and  one 
that  thrives  well  on  chalk  it  has  some 
merits,  and  is  useful  for  cutting  in  winter, 
but  never  quite  liking  the  shrub  I  got  rid 
of  it. 


Veronica  pinguifolia. 

NAMED  HYBRIDS. — All  these  have 
come  from  three  or  four  kinds — Salici- 
folia,  elliptica,  speciosa — crossed,  re- 
crossed,  and  selected,  until  the  precise 
parentage  has  been  lost.  V.  Ander- 
soni  was  one  of  the  earliest,  and  other 
old  kinds  are  Blue  Gem,  an  old 
favourite  of  compact  growth  and 
nearly  always  in  bloom ;  Celestial, 
light  blue  ;  Imperial,  crimson-purple  ; 
Jardin  Fleuri,  deep  carmine ;  Mme. 
Chretien  Merveille,  purple  ;  Marie 
Antoinette,  pink  ;  Purple  Queen,  rich 
purple,  the  flowers  slightly  fragrant ; 
Reine  des  Bleues,  deep  blue  ;  and  Ville 
de  Hyeres,  a  very  hardy  kind  with 
crimson  flowers.  There  are  other  kinds 
with  variegated  foliage,  beside  the 
yellow-leaved  form  of  V.  Andersoni, 
the  best  being  Arc-en-ciel,  with  striped 
foliage  and  deep  red  flowers ;  and 
Silver  Star,  a  neat  dwarf  shrub  in 
which  the  leaves  pass  from  yellow  to 


768          VERONICA.  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN, 


VERONICA. 


silvery-white,  effective  as  an  edging  in 
warm  soils.  The  newer  kinds  are 
Autumn  Glory,  a  bushy  plant  with 
small  purplish  leaves  and  violet-blue 
flowers  in  autumn  and  winter  ;  Bolide, 
with  red  flowers  and  a  good  habit ; 
Conquete,  white  and  mauve  ;  Coquette, 
very  long  pale  lilac  spikes  ;  Daimant, 
crimson-purple  ;  Evaline,  soft  pink 
with  prominent  white  anthers  ;  Fleur 
de  Roses,  white  ;  Gauntletti,  with  very 
long  spikes  of  salmon-pink  ;  La  Seduis- 
ante,  dark  magenta-purple  with  white 
anthers  ;  Le  Merveilleux,  bright 
mauve  ;  Meldensis,  light  purple  ; 
Mont  Blanc,  pure  white  ;  Mont  Rosa, 
rosy-pink ;  Newryensis,  rosy-grey 
flowers  in  spring  ;  Queen  of  Whites, 
white  tinged  mauve  ;  Redruth,  rich 
red  ;  Snowflake,  long  spikes  of  pure 
white  ;  Valiere,  bright  violet  with 
white  anthers  ;  and  Vulcan,  rich 
claret-red  with  reddish-green  foliage. 

Among  dwarfer  kinds,  V.  verbenacea, 
V.  fruticulosa,  V.  alpina,  V.  aphylla, 
V.  nummularia,  V.  Guthrieana,  V. 
austriaca,  V.  ineisa,  V.  bellidioides, 
and  V.  Dabneyi  are  suited  for  a  rock 
garden.  The  pink  variety  of  V.  offi- 
cinalis  forms  dense  patches  of  pink 
blossoms,  sometimes  raised  3  inches 
above  the  ground.  These  mentioned 
are  so  hardy  that  they  may  be  divided 
or  moved  at  all  seasons.  Such  kinds 
as  V.  longifolia  need  frequent  division 
to  prevent  crowding.  Most  kinds 
ripen  and  sow  their  own  seed,  and  the 
seedlings  vary  in  colour  and  form. 

V.  CHAM^DRYS  (Germander  Speedwell). 
— Used  for  covering  beds  where  late-flower- 
ing bulbs  are  grown.  A  curious  variety, 
named  pedunculata,  is  quite  distinct,  and 
a  neat  plant  with  white  flowers. 

V.  GENTIANOIDES. — One  of  the  earliest  of 
the  Speedwells,  and  flowers  in  May.  Three 
forms  are  common — the  type  with  grey 
flowers,  a  variety  with  white  flowers  and 
bright  glossy  leaves  like  the  Gentianella, 
and  another  with  handsome  variegated 
leaves.  All  are  worth  growing. 

V.  INCANA. — Also  called  V.  Candida,  is  a 
dwarf  plant  with  silvery  leaves,  and  dark 
rich  purple  flowers.  It  is  used  with  good 
effect  in  bedding,  its  grey  leaves  being 
a  contrast  to  most  other  foliage.  A  form 
of  this  named  elatior  has  spikes  of  twice  the 
normal  length.  V.  neglecta  is  similar  but 
inferior.  Division. 

V.  PECTINATA. — A  pretty  trailing  kind, 
with  serrated  downy  leaves  and  blue  or 
rosy  flowers.  It  is  well  suited  for  dry 
spots  in  the  rock  garden,  the  margins  of 
borders,  and  other  places. 

V.  PROSTRATA. — A  very  dwarf  plant, 
which  is  really  a  form  of  V.  Teucrium,  but 
commonly  known  under  this  name  or  as 


V.  rupestris.  There  afe  varieties  with 
rose-coloured  and  white  flowers,  which 
appear  in  early  summer,  the  type  being 
deep  blue,  hardy  and  pretty,  blooming 
so  freely  that  the  spreading  tufts  4  inches 
high  are  often  quite  obscured  by  the 
flowers.  C.  and  S.  Europe  ;  on  stony 
hills  and  dry  grassy  places. 

V.  REPENS. — Clothes  the  soil  with  a  soft 
carpet  of  bright  green  foliage,  covered  in 
spring  with  pale  bluish  flowers.  It  thrives 
well  on  moderately  dry  soil,  but  delights 
in  moist  corners  of  the  rock  garden. 
There  is  a  variety  with  white  flowers. 

V.  SATUREIOIDES. — One  of  the  best  of  the 
Speedwells,  though  somewhat  rare,  with 
flowers  about  the  size  of  those  of  V. 
saxatilis,  of  the  same  intense  blue,  and 
in  abundant  upright  racemes. 

V.  SAXATILIS. — A  native  of  alpine  rocks 
in  various  parts  of  Europe,  and  also  a 
few  places  in  Scotland.  It  forms  neat 
trailing  tufts  6  or  8  inches  high,  the 
flowers  little  more  than  £  inch  across,  of 
a  pretty  blue,  striped  with  violet,  and  with 
a  narrow  but  decided  ring  of  crimson  near 
the  bottom  of  the  cup,  the  base  of  which 
is  pure  white. 

V.  SPICATA. — A  dwarf  native  plant,  not 
more  than  5  or  6  inches  high,  useful  for 
bare  corners  of  rock  gardens,  but  seldom 
flowering  before  the  end  of  July.  V. 
corymbosa  is  a  name  given  to  varieties 
of  two  or  three  species,  but  the  best 
seems  to  be  a  form  of  V.  spicata,  with 
deep  blue  flowers.  It  is  one  of  the  best 
plants  for  rock  gardens,  being  profuse 
and  continuous  in  bloom.  V.  hybrida  is 
generally  classed  as  a  variety  of  it,  but 
seems  quite  distinct,  since  it  is  far  more 
robust,  and  its  flowers  vary  in  colour  from 
dark  purple  to  lavender  and  light  rose. 
It  grows  wild  in  profusion  on  mountain 
limestone  hills  near  Llandudno  and  in 
other  of  the  north-western  counties. 

V.  SPURIA. — Is  12  to  1 8  inches  high,  but 
should  be  cut  down  in  autumn,  as  it  trails 
untidily.  In  June  it  produces  many 
terminal  racemes  of  bluish-purple  blos- 
soms. Syn.,  V.  amethystina. 

V.  SUBSESSILIS. — Best  of  the  hardy 
Veronicas,  and  flourishes  in  spite  of  spring 
frosts  and  cold  summers.  Its  large  dense 
spikes  of  deep  purple-blue  flowers  are 
effective,  and  it  should  always  have  a 
position  among  the  choicest  hardy  flowers 
in  a  good  deep  loamy  soil  and  open  situa- 
tion. Japan.  Readily  increased  by  cut- 
tings in  spring. 

V.  TAURICA. — A  dwarf,  wiry,  and  almost 
woody  species  from  Tauria,  forming  neat 
dark  green  tufts,  under  3  inches  high  ; 
its  fine  Gentian-blue  flowers  borne  abun- 
dantly. It  is,  perhaps,  the  neatest  kind 
for  forming  spreading  tufts,  in  level 
spots  of  the  rock  garden,  or  drooping 
from  chinks,  and  for  association  with 
the  dwarfest  alpine  plants.  Division  or 


VESICARIA.  THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.         VIBURNUM. 


cuttings.     Syn.,    V.  orientalis  var.   tenui- 
folia. 

V.  TEUCRIUM.  —  A  Continental  plant, 
which  forms  spreading  masses  from  8  to 
12  inches  high,  covered  in  early  summer 
with  flowers  of  an  intense  blue,  at  first 
in  dense  racemes  which  lengthen  pro- 
gressively. It  is  excellent  for  the  rock 
garden  or  borders,  and  grows  freely  in 
any  soil.  Seeds  or  division. 

Though  a  very  great  genus  in  the 
world  flora  Veronicas  have  not  nearly 
so  much  importance  for  the  garden. 
Many  of  the  New  Zealand  kinds  are 
tender,  and  of  the  European  or 
northern  kinds  rather  a  few  have 
much  beauty,  except,  perhaps,  the 
silvery  ones,  which  come  well  into  the 
flower  garden. 


VESICARIA  (Bladder  Pea}.—  Hardy 
evergreen  perennials,  of  which  V. 
grcBca  is  the  handsomest,  and  bears 
a  strong  resemblance  to  the  better- 
known  V  .  utriculata,  long  cultivated 
in  gardens.  The  bright  yellow  flowers 
open  in  succession  for  a  length  of 
several  inches  on  each  stem.  Rocky 
places  in  South  Europe.  Cuttings  or 
seed.  Both  kinds  flourish  in  dryish 
soil,  on  dry  sunny  parts  of  the  rock 
garden. 

VIBURNUM  (Guelder  Rose}.—  Hand- 
some and  vigorous  shrubs  of  northern 
regions,  beautiful  in  berry  as  well  as 
flower,  and,  with  few  exceptions,  of  the 
easiest  cultivation.  They  simply  need 
a  fair  soil  and  plenty  of  moisture. 
Increase  by  cuttings  and  layers  or 
seed  —  the  best  way.  Some  kinds  are 
not  worth  growing,  being  either  too 
much  like  others  or  tender  and  delicate 
with  us.  Those  admitted  here  are 
distinct  and  of  value,  and  it  is  best  to 
limit  ourselves  to  them. 

V.  ACERIFOLIUM.  —  A  shrub  of  4  to  6 
feet,  from  the  mountains  of  New  England, 
and  distinct  in  its  broad  and  glossy  three- 
lobed  leaves.  The  flowers  are  not  showy, 
but  give  place  to  oval  red  berries,  blackish- 
purple  when  ripe.  The  leaves  turn  a  fine 
crimson-purple  in  autumn,  and  the  plant 
will  grow  in  dry  rocky  soils. 

V.  CARLESII.  —  A  charming  Japanese 
shrub  of  rather  loose  habit,  with  roundish 
leaves,  silvery  on  the  underside  and 
greyish-green  above  from  their  coating 
of  fine  .  hairs.  The  flowers  expand  as 
rounded  clusters  of  good  size  in  the  latter 
part  of  April,  though  the  buds  are  formed 
early  the  previous  autumn.  They  are 
pink  in  bud,  opening  white  and  retaining 
a  flush  on  the  outside  ;  they  are  finely 
fragrant  and  last  a  long  time.  Though 
uninjured  at  Kew  during  recent  winters, 
the  plant  is  still  on  trial  as  to  its  hardiness 


in  this  country,  and  might  possibly  lose 
its  buds  in  a  severe  winter.     Cuttings. 

V.  CASSINOIDES. — Of  the  American 
Viburnums,  one  of  the  best,  growing 
some  6  feet  high,  with  thick  leathery 
leaves,  3  to  4  inches  long,  and  yel- 
lowish white  flowers,  during  the  early 
part  of  June,  in  flat  cymes  4  to  5 
inches  across,  and  handsome  fruit,  the 
berries  changing  first  to  rose  colour  and 
finally  to  bluish-black.  As  they  do  not 
ripen  simultaneously,  fruits  of  both  these 
colours,  as  well  as  green  ones,  occur  on 
a  cluster  at  the  same  time.  N.  and  Arctic 
America. 

C.  COTINIFOLIUM. — A  spreading  shrub 
or  low  tree  of  20  feet,  found  high  on  the 
Himalayas,  yet  so  tender  as  to  need  shelter 
or  a  place  on  a  warm  wall  during  our 
winters.  Its  young  leaves  are  downy 
but  wear  smooth,  remaining  grey  and 
woolly  beneath,  ovate  in  shape,  and 
4^  inches  long  by  -2\  wide.  The  flower- 
clusters  appear  in  May  and  June  upon 
short  woolly  stalks,  the  small  white  flowers 
flushed  with  pink,  and  succeeded  by  bright 
scarlet  berries.  A  beautiful  shrub  for 
warm  districts. 

V.  DAHURICUM. — A  spreading  shrub  of 
5  to  8  feet,  with  grey  stems  and  small 
woolly  leaves.  It  is  spread  from  Dahuria 
to  W.  China,  and  is  hardy,  thriving  in 
light  moist  humus,  and  covered  during 
early  summer  with  white  funnel-shaped 
flowers  in  small  clusters,  followed  by 
fragrant  oval  berries,  at  first  red,  but 
black  and  sweet  when  ripe. 

V.  DAVIDII. — Of  little  flower  beauty, 
this  distinct  species  is  valuable  for  its 
evergreen  character,  hardiness,  and  the 
mound-like  cushions  formed  by  its  hand- 
some leathery  foliage.  It  is  I  to  2  feet 
high,  and  often  the  same  across,  attributes 
which  fit  it  well  for  certain  positions  in 
the  rock  garden.  Its  dull  white  flowers 
are  in  stiff  terminal  heads ;  the  fruits 
blue.  W.  China. 

V.  DENTATUM. — A  bushy  shrub  of  15 
feet,  with  ovate  leaves  on  slender  stems 
and  abundant  white  flowers  in  June  and 
July,  when  the  shrub  is  at  its  best.  These 
give  place  to  small  rounded  berries  of  a 
bright  dark  blue,  covered  with  a  fine 
bloom.  There  are  two  varieties,  one  with 
finely  variegated  leaves,  and  Icsvigatum, 
which  flowers  later  and  is  larger  in  leaf. 
They  are  handsome  shrubs  for  damp 
ground.  N.  America. 

V.  DILATATUM. — A  shapely  shrub  of 
erect  growth,  brought  long  ago  from  the 
East  and  fully  hardy,  yet  almost  unknown 
in  our  gardens.  Its  bright  green  leaves 
resemble  those  of  the  common  Hazel, 
and  its  showy  heads  of  pure  white  flowers, 
appearing  in  May  and  June,  sometimes 
measure  6  inches  across.  These  give  place 
to  scarlet  berries,  hanging  for  many  weeks, 
and  making  this  one  of  the  most  handsome 
of  hardy  shrubs.  • 


776 


VIBURNUM. 


THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDEN.          VIBURNUM. 


V.  FURCATUM. — A  handsome  species,  a 
native  of  N.  Japan  at  low  levels,  and  of 
the  mountains  of  the  more  southern  por- 
tions, and  one  of  the  finest  of  shrubs  for 
autumn  colour.  The  large  and  broad 
leaves  turn  brilliant  scarlet  and  reddish- 
purple  before  they  fall,  and  it  grows  12  to 
15  feet  in  height.  Japan. 

V.  HENRYI. — A  lax-habited  hardy  ever- 
green shrub  from  C.  China,  attaining  to 
10  feet  or  so  high.  It  is  both  distinct  and 
choice,  and  of  high  fruit  ornament  in 
autumn,  when  the  pretty  panicles  of  coral- 
red  and  black  fruits  are  coloured.  The 
smooth  lanceolate  leaves  are  shining 
green ;  flowers  white. 

V.  LANTANA  (Wayfaring  Tree). — One  of 
the  two  kinds  native  of  Britain,  and  fre- 
quent in  hedgerows  and  copses,  especially 
in  chalk  or  limestone  soils.  At  its  best 
it  is  almost  a  small  tree,  12  feet  to  15  feet 
high.  The  flowers  are  white  during  May 
and  June,  on  flat  clusters  at  the  ends  of 
the  branches.  The  fruit  is  red  at  first, 
ultimately  black,  and  the  leaves  often 
die  off  a  rich  red.  There  is  a  variegated 
form  of  no  particular  value. 

V.  LANTANOIDES  (Hobble  Bush  or  Moose- 
wood). — A  N.  American  kind,  a  large 
shrub,  the  leaves  are  almost  round, 
and  whilst  averaging  3  to  4  inches 
across  are  sometimes  over  6  inches.  The 
truss  has  its  outer  flowers  sterile,  and  they 
are  i  inch  or  more  in  diameter  ;  both  they 
and  the  smaller  ones  that  fill  the  centre 
are  white.  The  fruit  is  at  first  coral-red, 
afterwards  dark  purple  or  almost  black, 
and  the  foliage  dies  off  a  rich  claret. 

V.  LENTAGO.  —  A  large  bush  or  low 
tree  of  30  feet,  common  throughout  N. 
America  in  moist  woods.  Its  broadly- 
oval  pointed  leaves  are  of  deep  shining 
green,  changing  in  autumn  to  varied  tints 
of  purple,  red,  and  yellow.  The  white 
flowers  appear  in  stemless  clusters  during 
May  and  June,  followed  by  large  black 
berries,  bluish  with  a  delicate  bloom, 
pleasant  to  the  taste,  and  hanging  for 
several  months.  It  is  sometimes  grown 
as  a  standard  with  good  effect.  A  variety 
in  which  the  flower-heads  have  short 
stems  is  known  as  subpedunculatum. 
Allied  to  this  is  V.  prunifolium,  which 
also  attains  large  size  in  dry  stony  places. 
Its  leaves  are  Plum-like  and  shining, 
with  saw-like  edges,  and  the  flowers  pure 
white,  fragrant,  with  prominent  yellow- 
tipped  stamens.  The  berries  are  bluish- 
black  with  a  grey  bloom. 

V.  MACROCEPHALUM  (Great  Snowball 
Bush). — A  Chinese  species,  not  very  hardy, 
with  enormous  flower  clusters.  In  some 
places  it  thrives  against  a  wall,  and  in 
the  south  as  a  bush.  Fortune  saw  it 
20  feet  high  in  Chusan.  The  wild  plant 
from  which  it  has  been  derived  is  in  culti- 
vation, and  is  known  as  V.  Keteleen.  This 
has  the  centre  of  the  truss  (which  is  much 
lluttcr  than  in  V.  macrocephalum]  filled 


with  fertile  flowers,  the  outer  ones  only- 
being  sterile. 

V.  ODORATISSIMUM. — As  a  rule,  when 
grown  out  of  doors  this  is  given  a  place 
on  a  wall,  as  it  is  not  hardy  in  all  winters. 
It  is  evergreen,  foliage  is  handsome,  each 
leaf  3  to  6  inches  long,  leathery,  and  of  a 
lustrous  dark  green.  The  flowers  are  in 
corymbs,  and  although  small  and  dull 
white,  are  charming  for  their  fragrance. 
China.  Syn.,  V.  Awafuhi. 

V.  OPULUS  (Guelder  Rose). — A  hand- 
some and  often  rather  tall  native  bush, 
frequent  in  the  underwoods  of  many  dis- 
tricts. In  the  wild  form  the  outer  flowers 
only  of  the  cyme  are  sterile,  and  these  are 
about  three-quarters  of  an  inch  across  ; 
the  centre  is  filled  with  small  perfect 
flowers.  In  autumn  this  plant  is  valued 
for  its  clusters  of  fine  red  fruits  and  the 
colour  of  its  leaves.  Of  its  best  known 
varieties  is  the  var.  Sterile  (Common 
Guelder  Rose) .  This  has  few  or  no  perfect 
flowers,  the  whole  truss  consisting  of  the 
more  showy  barren  ones,  which  makes  it 
much  more  rounded,  and,  together  with 
the  pure  whiteness  of  the  flowers,  has  led 
to  its  being  popularly  known  as  the  Snow- 
ball Tree.  A  yellow-fruited  kind  differs 
from  the  type  in  the  fruits  being  yellow 
instead  of  red  when  ripe. 


V.  PLICATUM  (Japanese  Guelder  Rose). — 
A  very  sturdy,  robust,  flowering  shrub.  I 
have  seen  young,  newly  -  rooted  plants 
injured  the  first  year  after  being  put  out, 
but  when  once  established  it  will  stand 
any  frost  up  to  30°  without  lasting  injury. 
It  is  a  shrub  of  neat  yet  graceful  habit, 
well  clothed  with  dark  green,  rather 
plaited  leaves.  It  bears  its  fine  trusses, 
3  inches  or  more  across,  on  short  branches 
springing  from  the  whole  length  of  the 
previous  year's  growth,  thus  forming  fine 
sprays  of  pure  white  blossom.  Syn.,  V. 
Tomentosum  Var. 

V.  RHYTIDOPHYLLUM. — Perhaps  the 
most  distinguished  and  ornamental  ever- 
green of  the  whole  race.  The  leaves, 


VICIA. 


THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER   GARDBN. 


VlNCA. 


771 


which  are  broadly  lanceolate,  are  about 
9  inches  in  length  and  2j  inches  broad, 
dark  green  above,  and  felted  with  dim- 
coloured  tomentum  below.  The  vigorous 
growths  are  terminated  by  corymbs  of 
yellowish-white  flowers,  which  in  Sep- 
tember give  place  to  huge  clusters  of 
fruits,  at  first  red  and  finally  glossy  black. 
It  attains  8  to  10  feet,  and  as  much 
through,  and  is  handsome  in  isolation. 
C.  and  W.  China. 

V.  SIEBOLDI. — A  handsome  and  distinct 
evergreen  bush,  with  large  glossy  leaves 
and  large  heads  of  white  flowers,  in  May 
and  June  in  Southern  England.  A  pro- 
mising kind,  at  least  for  districts  where 
our  evergreens  usually  escape  the  effects 
of  hard  winters. 

V.  TINUS  (Laurustinus).— A  beautiful 
and  fragrant  evergreen,  thriving  over  a 
large  area  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland, 
especially  near  the  sea  and  on  warm  and 
gravelly  soil,  though  now  and  then  injured 
by  severe  winters  even  in  the  country 
south  of  London.  In  sunny  positions  it 
usually  flowers  freely,  but  not  in  shade, 
commencing  to  bloom  in  December,  it 
will  continue  till  the  end  of  March. 
Although  all  its  flowers  are  perfect,  it 
does  not  ripen  fruit  regularly,  but  fruits 
occasionally  occur,  the  colour  being  a 
dark  blue.  There  are  several  varieties 
of  the  Laurustinus,  one  of  which,  the  var. 
lucidum,  has  fine  large  leaves,  shining  and 
almost  smooth  on  both  sides,  and  the 
flowers  and  flower-trusses  also  are  larger. 
It  is  possibly  not  quite  so  hardy  as  some 
forms  of  Laurustinus,  and  should  have  a 
sheltered  sunny  spot.  Other  varieties  are 
hirtum,  distinguished  by  the  hairiness  of 
the  leaves  and  branches,  and  purpureum, 
which  has  the  leaves  suffused  with  a  dull 
purple  tinge.  Laurustinus  can  be  struck 
from  cuttings. 

V.  WRIGHTII. — An  erect  shrub  from  the 
mountains  of  N.  Japan,  and  hardy  in 
Britain,  though  as  yet  hardly  known.  Of 
spreading  habit,  the  leaves  are  large, 
thick,  and  rounded,  coarsely  toothed,  and 
finely  tinted  with  scarlet  and  ruddy-purple 
on  fading,  and  its  large  fruits  are  brilliant 
in  their  early  stages.  It  promises  to  be 
one  of  the  best  for  autumn  effect. 

VICIA  ( Vetch) .  —  Perennial  and 
annual  herbs,  several  of  which  are 
native,  and  worthy  of  more  care  than 
they  often  get.  They  grow  freely  in 
almost  any  soil,  and  are  raised  from 
seed  and  increased  by  careful  division. 
The  following  are  the  most  useful 
species  : — 

V.  ARGENTEA  (Silvery  Vetch). — Has 
silvery  leaves  and  prostrate  habit,  is 
without  tendrils,  about  8  inches  high, 
spreading  freely  in  light  soil ;  the  rather 
large  whitish  flowers  are  veined  with  violet 
in  the  upper,  and  spotted  with  purple  in 
the  lower,  part.  It  is  not  a  brilliant  plant 


in  flower,  but  the  foliage  makes  it  worthy 
of  a  place  in  the  rock  garden.  Pyrenees. 
Division  or  seed. 

V.  CRACCA  (Purple  Vetch). — A  pretty 
native  plant  common  in  many  districts, 
wreathing  hedgerows  and  bushy  tufts  with 
its  graceful  shoots  and  bluish-purple 
flowers.  In  many  districts  it  plants  itself 
so  prettily  that  there  is  no  need  to  culti- 
vate it.  It  is  perennial,  and  should  be 
kept  in  the  rougher  parts  of  the  garden. 

V.  ONOBRYCHUS. — A  lovely  Vetch  bear- 
ing long  and  handsome  racemes  of  flower 
during  summer,  when  it  brightens  the 
Alps  of  France  and  Italy,  giving  an  effect 
like  that  of  some  of  the  purple  Australian 
Pea-flowers.  It  is  best  grouped  in  the 
rock  garden  or  on  a  grassy  bank. 

V.  PYRENAICA. — A  graceful  perennial  of 
dwarf  habit,  with  abundant  rich  purple 
flowers  of  large  size  from  April  to  June.  It 
is  one  of  the  prettiest  of  Pea-flowered 
rock  plants,  its  soft  green,  finely-cut  leaves 
making  a  cheerful  groundwork,  drooping 
from  rocky  shelves  or  draping  old  walls. 
It  spreads  freely  by  underground  runners, 
but  is  easily  kept  in  bounds  and  not  at  all 
troublesome.  Pyrenees. 

V.  SYLVATICA  (Wood  Vetch) .  —  This 
pretty  native  plant,  with  trailing  stems 
of  5  or  6  feet,  threads  its  way  through 
shrubs  and  hedges,  displaying  abundant 
creamy-white  flowers  streaked  with  blue 
or  purple,  and  bright  pea-green  leaves. 
Where  unknown  as  a  wild  plant,  it  is  well 
worth  a  place  in  the  woodland  garden,  and 
is  easily  raised  from  seed. 

Vieusseuxia.     See  MOR.EA. 

VILLARSIA  (Yellow  Buckbean).— 
V.  nymphcBoides  is  a  pretty  British 
water  plant,  with  leaves  like  a  Water 
Lily,  but  smaller,  and  floating.  Its 
yellow  flowers  are  borne  singly,  and 
last  through  the  summer.  Division. 

The  following  two  kinds  I  have  at 
Gravetye,  but  am  not  sure  if  they  are 
as  hardy  as  the  common  wild  kind  : — 

V.  RENIFORMIS. — A  graceful  water 
pla.nt,  a  welcome  addition  for  fountain 
basins  and  pools  without  rush  of  water. 
It  may  even  be  useful  in  open  water,  like 
our  native  Villarsia. 

V.  OVATA. — Quite  distinct  from  V.  reni- 
formis,  has  the  same  beautifully-fringed 
flowers,  and  is  most  welcome  for  fountain 
basins. 

V I  N  C  A  (Periwinkle).  —  Perennial 
trailers,  hardy  and  vigorous  anywhere. 
The  well-known  V.  major  (common 
Periwinkle)  is  useful  for  banks  or 
masses  of  rootwork,  and  also  for  rocky 
places  or  by  wood  walks.  The  lesser 
Periwinkle  (  V.  minor)  is  much  smaller 
and  useful  for  the  same  positions  ;  it 
also  has  several  varieties  worth  grow- 


77* 


VIOLA. 


THE     ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


VIOLA. 


ing :  a  white-flowered  one  (  V.  m. 
alba],  a  reddish  one,  and  one  or  two 
double  and  variegated  forms.  V.  her- 
bacea  is  less  frequently  seen  than  our 
common  Periwinkles,  but  is  more 
worthy  of  culture  on  rocks,  as  it  is  not 
rampant  in  habit.  It  is  a  native  of 
Hungary,  flowers  in  spring  and  early 
summer,  and  its  stems  die  down  every 
year.  V.  acutiloba  is  a  distinct  kind 
bearing  its  delicate  mauve  blossoms  in 
autumn  and  thriving  on  sunny  banks 
and  warm  borders. 

VIOLA  (Violet}. — In  nature  it  is  a 
very  large  family,  some  kinds  being 
among  the  most  ornamental  plants 
that  bedeck  the  alpine  turf.  Even  the 
common  Violet  may  also  be  claimed 
as  an  alpine  plant,  for  it  wanders  along 
hedgerow  and  hillside,  along  copses 
and  thin  woods,  all  the  way  to  Sweden. 
From  the  Violet  our  world  of  wild 
flowers  derives  wondrous  beauty  and 
delicate  fragrance ;  no  family  has 
given  us  anything  more  precious  than 
the  garden  Pansies  and  the  various 
kinds  of  large,  showy,  sweet-scented 
Violets.  Far  above  the  faint  blue 
carpets  of  the  various  scentless  wild 
Violets  in  our  woods  and  heaths,  our 
thickets  and  bogs — above  the  miniature 
Pansies  that  find  their  home  among  our 
lowland  field-weeds  ;  far  above  the 
larger  Pansy-like  Violas  (varieties  of 
V.  lutea)  which  flower  so  richly  in  the 
mountain  pastures  of  Northern  England 
and  even  on  the  tops  of  stone  walls  ; 
and  above  the  large,  free-growing 
Violets  of  the  American  heaths  and 
thickets,  we  have  true  alpine  Violets, 
such  as  the  yellow  two-flowered  Violet 
(  V.  biflora],  and  large  blue  Violets  such 
as  V.  calcarata  and  V.  cornnta.  They 
grow  in  a  turf  of  high  alpine  plants  not 
more  than  an  inch  or  so  in  height. 
The  leaves  do  not  show  above  the 
densely-matted  turf,  but  the  flowers 
start  up,  waving  everywhere  thousands 
of  little  banners.  Violets  are  of  the 
easiest  culture  ;  even  the  highest  alpine 
kinds  thrive  with  little  care,  and  V. 
cornuta  and  V.  calcarata,  of  the  Alps 
and  Pyrenees,  thrive  even  more  freely 
than  in  their  native  uplands,  the  foliage 
and  the  stems  being  stronger.  Slow- 
growing  compact  kinds,  like  the  Ameri- 
can Bird's-foot  Violet,  enjoy,  from 
their  stature  and  their  slowness  of 
growth,  a  position  in  the  rock  garden, 
or  in  the  choice  border,  and  they  are 
of  easy  culture  in  moist  sandy  soil. 
Violets  of  all  kinds  are  easily  increased 
by  cuttings  from  stout  short  runners. 


The  following  are  among  the  best 
kinds  : — 

V.  BIFLORA  (Two-flowered  Yellow  V.). — 
This  bright  little  Violet  is  a  lovely  orna- 
ment on  the  Alps,  where  it  carpets  chinks 
between  the  moist  rocks.  It  even  crawls 
under  great  boulders  and  rocks,  and  lines 
shallow  caves  with  its  fresh  verdure  and 
its  little  golden  stars,  and  is  useful  in 
rock  gardens  where  rude  steps  of  stone 
give  winding  pathways.  It  will  run 
through  every  chink  between  the  steps. 
Europe,  N.  Asia,  and  America. 

V.  CALCARATA  (Spurred  V.). — A  pretty 
plant  of  the  Alps,  usually  found  in  high 
situations,  amidst  dwarf  flowers,  and  is  so 
plentiful  that  its  large  purple  flowers  make 
sheets  of  colour.  It  is  as  charming  in  the 
rock  garden  as  in  its  native  wilds,  but  not 
so  free  as  the  Horned  Pansy.  There  are 
white,  pale  lilac,  and  yellow  varieties,  the 
last  (flava)  being  the  same  as  V.  Zoysi. 

V.  CORNUTA  (Horned  Pansy). — A  moun- 
tain Pansy,  with  sweet-scented  pale  blue 
or  mauve  flowers  of  great  beauty.  For 
a  while  superseded  by  the  many  charming 
tufted  Pansies,  the  turn  of  the  Horned 
Pansy  has  come  again,  and  of  late  years 
named  varieties  with  some  finely  shaded 
flowers  have  been  raised,  the  colours  pass- 
ing through  blue  and  purple  to  rosy-lilac 
and  white.  Pyrenees.  Division,  cut- 
tings, or  seeds. 

V.  GRACILIS.— A  remarkably  pretty 
dwarf  species,  never  failing  to  produce  in 
spring  an  abundance  of  deep  purple 
blossoms  in  dense  tufts.  It  is  hardy  in 
light  soil.  Mount  Olympus.  A  pretty 
form  of  this,  V.  gracilis  valderia,  comes 
from  the  Tyrol  ;  its  violet-blue  flowers  are 
flecked  with  darker  and  with  paler  spots. 

V.  LUTEA  (Mountain  V.). — The  yellow 
form  of  this  Violet  is  very  neat  and  com- 
pact, 2  to  6  inches  high.  From  April 
onwards  it  yields  abundant  flowers  of  a 
rich  and  handsome  yellow,  the  three  lower 
petals  being  striped  with  thin  black  lines. 
A  large  flowered  garden  form  is  named 
Gem. 

V.  MUNBYANA. — One  of  the  prettiest  of 
Violets,  abundant  in  flower,  robust  in 
growth,  and  hardy.  It  begins  to  bloom 
about  the  end  of  February,  attaining  its 
greatest  beauty  in  May.  The  deep  purple- 
blue  flowers  resemble  those  of  V.  cornuta  ; 
and  there  is  also  a  yellow  variety.  Spain 
and  Algeria. 

"V.  ODORATA  (Sweet  V.). — This  well- 
known  plant  is  widely  spread  over  Europe 
and  Russian  Asia,  including  Britain,  while 
it  is  grown  in  almost  every  garden,  and 
flowers  of  it  in  enormous  quantities  are 
sold  in  our  cities.  Its  fragrance  distin- 
guishes it  from  other  Violets.  It  may  be 
grown  as  carpets  for  open  groves  or  the 
fringes  of  woods,  hedges,  or  banks.  In- 
stead of  being  confined  to  a  bed  it  should 
fringe  rock  gardens  or  ferneries.  In  such 


VIOLA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


VIOLA. 


773 


positions  it  requires  little  care.  It  will 
grow  in  almost  any  soil,  but  best  on  free 
sandy  loam.  It  is  well  to  naturalise  the 
plant  on  sunny  banks,  fringes  of  woods, 
and  the  warmer  sides  of  bushy  places  to 
encourage  early  bloom. 

In  the  open  Sweet  Violets  thrive 
on  moderately  heavy  rich  soil  ; 
should  the  soil  be  light  and  gravelly, 
some  stiff  material  and  plenty  of 
manure  must  be  added  to  it ;  poor 
and  hard  clay  will  gain  by  adding 


spring,  and  afford  a  partial  shade  in 
summer.  When  the  soil  is  deep  and 
rich,  however,  Violets  will  bear  sun- 
shine, and  it  is  well  to  have  a  few 
plants  in  different  positions  to  ensure 
a  long  season  of  bloom.  On  south 
borders  Violets  dwindle,  but  a  few 
roots  on  sunny  banks  will  give  some 
early  pickings. 

The  insects  that  trouble  the  Violet 
most  are  green-fly  and  red-spider.  The 
first  is  generally  the  result  of  a  close 


'iola  pcdata  (Bird's-foot  Violet) 


sharp  gritty  matter  and  abundance  of 
rotten  manure.  Violets  require  shel- 
ter, but  not  that  of  a  wall,  and  in 
enclosed  gardens  they  are  seldom 
healthy.  Their  natural  shelter  is  a 
hedgerow,  allowing  such  currents  of 
pure  air  as  are  essential  for  keeping 
down  red -spider  and  for  healthy 
foliage.  They  grow  well  on  the  shady 
side  of  a  Hornbeam  hedge,  if  somewhat 
naked  at  bottom,  so  as  to  allow  the 
sun  to  shine  on  their  leaves  early  in 


unhealthy  atmosphere,  and  is  easily 
got  rid  of  by  gentle  smokings.  Red- 
spider  is  induced  by  strong  sun  and  by 
dry  soil ;  hand-dusting  with  sulphur 
is  the  best  remedy,  but  it  is  easy  to 
prevent  its  occurrence  by  free  sprink- 
ling. 

The  varieties  of  the  Violet  are  very 
numerous.  We  have  the  single  white 
and  the  single  rose,  the  double  white, 
the  Czar  (a  very  large  and  sweet 
variety),  the  Queen  of  Violets,  Admiral 


774 


VIOLA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


VIOLA. 


Avellan,  La  Grosse  Bleue,  La  France, 
California,  Princess  of  Wales,  Luxonne, 
Belle  de  Chatenay,  White  Czar,  Lady 
Hume  Campbell,  Marie  Louise,  Victoria 
Regina,  Wellsiana,  and  the  perpetual 
blooming  Violet — well  known  in  France 
as  La  Violette  des  Quatre  Saisons. 
This  differs  slightly  from  the  Sweet 
Violet,  but  is  valuable  for  its  long 
season  ;  it  is  the  variety  used  by  the 
cultivators  round  Paris.  The  double 
white,  or,  as  it  becomes  in  the  open 
air,  the  rosy-white  Belle  de  Chatenay, 
has  a  robust  habit.  Though  not  so 
pure  as  the  old  double  white  kind,  it 
blooms  more  freely,  and  is  neater. 
The  Neapolitan  Violet  is  tender  and 
needs  protection. 

V.  FED  ATA  (Bird's-foot  V.). — The  most 
beautiful  of  the  American  Violets,  with 
handsome  flowers  i  inch  across,  pale  or 
deep  lilac,  purple  or  blue,  the  two  upper 
petals  being  sometimes  velvety  and  deep 
violet  like  the  petals  of  a  Pansy.  The 
variety  bicolor  is  a  pretty  form,  its  flowers 
larger,  and  the  petals  arranged  like  those 
of  a  Pansy,  the  two  upper  ones  rich  velvety 
purple,  and  the  three  lower  delicate  blush. 


•-.  "^.^Wss^KHMF*  ?""»'"» 
Viola  reniformis  (New  Holland  Violet). 

V.  RENIFORMIS  (New  Holland  V.). — 
This  mantles  the  ground  with  a  mass  of 
small  leaves  and  slender,  creeping  stems, 
and  bears  throughout  the  summer  blue 
and  white  flowers  of  exquisite  beauty, 
about  2  inches  high.  It  is  pretty  for  a 
bed  of  peat  or  very  light  earth,  where 
taller  plants  are  put  out  in  a  scattered 
way  for  a  time;  but,  being  small  and 
delicate,  it  should  not  be  used  with  coarse 
plants.  It  must  be  treated  like  a  tender 
bedding  plant — taken  up  or  propagated 
in  autumn,  and  put  out  in  May  or  June. 
Australia.  Division.  Syn.,  Erpetion. 


V.     ROTHOMAGENSIS     (ROUCII     V.).  A 

handsome  plant,  dwarf,  and  with  low, 
creeping  stems,  which  bear  in  spring 
numerous  purple  and  white  blossoms.  It 
is  a  free  grower,  but,  being  a  native  of 
Sicily,  is  not  so  hardy  as  some  Violets, 
and  should  be  grown  in  a  light  soil  and 
a  warm  border. 

V.  TRICOLOR  (Heart's-ease). — The  Pansy 
is  usually  classed  under  the  head  of  V. 
tricolor,  though  it  is  probably  descended 
from  F.'  altaica — to  which  many  Pansies 
seem  nearly  allied.  But  our  Pansies  are 
so  numerous,  so  varied,  and,  withal,  so 
distinct  from  any  wild  Violet,  that  little 
can  be  traced  of  their  origin.  Of  one 
thing  we  may  be  certain — the  parents  of 
this  precious  race  were  mountaineers. 
Only  alpine  plants  could  give  rise  to  such 
rich  colour  and  such  wealth  of  bloom.  It 
may  be  treated  as  an  annual,  a  biennial,  or 
a  perennial,  according  to  climate,  position, 
and  soil.  One  of  the  commonest  of  weeds 
in  Scotland,  the  wild  V.  lutea  may  be 
grown  in  the  south  of  England  if  sheltered 
from  the  midday  sun. 

The  fancy  Pansies  are  remarkable 
for  the  strange  variety  of  their  colours 
and  the  unusual  size  of  the  blooms. 
The  seed  should  be  sown  in  July  or 
August,  in  pans  of  light,  leafy  soil,  such 
as  sand,  leaf-mould,  and  mould  from 
rotted  turf,  and  placed  in  a  cool,  shady 
place. 

As  it  is  rarely  convenient  to  plant 
the  seedlings  at  once  where  they  are 
to  bloom,  they  should  be  placed  in 
pots  plunged  in  a  cool  place  in  the 
open  ground,  and  put  out  in  time  to 
get  established  before  winter.  They 
stand  the  winter  well,  and  the  only 
danger  lies  in  heavy  rain  or  sleet  suc- 
ceeded by  sharp  frosts. 

Self-coloured  Pansies,  which  I  call 
tufted  Pansies,  are  among  the  most 
beautiful  things  one  can  cultivate  in  a 
cool  rainy  country  like  ours.  In  the 
north,  among  mountains  and  hills, 
they  are  at  their  best ;  in  the  south, 
with  care,  they  are  lovely,  and  when 
other  flowers  may  be  beaten  to  pieces 
by  storm,  they  are  better  than  ever, 
only  one  must  take  care  to  change  the 
ground  now  and  then,  because  certain 
worms  are  fond  of  the  plants  and  get 
into  it.  One  often  loses  them  also  in 
a  hot  summer,  so  that  it  is  always  best 
to  renew  the  stock  from  some  cool 
northern  nursery  and  increase  them 
as  much  as  possible  from  autumn 
cuttings.  If  we  have  any  young 
plants  we  should  plant  in  autumn  or 
in  spring  when  the  trade  stocks  are 
mostly  to  be  had.  Plants  of  this 
"  tufted"  habit  are  often  a  mass  of 


VIOLA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


VISCARIA. 


775 


delicate  rootlets  even  above  the  ground, 
so  that  they  are  easily  increased  ; 
hence  when  older  Pansies  die  after 
flowering,  those  crossed  with  the  alpine 
species  remain,  like  true  perennials, 
and  are  easily  increased.  The  term 
Pansies  is  a  good  one  in  all  ways. 
Without  an  English  name,  we  shall 
always  have  confusion  with  the  Latin 
name  for  wild  species.  To  all  of  these 
belongs  the  old  Latin  name  of  the 
genus  Viola.  It  is  now  agreed  by 
botanists  that  all  cross-bred  garden 
plants  —  including  tufted  Pansies  — 
should  have  popular  English  and  not 
Latin  names. 

These  are  the  flowers  hitherto  gener- 
ally known  as  Violas  and  bedding 
Pansies,  and  Dr  Stuart,  who  has  raised 
some  of  the  best  of  them,  says : 
"  Botanically,  Violets,  Pansies,  and 
Heart 's-ease  are  all  the  same.  Tufted 
Pansies  are  crosses  from  the  garden 
Pansy  and  Viola  cornuta,  the  latter 
being  the  seed  -  bearer.  Pollen  from 
V.  cornuta  applied  to  the  Pansy 
produces  a  common  enough  form  of 
bedding  Pansy — never  the  tufty  root- 
growth  obtained  when  the  cross  is  the 
other  way.  I  have  proved  this  by 
actual  hand-crossing.  Most  strains  of 
tufted  Pansies  are  bred  the  wrong- 
way,  and  lack  the  tufty  root  which 
makes  the  Violetta  strain  perennial." 

Although  we  like  the  colours  simple 
and  pure,  there  are  other  pretty  ones 
of  a  different  kind,  such  as  Accushla, 
Blue  Cloud,  Columbine,  Countess  of 
Kintore,  Duchess  of  Fife,  Hector 
Macdonald,  and  Skylark.  In  the 
south,  however,  they  are  uncertain, 
liable  to  vary  in  colour,  and  not  so 
good  as  the  selfs.  Some  kinds,  like 
Violetta,  are  white,  running  off  to 
delicate  bluish  or  lilac  hues.  These 
delightful  plants  are  so  easily  raised 
and  crossed  that  each  garden  might 
raise  its  own  kinds,  so  as  to  have  as 
much  variety  as  possible.  They  love 
a  light  and  cool  soil.  In  northern 
districts  they  are  more  at  home  than 
in  the  south,  where  special  treatment 
is  necessary  to  bring  them  to  perfection. 

For  early  spring  flowering  the  cut- 
tings should  be  rooted  in  July  or 
August  and  planted  out  in  October. 
They  commence  blooming  early  in 
April.  In  heavy  soils  liable  to  crack 
with  drought  use  abundance  of  leaf- 
soil,  burnt  ashes  from  the  rubbish 
fires,  and  the  like,  to  bring  them  into 
order.  Also  select  a  dry  time  for 
digging,  working  in  the  above  with 
plenty  of  short  manure  from  an  old 


Mushroom  bed,  and  scattering  an  inch 
or  so  on  the  surface  for  the  roots  at 
planting  time.  Cuttings  are  better 
than  divisions,  particularly  if  they 
are  made  of  the  young  shoots  stripped 
from  the  old  stool  with  a  heel  attached. 
To  yield  a  supply  of  these  cuttings  a 
reserve  batch  of  plants  is  necessary. 
About  the  second  week  in  June  cut 
them  back  to  within  2  inches  of  the 
soil.  A  month  afterwards  they]£will 


A  Tufted  Pansy. 


be  bristling  with  young  shoots.  When 
3  inches  long,  scatter  some  fine  soil  and 
leaf-mould  among  the  young  growths, 
and  keep  well  watered  for  a  fortnight, 
by  which  time  the  majority  will  be 
making  roots  freely.  A  fortnight  later 
they  will  be  ready  for  planting  in 
nursery-beds  in  a  shady  spot  and  in 
good  soil.  As  growth  is  renewed, 
pinch  out  the  top  of  each  to  encourage 
the  quicker  formation  of  shoots  at  the 
base.  By  October  there  will  be  some 
grand  plants  for  putting  into  their 
permanent  quarters,  full  of  youth  and 
vigour  that  will  produce  masses  of 
flowers  in  due  season. 

VISCARIA. —  V.  oculata,  a  showy 
and  beautiful  hardy  annual  from  South 
Europe,  is  well  suited  for  a  border. 
Seed  should  be  sown  in  spring  or 
autumn,  and  the  seedlings  thinned 
out  when  large  enough.  The  plant 
is  6  or  8  inches  high,  and  bears  a 
profusion  of  rose  -  coloured  blossoms 
with  a  dark  centre.  The  varieties 
cardinalis  (bright  crimson  -  purple), 
ccerulea  (bluish),  alba  (white),  Dunnetti 
(rose),  splendens  (scarlet),  picta  elegans 
(crimson  -  purple,  edged  with  white), 


776 


VISCUM. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


VITIS. 


and  a  dwarf  variety,   nana,   about  9 
inches  high,  are  desirable. 

VISCUM  ALBUM  (Mistletoe).— This   | 
on  trees  is  often  welcome  in  the  pleasure   j 
ground  or  orchard,  and  is  not  without 
beauty  of  colour,  but  where  abundant   ; 
it  is  injurious,   being  a  true  parasite 
which   thrives   at  the   expense   of  its 
victim.     It  grows  on  many  trees,  both 
evergreen     and     summer-leafing — or-   ; 
chard    trees,    Limes,    Poplars,    Elms, 
Willows,    Hornbeam,    Beech,    Acacia, 
Horse-chestnut,    Firs — rarely    on    the 
Oak  in  Britain.     Where  the  plant  is 
wild  the  thrushes  spread  it  about  by 
wiping  the  seeds  off  their  bills  on  the 
bark,   and  where  plentiful  it  is  very 
injurious    to    fruit   trees   and    timber. 
As  to  the  best  way  of  increasing  this 
plant,  Mr  F.  W.  Burbidge  wrote  :— 

"  I  find  growth  of  the  seeds  certain 
if  they  are  placed  on  clean,  fresh, 
smooth  bark  in  April  or  May,  and  then 
covered  with  one  thickness  of  black 
muslin  or  lawn,  so  that  birds  do  not 
peck  them  away,  as  they  do  if  unpro- 
tected. Many  make  the  mistake  of 
putting  on  the  seeds  at  or  about 
Christmas  -  time  before  they  have 
ripened  enough  to  grow.  Do  not  cut 
slits  in  the  bark ;  the  best  way  is 
simply  to  apply  it  to  the  clean  bark 
only." 

VITEX  (Chaste  Tree). —  V.  Agnus- 
castus  is  a  graceful  shrub,  with  divided 
leaves,  and  in  late  summer  clusters  of 
small  pale  lilac  flowers.  It  grows  6  to 
10  feet  high  against  a  wall,  but  even 
thus  protected  is  liable  to  be  killed 
during  a  severe  winter.  I  have  never 
seen  it  flower  well  except  in  Austria 
and  Italy.  S.  Europe. 

VITIS  ( Vine) .  —  Woody  climbing 
shrubs  of  much  interest  and  garden 
value,  owing  to  their  grace  and  hand- 
some foliage,  which  affords  the  richest 
of  colours — yellows,  purples,  and  crim- 
sons. Whilst  some  are  valuable  for 
the  walls  of  houses,  others  may  be  used 
for  covering  arbours,  pergolas,  the 
pillars  of  verandahs,  old  tree  stumps, 
or  sloping  banks.  In  the  case  of  the 
stronger,  taller- growing  species  they 
may  be  made  to  clamber  over  living 
trees.  Where  space  is  limited  they 
can  be  kept  small  by  pruning,  but  the 
best  effects  are  obtained  where  they 
can  ramble  without  hindrance.  Most 
kinds  can  be  increased  by  cuttings  or 
by  single  "eyes"  treated  as  in  the 
Grape  Vine,  though  some  can  only  be 
raised  by  seeds.  Those  that  refuse  to 


root  from  cuttings  can  sometimes  be 
layered.  Graftings  should  be  a  last 
resource.  It  is  worth  noting  that  some 
of  the  early  kinds  of  European  Vine 
ripen  well  in  some  of  our  warm  valleys, 
all  the  more  so  if  pruned  and  trained 
as  in  France,  but  even  without  that 
they  sometimes  fruit  very  well.  Vines 
of  the  north  of  France,  such  as  Le 
Chasselas,  de  Fontainebleau  and  La 
Madeleine,  may  be  tried  for  this  with 
any  others. 

In  the  following  list  Ampelopsis  and 
Cissus  are  merged  in  Vitis. 

V.  ^STIVALIS  (Summer  Grape). — The 
leaves  are  4  to  6  inches  across,  a  deep 
green  colour  when  old,  but  in  a  young 
state  covered  on  the  lower  surface  with 
a  reddish  down.  The  berries  are  small — 
about  the  size  of  black  currants — acid 
but  edible.  New  England  to  Florida 
and  westwards. 

V.  ARMATA.  —  Noble  Vine  from  C. 
China,  with  large  heart-shaped  or  nearly 
triangular  bronze-green  leaves  set  upon 
spiny  stems,  by  means  of  which  the  plant 
climbs.  In  autumn  the  foliage  assumes 
fine  tints  of  crimson-purple  and  yellow, 
and  it  reaches  a  height  of  10  or  more  feet 
in  three  years  from  the  seed. 

V.  CALIFORNICA  (Californian  V.). — This 
is  the  best  of  the  American  Grape  Vines 
(excluding  the  Ampelopsis  section)  for 
colour  in  autumn,  and  it  is  one  of  the 
strongest  growers,  climbing  over  lofty 
trees.  Its  leaves,  which  turn  a  deep 
crimson  in  autumn,  are  rounded  and 
covered  with  down. 

V.  COIGNETI.E  (Crimson  Glory  V.).— 
A  noble  hardy  Vine  from  the  mountain 
forests  of  the  Island  of  Yezzo,  N.  Japan, 
where  it  covers  the  trees  from  base  to 
summit  with  a  gorgeous  mantle  in 
autumn.  It  comes  near  V.  Labrusca 
in  general  appearance,  but  is  more 
vigorous,  growing  at  a  great  pace  when 
fairly  established,  and  displaying  a  pro- 
fusion of  leathery  dark-green  leaves  with 
several  lobe  -  like  points,  and  coated 
beneath  with  a  thick  felt-like  down  which 
varies  in  colour  from  rusty-brown  to 
yellow  or  nearly  white.  Their  autumn 
tinting  is  beautiful,  especially  in  a  dry 
season  and  when  the  plant  is  not  overfed. 
Increase  by  seed  or  layers. 

V.  CORDIFOLIA  (Frost  Grape). — A  vigor- 
ous Vine  with  thin,  three-lobed  leaves, 
measuring  3  to  6  inches  in  diameter,  the 
lobes  ending  in  a  long,  fine  point.  The 
berries  are  black  and  only  eatable  after 
frost.  A  moisture-loving  Vine,  affecting 
in  a  wild  state  the  banks  of  streams.  New 
England  to  Nebraska  and  southwards. 

V.  FLEXUOSA. — A  variable  species  from 
China  and  Japan,  with  small  rounded 
leaves,  toothed  at  the  edges,  and  a  velvet 
surface,  remaining  fresh  till  late  in 


VITIS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


VITIS. 


777 


November.  Among  its  many  forms  is 
major,  with  much  larger  dark  green 
leaves,  either  simple  or  three-lobed.  The 
early  leaves  and  shoots  are  a  pretty  pale 
crimson,  and  before  falling  in  autumn  the 
foliage  turns  purple  and  blood-red. 

V.  HENRYANA. — Discovered  in  China  by 
Dr  Henry,  and  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of 
Vines.  The  deep  green  leaves  are  cut 
into  five  leaflets,  threaded  by  silvery  ribs 
and  veins,  the  effect  being  particularly 
rich  in  autumn  when  they  turn  a  deep 
crimson  -  purple.  Though^  less  vigorous 


V.  INCONSTANS. — As  with  so  many  of 
the  Vines,  this  shows  great  variety  in  the 
shape  of  the  leaves,  and  this  tendency 
shows  itself  also  in  the  colours  put  on  in 
autumn.  In  the  best  forms  the  leaves 
assume  rich  tints  of  purplish- red  and 
crimson.  There  is  also  a  form  with  foliage 
a  bronzy  hue  more  or  less  throughout  the 
season,  but  especially  when  young.  Cut- 
tings. Japan.  Syns.,  Ampelopsis  Veitchi 
and  A .  tricuspidata. 

V.  LABRUSCA  (Northern  Fox  G.). — Its 
leaves  are  amongst  the  largest,  they 


Vine  growing  on  a  gazeebo.     From  a  photograph  by  Miss  Willmott. 


than  most  wild  Vines,  it  is  one  of  the  most 
graceful  and  distinct  of  the  group,  and  its 
stems  cling  to  the  wall  without  nailing. 

V.   HETEROPHYLLA   (Hop-leaved  V.). A 

variety  of  this,  known  as  humulifolia,  is 
the  most  beautiful  of  the  forms  of  this 
species,  and  in  autumn  bears  pretty 
turquoise  -  blue  berries.  It  requires  in 
most  places  a  position  on  a  wall  in  order 
to  induce  it  to  fruit  with  freedom,  and 
succeeds  better  in  dry,  poor  soil.  A  varie- 
gated form  is  pretty,  the  foliage  being 
mottled  with  white  or  faint  pink.  A  shel- 
tered sunny  position  is  necessary  to  bring 
it  to  perfection.  China,  Japan,  and  Corea. 


and  the  young  branchlets  being  covered 
on  the  under  surface  with  a  rusty-coloured 
or  sometimes  whitish  down.  In  a  wild 
state  the  fruit  has  a  musky  flavour,  but 
by  cultivation  it  has  been  much  improved, 
and  numerous  varieties  are  grown  in  the 
United  States.  It  often  ascends  high 
trees  in  its  own  country,  and  may  be 
planted  in  ours  with  this  end  in  view. 
New  England  to  Minnesota  and  south- 
wards. 

V.  MEGAPHYLLA. — A  remarkable  Chinese 
Vine  with  large  cleft  leaves,  more  like  a 
shrubby  Aralia  than  a  Vine.  They  are 
cut  into  many  widely  -  spread  leaflets, 


7/8 


VITIS. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


VITIS. 


measure  18  by  12  inches  at  the  base, 
their  upper  surface  a  dark  green  changing 
to  grey-green  on  the  under  side.  This 
handsome  plant  is  of  very  strong  growth, 
quite  young  plants  making  shoots  of  10 
feet  or  more  in  a  season. 

V.  MURALIS  (Wall  V.). — A  name  cur- 
rent in  this  country  and  on  the  Continent. 
Known  in  America  as  Vitis  Englemanni. 
It  is  a  distinct  form  of  the  Virginian 
Creeper,  possessing  leaves  of  the  same 
shape,  only  smaller  and  developing  equally, 
or  even  more,  brilliant  autumnal  colours. 


V.  SINENSIS. — Allied  to  V.  avmata,  but 
differs  from  it  in  its  variable  leaves,  which, 
at  first  simple,  pass  gradually  to  the 
compound  form  as  the  shoots  lengthen. 
It  is  a  tall  vigorous  climber  of  massive 
effect,  with  foliage  thickly  clustered. 

SPINOVITIS  DAVIDI. — Nearly  allied  to 
V.  Romaneti,  having  the  same  bristly  or 
even  prickly  character.  Both  this  and 
F.  Romaneti  assume  purplish-red  autumn 
tints. 

V.  THOMSONI. — A  pretty  and  neat-grow- 
ing species  climbing  by  its  tendrils,  and 


Vitis  heteropkylla  variegata. 


It  is  self-supporting,  and  will  attach  itself 
firmly  and  climb  to  the  tops  of  high  walls — 
a  useful  quality. 

V.  QUINQUEFOLIA  (Virginian  Creeper).— 
Better  known  as  Ampelopsis  quinquefolia, 
its  foliage  changes  in  the  fall  of  the  year 
to  various  shades  of  crimson,  scarlet,  and 
purple.  For  covering  arbours,  walls, 
verandahs,  or  old  tree  stumps  there  is  no 
climber  which  produces  so  brilliant  an 
effect  in  so  short  a  time.  Several  varieties 
are  in  cultivation,  viz.,  Major,  incisa, 
hirsuta. 

V.  ROMANETI.  —  Has  large  leaves, 
differing  from  all  the  Vines  in  cultivation 
(except  Spinovitis  Davidi)  in  having  the 
branches  and  petioles  covered  with  bristles 
or  stout  hairs. 


of  graceful  effect  upon  pillars  and  pergolas. 
The  leaves  are  deeply  cleft  into  five  lobes, 
and  are  of  a  reddish  -  green,  rich  purple 
on  the  under  side.  This  turns  to  a  uniform 
crimson  -  purple  in  the  autumn,  but  a 
tendency  to  curl  up  rather  spoils  their 
effect  at  this  season. 

V.  THUNBERGI. — Though  near  V.  Coig- 
neticB,  is  a  little  less  exuberant  in  its 
growth  ;  it  may  be  used  near  the  house, 
whereas  Coignetice,  in  its  almost  unruly 
luxuriance,  is  best  among  trees.  The  dark 
green  leaves  often  measure  a  foot  or  more 
in  each  sense,  and  in  autumn  they  take 
the  richest  shades  of  yellow,  brown,  crim- 
son, and  scarlet.  Their  greater  brilliance, 
as  well  as  their  greater  size,  at  this  season 
help  to  distinguish  the  plant  from  Coignet's 


WAHLENBERGIA.       THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.      WAHLENBERGIA.     779 


Vine.  It  is  fully  hardy,  and  thrives  in 
any  good  soil,  but  should  not  be  overfed 
with  rich  manure. 

V.  VINIFERA  (Common  Grape  V.). — Of 
the  numerous  varieties  of  the  common 
Grape  Vine  the  following  may  be  named 
for  use  for  walls  or  pergolas  in  gardens  : 
Purpurea. — This  is  one  of  the  deepest 
purple-foliaged  Vines  we  possess.  Al- 
though the  colour  becomes  most  intense 
in  autumn,  the  leaves  have  a  bronzy- 
purple  tinge  from  the  first.  Var  apiifolia 
is  the  Parsley-leaved  Vine.  Its  leaves  are 
very  deeply-cut,  frequently  into  several 
leaflets,  which  are  again  deeply  lobed. 
Besides  these  there  are  the  Miller's  Grape, 
with  smallish  leaves  covered  with  white 
down,  and  the  "  Teinturier  "  Grape,  the 
leaves  of  which  are  a  beautiful  claret 
colour  before  they  fall,  and  among  the 
large  number  of  Vines  grown  in  wine- 
making  countries  there  are  many  worth 
growing  for  the  beauty  of  their  leaves. 

V.  VULPINA  (Southern  Fox  G.).  —  A 
distinct  Vine,  the  leaves  are  small  (2  to 
3  inches  across),  rounded,  smooth,  shining 
on  both  surfaces,  and  bright  green.  The 
sweet  Mignonette-like  perfume  of  the 
flowers  of  many  American  Vines  is  in  this 
species  especially  noticeable.  The  variety 
palmata  has  the  branchlets  and  frequently 
the  petioles  red.  Nova  Scotia  to  Manitoba 
and  southwards.  Syn.,  V.  riparia.  Other 
American  Grape  Vines  worth  growing, 
but  possessing  no  particular  value  above 
those  already  described,  are  V.  rupestris 
(the  Sand  Grape),  arizonica,  and  cinerea 
(the  Downy  Grape). — W.  J.  B. 

WAHLENBERGIA  (Tufted  Hair- 
bell}. — A  charming  group  of  alpine 
plants  allied  to  the  Hairbells,  and 
mostly  inhabiting  the  mountains  of 
Dalmatia  and  Asia  Minor.  They  are 
useful,  free-flowering,  and  hardy,  form- 
ing tufts  with  large  heads  of  pretty, 
bell-shaped,  upright  flowers,  of  various 
shades  of  purple.  The  chief  points 
in  their  culture  are  full  exposure,  plenty 
of  sunshine,  a  free  gritty  soil,  and  a 
raised  position  free  from  stagnant 
moisture.  All  the  species  are  true 
perennials,  easily  cultivated,  vigorous, 
and  free-flowering.  They  are  difficult 
to  increase  by  division  on  account  of 
the  long  roots  they  make,  but  they 
ripen  seed  freely,  which  if  sown  at 
once  rarely  fails.  Syn.,  Edraianthus. 

W.  DALMATICA. — Native  of  the  moun- 
tains of  Dalmatia,  is  a  tufted  species  with 
narrow  grass-like  leaves,  2  to  4  inches  in 
length,  and  flower-stems  at  first  drooping, 
afterwards  erect,  4  to  6  inches  high,  with 
large  flowers  of  a  violet-blue  colour,  in 
clusters  which  appear  in  July  and  August. 

W.  GRACILIS. — This  is  a  variable  species 
from  New  Zealand,  with  square,  hairy, 


much-branched  stems,  the  leaves  opposite, 
narrow  toothed,  and  hairy,  the  flowers 
terminal,  erect,  but  nodding  while  in  bud, 
blue,  large,  and  attractive,  flowering  all 
through  the  summer. 

W.  GRAMINIFOLIA. — The  commonest  and 
easiest  to  manage,  forming  tufts  of  long 
grass-like  leaves,  and  bunches  of  large 
purple  flowers.  It  ripens  seed  freely,  and 
that  scattered  about  in  the  rock  garden 
usually  germinates  readily. 


Claret-coloured  Vine. 

W.  HEDERACEA  (Ivy-leaved  Hairbell). — 
A  native  plant  closely  allied  to  Campanula. 
It  has  creeping  thread-like  branches, 
which  bear  small  leaves  and  light  blue 
flowers.  There  is  about  it  an  interest  and 
grace  not  found  in  other  more  robust 
members  of  the  family,  especially  when  it 
is  seen  interlaced  with  the  pink  Bog  Pim- 
pernel on  British  bogs.  Worthy  of  a  place 
for  a  moist  spot  in  the  rock  or  bog  garden, 
and  easily  increased  by  division.  It  is 
abundant  in  Ireland  and  the  south  and 
west  of  England. 

W.  PUMILIO. — Forms  a  dwarf  tuft  of 
narrow,  needle-like  leaves  of  a  bluish  tint, 
half  an  inch  or  more  in  length,  and  has 
large  flowers  of  a  reddish-lilac  or  bluish 
colour,  bell-shaped,  numerous,  and  borne 


780 


WAITZIA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


WEIGELA. 


erect  on  short  stems,  coming  in  succession 
on  the  tuft  for  more  than  two  months  in 
May  and  June. 

W.  PUMILIORUM. — The  rarest  form,  and 
although  little  different  from  W.  Pumilio, 
it  gives  us  another  shade  of  colour,  smaller 
and  narrower  leaves,  a  more  straggling 
habit,  and  longer-tubed  flowers.  It  is  an 
excellent  hardy  plant  for  the  rock  garden, 
where  on  raised  mounds  of  free  gritty  soil 
it  grows  and  flowers  vigorously. 

W.  SAXICOLA. — A  beautiful  species  from 
the  mountains  of  New  Zealand,  with  leaves 
in  close  tufts  and  pretty  flowers  which 
first  appear  in  June  and  keep  coming  in 
succession  till  November.  It  is  easily 
raised  from  seed,  and  varies  greatly  from 
white  to  deep  blue.  The  best  forms  can 
be  increased  by  division. 

W.  TENUIFOLIA. — A  dwarf  compact 
growing  species,  with  hairy  stems,  short 
slender  leaves  and  small  flowers,  six  to 
ten  in  a  head,  violet-blue  or  whitish-purple. 

WAITZIA.  —  Half-hardy  annuals 
from  Australia.  The  four  kinds  in 
cultivation  are  all  valuable  for  their 
pretty  flowers  grown  for  winter 
bouquets.  W.  acuminata  has  a  variety 
with  purple  flowers,  and  another  with 
yellow  flowers.  W.  aurea  has  bright 
yellow  flowers.  W.  corymbosa  has 
white  and  purple  flowers,  and  the 
flowers  of  W.  grandiflora  are  like  those 
of  W.  aurea,  but  finer.  All  grow  about 
i  foot  high,  and  should  be  treated  like 
other  tender  annuals,  such  as  Rho- 
danthe.  They  succeed  best  in  an  open 
position  in  sandy  peat.  Seeds.  The 
seedlings  should  be  potted  before 
planting  out  in  May.  They  flower  in 
August  and  September. 

WALDSTEINIA  (Barren  Straw- 
berry}.— Dwarf  rosaceous  plants,  three 
of  which,  W.  geoides,  W.  fragarioides, 
and  W.  trifolia  are  in  cultivation.  The 
last  is  the  best,  but  not  one  is  orna- 
mental enough  for  border  culture,  but 
only  for  banks  and  dry  walls. 

WATSONIA  (Bugle  Lily}.— Beau- 
tiful bulbous  plants  of  the  Iris  family. 
In  the  southern  counties  some  of  them 
succeed  in  open  borders,  but  elsewhere 
they  are  tender.  There  are  about  a 
dozen  species  and  about  as  many 
varieties,  half  of  which  are  variations 
from  W.  Meriana.  All  are  from  S. 
Africa,  their  headquarters  being  the 
Cape.  There  is  much  variety  of  colour, 
and  "  mixed "  selections  are  offered 
by  the  growers.  The  commonest 
species  seem  to  be  W.  Meriana, 
W.  coccinea,  W.  iridifolia,  W.  rosea 
alba,  W.  humilis,  W.  angusta  (also 
known  as  W.fulgida),  and  W,  aletroides. 


Choice  kinds  with  pure  white  flowers 
are  W.  Ardernei,  where  they  are  borne 
on  long  branched  stems,  and  W.  iridi- 
folia O'Brieni,  which  is  like  W.  rosea 
except  in  colour.  These  are  true 
Watsonias,  and  have  finer  flowers  than 
the  other  sections  of  the  genus.  The 
white  Watsonia  (W.  alba]  is  a  lovely 
plant,  flowering  in  early  summer. 
Treatment  similar  to  that  recom- 
mended for  the  early  Gladioli  will 
suit  them. 

WEIGELA  (Bush  Honeysuckle}.— 
Graceful  and  hardy  flowering  shrubs, 
summer-leafing,  with  showy  clusters 
of  bloom  ranging  from  pure  white  to 


dark  crimson.  They  have  long  been 
deservedly  popular,  being  elegant, 
quick  in  growth,  and  beautiful  in 
bloom.  A  multitude  of  varieties  have 
sprung  from  W.  floribunda,  W.  grandi- 
flora (known  also  as  W.  amabilis], 
W.  rosea,  and  W.  hortensis.  These, 
natives  of  China  and  Japan,  have  been 
introduced  within  the  last  fifty  years, 
and  so  much  hybridised  that  they  are 
rarely  found  pure.  The  most  valuable 
sorts  have  come  from  W.  grandiflora, 
which  has  the  largest  flowers,  while  the 
smaller,  but  more  numerously-flowered 
kinds,  have  originated  from  W.  rosea 
and  W.  floribunda.  The  varieties  have 
been  raised  chiefly  on  the  Continent, 
as  may  be  inferred  from  their  names. 


WHITLAVIA.  THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.          WISTARIA.         781 


The  best  of  the  older  kinds  are  :  Abel 
Carriere,  numerous  large  flowers  of 
soft  pink  ;  Isolinse,  large  flowers  of 
white  or  pale  rose  with  yellow  mark- 
ings ;  Van  Houttei,  large  and  showy 
white  and  red  flowers  ;  Lemoinei, 
numerous  small  deep  crimson -red 
flowers ;  Groenewegenei,  one  of  the 
best,  the  flowers  being  large,  of  pink 
or  pale  rose,  with  a  yellow  blotch  ; 
striata,  a  pretty  sort,  having  flowers 
striped  with  red  and  white  ;  Stelzneri, 
with  numerous  deep  red  flowers ; 
LavalUi,  with  numerous  crimson-red 
flowers  ;  hortensis  nivea,  more  spread- 
ing than  that  of  others,  with  larger 
and  paler  foliage,  and  large  pure  white 
flowers ;  and  Candida.  Good  new 
kinds  are  Conquete,  deep  rose,  with 
the  largest  flowers  yet  seen  in  these 
plants  ;  Dame  Blanche,  large  creamy- 
white  flowers  with  a  yellow  throat  ; 
Descartes,  crimson-purple  ;  Diderot, 
deep  bright  red  ;  Emile  Galle,  deep 
red  ;  Eva  Rathkie,  one  of  the  best, 
deep  rich  crimson  ;  floreal,  pink,  and 
very  early  ;  Gloire  des  Bosquets,  very 
free  in  its  deep  rosy  flowers  ;  Heroine, 
rosy-white,  with  fine  foliage  ;  hortensis 
nivea,  pure  white  ;  Perle,  creamy-white 
edged  with  rose  ;  Montesquieu,  wine- 
purple  ;  Mt.  Blanc,  the  best  white  ; 
Othello,  bright  rose  ;  Pascal,  blood- 
red  ;  Pavilion  blanc,  blush-white  ;  and 
Saturne,  rosy  -  carmine.  The  new 
Japanese  species,  D.  prcecox,  bears 
large  pink  flowers  with  a  yellow  throat, 
opening  nearly  a  month  earlier  than 
other  kinds.  Its  influence  as  a  parent 
is  already  seen  in  a  race  of  early- 
flowering"  hybrids.  All  sorts  are  of 
free  habit  if  planted  in  good  soil  in  an 
open  position.  They  should  never  be 
crowded,  but  grown  as  isolated  groups 
on  lawns,  or  placed  on  the  margins 
of  shrubberies.  Weigelas  make  large 
bushes,  6  to  10  feet  high  and  as  much 
in  diameter,  and  their  graceful  drooping 
branches  are  ornamental,  even  when 
leafless  in  winter.  They  should  be 
top-dressed  annually  with  good  rich 
soil,  and  pruned,  leaving  the  vigorous 
stems  and  the  branches  that  yield  the 
finest  bloom. 

WHITLAVIA. — W.  grandiflora  is  a 
beautiful  herb  about  a  foot  high,  allied 
to  the  Nemophila,  with  an  abundance 
of  showy  bell-shaped  blossoms  of  a 
rich  deep  blue.  There  is  a  white 
variety,  and  also  one  called  gloxinioides, 
with  white  and  blue  flowers.  These 
are  hardy  annuals,  and  may  be  sown 
either  in  autumn  or  in  spring  in  the 


open    border,    in    good    friable    soil. 
California. 

WIGANDIA.— Fine-leaved  plants  of 
the  tropics,  which  succeed  in  the  open 
air  in  summer  in  a  few  warm  southern 
gardens.  The  best  is  W.  Caracas  ana, 
from  the  mountainous  regions  of  New 
Granada ;  but  even  this  will  only 
succeed  in  the  warmest  and  best  shel- 
tered spots.  The  stems  of  W.  macro- 
phylla,  from  Mexico,  are  covered  with 
short  stinging  hairs,  bearing  brownish 
viscid  drops,  which  adhere  to  the  hand 
like  oil.  But  the  truth  is,  they  are  of 
slight  value  for  our  gardens,  in  view 
of  the  far  more  beautiful  hardy  plants 
we  have. 

WISTARIA  (Glycine).—The  noblest 
of  all  woody  climbers  introduced  to 
Europe.  Besides  giving  a  beautiful 
covering  for  houses,  pergolas,  etc., 
the  Wistaria  is  of  great  value  in 
other  ways,  and  can  be  grown  on 
trees.  In  Mr  Waterer's  nursery  at 
Knap  Hill  it  has  been  trained  up 
Laburnum  trees.  In  the  end,  no 
doubt,  the  Laburnums  will  get  the 
worst  of  it,  but  meanwhile  the  two 
flower  together,  and  the  pale  blue- 
purple  racemes  of  the  Wistaria  and 
the  golden  ones  of  the  Laburnum  make 
a  fine  contrast.  An  old  Oak  that  has 
seen  its  best  days  would  be  a  suitable 
support  for  it.  In  getting  this  or  any 
other  climber  to  grow  on  living  trees, 
the  difficulty  is  at  the  start,  chiefly 
because  of  the  living  roots  of  the  tree 
on  which  it  is  to  grow,  and  then  the 
Wistaria  should  be  planted  well  away 
from  the  trunk  where  sun  and  rain 
can  reach  it. 

It  now  and  then  makes  very  graceful 
standards  at  least  in  the  good  situations 
in  the  south,  and  bowers  and  most 
beautiful  lace-work  for  summer-houses 
may  be  formed  with  this  climber  alone. 
A  strong  framework  of  tent  shape 
might  easily  be  covered  with  it.  The 
timbers  or  irons  of  the  roof  might  be 
close  enough  for  the  foliage  of  the 
Wistaria  to  cast  a  slight  shade  over 
the  interior,  and  the  motive  would  be 
the  grace  and  beauty  of  the  shrub 
when  in  flower,  garlanding  it,  and 
forming  a  temple  of  graceful  bloom. 

W.  BRACHYBOTRYS.  —  Although  many 
years  since  a  Wistaria  under  this  name 
was  brought  to  Europe  from  Japan  by 
Siebold,  but  little  can  be  said  of  it. 
Judging  by  published  figures,  it  appears 
to  be  a  dwarf  variety  of  W.  chinensis,  with 
racemes  of  the  same  blue-purple  flowers, 
only  shorter,  as  the  specific  name  suggests. 


Wistaria  multijuga  on  a  tr< 


WOODSIA.  THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.      XEROPHYLLUM.     783 


Var.  alba  has  been  spoken  highly  of  in 
the  United  States,  but  I  have  never  seen 
it. 

W.  CHINENSIS. — The  oldest  kind  intro- 
duced, and  the  most  beautiful.  Its  single 
and  double  white  forms  are  beautiful, 
although  neither  of  them  have  the  freedom 
of  the  true  plant.  The  double  variety  is 
a  poor  thing. 

In  the  VAR.  MACROBOTRYS. — Flowers  a 
paler  shade  of  blue-purple,  and  the  racemes 
longer,  the  flowers  being  farther  apart.  A 
variegated  form  is  not  worth  a  place. 

W.  FRUTESCENS. — The  only  species 
found  wild  in  the  New  World.  It  is  a 
climber,  but  not  a  strong  grower,  the 
flowers  pale  blue-purple,  arranged  densely 
in  racemes  3  to  8  inches  long  in  June. 
There  are  two  varieties  in  cultivation,  one, 
magnifica,  has  racemes  over  i  foot  in 
length  ;  the  second  is  a  white  form. 

W.  MULTIJUGA  (Japanese  Glycine). — A 
very  beautiful  plant  with  racemes  often 
between  2  and  3  feet  long,  flowering  a 
fortnight  later  than  the  Chinese  Glycine, 
the  blossoms  much  less  closely  packed  on 
the  spikes.  The  colour  varies  in  different 
plants,  but  it  is  always  a  variation  of 
delicate  lilac  and  white.  The  variety 
alba  has  flowers  wholly  white,  and  there 
are  two  forms  of  the  plant  in  cultivation, 
one  with  shorter  racemes.  The  newest 
form  is  one  called  rosea,  with  flowers  of 
a  delicate  shade  of  rosy-lilac.  Variety 
Russelliana  has  dark  flowers  with  a  pale 
central  blotch. — W.  J.  B. 

WOODSIA. — These  pretty  deciduous 
hardy  Ferns  are  admirably  suited  for 
a  northern  position  in  the  alpine  or 
rock  garden.  They  are  impatient  of 
sunshine,  and  drainage  should  receive 
special  attention.  They  should  have  a 
mixture  of  fibry  peat  and  loam,  which 
has  some  broken-up  sandstone  mixed 
with  it.  It  is  a  good  plan  to  place 
Woodsias  between  little  blocks  of 
sandstone  which  just  peep  out  of  the 
soil.  These  blocks  of  stone  could  be 
covered  with  Sedums  and  other  flower- 
ing rock  plants.  The  best  hardy 
species  are  W.  ilvensis  and  W.  alpina ; 
there  is  also  a  very  beautiful  N. 
American  kind  named  W.  obtusa. 

WOODWARDIA.  —  Noble  ferns,  of 
which  a  few  are  hardy.  All  are  hand- 
some, with  broad  beautifully  arching 
fronds,  which  are  especially  ornamental 
if  seen  a  little  above  the  level  of  the 
eye.  Woodwardias  thrive  under  the 
ordinary  conditions  of  the  hardy 
fernery,  and  succeed  in  a  shady  position 
if  they  have  a  light  peaty  soil  that  is 
moist  in  summer.  The  principal  hardy 
kinds  are  W.  areolata  (angustifolid)  and 
W,  virginica,  both  from  N.  America; 


W '.  japonica  and  W.  orientalis,  from 
Japan  ;  and  W.  radicans  from  Madeira. 
W.  radicans  is  the  tenderest,  and 
requires  a  sheltered  position,  and 
perhaps  protection  in  severe  cold. 

WULFENIA. — W.  carinthiaca  is  a 
dwarf,  almost  stemless  evergreen  herb, 
bearing  in  summer  showy  spikes,  12  to 
1 8  inches  high,  of  drooping  purplish- 
blue  flowers.  Found  only  on  one  or 
two  mountains  in  Carinthia.  W. 
Amherstiana,  from  the  Himalayas, 
similar  but  more  showy,  is  rare.  For 
rock  gardens,  in  ordinary  soil. 

XANTHOCERAS  (Chinese  Chestnut}. 
— X.  sorbifolia  is  a  beautiful  dwarf 
hardy  tree,  but  not  a  rapid  grower  ; 
its  leaves  are  elegant,  and  its  flowers 
white  marked  with  red,  borne  in  erect 
clusters.  After  having  been  for  many 
years  a  rare  plant  in  English  gardens  it 
is  becoming  more  widely  known  and 
cultivated,  and  among  the  gardens 
where  it  succeeds  well  is  that  at 
Omngton,  Worthing,  where  it  has 
ripened  its  fruits,  which  recall  in  form 
and  size  the  fruits  of  the  Horse  Chest- 
nut. The  seedlings  raised  from 
English  ripened  fruits  may  give  us 
fine  varieties,  as  seedlings  vary  greatly 
in  size  and  colour  of  flower.  China. 

XERANTHEMUM.—  X.  annuum^  is 
a  hardy  annual,  one  of  the  prettiest 
of  everlasting  flowers,  growing  about 
2  feet  high,  with  abundant  white, 
purple,  and  yellow  double,  single,  and 
semi-double  blossoms.  A  packet  of 
mixed  seed  sown  in  any  ordinary  gar- 
den soil  in  March  will  give  a  variety 
of  colours.  The  principal  kinds  are- — 
Album,  white  ;  imperiale,  dark  violet- 
purple  ;  plenissimum,  dark  purple, 
double  ;  superbissimum,  double,  globe- 
flowered  ;  and  Tom  Thumb,  a  compact 
dwarf  variety.  The  flowers  are  excel- 
lent for  cutting,  and  if  dried  are  use- 
ful for  winter  decoration.  S.  Europe. 
Compositae. 

XEROPHYLLUM  (Turkey's  Beard). 
—  X.  asphodeloides  is  a  beautiful 
tuberous-rooted  plant  with  the  aspect 
of  an  Asphodel,  forming  a  spreading 
tuft  of  grassy  leaves,  its  tall  flower- 
stem  terminated  by  a  raceme  of 
numerous  white  blossoms.  It  grows 
well  in  a  moist,  sandy,  peaty  border, 
and  in  the  drier  parts  of  boggy  ground. 
Pine  barrens  in  N.  America. 

X.  TENAX. — This  very  beautiful  species 
is  found  wild  in  various  parts  of  N. 
America,  especially  in  Pine  barrens  on 
the  west  side  of  the  Continent.  The 


7§4 


YUCCA. 


THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        ZANTHOXYLUM. 


flower-stems  2  to  5  feet  high,  the  raceme 
varying  from  i  to  2  feet  long,  the  flowers 
crowded  and  attractive,  the  segments 
white  with  a  violet  centre.  Division  or 
seed. 

YUCCA  ( Adam's  Needle). — Very  dis- 
tinct evergreen  plants  of  fine  form  and 
of  the  highest  value  where  effect  is 
sought.  They  are  hardy  for  the  most 
part,  and  all  of  the  kinds  mentioned 
are  vigorous  and  well  suited  for  the 
flower  garden.  The  free-flowering 
kinds,  Y.  filamentosa  and  Y.  flaccida, 
may  be  associated  with  any  of  our 
nobler  autumn-flowering  plants.  Even 
species  that  do  not  flower  so  often,  like 
y.  pendula  and  Y.  gloriosa,  are  magni- 
ficent if  grown  in  the  full  sun  and  in 
good  soil.  Division  of  the  stem  and 
the  rhizome. 

Y.  ANGUSTIFOLIA. — The  smallest  of  all 
the  Yuccas.  When  in  flower  it  is  not 
more  than  3  feet  high.  Its  long  strips  of 
leaves  are  nearly  i£  feet  in  length,  but 
are  not  more  than  £  inch  in  width.  They 
are  thick  and  rigid,  of  a  pale  sea-green 
colour,  and  fringed  with  white  filaments. 
The  plant  bears  a  simple  raceme  of  white 
flowers  slightly  tinged  with  yellow.  Till 
it  is  more  plentiful  it  should  be  grown  in 
warm  borders,  in  well-drained  sandy  loam. 
N.  America. 

Y.  CANALICULATA. — The  leaves  are 
entire — i.e.,  neither  toothed  nor  filamen- 
tose  at  the  margin,  and  form  a  dense 
rosette  on  a  stem  i  or  2  feet  high.  Each 
leaf  is  20  to  24  inches  long,  and  2  to 
2i  inches  broad  at  the  middle,  strong, 
rigid,  and  deeply  concave.  The  flowers 
are  creamy  white  and  borne  in  a  large 
panicle  4  or  5  feet  high.  It  is  well  suited 
for  isolation  or  groups,  but  till  more 
plentiful  should  be  encouraged  in  favour- 
able positions  and  on  warm  soils.  Mexico. 

Y.  FILAMENTOSA.  —  Has  apple-green 
leaves  and  a  much-branched  panicle,  4  to 
6  fe^t  high.  It  varies  very  much  when 
raised  from  seed.  One  variety  (concava) 
has  short,  strong,  broad  leaves,  which  are 
more  concave  than  those  of  the  type  ; 
another  variety  (maxima)  has  narrow 
leaves  which,  though  nearly  2  feet  long, 
are  only  2^  inches  broad.  N.  America. 

Y.  FLACCIDA. — A  stemless  species,  some- 
-what  resembling  the  last  but  smaller,  with 
a  downy  branching  panicle,  3  or  4  feet 
high,  and  close  rosettes  of  leaves  18  to 
24  inches  long,  and  about  i£  inches  broad 
at  the  middle.  They  are  often  fringed 
with  filaments,  the  young  ones  nearly 
erect,  and  the  old  ones  so  abruptly  reflexed 
in  the  middle  as  to  appear  almost  broken. 
N.  America. 

Y.  GLAUCESCENS.  —  A  free-flowering 
kind,  with  a  panicle  3  or  4  feet  high,  and 
sea-green  leaves,  about  18  inches  long, 
with  a  few  filaments  on  the  margins.  The 


flowers  are  greenish-yellow,  when  in  bud 
tinged  with  pink,  which  gives  the  whole 
inflorescence  a  peculiarly  pleasing  tone. 
It  is  very  useful  for  groups,  borders,  isola- 
tion, or  for  placing  among  low  shrubs. 
There  is  a  pretty  form  with  a  broad  band 
of  pale  yellow  down  the  .middle  of  the 
leaf.  N.  America. 

Y.  GLORIOSA. — A  large  and  imposing 
Yucca  of  distinct  habit  and  somewhat 
rigid  aspect.  Its  flower-stem  is  over  7  feet 
high,  much  branched,  and  bears  an 
immense  pyramidal  panicle  of  large  almost 
white  flowers.  Its  numerous  leaves  are 
stiff  and  pointed.  It  is  one  of  the  noblest 
plants  in  our  gardens,  suitable  for  almost 
any  position.  In  many  gardens  of  proved 
hardiness.  N.  America. 

Y.  PENDULA. — The  leaves  of  this,  at 
first  erect  and  of  a  sea-green  colour,  after- 
wards become  reflexed  and  deep  green. 
Old  established  plants  standing  alone  on 
the  grass  are  pictures  of  grace  and  sym- 
metry, from  the  lower  leaves  which  sweep 
the  ground  to  the  central  ones  that  point 
up  as  straight  as  a  needle.  There  is  no 
plant  more  suited  for  grouping  near 
flower-beds  or  for  associating  with  them. 
N.  America.  Syn.,  Y.  vecuvva. 

Y.  TRECULEANA. — This  species  is  one  of 
the  most  remarkable,  both  from  its  habit 
and  from  the  dimensions  of  its  leaves. 
Like  many  Yuccas  of  its  family,  young 
specimens  of  y.  Treculeana  differ  con- 
siderably from  those  which  have  reached 
maturity.  Thus,  while  the  leaves  of 
young  specimens  are  bent,  and  generally 
inflected,  those  of  mature  specimens  are 
erect,  rigid,  long,  and  straight.  The  stem 
of  the  plant  is  about  10  inches  in  diameter, 
and  furnished  on  all  sides  with  leaves 
about  4  feet  long,  straight,  thick,  and 
deeply  channelled,  very  finely  toothed  on 
the  edges,  ending  in  a  stiff,  sharp  point. 
If  placed  singly  it  is  excellent  for  banks 
and  knolls,  and  is  also  suitable  for  the 
boldest  groups.  Texas. 

ZANTHORIZA  APIIFOLIA  (Yellow 
Root). — A  curious  dwarf  shrub,  native 
of  the  eastern  States  of  America,  and  so 
modest  in  flower  that  it  has  never  been 
popular  in  gardens.  In  autumn  the 
leaves  turn  a  deep  rich  colour,  and  the 
effect  is  very  good  when  grouped.  It 
will  grow  in  any  poor  soil,  and  is  usually 
not  more  than  2  feet  high  and  quite 
hardy. 

ZANTHOXYLUM  (Toothache  Tree).— 
A  large  family  of  trees  and  shrubs,  in 
the  main  too  tender  for  this  country, 
the  few  hardy  kinds  coming  mostly 
from  China  and  Japan,  with  one  of 
minor  interest  from  N.  America. 
In  appearance  they  are  unlike  other 
shrubs,  often  with  handsome  leaves 
cut  into  leaflets,  and  small  white  or 


ZAPANIA. 


THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


ZENOBIA. 


7*5 


greenish  flowers  followed  in  some  kinds 
by  ornamental  fruits.  The  best  in 
this  way  is  Z.  piperitum,  or  Japan 
Pepper,  in  which  the  glossy  black 
berries  are  so  abundant  as  to  be 
exceedingly  attractive.  Z.  planis- 
pinum  is  an  interesting  shrub  of  dense 
growth,  with  glossy  evergreen  leaves 
and  branches  covered  with  stout  com- 
pressed spines.  Z.  Bungeanum  also 
bears  evergreen  leaves  of  a  cheerful 
green,  and  more  finely  divided  than 
in  planispinum.  The  finest  kind,  Z. 
ailanthoides,  a  tree  of  60  feet,  is  said 
to  be  one  of  the  most  beautiful  trees 
of  Japan.  Increase  by  seeds,  suckers, 
or  root- cuttings. 

ZAPANIA  (Creeping  Vervain).  —  Z. 
nodiflora  is  a  pretty,  spreading  trailer, 
with  prostrate  stems  2  or  3  feet  in 
length,  which  late  in  summer  bear 
small  round  heads  of  little  purplish 
flowers.  Suitable  for  the  rougher 
parts  of  the  rock  garden,  for  borders 
or  edgings  in  free  warm  soil.  Asia 
and  America.  Syn.,  Lippia  nodiflora. 

ZAUSCHNERIA  (California^  Fuch- 
sia}.—  Z.  calif ornica  is  a  bright  peren- 
nial, hardy  in  warm  soils  in  sheltered 
places,  growing  12  to  18  inches  high, 
and  yielding  an  abundance  of  grace- 
fully drooping  bright  vermilion  flowers 
during  summer  and  autumn.  It  flour- 
ishes in  sandy  loam  in  the  rock  garden, 
and  grows  capitally  on  an  old  wall. 
Z.  mexicana  is  sometimes  classed  as  a 
variety,  but  in  my  garden  is  distinct, 
flowering  later.  Both  grow  well  on  dry 
walls.  California.  Division. 

ZEA  (Indian  Corn). —  Z.  Mays  is 
one  of  the  noblest  of  the  grasses  that 
thrive  in  our  climate,  almost  indis- 
pensable to  our  gardens,  with  its  fine 
appearance  either  isolated  or  associ- 
ated with  other  fine-leaved  plants. 
Cuzko  and  Caragua  are  the  largest  of 
the  green  varieties,  and  gracillima  the 
smallest  and  most  graceful.  The  seeds 
should  be  sown  on  a  gentle  hot-bed  in 
April,  although  they  will  occasionally 
succeed  out  of  doors.  Gradually  har- 
den off  the  plants  before  they  have 
made  many  leaves,  keeping  them  in  a 
cool  frame  near  the  glass,  so  as  to  keep 
them  sturdy,  finally  exposing  them  by 
taking  off  the  lights. 

ZELKOWA  (Zelkowa  Tree).—  Hand- 
some summer-leafing  trees,  hardy, 
distinct  in  appearance,  and  yielding 
valuable  timber,  yet  seldom  planted. 


They  grow  best  in  moist  alluvial  soils, 
and  are  well  adapted  for  avenues 
and  roadsides.  They  do  not  appear 
to  bear  seed  in  this  country,  and  for 
this  reason  are  commonly  increased  by 
grafting  on  the  Common  Elm,  though 
such  means  can  never  give  the  best 
results  in  growth  and  beauty.  The 
fine  individual  trees  in  various  parts 
of  Britain  show  the  Zelkowa  to  be 
well  suited  to  our  climate,  and  we 
could  wish  that  it  was  more  used  by 
planters,  especially  for  wet  soils,  being 
remarkably  free  from  insects  and 
disease.  There  are  four  kinds,  as 
follows  : — 

Z.  ACUMINATA  (Japanese  Z.). — A  useful 
and  handsome  tree  of  about  100  feet, 
with  a  straight  stem  and  a  broad  round 
top.  The  leaves  vary  much  in  size  even 
on  the  same  twig,  being  3  to  5  inches  long, 
tapering  to  a  point,  i£  to  2^  inches  wide, 
slightly  hairy  on  both  sides,  and  edged 
with  coarse  sharp  teeth.  The  longer 
points,  sharper  teeth,  more  numerous 
nerves  and  leathery  texture,  together  with 
the  fact  that  they  hang  longer,  may  enable 
any  one  to  tell  the  leaf  of  the  Japan 
Zelkowa  from  that  of  the  better-known 
Z.  crenata.  The  timber  is  hard,  durable, 
and  fine-grained,  taking  a  high  polish,  and 
valued  for  its  many  industrial  uses. 
Japan. 

Z.  CRENATA  (Common  Z.). — A  quick- 
growing,  handsome  tree  of  marked  char- 
acteristics, the  main  branches  rising  erect 
from  one  point,  and  spreading  so  slightly 
as  to  give  an  easily  recognised  form,  each 
branch  a  tiny  tree  in  miniature.  Mature 
trees  are  80  to  100  feet  high,  with  a  fine 
columnar  stem  covered  at  first  with  smooth 
bark  like  Beech  or  Hornbeam,  though  in 
old  trees  it  becomes  furrowed  and  falls 
away  as  in  the  Plane.  The  leaf  is  often 
like  that  of  the  Elm,  only  smoother,  more 
glossy,  and  with  more  rounded  teeth  ;  but 
this  character  is  so  variable  that  leaves 
like  Elm,  Beech,  and  Hornbeam  may  often 
be  found  on  the  same  branch.  Asia  Minor 
and  Caucasus.  Syn.,  Planeva  Richardi. 

ZENOBIA. — Z.  speciosa  is  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  shrubs  in  the  Heath 
family,  about  a  yard  high,  with  small 
roundish  leaves  of  a  pale  green.  In 
the  variety  pulverulenta  the  leaves  are 
almost  white  and  covered  with  a  mealy 
glaucescence  ;  flowers,  white  and  wax- 
like  in  form,  like  those  of  Lily  of  the 
Valley,  come  in  summer  in  beautiful 
loose  drooping  clusters.  A  well-flow- 
ered plant  is  charming,  and  lasts  for 
some  weeks  in  beauty,  thriving  in  a 
peaty  soil.  It  conies  from  the 
southern  United  States,  and  is  there- 
fore not  absolutely  hardy.  In  nur- 

3   D 


786     ZEPHYRANTHES.      THE   ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


ZINNIA. 


series  it  is  known  as  Andromeda 
cassiniafolia  and  A.  speciosa,  and  its 
variety  Z.  pulverulenta  as  A.  dealbata 
and  A.  pulverulenta. 

ZEPHYRANTHES  ( Zephyr  -flower] . 
— This  beautiful  flower  has  been  termed 
the  Crocus  of  America.  There  are 
about  fourteen  species  —  low-growing 
bulbous  plants,  with  grassy  leaves, 
which  appear  in  spring  with  or  before 
the  Crocus-like  flowers,  which  are  white 
or  rosy  -  pink,  large  and  handsome. 
Zephyranthes  require  rest  during  win- 
ter, and  at  that  season  are  best  kept 
dry.  In  spring  they  should  be  planted 
out  in  the  full  sun  in  sandy  soil.  They 
do  well  in  the  greenhouse,  four  or  six 
being  planted  in  a  pot.  Offsets.  The 
valuable  species  are  : — 

Z.  ATAMASCO  (Atamasco  Lily). — A 
native  of  N.  America,  where  it  is  a  con- 
spicuous ornament  of  damp  places  in 
woods  and  fields.  Its  glossy  leaves  appear 
at  the  same  time  as  the  blossoms,  and 
slightly  exceed  them  in  height.  The 
white  flowers  are  striped  with  rose,  are 
about  3  inches  long,  and  borne  singly  upon 
a  scape  6  inches  high.  Flowers  from  May 
to  July,  and  is  very  beautiful  where  it 
succeeds,  but  it  is  seldom  really  happy 
with  us  in  the  open  air,  even  in  light  soils 
and  in  the  warmest  gardens. 

Z.  CANDIDA  (Swamp  Zephyr  flower). — 
The  hardiest  and  best  of  the  group,  mak- 
ing tufts  of  evergreen  Rush-like  leaves, 
and  glistening  white  flowers  with  golden 
stamens,  opening  flat  in  the  sunshine 
from  August  to  October.  The  buds  are 
prettily  shaded  with  rose  on  the  outside. 
In  warm  sandy  soils  the  bulbs  do  well, 
planted  like  the  Belladonna  Lily  in  narrow 
borders  against  a  greenhouse  or  any  place 
— even  a  gravel  walk  —  where  they  get 
a  thorough  baking  and  plenty  of  moisture 
from  time  to  time.  Cool  and  heavy  soils 
do  not  suit  the  plant  at  all,  nor  does 
it  seem  to  do  so  well  in  the  west  as 
in  the  drier  climate  of  E.  and  S.E. 
Britain,  often  failing  to  flower  when  it 
does  not  die  out.  In  the  light  soils  of 
Surrey  and  at  Kew  it  is  charming,  ripening 
seeds  which  germinate  and  grow  readily, 
spreading  into  groups  of  beautiful  effect 
as  an  edging  to  warm  borders,  or  even  as 
a  carpet  plant.  Z.  citrina  is  a  scarcer 
kind  allied  to  Candida,  but  distinct  in 
form  and  in  its  golden  flowers.  A  cross 
between  these  two  species  has  given  Z. 
Ajax,  which  is  like  Candida  in  character 
and  time  of  bloom,  but  quite  new  in  its 
soft  yellow  flowers,  over  2  inches  across, 
prettily  flushed  with  rose  on  the  outside. 

Z.  CARINATA. — This  lovely  plant  has 
narrow  leaves,  and  its  flower-stem,  which 
is  about  6  inches  high,  bears  a  delicate 
rosy  flower,  2  or  3  inches  long.  It  blos- 
soms freely  in  the  open  border  if  kept 


dry  in  winter,  and  should  be  grown  in 
light  sandy  loam.  S.  America. 

Z.  MACROSIPHON.— A  scarcer  plant  coin- 
ing near  carinata,  the  flowers  a  little  smaller 
but  more  abundant,  and  sometimes  re- 
newed in  autumn.  Easily  grown  and 
seeds  freely,  but  unless  amply  protected 
the  bulbs  should  be  lifted  in  the  autumn. 

Z.  ROSEA. — A  beautiful  species,  with 
flowers  of  a  bright  rose,  is  a  native  of  the 
mountains  of  Cuba. 

Z.  TREATISE. — Resembles  Z.  Atamasco, 
but  is  found  in  damper  places  and  blooms 
somewhat  later — April  to  June.  The 
leaves  are  weak  and  narrow,  and  the 
bulbs  so  small  that  the  large  white  flowers, 
3  inches  long,  flushed  with  red  while  in 
bud  and  delicately  fragrant,  come  as  some- 
thing of  a  surprise.  If  grown  in  the  open 
air  it  should  be  in  a  warm  border  like  that 
recommended  for  Z.  Candida,  with  a  good 
layer  of  ashes  to  protect  the  roots  in 
winter.  Florida. 

Z.  TUBISPATHA. — A  handsome  plant, 
bearing  a  white,  slightly  fragrant  flower, 
2  or  3  inches  long.  Native  of  Antigua, 
and  of  the  'Blue  Mountains  of  Jamaica. 
Though  a  stove  plant,  it  will  thrive  and 
flower  well  in  mild  localities,  if  well  pro- 
tected in  winter.  A  pretty  pink  hybrid 
between  this  species  and  Z.  carinata  is 
sometimes  met  with  under  the  name  of 
Z.  Spofforthiana. 

ZIETENIA  (Z.  lavandul&folia}. — 
Dwarf,  creeping,  half-shrubby  peren- 
nial of  a  greyish  hue,  6  to  12  inches 
high,  with  purple  flowers  in  summer, 
borne  in  whorls,  forming  a  spike  about 
6  inches  long,  with  a  slender  downy 
stalk.  Suitable  for  the  margins  of 
borders  and  the  rougher  parts  of  the 
rock  garden,  but,  I  fear,  not  quite 
hardy.  Division.  Caucasus. 

ZINNIA. — Half-hardy  annual  plants 
of  splendid  colour  and  thriving  best 
in  our  country  on  good  warm  soils. 
Among  the  most  effective  of  summer- 
blooming  plants,  they  flower  well  until 
autumn,  their  blooms  not  easily  injured 
by  inclement  weather,  but  retaining 
freshness  and  gay  colour  when  many 
flowers  present  but  a  sorry  appear- 
ance. In  mixed  borders,  and  in 
beds  among  sub-tropical  plants,  well- 
grown  Zinnias  are  always  attrac- 
tive, but  require  a  deep  loamy  soil  and 
a  warm  open  situation.  Seed  should 
be  sown  in  gentle  warmth.  Nothing 
is  gained  by  sowing  before  the  middle 
or  end  of  March,  as,  if  the  young  plants 
have  to  stand  before  being  planted, 
they  become  root-bound  and  seldom 
fully  recover.  If  the  tissues  once 
harden  so  much  as  to  bring  the  young 
plants  to  a  standstill,  there  will  be 


ZIZANIA. 


THE    ENGLISH    FLOWER    GARDEN.        ZYGADENUS. 


787 


little  chance  of  rapid  progress  when 
finally  set  out.  It  is  not  advisable  to 
plant  them  out  much  before  the  second 
week  in  June,  as  they  are  sensitive  to 
atmospheric  changes,  and  are  com- 
pletely ruined  by  a  few  degrees  of 
frost.  Zinnias  have  been  a  total 
failure  with  me,  not  showing  a  trace 
of  their  fine  beauty  as  one  sees  it  in 
Austria  and  Italy,  and  therefore  I  have 
thought  it  not  worth  the  place  that 
might  be  given  to  better  things.  They 
are  plants  that  wet  weather  disfigured 
very  soon.  In  valleys  and  sheltered 
gardens  it  may  do  better. 

ZIZANIA  (Wild  Rice}.  —  A  small 
group  of  hardy  grasses,  excellent  for 
planting  in  water,  or  in  wet  ground  at 
the  waterside.  Z.  aquatica  is  remark- 
able for  the  fine  effect  of  its  Oat-like 
stems,  8  to  10  feet  high,  with  broad 
vivid-green  leaves  and  graceful  bronzed 
plumes  of  nearly  a  yard  long,  the  seeds 
of  which  are  greedily  sought  by  fish 
and  water -fowl.  The  plants  thrive 
only  in  water  with  a  soft  mud  bottom, 
and  though  they  will  often  sow  them- 
selves, the  seeds  are  so  tempting  that 


the  safer  way  is  to  keep  a  store  of 
them  in  a  bottle  of  water  through  the 
winter,  planting  the  seedlings  in  shal- 
low water  during  June.  The  plant  is 
of  annual  duration,  and  the  seeds 
perish  if  kept  dry.  N.  America. 

Z.  latifolia,  from  Japan,  is  a  peren- 
nial kind,  shorter  and  of  more  drooping 
habit.  It  makes  spreading  tufts  of  a 
good  size,  but  does  not  bear  its  purplish 
plumes  freely  in  this  country. 

ZYGADENUS.— Plants  of  the  Lily 
family,  not  very  ornamental  for  their 
flowers,  which  are  all  greenish-yellow, 
but  their  distinct  growth  makes  them 
worth  cultivating  in  a  botanical  or  a 
full  collection.  They  are  slender  bul- 
bous plants  with  narrow  grassy  leaves, 
and  tall  branching  flower-stems,  i  to 
4  feet  high.  Z.  Fremonti  (also  known 
as  Z.  glaberrimus,  Z.  chloranthus,  and 
Z.  Douglasi)  is  the  largest  flowered 
species.  The  other  kinds  are  Z. 
Nuttali  and  Z.  paniculatus.  Zygadeni 
thrive  best  in  a  wet  peaty  border  in  a 
shady  position  protected  from  cold 
winds.  California. 


3D* 


INDEX. 


ILLUSTRATIONS  IN  ITALICS. 


ABELIA,  322 

Abies  (Silver  Fir),  322 

Abies     magnified      (Castle- 

wellan),  323 

Abronia  (Sand  Verbena),  324 
Abuse  of  Yew  hedges,  243 
Abutilon,  325 
Acacia  ( Tassel  Tree),  325 
Acama,  325 
Acantholimon(P«r%  Thrift), 

325 
Acantholimon      glumaceum, 

325 

Acanthopanax,  326 
Acanthus  (Bear's-breech),  326, 

326 

Acer  (Maple),  326 
Achillea  (Milfoil,  Yarrow),  327 
Aciphylla  (Bayonet  Plant),  328 
Aconitum  (Monkshood),  328 
Acorus  (Sweet  Flag),  328 
Acroclinium,  328 
Actsea  (Baneberry),  328 
ActineUa,  328 
Actinidia,  328 

Adenocarpus  decorticans,  329 
Adenophora  ( Grand  Bell  flower), 

329 
Adiantum  (Maidenhair  Fern), 

329 
Adlumia  (Climbing  Fumitory), 

329 

Adonis  (Pheasant's  Eye),  329 
#3gle  sepiaria  ( Hardy  Orange), 

329 

OKohu  (Buckle),  930 
-ffithionema,  330 
ffithiopappus       pulcherrimus, 

330 
Agapanthus    ( African    Lily), 

330 

Agathsea  ( Blue  Daisy),  331 
Agave,  331 

Ageratum  (Floss  Flower),  331 
Agrostemma  (Rose  Campion), 

331 

Agrostis (Cloud  Grass),331 
Ailanthus,     young    tree    with 

Cannas,  332 
Aira  ( Hair  Grass),  332 
AiugSi(  Bugle),  332 
Akebia,  332 
Akebia quinata,  83 
Algerian  Iris,  162 
Alisma  (Water  Plantain),  332 


Allium  (Garlic,  Onion),  333 

Allosorus  (Parsley  Fern),  333 

A.lnus(  Alder),  333 

Alonsoa  (Mask-floicer),333 

Aloysia  (Sweet  Verbena),  333 

Alpine   and    Rock    Plants   for 
British  Gardens,  94 

Alpine  plants  grouped,  9.1 

Alstromeria   (Peruvian    Lili/), 
333 

Alternanthera  ( Joy-Weed),  334 

Attfyg*(HoUyhock),334 

Alyssum  (Ma'dwort),  335 
Atyssum  montanum,  335 

Amaranthus  (Prince's  Feather, 
Love-lies-bleeding),  336 

Amaryllis,  336 

Amelanchier(iSnouiyMespilus), 
337 

Amellus,  337 

Amicia,  337 

Ammobium  (Winged  Everlast- 
ing), 337 

Amorpha    ( Bastard     Indigo), 
337 

Amphicome,  337 

Anagallis  (Pimpernel),  338 


Andromeda  338 

Androsace,  338 

Androsace  sarmentosa,  338 
A  ndrosace.        Chaddlewood, 
Plympton,  93 

Andryala,  341 

Anemone  ( Wind  flower),  341 
The  Blue   Apennine  Wind- 
flower,  342 

Anemone  and  Ranunculus,  47 

Annual  and   Biennial  Plants, 
52 

Annual  climbers,  76 

Annuals,  autumn-sown,  58 

Anomatheca  (Flowering  Grass), 
344 

Anopterus    glandulosa    ( Tas- 
manian  Laurel),  344 

Antennaria  (Cat's-ear),  345 

Anthemis    (Rock    Camomile), 

345 
Anthemis  Macedonica,  345 

Anthericum  (Si  Bruno's  Lily), 
345 

Antholyza,  345 

Anthyllis  (Silver  Bush),  345 

Antirrhinum  (Snapdragon),  345 

Apios  tuberosa  ( Ground  Nut), 
346 

Aponogeton      ( Cape      Pond- 
flower),  346 

Aquilegia  (Columbine),  346 
788 


Arabis  ( Kock  Crew),  3  IS 

Aralia.348 

Aralia  spinosa,  348 

Araucaria     (.l/»^Av//-  PuzJe), 
349 

Araujia  sericofera,  3 1!) 

Arbutus,  234 

Arbutus  (Strawberry  Tree),  349 

Architect  in  the  Garden,  310 

Architect's  true  work,  313 

Arctostaphylos    ( Bear  -  berry), 
349 

Arctotis,  349 

Arctotis  arborescens,  •>'/•'> 

Arenaria  (Sandwort),  350 
Mountain  Sandwort  ( Aren- 
aria montana),  350 

Arethusa,  350 

Argemone(P//fA-/y  Poppy),  350 

Aristolochia   (Dutchman's 
Pipe),  351 

Aristotelia,  351 

Armeria  ( Thrift),  351 

Arnebia  (Prophet-flower),  351 

Arnica  (Lamb's-skin),  351 

Aronia,  352 

Arrowheads,  176 

Artemisia  (Wormwood),  352 

Artificial  mounds,  291 

Arum  (Cuckoo  Pint),  353 
AEUNDEL,  17 
Arundo  (Great  Reed),  353 
Asarum  (Asarabacca),  353 
Asclepias     (Milk-weed,     Silk- 
weed),  353 
Asimina   (  Virginian   Papaw), 

353 

Asparagus,  354 

Asperula  (Sweet  Woodruff),  354 
Asphodeline,  354 
Asphodelus  (Asphodel),  354 
Aspidium     (SIrield     or     Wood 

Fern),  354 

Asplenium  (Spleemvort),  354 
Aster     (Starwort,     Michaelmas 

Daisy),  355 

Aster    elegans    (Lilac   Star- 
wort),  356 

Astilbe  (Goat's  Beard),  355 
Astragalus  (Milk  Fetch),  355 
Astrantia  (Master-wort),  356 
Athrotaxis,  356 
Athyrium  (Lady  Fern),  356 
Atraphaxis  (Goat  Wheat),  356 
Attaching  climbers   to    walls, 

286 
Aubrietia  (Purple  Eock  Cress), 

356,  357 

Aucuba  (Himalayan  Laurel), 
357 


Illustrations  in  Italics. 


INDEX. 


789 


Autumn  Crocus,  156 

Azalea  (Swamp  Honeysuckle), 

357 

Azara,  358 
Azolla,  358 


B 


BABIANA  (Baboon-root),  358 

Baccharis,  359 

Bamboo  plantation,  282 

Bamboos  at  Kew,  150 

Bambusa  ( Bamboo),  359 

Banksia,  361 

Baptisia( False  Indigo),  361 

Barbarea,  362 

Beauty  of  Form  in  the  Flower 

Garden,  140 

Bed  of  Italian  Narcissus,  49 
Begonia  (Elephant's  Ear),  362 
Belladonna    Lily  and  Zephyr- 

anthes,  Kew.  157 
Bellis  (Daisy),  362 
Bellium,  363 
Berberidopsis  (Coral  Barberry), 

363 

Berberis  (Barberry),  363 
Berberis  iaponica,  363 
Berchemia,  364 
Beschorneria,  365 
Beta  ( Cilian  Beet),  365 
Betula  ( Birch),  366 

Weeping  Birch,  365 
Biennial  plants,  57 
Bigelovia(P/wro«J  Golden  Rod), 

366 
Billiardiera  Longiflora  (Purple 

Apple-berry),  366 
Birches,  306 

Bletia  (B.  hyacintha),  367 
Blumenbacbia,  367 
Boathouses,  261 
Bocconia  (Plume  Poppy),  367, 

367 

Bog  Garden,  177, 180 
Bomarea,  367 
Bongardia,  367 
Book  plans,  199 
Border  at  Sidbury  Manor,  30 
Border  of  hardy  flowers  on  open 

margin  of  lawn,  32 
Borders    by    grass    walks    in 

shade  or  sun,  29 
Borago  (Borage),  367 
Boronia,  367 
Boussingaultia  (Madeira  Vine), 

368 

Bowkeria,  368 
Box,  213 
Brachycome      (Swan      River 

Daisy),  368 

Brachyglottis  repanda,  368 
Brassica,  368 
Bravoa    (Scarlet    Twinflower), 

368 

Breadth  and  repose,  302 
Brevoortia     (Crimson     Ha  tin - 

flower),  368 
Bridges,  256 

Briza  (Quaking  Grass),  368 
Brodiaea     ( Calif ornian     Hya- 
cinth), 368 

Bromus  ( Brome  Grass),  369 
Broussonetia  papyrifera  (Paper 

Mulberry),  369 


Browallia,  369 

Bruckenthalia  spiculifolia,  369 
Bryanthus,  369 
Buddleia  (Orange  Ball  Tree), 

369 

Bulbinella  Hookeri,  370 
Bulbocodium  (Spring  Meadow 

Saffron),  370 
Buphthalmum,  370 
Bursaria  spinosa,  370 
Butomus    ( Flowering     Rush), 

370 
Bvxas(Box),  370 


CACCINIA  GLAUCA,  371 

Cactus,  371 

Caesalpinia  iaponica,  371 

Calandrinia   (Rock   Purslane), 

371 
Calceolaria   (Slipper   Flower), 

371 

Call*  (Bog  Arum),  373 
Callirhoe  (Poppy  Mallow),  373 
Callistemon  salignus,  373 
Callistephus  ( China  Aster),  373 
Calochortus  (Mariposa    Lily), 

Calophaca,  373 

Calopogon,  375 

Caltha  (Marsh  Marigold),  376 

Calycanthus    (Allspice    Tree), 

376 

Calypso,  376 

Camassia  (Quamash),  376 
Camellia,  376 

Campanula  ( Hairbell),  377 
Alpine     Hairbell    in    Rock 

Garden,  377 

Campanula  carpatica,  378 
Campanula  pyramid-alls,  379 
Camptosorus  (Walking   Leaf), 

380 

Canna  (Indian  Shot),  380 
Cannabis  sativa  ( Hemp  Plant), 

380 
Caragana  (Siberian  Pea-tree), 

380 

Carbenia  (Blessed  Thistle),  380 
Cardamine    ( Cuckoo-flower   or 

Lady's  Smock),  380 
Carduncellus  pinnatus,  381 
Carex  (Sedge),  381 
Carnations  and  Roses  at  Grave- 

tye,  129 

Carpentaria  calif ornica,  381 
Carpet  bedding,  6 
Carp  inns  ( Hornbeam),  381 
Carrierea  calycina,  382 
Carya  ( Hickory),  382 
Caryopteris,  382 
Cassia  (Wild Senna),  382 
Cassinia  fulvida  ( Golden  Bush), 

382 
Cassiope  ( Himalayan  Heather), 

383 

Castanea  (Chestnut),  383 
Castanea  pumila,  383 
Castanopsis  chrysophylla  (Gold- 

den  Chestnut),  383 
Cast-iron  labels,  294 
Catalpa,  383 
Catananche  (Blue  Cupidone), 

383 
CAW  DOR.  7 


Ceanothus  (Mountain  Sweet), 

384 

Cedar  of  Lebanon,  237 
Cedrela,  384 

Cedrela  sinensis,  385 
Cedronella  (Balm  of  Gilead), 

384 
Cedrus(CWar),  385 

Cedar  of  Lebanon,  386 
Celastrus  (Staff  Fine),  386 
Celmisia,  386" 
Ce\osi&(  Cock-comb),  387 
Celsia  ( Cretan  Mullein),  387 
Celsia        cretica        ( Cretan 

Mullein),  387 
Celtis  ( Nettle-tree),  387 
Centaurea  ( Knapweed),  387 
Mountain  Knapweed,  388 
Centauridium,  388 
Centranthus,  388 
Cerastium   (Mouse-ear    Chick- 
weed),  389 

Ceratostigma  polhilli,  389 
Cercidyphylmm,  389 
Cercis  ( Judas  Tree),  389 
Cerinthe  ( Honeywort),  389 
Ceterach  (Stone  Fern),  389 
Chsenostoma,  389 
Chamsebatia  (Tarweed),  389 
Chamaepeuce        (Fish  -  bone 

Thistle),  389 
Chamserops,  390 
Chelone  ( Turtle-head),  391 
Chenopodium  (Goosefoot),  391 
Cherry  Laurel,  308 
Chilopsis    linearis    (Flowering 

Willow),  391 

Chimaphila  (Pipsissewa),  391 
Chimney  Campanula,  Staunton 

Court,  230 
Chimonanthus  (Winter  Siveet), 

392 
Chionanthus    (Fringe     Tree), 

392 
Chionodoxa  (Snow  Glory),  392 

Chionodoxa  sardcnsis,  392 
Choisya      ternata     (Mexican 

Orange- flower),  393 
Christmas  Rose,  161 
Chrysanthemum,  393 

Paris  Daisy  (C.  frutescens), 

393 
Chrysanthemum  Mine.  Des- 

grange,  394 

Cichormm  (Chicory),  395 
Cider  orchards,  266 
Cimicifuga  (Bugbane),  395 
Cineraria  maritima,  395 
Cinnamomum  camphora  (Cam- 
phor Laurel),  395 
Cissus,  396 

Cistus  (Rock  Rose),  396 
Cistus  formosus,  397 
Cistus  ladanifems,  398 
Cladium,  397 
Cladrastis,  397 
Clarkia,  398 
Claytonia,  399 
Clematis  in  the  flower  garden, 

82 

Clematis  (  Virgin's  Bower),  399 

Clematis     lanuginosa     alba 

growing    through     Azara, 

400 

Clematis      Lady      Caroline 

Neville,  401 
Clerodendron,  403 


790 


THE  ENGLISH  FLOWER   GARDEN.        Illustrations  in  Italics. 


Clethra  (Sweet  Pepper  Bush), 

403 

Clianthus  (Glory  Pea),  404 
Climber-covered  alleys,  248 
Climbers  and  their  Artistic  Use, 

69 

Climbers  on  orchard  trees,  275 
Climbers  on  trees,  70 
Climbing  and  Bush  Tea  Roses 

in  Garden,  July,  123 
Climbing  Roses,  74,  124 
Clipped  evergreen  shrubs,  244 
Clipping  evergreen  and  other 

trees,  241 

Cnicus  benedictus,  404 
Cobaea  (  Cups  and  Saucers),  404 
Codonopsis,  404 
Colchicum  (Meadow  Saffron), 

404 

Colchicum  in  Grass,  405 
Coleus,  405 
Colletia,  405 

Colletia  cruciata,  405 
Collinsia,  405 
Collomia,  406 
Colour,  246 
Colour  in  the  Flower  Garden, 

190 

Colutea  (Bladder  Senna),  406 
Commelina  (Blue  Spiderwort), 

406 

Comptonia,  406 
Conandron,  406 
Concrete  and  asphalt  walks, 

210 

Contrasts  in  colour,  193 
Convallaria   majalis   (Lily-of- 

the-  Valley),  406 
Convolvulus  (Bindweed),  407 
Coprosma,  407 
Coptis,  408 

Cordyline  (Club  Palm),  408 
Cordyline    australis,     Bosa- 

chan,  Cornwall,  409 
Corema  (Plymouth  Crowberry), 

410 

Coreopsis  (TicJcseed),  410 
Coriaria,  410 
Coris,  411 
Cornus      (Dogweed  :     Cornel), 

411 

Cornus  florida  rubra,  412 
Corokia,  413 
Coronilla,  413 
Corydalis  (Fumitory),  413 
Corylopsis,  414 
Cory\us(Hazel-nut),4U 
Cosmos,  414 

Cotoneaster  (  Rockspray),  414 
Cotyledon,  415 
Covered  way,  260 
Covered  ways  of  fruit  trees,  78 
Crambe,  416 
Crataego  mespilus,  416 
Cratsegus  (  Thorns),  416 

Cratcvgus  Ellwangeiiana,  417 
Crepis  (  Hawk's-beard),  418 
Crinum,418 
Crocus,  45 
Crocus,  419 

C.  biflorus  pusillus,  C.  balan- 
sae,  C.  etruscus,  C.  leucor- 
hynchus,  C.  reticulatus,  421 
Cryptomeria,  423 


Cultivation  of  plants  in  oran- 
geries, 135 


Cunninghamia  sinensis,  423 

Cuphea,  423 

Cupressus  ( Cypress),  424 

Cut  flowers  for  house,  60 

Cyananthus,  425 

Cyathea  (Silver  Tree-fern),  425 

Cycas,  425 

Cyclamen  (Sowbread),  425 

Cydonia  (Quince),  426 

Cynara  (Artichoke),  428 

Cyperus  (Galingale),  428 

Cypripedium  (Lady's  Slipper), 
428 

Cyrilla  racemiflora  (Leather- 
wood),  429 

Cystopteris  (Bladder  Fern),  430 

Cytisus(  Broom),  430 


DABCECIA,  431 
Dacrydium  ( Huon  Pine),  431 
Dactylis  (Cocksfoot),  431 
Dahlia,  431 

Daphne  (Garland  Flower),  434 
Garland     Flower     (Daphne 

Cnearum),  435 
Daphniphyllum,  436 
Darlingtonia  ( Calif ornian 

Pitcher-plant),  436 
Datisca  (Bastard  Hemp),  436 
Datura  (Thorn  Apple),  436 
Brugmansia  Knighti,  437 
Davidia     involucrata     (Bract 

Tree),  438 
Day,  African  and  Cape  Lilies, 

47 

Deadly  Yew,  315 
Decaisnea,  438 
Decumaria,  438 
Deinanthe  ccerulea,  438 
Delphinium    (Larkspur),   438, 

439 
Dendromecon  rigidum  (Shrubby 

Poppy),  441 
Dentaria,  441 
Desfontainea,  441 
Design  in  Planting,  301 
Desmodium  (Tick  Trefoil),  441 
Deutzia,  441 

Deutzia  parviflora,  443 
Dianthus  (Pink),  442 

Dianthus  alpinus,  444 
Diapensia,  449 
Diascia,  449 

Dicentra  (Bleeding  Heart),  449 
Dicksonia,  450 
Dictamnus  (Fraxinella),  450 
Didiscus,  450 
Dielytra,  450 
Dierama,  450 
Diervilla,  450 
Dietes,  450 

Digitalis  (Foxglove),  450 
Digraphis  ( Ribbon  Grass),  451 
Dimorphanthus,  451 
Dimorphotheca    (Cape   Mari- 
gold), 451 

Diospyros  (Persimmon),  451 
Diostea  juncea,  451 
Diotis  (Sea  Cotton-weed),  451 
Dipelta  floribunda,  451 
Diphylleia  cymosa,  451 
Diplacus   glutinosus  (Shrubby 
Mimulus),  451 


Diplopappus,  451 

Dipsacus  ( Teasel),  451 

Dipteronia  sinensis,  451 
I   Dirca  palustris,  451 

Disanthus  cercidifolius,  452 

Discaria(IFiW  Irishman),  452 

Disfigurement  of  forest  trees, 
245 

Distylium,  452 

Dodecatheon  (American  Cow- 
slip), 452 

Dondia,452 

Doronicum  (Leopard's  Bane). 

452 
I    Double  cropping  of  beds,  38 

Downingia,  453 

Draba  (Whitlow  Grass),  453 

Dracaena,  453 

Dracocephalum        (Dragon' s- 
head),  453 

Drainage,  279 

Drimys,  453 

Drosera  (Sundew),  453 

Dryas  (Mountain  Avens),  453 


E 


EARTH-BANK     BRIDGES, 

257 

Eccremocarpus,  454 
Echeveria,  454 
Echinacea,  454 
Echinocactus,  454 
Echinocereus,  454 
Echinops  (Globe  Thistle),  454 
Echium  (  Viper's  Bugloss),  455 
Edging  of  Foam  Flower,  212 
Edgings,  296 

Edgings,  live  and  dead,  211 
Edraianthus,  455 
Edwardsia,  455 
Elaeagnus  (Oleaster),  455 
Elliottia  racemosa,  456 
Elshotzia  stauntonii,  456 
Elymus  ( Lyme  Grass),  456,  456 
Embothrium  ( Fire  Bush),  456 
Empetrum  (Crowberry),  457 
Enemies  of  Water-Lilies,  173 
English  names,  vi. 
Enkianthus,  457 
Eomecon   (Cyclamen   Poppy), 

457 
Ephedra  (Shrubby    Horsetail), 

457 

Epigsea  (Mayflower),  457 
Epilobium    (French    Willow), 

457 

Epimedium  (Barren-wort),  458 
Epipactis  (Marsh  E.),  458 
Equisetum  (Giant  Horse-tail), 

458 

Eragrostis  (Love  Grass),  458 
Eranthis  (Winter  Aconite),  458 
Eremurus,  458 
Erianthus,  459 
Erinacea  pungens,  462 
Erinus,  462 
Eriobotrya,  462 
Eriogonum,  462 
Eriophorum    ( Cotton     Grass), 

462 

Eritrichium  (Fairy  Forget-me- 
not),  462 

Erodium  (Stork' s-bill),  462 
Erpetion,  463 


Illustrations  in  Italics. 


INDEX. 


791 


Eryngium  (Sea  Holly),  463 
Amethyst    Sea     Holly    (E. 

amethystinum),  464 
Eryngium  Oliverianum,  465 
Erysimum,  464 
Erythrsea  (Centaury),  465 
Erythrina  (  Coral  Tree),  465 
Erythronium  (Dog's-tooth  Vio- 

let), 465 
Escallonia,  466 
Eschscholtzia         (Calif  ornian 


Poppy),  466 
x   Ga 


Essex   Garden,  with  border  of 

Tea  and  Monthly   Roses. 

125 

Eucalyptus  (Gum  Tree),  466 
Eucharidium,  466 
Eucnide,  466 
Eucomis,  467 
Eucryphia  (The  Brush  Bush), 

467 
Eulalia,  467 

Eulalia  japonica,  468 
Euonymus  (Spindle  Tree),  467 
Eupatorium    (Thorough-wort), 

469 

Euphorbia  (Spurge),  469 
Euptelea,  469 
Euscaphis,  469 
Eutoca,  469 
Evaporation,  285 
Evergreen   borders   of   hardy 

flowers,  33 

Evergreen  hardy  Ferns,  186 
Evergreens  as  climbers,  78 
Evergreen  trees  in  natural  forms 

(Cedars:      Gunnersbury), 

233 

Evergreen  weeds,  235 
Everlastings,  53 
Evodia  hupehensis,  469 
Exochorda  (Pearl  Bush),  469 
Exogonium  (  Jalap  Plant),  469 
Exotic  hardy  Ferns,  185,  189 
Extravagant  Flower  Garden- 

ing in  the  London  Parks, 

317 


F 


FABIANA  (False  Heath),  470 

Facts  of  natural  beauty  the 
source  of  good  design,  15 

Fagus  (Beech),  470 

Fallen  leaves,  283 

Fallugia  paradoxa,  470 

Farfugium,  470 

Fences  and  dividing  lines,  258 

Fencing  the  orchard,  268 

Fendlera  rupicola,  470 

Fenzlia  dianthiflora,  471 

Ferns  in  the  flower  garden,  188 

Ferula  (Giant  Fennel),  471 

Festuca  (Fescue  Grass),  471 

Ficaria  (Pilewort),  471 

Fitzroya  Patagonica  (Fitzroy's 
Cypress),  471 

Flower  borders  against  walls 
and  houses,  29 

Flower  borders  fringing  shrub- 
beries, 28 

Flower  borders  in  the  fruit 
garden,  30 

Flower  Garden  in  the  House, 
223  ; 

Flower  Garden  in  Winter,  158 


Flower  garden  plan  at  Grave- 

tye,  229 

Flowering  Shrubs   and   Trees 
and  their  Artistic  Use,  59 
Flowers  beneath  trees,  103 
Flowers  of  fruit  trees,  270 
Flower  vases  simple  in  form, 

225 
Foliage    of    Evergreen    hardy 

plant  (Epimedium),  228 
Fontanesia,  472 
Formal  gardens  made  in  out- 
own  day,  10 

Formation  of  bog  garden,  179 
Formation  of  good  turf,  251 
j    Forming  Rose  beds,  124 
!    Forming  the  water  garden,  168 

Forsythia  (Golden  Bell),  471 
I    Fothergilla  Gardeni,  472 
I    Fountains  in  gardens,  262 
;    Fragaria  (Strawberry),  473 

Fragrance,  195 
!    Francoa    (Maiden's     Wreath), 

473 
Frankenia  Isevis  (Sea  Heath), 

473 

Fraxinus  (Ash),  473 
Fremontia,  473 
Fritillaria  (Fritillary),  473 
Fuchsia,  475 
Funkia  (Plantain   Lily),  475, 

476 
Furze,  164 


G 


GAILLARDIA  (Blanket 

Flower),  477,  477 
Galanthus  (Snowdrop),  478 
Galax  (Wand  Plant),  479 
Galega  (Goat's  Rue),  479 
Galtonia  (Cape  Hyacinth),  480 
Garden  at  Uffington,  200 
Garden  Houses,  Bridges,  Gates, 

Seats  and  Fences,  255 
Gardening  and  Botany,  yii. 
Garden    near    Loch    Kishorn, 

Ross,  131 
Garden  seats,  259 
Garrya,  480,  480 
Gaultheria   (Partridge    Berry), 

480 

Gaura,  480 

Gaylussacia  ( Huckleberry),  480 
Gazania  ( Treasure  Flower),  480 

Gazania  nivea,  481 
Genista  (Rock  Broom),  481 
Gentiana  (Gentian),  481 

Gentiana  affinis,  482 

Gentiana  verna,  483 
Geranium  (Cranesbill),  483 
Gerardia,  484 

Gerbera  ( Transvaal  Daisy),  484 
Geum,  485 
Giant  Asphodel,  48 
Gillenia,  485 
Ginko,  485 

Gladiolus  (Sword  Lily),  485 
Glass-houses,  289 
Globularia  (Globe  Daisy),  487 
Good  fences,  67 
Goodyera    (Rattlesnake    Plan- 
tain), 487 
Gordonia,  487 
Grafting,  267 
Grammanthes,  487 


Grass,  heath,  and  moss  walks, 
209 

Gravel  walks,  208 

Greater  Partridge  Berry,  308 

Great  Reed,  Westwick  House 
Gardens,  Norfolk,  260 

Grevillea,  487 

Griselinia,  488 

Group  of  Giant  Indian  Lilies, 
&3 

Group  of  Yuccas  at  Abbots- 
bury,  149 

Guevina  avellana  (Chilian 
Nut),  488 

Gunnera  and  Bamboo,  150 

Gunnera  (Prickly  Rhubarb). 
488 

Gynerium  (Pampas  Grass).  489 

Gypsophila,  489 


HABENARIA  (Rein   Orchis), 

490 

Haberlea,  490 
Habranthus,  490 
H ADDON,  21 
Halesia  (Snowdrop  Tree),  490 
Half-hardy  plants  as  annuals, 

56 
Halimondendron    (Salt    Tree), 

491 

Hamamelis  (Witch  Hazel),  491 
Hardy  Azaleas,  61 
Hardy  Border  Flowers,  35 
Hardy  Bulbous  Flowers,  41 
Hardy  bulbs  for  cut  flowers,  49 
Hardy  Fern  Garden,  184 
Hardy  Heaths,  62, 164 
Hardy  Palm  in  the  open,  Corn- 
wall, 141 

Hardy  trees  in  tubs,  312 
Harmony    rather    than    con- 
trast, 191 
Hawley,  202 

Hawley  flower  garden,  205 
Hazel  Catkins,  165 
Hebenstretia,  491 
Hedera  (Ivy),  491 

Pyramid  of  Ivy,  492 
Hedychium,  493 
Hedysarum    (French    Honey- 
suckle), 493 

Helenium  (Sneeze-weed),  493 
Helianthemum  (Sun  Rose),  493 
Helianthus  (Sunflower),  493 

Double  Sunflower,  494 
Helichrysum  (Everlasting 

Flower),  494 
Heliophila,  495 

Heliotropium  ( Cherry  Pie),  495 
Helipterum,  495 
Helleborus   (Christmas    Rose), 

495,  496 

Helonias  (Stud  Flower),  497 
Heloniopsis,  498 
Hemerocallis  (Day  Lily),  498, 

498 

Hemiphragma,  499 
Hemlock  Spruce,  307 
Heracleum    (Giant    Parsnip), 

499 

Herniaria,  499 
Heavens  (Rocket),  499 
Hesperochiron,  500 


792 


THE   ENGLISH   FLOWER  GARDEN.         Illustrations  in  Italics. 


Heteromeles  arbuttfolia,  500 

Heuchera  (Alum  Root),  500 

Hibiscus  (  Row  MaOov>),  501 

Hidalgoa   wercklei   (Climbing 
Dahlia),  501 

Hieracium  ( Hawkweed),  501 

Hippocrepis    comosa    ( Horse- 
shoe Vetch),  501 

Hippophse     (Sea     Buckthorn), 
502 

Hoheria  populuea   (Sew  Zea- 
land Ribbon-wood),  502 

Holbcellia,  502 

Holly,  232 

Homeria  collina,  502 

Hordeum,  502 

Horminum  pyrenaicum,  502 

Hoteia,  502 

Hottonia  ( Water  Violet),  502 

Houstonia  ( Bluets),  503,  503 

Houttuynia  cordata,  503 

Humea,  503 

Humulus  (Common  Hop),  503 

Hunneraannia,  503 

Hutchinsia,  503 

Hyacinthus  (Hyacinth),  503 

Hydrangea,  504 

Plumed  Hydrangea,  505 

HydTOCOtyle  '(Pennywort),  506 

Hymenanthera,  506 

Hymenophyllum,  506 

Hypericum  (St  John's  Wort), 
506 

Hypolepis  (  Xew  Zealand  Brac- 
ken), 507 

Hypoxis,  507 

Hyssopus  officinalis  ( Hyssop), 
507 


IBERIS  (Candytuft),  501 

Idesia,  508 

Ilex,  239 

Eex  (Holly),  508 

Illicium  (Anise  Tree),  509 

Impatiens  (Balsam),  509 

Imperata  sacchariflora,  509 

Incarvillea   (Perennial    Trum- 
pet Flowers),  509 

Indigofera,  510 

Inula,  510 

Inula  glandulosa,  510 

lonopsidium     (Violet     Cress), 
510 

Ipomsea  (Morning  Glory),  511 

Ipomopsis,  511 

Iresine,  511 

Iris,  44 

Iris  (Flag),  511 

7.  asintwa,  I.  cristata,  I. 
fcetidissima,  I.  iberica,  I. 
ochroleuca,  I.  pallida,  I. 
paradoxa,  I.  persica,  I. 
reticulata,  I.  susiana,  Spa- 
nish Iris,  512-5 7.9 

Isatis,  519 

Isopyrum,  520 

Isotoma,  520 

Itea,  520 
Ivies,  70 
Ivy  edging.  214 

Ixia,520 

Ixiolirion  (Ixia  Lily),  520 


JABOROSA,  521 
Jamesia,  521 
Jankaea,  521,  521 
Japanese  Lilies,  155 
Jasione  (Sheep's  Scabious),  521 
Jasminum  (Jasmine),  521 
Jeffersonia  ( Twin-leaf),  522 
Jubaea  ( J.  spectabilis),  522 
Juglans(W7a//mO,  522 
Juncus  ( Rush),  523 
Juniper       showing       natural 

growth,  240 
Juniperus,  523 

Juniperus  drupacea,  523 
Jussisea  natans,  52  4 


KADSURA  JAPONICA,  524 

Kalmia     (Mountain     Laurel), 

524 

Keraera  saxatilis,  524 
Kerria  ( Jew's  Mallow),  524 
Keteleerea  fortune!,  524 
Kirengeshoma  palmata,  524 
Kitaibelia  vitifolia,  525 
Klokwitzia  amabilis,  528 
Kniphofia  ( Torch  Lily),  525 
Kniphofia  grand-is,  525 
Kniphofiu  'Obelisk,  527 
Kochia  ( Belvedere),  527 
Koelreuteria,  528 
Korolkowia  sewerzowi,  528 


LABELS,  293 

Labours  for  Good  or  Evil : 
Draining :  Rotation :  Mo- 
notony :  Glass :  Moving 
Earth,  276 

Laburnum  ( Golden  Eain),  528 
Lactuca  ( Klue  Thistle.),  528 
Lagurus    ( Harems-tail    Grass), 

528 

Lamarckia,  528 
Lamium  (Dead  Nettle),  528 
Landscape  gardening,  14 
Landscape  painting  and  gar- 
dens, 8 
Lantana,  528 
Lapageria,  529 
Lardizabala,  529 
Larix  ( Larch),  529 
Lasthenia,  530 
Lathy  r  us     (Everlasting     Pea), 

530 

White  Everlasting  Pea,  530 
Laurelia  aromatica,  532 
Lauras  ( Poet's  Laurel),  532 
Lavandula  ( Lavender),  532 
Lavatera  (Tree  Mallow),  533 
Lawns  and  Playgrounds,  248 
Ledum  ( Labrador  Tea),  533 
Leiophyllum    (Sand    Myrtl*.), 

533 
Leitneria  floridana,  533 


Lenten  Roses,  February,  226 
Leontopodium  (Edelweiss).  5;^, 

633 

Leaamrm(Lion'f-tail),  534 
Leptosiphon,  534 
Leptospermum      (South     Sea 

Myrtle),  534 
Leptosyne,  534 
Lespedeza  ( Hush  Clover),  r>:v> 
Leucanthemum  ( Alpha- 

jnr).  r>35 

Leucojum  (8nowjlake):  53 "> 
Leucothoe,  535 
Lewisia  (Spathon),  535 
Leycesteria    (Flowering    T»/- 

utea),  536 

Liatris  (Mn-akeroot),  536 
Libertia,  536 
Librocedrus    (Incense    Cedar), 

536 

Ligularia,  536 
Ligustrum  (Privet),  536 
Lilacs,  64 
Lilies,  41 
Lilium  ( Lily),  537 

L.    Bakerianum,    L.   candi- 

dum,     L.    giganteum,     L. 

Humboldti,     L.     longifio- 

rum  Harrisi,  White  Mar- 

tagon  Lilies,   L.  monadel- 

phum,  var.  Szovitzianum , 

L.   Parry  i,    L.  testaceuw, 

540-548 
Limnanthemum          (Fringed 

Buckbean),  548 
Limnanthes,  548 
Linaria  ( Toadflax),  549 
L.  antirrhinifolia,  549 
Linnaea  (Twin  Flower),  519 
Liimm(Flax),  550 
Lippia,  550 
Liquidambar,  306 
Liquidambar  (Sweet  Gum),  550 
Liriodendron  (Tulip  Tree),  550 
Lithospermum  (Gromwell),  551 

L.  prostratum,  551 
Living  supports,  261 
Loasa,  551 
Lobelia,  551 

Scarlet  Lobelia,  552 
Locust  Tree,  553 
Loiseleuria,  553 
Lomaria,  554 
Lomatia,  554 
LONGLEAT,23 
Lonicera  ( Honeysuckle),  55 1 

L.  Periclymenum,  556 
Lophospermum,  555 
I^oss  of  form,  246 
Loss  of  the  Clematisin  iranlciis 

79 

Loss  of  tree  form,  310 
JMQ»(Bird't-fooi  Trefoil),  55(5 
Lupinus  (Lupine),  557 
L.  poly  phallus,  558 
Lychnis  ( Campion),  557 

Double  Ragged  Robin,  559 
Lyci\ua(Box  Thorn),  559 
Lycopodium    (Ground    J'im-). 

559 
Lygodium    (Climbing     /•'/•/•».), 

559 

Lyonia,  559 

Lysimachia  (Loosestrife),  559 
Lythrum  (/'///•/'/''  Loosestrife), 

560 


Illustrations  in  Italics. 


INDEX. 


793 


MAACHIA  AMURENSIS,  560 

Madura  (Osage  Orange),  560 
Macrotimia  Echioides  (Prophet 

Flower),  560 

Magnolia  (Lily  Tree),  560 
Magnolias,  64 
Maianthemum       ( Twin-leaved 

Lily-of-the-  Valley),  562 
Malcolmia    (Virginian  Stock), 

562 

Mallotus  japonicus,  563 
Malope,  563 
Malva  (Mallow),  563 
Malvastrum    (Rock    Mallow), 

563 

Mandragora  (Mandrake),  563 
Margyricarpus  (Pearl   Berry), 

563 
Marble   slab    seat   with    lattice 

cover,  259 
Martynia,  564 
Matricaria  (Mayweed),  564 
Matthiola  (Stock),  564 
Maurandia,  565 
Maze,  247 
Mazus,  565 
Meconppsis    (Indian     Poppy), 

565 

M.  Wallichi,  567 
Medicago  (Medick),  566 
Megarrhiza   californica  (Cali- 

fornian  Big  Root),  566 
Melanoselinum  decipiens,  566 
Melanthium  triquetnim,  566 
Melianthus       (Cape       Honey 

Flower),  567 
Meliosma  cuneifolia,  567 
Melissa  (Common  Balm),  567 
Melittis  (Bastard  Balm),  567 
Menispermum          ( Canadian 

Moonseed),  568 
Mentha  (Mint),  568 
Mentzelia,  568 
Menyanthes  (Buckbean),  568 
Menziesia,  568 
Merendera,  568 
Mertensia,  568 

M.  virginica,  569 
Mesembryanthemum          (Ice 

Plant),  569 

Mespilus  (Medlar),  569 
Meum  (Spignel),  570 
Mexican  Orange-flower,  227 
Michauxia    (Michaux's    Bell- 
flower),  570 
M.  campanuloides ,  570 
Michelia,  570 
Microlepia,  570 
Micromeria    (Pepper    Nettle). 

570 

Mikania  (German  Ivy),  570 
Milium  (Millet  Grass),  570 
Milla,  570 

Miraulus  (Monkey- flower),  570 
Mina,  571 

Mirabilis  (Marvel  of  Peru),  571 
Misplaced  artificial  rock,  91 
Misuse  of  water,  311 
Mitchella  (Deer  Berry),  571 
Mitraria  (Mitre-flower),  571 
Mixed  borders,  30 
Mocassin-flower,  178 
Molopospermum,  571 
M.  cicutarium,  571 


Moluccella,  572 

Monarda  (Bee  Balm),  572 

Monotony,  286 

Montagnaea  heracleifolia,  572 

Montbretia,  572 

Moraea      glaucopis     (Peacock 

Iris),  573 

Morina  ( Whorl-flower),  573 
Morisia,  573 
Morus  (Mulberry),  573 
Motion,  246 
Moving  earth,  290 
Mrs  Earle  on  plants  in  tubs, 

137 

Muhlenbeckia,  574 
Mulgedium,  574 
Musa  (Banana),  574 
Mutisia,  575,  575 
My  Flower-garden  in  Hose  and 

Pink  time,  27 
Myosotidium  (Antarctic  Forget- 

me-Not),  575 
Myosotis  (Forget-me-Not),  575 

M.  alpestris,  576 
Myrica  (Sweet  Gale),  576 
Myricaria  (German  Tamarisk), 

576 

My  Rose  garden,  122 
Myrrhis  (Sweet  Cicely),  576 

M.  odorata,  577 
Myrsine  africana,  577 
Myrtles  and  Oleanders,  138 
Myrtus  (Myrtle),  577 


NANDINA  (Heavenly  Bamboo), 

577 

Narcissi  in  the  wild  garden,  97 
Narcissus,  42 
Narcissus  (Daffodil),  577 

N.  calathinus,  N.  Sir  Wat- 
kin,  N.  Emperor,  Hybrid 
N.  Snowdrop,  578-583 
Narcissus    in   turf  at    Warleii 

Place,  99 

Nardostachys  (Spikenard),  585 
Native  bog  plants,  178 
Native  evergreens,  231 
Native  Ivy,  232 
Natural  bog  garden,  183 
Natural    grouping    of    water- 
side plants,  170 
Neillia  ( Nine  Bark),  585 
Nelumbium      (Yellow     Sacred 

Bean),  585 
Nemesia,  585 

Nemophila  (Calif ornian  Blue- 
bell), 586 

Nepeta  ( Cat  Mint),  586 
Nephrodium,  586 
Nertera  (Fruiting  Duckweed), 

586 
Neviusia    alabamensis    (Snow 

Wreath),  586 

New  floiver  garden  in  front  of 
house  at  Shrubland  Park, 
203 

Nicandra,  586 
Nicotiana  (Tobacco),  587 
Nierembergia,  587 

N.  rivularis,  587 
Nigella  (Fennel  Flower),  587 
N.  damascena,  587 


Nobler     evergreen     flowerin» 

shrubs,  236 
Noccaea,  588 
Nolana    (Chilian    Bellflower), 

588 

No  standards,  122 
Nothofagus  (Southern  Beeches) 

588 
Notospartium  (Pink  Broom  of 

New  Zealand),  588 
Nuphar   (Yellow    Water- LU-u), 

589 

Nurserymen   and   garden   de- 
sign, 302 

Nuttallia  (Osoberry),  589 
Nycterinia,  589 
Nymphsea  (Water- Lily),  589 
American  Water- Lily,  589 
Bud   of  hybrid    Water- Lily 

gathered  from  open  water, 

590 
Nyssa  (Tupelo  Tree),  595 


OAKS,  306 

(Enothera  (Evening  Primrose), 

595 

Olearia  (Daisy  Trees),  596 
Omphalodes  (Navelwort),  598 
Onoclea  (Sensitive  Fern).  598 
Ononis  (Rest  Harrow),  598 
Onopordon    (Cotton     Thistle), 

598 
Onosma  (Golden  Drop),  599 

0.  taurica,  599 
Onychium,  599 
Ophioglossum  (Adder' s-tongue), 

Ophiopogon     (Snake's  -  beard), 
599 

Ophrys,  599 

Opuntia  (Prickly  Fig),  600 

Orangery,  Holm  Lacey,  Here- 
ford, 136 

Orange  trees  in  tubs,  133 

Orchard  Beautiful,  264 

Orchard  bloom,  269 

Orchard  wild  garden,  274 

Orchis,  601 

Oreocome  candollei,  602 

Origanum  (Dittany),  602 

Orixa  japonica,  602 

Ornithogalum  (Star  of  Bethle- 
hem), 602 

Orobus  (Bitter  Vetch),  602 

Orontium  (Golden  Club),  602 

Osmanthus,  603 

Osmunda  (Royal  Fern),  603 

Osteomeles  anthylidifolia,  604 

Ostrowskya     (Great     Oriental 

Bellflower),  604 
O.  magnifica,  604 

Ostrya  (Hop  Hornbeam),  604 

Othonnopsis     (Barbary     Rag- 
wort), 604 

Ourisia,  604 

Oxalis  ( Wood  Sorrel),  604 

0.  Acetosella,  605 
Oxydendrum  (Sorrel  Tree),  605 
Oxytropis,  605 
Ozothamnus,  606 


794 


THE  ENGLISH   FLOWER  GARDEN.        Illustrations  in  Italics. 


PACHYSANDRA  (Mountain 
Spurge),  606 

Pachystima,  606 

Pseonia  (Pceony),  606 

Palmate  Bamboo,  307 
Palmate  Bamboo,  near  water- 
side, 360 

Pampas  Grass  in  a  Sussex 
garden,  143 

Paiiax  sessiliflorum,  608 

Pancratium,  608 

Panicum,  609 

Pansy  on  brick  wall,  92 

Papaver  (Poppy),  609 
Opium  Poppies,  611 

Parnassia  (Grass  of  Parnassus), 

611 
P.  palustris,  612 

Parochetus  (Shamrock  Pea), 
611 

Parrotia  (Iron  Tree),  611 

Parrya,  612 

Parterre  gardening,  312 

Passiflora  (Passion-flower),  612 
P.  Constance  Elliot,  613 

Pattern  plans,  26 

Patterns  of  flowers  and  carpet- 
beds  things  of  our  own 
time,  11 

Paulownia,  612 

Pear  orchards  for  beauty,  271 

Pelargonium  (Stork's  Bill),  612 

Pennisetum,  615 

Pentstemon  (Beard  Tongue), 
615 

Peraphyllum  ramosissimum, 
617 

Pergola  in  Mrs  Eden's  garden 
at  Venice,  77 

Pergola  in  the  Riviera,  73 

Pergola  with  White  Japanese 
Wistaria,  71 

Pergolas,  75,  249,  312 

Perilla,  617 

Periploca  (Silk  Vine),  617 

Pernettya  (Prickly  Heath),  617 

Perowskia  atriplictfolia,  618 

Petalostemon  (Prairie  Clover), 
618 

Petasites  (Winter  Heliotrope), 
618, 618 

Petrocallis  (Rock  Beauty),  619 
P.  pyrenaica,  619 

Petteria  ramentacea  (Dalma- 
tian Laburnum),  619 

Petunia,  619 

Phacelia,  619 

Phalaris  (Ribbon  Grass),  620 

Phellodendron  (Eastern  Cork 
Tree),  620 

Philadelphia   (Mock    Orange), 

620 
P.  microphyllus,  621 

Philesia  (Pepino),  622 

Phillyraea  (Jasmine  Box),  622 

Phlomis  (Jerusalem  Sage),  623 

Phlox,  624 

Phormium  ( New  Zealand 
Flax),  626 

Photinia,  626 

Phragmites  (Great  Reed),  626 

Phuopsis  (Grosswort),  626 

Phygelius  (Cape  Figwort),  627 

Phyllodoce,  627 


Physalis  (Winter  Cherry),  627 
Physostegia,  627 
Phyteuma  (Rampion),  627 

P.  cornosum,  628 
Phytolacca  (Virginian    Poke), 

628 
Picea  (Spruce  Fir),  628 

P.  Morinda,  629 
Pieris,  flowers  of,  630 
Pines,  239 
Pines  in  groups  and  masses, 

202 

Pinguicula  (Buttenvort),  630 
Pinus  (Pine),  630 
Corsican  Pine,  633 
Old  tree,  Scotch  Fir,  634 
Piptanthus     ( Nepaul     Labur- 
num), 635 

Pistacia  (Mastic  Trees),  635 
Pittosporum,  635 
Plagianthus,  635 
Planera  (Water  Elm),  635 
Planting  near  the  sea,  238 
Plants  for  the  Wild  Garden, 

104 
Plants  in  Vases  and  Tubs  in 

the  Open  Air,  132 
Plashed  alley,  78,  250 
Platanus  (Plane),  635 

P.  Orientalis,  636 
Platycodon  (Great  Bell-floiver), 

636 
Platystemon,  636 

P.  californicus,  637 
Plumbago  (Leadwort),  637 
Poa,  637 
Podocarpus,  637 
Podophyllum    (May     Apple), 

637 

Poet's  Laurel,  195 
Poet's  Laurel  in  tubs,  134 
Poet's  Narcissus  in  the  grass  at 

Belmont,  95 
Pohlia  platensis,  638 
Poinciana,  638 
Polemonium  ( Greek  Valerian), 

638 

Polianthes(.T%6m>se),638 
Polygala  (Milkwort),  638 
Polygonatum  (Solomon's  Seal), 

639 

P.  multiflorum,  639 
Polygomua(Knottveed),  640 
P.  sachalinense,  640 
P.  vaccinifolium,  641 
Polypodium  (Polypody),  641 
Polystichum,  641 
Pontederia   (Pi-ckerel   Weed), 

641 

Poplars,  305 
Populus  (Poplar),  642 
Portulaca  (Purslane),  642 
Position  for  tree  label,  293 
Potentilla  ( Cinquefoil),  642 
Poterium,  643 
Pratia,  644 

P.  angulata,  644 
Primrose  garden,  38 
Primrose  garden  in  Surrey,  39 
Primula  (Primrose),  644 

P.   farinosa,    P.    pubescens 

alba,  P.  rosea,  P.  Sieboldi, 

An      Alpine      Primrose, 

P.  Munstead  Early  White, 

"Bunch"  Primroses,  648- 

655 
Protecting  Hollies,  281 


Protecting  young  orchards,  282 
Prumnopitys  elegans,  656 
Prunella  (Self-heal),  656 
Prunus  (PZwrn,  Almond,  Peach, 

Apricot,      Cherry,       Bird 

Cherry,    Cherry  -  Laurel), 

656 
Cerasus  Water eri,  P.  Danid- 

iana,   P.    Japonica,   657- 

659 

Pteris  (Brake),  661 
Pterocarya  (Winged  Nut),  661 
Pterocephalus,  661 
P.  Parnassi,  661 
Pterostyrax,  661 
Pueraria  (Kudsu),  661 
Pulmonaria  (Lungwort),  661 
Punica  (Pomegranate),  662 
Purple  Rock  Cresses,  106 
Puschkinia     (Striped    Squill), 

662 

P.  scilloides,  662 
Pyrethrum,  662 
Pyrola  (Winter-green),  663 
Pyrus  (Pear  and  Apple),  663 
Pyxidanthera     (Pine     Barren 

Beauty),  664 


QUAMOCLIT,  664 
Quercus  (Oak),  664 

An  Evergreen  Oak,  666 


RAMONDIA  (Rosette  Mullein), 

668 
R.  pyrenaica,  668 

Ranunculus  (Crowfoot  Butter- 
cup), 669 
R.  aconitifolius  fl.-pl,  669 

Reserve  garde? i,  206 

Rhexia  (Meadow  Beauty),  672 

Rhodanthe  (Everlasting),  672 

Rhododendron     (Rose     Tree), 

672 

R.  Falconeri,  673 
Tree  Rhododendron,  678 

Rhododendrons,  61 

Rhodora  (Canadian  Rhodora), 
681 

Rhodothamnus,  681 

Rhodotypos  (White  Jew's  Mal- 
low), 681 

Rhus  (Sumach),  681 
R.  typhina,  683 
Venetian  Sumach,  682 

Rites  (Currant),  GS3 

Richardia  (Calla),  683 

Ricinus  (Castor-oil  Plant),  684 

Riverside  plants  in  front  of  an 
old  manor — Levens,  169 

Robinia  (False  Acacia),  684 

Rock  and  alpine  plants,  106 

Rock    and  sun-loving   Ferns, 
188 

Rocky   border  with   edging   of 
dwarf  plants  in  groups,  222 

Rodgersia,  685 

Romneya  (Bush  Poppy),  685 
R.  Coulteri,  686 

Romulea,  686 


Illustrations  in  Italics. 


INDEX. 


Root  pruning  in  the  orchard, 
266 

Rosa  (Rose),  687 

R.  Celeste,  Buds  of  Tea  Rose, 
Anna  Oliver,  R.  Gloire 
Lyonnaise,  R.  Harrisoni, 
The  A  ustrian  Copper 
Brier,  Sweet  Brier,  688- 
694 

Rose  Bay,  308 

Rose  garden,  298 

Rose    in    a    Japanese    bronze 
basin,  224 

Roses  and  Manure,  121 

Rosmarinus  (Rosemary),  695 

Rotation  in  the  flower  garden, 
280 

Rubus  (Brambles),  695 

R.  deliciosus,  R.  nutkanus, 
695-696 

Rumex  (Dock),  697 

Ruscus  (Butcher's  Broom),  697 

Rate  (Rue),  697 


S 


SABBATIA     (American    Cen- 
taur y),  697 

Saccharum,  697 

Sagina  (Pearlwort),  698 

Sagittaria  (Arrowhead),  698 

Salisburia  (Maiden-hair  Tree), 
698 

Sa.l\x  (Willow),  Q99 

The  Weeping  Willow,  700 

Salpiglossis,  701 
S.  sinuata,  701 

Salvia  (Sage),  701 
AS1,  patens,  702 

Sambucus  (Elder),  703 

Samolus,  704 

Sanguinaria  (Bloodroot),  704 
S.  canadensis,  703 

Santolina    (Lavender    Cotton), 
704 

Sanvitalia,  704 

Saponaria  (Soapwort),  704 

Sarcococca,  704 

Sarracenia  (Huntsman's  Horn), 
705 

Sassafras  (Ague  Tree),  705 

Saxegothcea  conspicua  (Prince 
Albert's  Yew),  705 

Saxifraga  (Rockfoil),  705 
S.    pyramidalis,     Group    of 
Silvery  Rock  foils,  S.  Wal- 
lacei,  S.  sarmentosa,  707- 
712 

Scabiosa  (Scabious),  712 

Sch  in  us,  713 

Schistostega  (Iridescent  Moss), 
713 

Schizandra,  713 

Schizanthus      (Fringe-flower), 
713 

Schizocodon  (Japanese  Moon- 
wort),  714 

Schizopetalon,  714 

Schizophragma  ( Climbing  Hy- 
drangea), 714 

Schizostylis  (Kaffir  Lily),  714 

Sciadopitys    verticillata  (Um- 
brella Pine),  715 

Scffla,  715 

S.  hispanica,  716 


Scillas  and  their  allies,  46 
Scirpus  (  Bulrush),  717 
Scolopendrium  (  Hart's-tongue), 

717 

Scutellaria  (Skullcap),  717 
Scyphanthus  (  Cup-flower),  111 
Sedum  (Stonecrop),  111 

The      Japanese     Stonecrop, 

S.  kamtschaticuw,  718-719 
Selaginella,  719 
Sempervivum  (  flouseleek),  719 
Senecio  (Groundsel),  720 
Sequoia,  722 
Serapias,  722 

Serratula  atriplicifolia,  722 
SQSeli(GumSeseli),122 
Shamrock,  722 
Sheffieldia*  723 
Shelter  and  wind  screens,  238 
Shepherdia,  723 
Shortia,  723 
Shrubland  Park,  204 
Shrubs  and  trees  in  the  winter 

garden,  162 
Siberian  Dogwood,  308 
Sibthorpia  (Moneywort),  723 
Sida,  723 
Sidalcea  (Greek  Mallow),  723 


Silphium  (  Rosin  Plant),  725 
Silvery-leaved  plants,  193 
Silybum  (Milk  Thistle),  725 
Simplest  label  for  trees,  293 
Simplocus,  725 
Sitka  Spruce,  307 
Snowdrop  and  Snowflake,  46 
Snowdrops  in  grass,  Straffan, 

Kildare,  101 

Snowdrops  naturalised,  100 
Soft  water  best,  279 
Solarium  Wendlandi,  729 
SoWanella  (Moon-  wort),  729 
Solidago  (Golden  Rod),  730 
Sollya  (Blue-bell  Creeper),  730 
Sophora,  730 

S.  japonica,  730 
Sparaxis,  731 

S.  pulcherrima,  731 
Spartina  polystachya,  731 
Spartium     (Spanish     Broom), 

731 
Specularia   (Venus'  s    Looking- 

glass),  731 
Sphenpgyne,  732 
Spigelia  (  Worm  Grass),  732 
Spiraea,  732 

S.    Aruncus,  S.  discolor,  S. 
japonica,  S.  Bumalda,  S, 
Lindleyana,  732-736 
Spraguea,  735 
Spring  Gardens,  105 
Stachys  (  Woundwort),  735 
Stachyurus  proacox,  736 
Staphylea  (Bladder  Nut),  736 
Staking  orchard  trees,  273 
Staking  trees,  288 
Standard  Rose,  119 
Starved  orchards,  267 
Starworts,  154 
Statice  (Sea  Lavender),  736 
Statues  in  gardens,  311 
Stauntonia,  736 
Steironema,  736 
Stenanthium,  737 
Stephanandra,  737 
Sterabergia  (  Lily-of  -the-  Field), 
737 


Stipa  (Feather  Grass),  738 

Stokesia,  738 

Stone  bench  (Dropmore),  255 

Stone  edging,  211 

Stone  walks  in  small  gardens, 

208 

Stranvoesia,  738 
Stratiotes  (Water Soldier),  738 
Struthiopteris   (Ostrich    Fern), 

738 

Stewartia,  738 
Stylophorum,  739 
Styrax,  739 
Summer     Garden     Beautiful, 

128 

Summer-house,  257 
Summer-leafing  Cypress,  307 
Sunk     fences     ani    retaining 

walls,  258 
Swamp  Bay,  308 
Sweet  ALlers,  308 
Swertia  (Marsh  Swcrtia),  739 
Sycopsis  sinensis,  739 
Symplocos  crataegoides,  739 
Symphoricarpus    (Snowberry). 

740 

Symphyandra,  740 
Symphytum  ( Comfrey),  740 
Synthyris,  740 

),  740 


TAGETES,  741 

Tall  Arundo  :     Golden  Field, 

147 

Tamarix  (  Tamarisk),  742 
Tanacetum  (  Tansy),  742 

Tanakea  radicans.  742 
Taxodium       (Summer  -  leafing 
Cypress),  742 


Tchihatchewia,  743 

Tea  and  Monthly  Roses,  153 
Tecoma     (Trumpet     Creeper), 

743 

T.  grandiflora,  744 
Tecophylaea,  744 
Tellima,  744 
Terraced  gardens,  22 
Terracing  level  ground,  311 
Teucrium  (Germander),  744 
Thalia,  745 

Thalictrum  (  Meadow  Rue),  745 
Thermopsis,  746 
Things  destructive  of  repose, 

303 

Thladiantha,  746 
Thlaspi,  746 
Thunbergia,  746 
Thuya  (  Arbor-vita;).  747 
Thymelsea  Nivalis,  747 
Thymus  (  Thyme),  747 
Tiarella  (Foam  Flower),  747 

T.  cordifolia,  748 
Tigridia  (Tiger  Flower),  748 

T.  Pavonia  alba,  749 
TQia,(Lime),  748 
Topiarian  Follies,  314 
Topiary  work,  310 
Town  Garden,  The  Broadway, 

Worcestershire,  5 
Townsendia  (Rocky  Mountain 

Daisy),  750 


796 


THE  ENGLISH  FLOWER   GARDEN.        Illustrations  in  Italics. 


Trachelium  (  Blue  Throativort), 

750 
Trachelospermum        (  Chinese 

Jasmine),  750 
Trachystemon,  750 
Tradescantia  (  Virginian 

Spidencort),  750 
Trapa  (Water  Chestnut),  750 
Treatment  of  old  lawns,  253 
Trees  for  climbers,  76 
Trees    to    take    their   natural 

forms,  265 

Trellising  to  endure,  35 
Trials  of  Edging  Plants  in  my 

Garden,  217 
Tricuspidaria,  751 

T.  lanceolata,  751 
Tricyrtis,  751 

Trientalis  (Star-flower),  751 
Trifolium  (  Trefoil),  751 
Trillium  (Wood  Lily),  751 
Triteleia   (Spring  Star-  flower], 

752 

Tritoma,  752 
Tritonia,  752 
Trochodendron,  752 
Trollius  (Globe-flower'),  752 
Tropseolum  (Nasturtium),  753 
T.  polyphyllum,    T.  specio- 

sum,  754-755 
True  and  false  "  art,"  3 
True  test  of  a  flower  garden,  14 
Tsuga  (Hemlock  Spruce),  755 
Tufted  Pansies,  223 


Old  garden  Tulips,  756 
Tulips,  45 

Tunica  (Sand  Pink),  759 
Tupelo  tree,  306 
Twha.(Reed  Mace),  760 


VLEX  (Furze),  160 
Warns  (Elm),  760 
Umbellularia  californica  ( Cali- 

fornian  Laurel),  760 
Ungnadia  (Spanish   Buckeye), 

761 

Uniola,  761 
Upper  part  of  my  Water  Garden, 

Urospermum,  761 

,  761 


VACCINIUM      (Whortleberry), 
761 


Valeriana  ( Valerian),  762 
Vallota  (Scarborough  Lily),  762 
Vancouveria,  763 
Variety    the    true    source    of 

beauty  in  gardens,  16  . 
"  Vegetable  sculpture,"  243 
Venidium,  763 
Veratrum    (White    Hellebore), 

763 

Verbascum  (Mullein),  763 
V.   olympicum,    V.  phlom- 

oides,  V .  phoeniceum,  763- 

765 

Verbena,  764 
Verbesina,  764 
Vernonia  (Ironweed),  764 
Veronica  (Speedwell),  764 
Shrubby  Speedwell,    V.  pin- 

guifolia,  766-767 
Vesicaria  ( Bladder  Pea),  769 
Viburnum  (Guelder  Rose),  769 

V.  plicatum,  770 
Viburnums,  308 
Vicia  (Vetch),  771 
Villarsia    (Yellow    Buckbean), 

111 

Vinca  (Periwinkle),  771 
Vines  for  their  beauty  of  form, 

74 

Vine-shaded  boicer,  262 
Viola  (Violet),  772 

V.   pedata,    V.   reniformis, 
A  Tufted  Pansy,  773-775 
Viscaria,  775 

Viscum  album  (Mistletoe),  776 
Vitex  (Chaste  Tree),  776 
Vitis  (  Vine),  776 

Vine  growing  on  a  gazeebo, 
V.  heterophylla,  Claret- 
coloured  Vine,  777-779 


W 

WAHLENBERGIA       (Tufted 

Hairbell),  779 
Waitzia,  780 

Waldsteinia     ( Barren    Straw- 
berry), 780 

Walks  and  edgings,  207 
Wall  gardens,  92 
Waste  of  labour,  315 
Water-Lilies  at  Gravetye,  172 
Water  plants,  168 
Waterside  plants,  168 
!    Waterside  trees,  174 

Watsonia  ( Bugle  Lily),  780 
I    Weeds  and  rubbish  heaps,  280 
Weigela  (Bush    Honeysuckle), 

780 
W.  grandiflora,  780 


White  Foxglove,  55 

White     Indian     Azalea     (A. 

Indica)  in  a  Wood,  63 
White  Pink  edging,  216 
Whitlavia,  781 
Wigandia,  781 
Wild  and  single  Roses,  124 
Wild  Garden^  95 
Wild  Pears,  273 
Wild  Roses,  64 
Willows,  305 
Windflowers,  107 
Winter  Sweet,   shoots  gathered 

at  Gravetye,  New    Year's 

Day,  1895,  163 
Wistaria  (Glycine),  781 

W.  multijuga  on  a  tree,  782 
Witch  Hazel,  308 
Woodsia,  783 
Woodwardia,  783 
Wulfenia,  783 


XANTHOCERAS         (Chinese 

Chestnut),  783 
Xeranthemum,  783 
Xerophyllum  (Turkey's  Beard), 

783 


YEW,  307 

Yucca  (Adam's  Needle),  784 


ZANTHORIZA      APHFOLIA 

(Yellow  Root),  784 
Zanthoxylum  (Toothache  Tree), 

784 
Zapania   (Creeping    Vervain), 

785 
Zauschneria          ( Calif ornian 

Fuchsia),  785 
Zea  (Indian  Corn),  785 
Zelkowa  ( Zelkowa  Tree),  785 
Zenobia,  785 
Zephyranthes  ( Zephyr-flower), 

786 

Zietenia,  786 
Zinnia,  786 

Ziz&niSi  (Wild  Rice),  787 
Zygadenus,  787 


OVERDUE. 


LD21-lOOm-7,'40(69368)| 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


